So how important is candidate experience, really?

I am a VP of Talent Strategy with NAS Recruitment Innovation, a company that has been around for 75 years. I like to think we are doing something right since we have not only survived, but thrived, through all the ups and downs of our economy. My team focuses on making our client partners’ candidate experience better on their career websites, and we do this extremely well.

Now, when I talk to professionals in the HR space, most understand that providing an excellent candidate experience is paramount, but many do not know how to do it. So, here are some questions you should ask yourself if you wish to provide an experience that candidates will actually enjoy and talk about.

First, define candidate experience.

The candidate experience is nothing more (and nothing less) than a person’s feelings as they go through an application process. Now, would you be surprised if I told you with every click on your site, you lose 50% of your audience? Think about that. If 100 candidates land on your site, after one click, you have 50 left. After two clicks, you have 25 left. After three clicks, you have 12. Open your career site and search for any job. How many clicks does it take to apply to that particular job?

Second, determine how user friendly the search is.

Is it optimized for mobile use? Or does it look wonky? Most candidates (upwards of 60% according to our data) will take a look at your career site on mobile first. And they won’t come back if they have to enlarge the fonts using two fingers left and right, up and down, click on tiny drop-down boxes and guess what some job titles even mean.

Third, make sure your website is telling the true story of who your organization is.

Is it representing you, your culture and your employees in a candid manner, in a way that is true and honest? If you are not using authentic pictures and misrepresenting your environment, you are doing a disservice to those candidates and your organization.

Imagine if a client in a store had to go all this hassle to pay for a product or service you sell. Imagine you put roadblocks on their way to the counter that they had to jump over. Imagine that the decoration of your store or office is not inviting, that the lights are not bright enough for them to see the product and that the labels do not accurately describe what the products really are for. You probably wouldn’t have many satisfied clients, would you? And what would that do for your brand and your bottom line?

NAS can help with every aspect of your candidate experience, and more. Book a consultation today.

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