The ‘WOW’​ Experience that everyone talks about…

Ameya Samant
Aug 8, 2017 · 3 min read

On a bright Monday morning, you are scanning through your e-mails and stumble upon an applicant who seems like the perfect match to the position you were trying to fill-up for sometime now. About two weeks later, when you are about to close the offer with the candidate, you are faced with a ‘big’ rejection from the same candidate who had on one’s own applied to this job role.

What happened? What changed so quickly? What made the candidate take up this decision?

One of the answers to your question is “Candidate Experience”. Out of the many reasons why candidates refuse the offers or drop-out midway during the interview process, the most important one has been the candidate experience during the interview rounds.

Even if the candidates have already thought of working with you based upon the what they’ve seen or heard, their final decision over whether or not to accept your job offer relies heavily on the experience they get when applying.

Optimize Your Candidate Experience to Make Higher Quality Hires — Lou Adler

The ‘WOW’ experience that one talks about can come not just by some extravagant methods but by keeping things simple and adhering to some easy-to-follow procedures during the interview process -

1. Be clear on what to look out for in the new hire

What puts off the candidate the most is indecisiveness or lack of clarity in the role. Research says that 69% of the applicants are more in tune with the interview process when they are clear about the responsibilities and 59% people join because they saw some scope of development and advancement in role offered during their interactions in the interview process. The golden rule to etch out a good job description is to write them for the potential candidates and not the hiring manager.

2. Educating the Hiring Managers

Post all the initial interactions via email exchanges or phone calls with the candidate, the most important part in setting up a positive candidate experience is the interview stage. According to a popular research, 83% of candidates say a negative interview experience can change their mind over a company or role that they had once been interested in, while 87% say a positive experience can make them reconsider a role they had doubted. Overall, 77% said the interview stage influences their decision to join, with just over half identifying the meeting with their prospective manager as the most vital part.

It is also vital for a good impression that they respect the time that applicants spend on preparation. Interviews should start promptly and not be re-arranged at short notice.

3. Communication as tool in Candidate Experience

The way we communicate with talent at all stages of the process can often say a lot about the type of business we are. Candidates should get clarity around the process — duration, interview stages, selection process — so that they know where they stand.

Vague messaging, such as saying that if they don’t hear anything by a certain time then they are unsuccessful, gives a poor experience. If they aren’t considered, they deserve a reason. A business giving them value and insight during their search will create a positive impression.

Interviews should be properly set up and confirmed, with interviewees given as much information as they need to prepare fully, so that they feel they have been given the chance to showcase the value that they can add. This can include information around the division or team, current trading updates, future plans, an understanding of the team they will be joining and possibly videos showcasing life within the business.

And last but not the least, talent needs to be given constructive feedback. This provides a great opportunity for differentiation.

Eventually, the whole interview experience leads to a better employment brand building exercise for the organisation.

In my upcoming articles I would touch upon a few useful ideas to increase the candidate experience from the employers perspective.

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