When you have an open position, obviously you want to hire the best person possible for the job. But a lot of employers hinder their own chance of landing the best hire possible due to a poor candidate experience. In fact, 38% of candidates say they are more likely to accept a job with a company who has a positive candidate experience. 

Why Is the Candidate Experience Important?

• If a candidate has a negative experience, 72% will tell others about it
• 81% of candidates will share a positive candidate experience with others’
• 60% of job seekers say they would be less likely to purchase something from an employer with a poor candidate experience 
• 51% of candidates will share a bad candidate experience on social media 

It’s clear that a positive candidate experience is not only important for your hiring efforts, but can also strengthen your brand reputation. So how can you improve your candidate experience so you don’t miss out on great candidates? Here are some ideas:

Communicate Frequently With Applicants

53% of candidates say they didn’t receive a response from employers until 3 months after applying. If you’re leaving applicants hanging like this, you risk losing your chance at the best hire. Ghosting candidates will create a bad first impression of your organization, and most candidates will be less likely to want to work for you. 

To combat this and create a solid first impression, consider employing an automated email response to everyone that applies. That way you can effectively communicate with your applicants while saving yourself time in the long run.

Shorten Your Application Process 

According to SHRM, 60% of candidates have abandoned an application in the middle because it was too long. Considering this statistic, you should take a look at your application to see if you could shorten it. Are you asking for the same information multiple times? Can you consolidate any questions or processes? By shortening your application process, you can ensure your best candidates aren’t quitting their applications before they’re finished. 

Improve Your Job Descriptions 

Over three-fourths of job seekers want to know what their day-to-day responsibilities would be. It seems obvious, but you might be surprised at how many employers put up job postings without detailed information about the position. Understandably, the best candidates want to know what they will be doing every day when determining what jobs to apply for. In order to attract top talent, make sure to write detailed job descriptions when advertising an open position. You may even consider explaining the percentage of time the candidate would spend performing each task to give them a better idea of their day-to-day.

Work With a Recruiting Firm 

Candidates want employers to engage with them throughout the hiring process. But realistically, most busy employers don’t have the time or resources to do so. That’s why many employers choose to work with a recruiting firm like Burchard & Associates to improve their candidate experience. While they focus on their day-to-day, our recruiters are fully focused on finding and engaging quality candidates for their open positions. Candidates appreciate the frequent communication and feedback, while employers enjoy having more time in their workday. 

If you’d like to learn more about working with Burchard & Associates for your hiring needs, contact us today.