User experience. Candidate experience. And why they matter.
Have you ever been to a website, or used an application and you had to navigate through it like a choose your own adventure… where every adventure ends in you rapidly clicking the big red “x” button in your browser?
Welcome to user experience… or welcome to a “poor user experience” in the above case.
User experience (UX) is an integral part of the design process that controls and dictates how a user feels when they interact with a digital product (whether it be a website, application, or software). UX has many moving parts, and these parts change based on the medium, channel, and industry — but for the sake of the article and candidate experience — the most relevant ones include ease-of-use, interactivity, engagement, design and aesthetic appeal.
UX is important for any digital product, and it is equally important in candidate experience. We’ve talked about why candidates should be treated as consumers, and why you should give context to candidates — both of which are incredibly important parts in shaping the “experience” in the candidate and user experience.
UX is absolutely key for careers pages and job postings because candidates must be able to easily navigate through a journey, understand the company culture and position, and finally have a clear call-to-action to apply.
Developing an interaction-rich experience will delight your candidates and inspire them to apply.
Providing a poor UX in the very first step of your candidate experience will negatively impact your employer branding.
And providing an undifferentiated experience will leave your investments in employer brand lost in the sea of talent acquisition.
For the most part, there is very little differentiation in candidate experience from company to company. There’s a careers page that talks about why the company is a great place to work. There’s a job listings page with a few open requisitions. And finally in the pre-apply candidate experience there is a job posting which offers an essay format job description with lists of requirements and duties. Is there anything wrong with this experience? Short answer: No… if you’re not trying to provide a standout experience to your candidates.
The companies that go the extra mile to leave a lasting first impression on job seekers through employer brand, and candidate experience are the ones that win in talent acquisition.
Here’s a scenario. You’re standing in the middle of a food court looking for a place to cure your insatiable hunger and can’t decide what you want to eat. Generally, the menus are pretty much the same. The food is pretty much the same. The service is pretty much the same. Alas! You see a cool, new place with an interesting menu, customizable food options, and smiling people at the counter. Combo #5 extra pickles hold the relish, and vinegar on the fries please.
Your candidates are looking for the exact same thing. They’ve seen all the careers pages, they’ve scrolled through all of the jobs, and they’ve read all of the job postings. The truth is, most companies don’t provide a differentiated experience that impresses job seekers, which ultimately converts them into engaged candidates.
Providing a delightful user and candidate experience is now more important than ever because it’s the “thing” that separates your great company from all the other ones. Remember, users decide in just a few seconds whether your site or app is worth their time and candidates decide in just a few seconds whether your company is worth their time. This isn’t the only opportunity, but it is one that can leave a lasting impression.
You should treat your candidates as consumers. Which means, your candidate experience should be treated the same way as your user experience. A good UX is one that takes into account four key elements: It’s designed specifically for your target users, there is an information flow that guides users through a journey, it’s aesthetically pleasing, and finally it leaves users delighted. Similarly, a good CX is one that is designed specifically for the candidates you want to hire, it offers a flow of relevant information that guides your candidates through a journey, it’s aesthetically pleasing (and mobile responsive) and finally leaves your candidates delighted and ready to apply.
At the end of the day, today’s job market is becoming increasingly more competitive. If you aren’t providing your candidates with a memorable experience that meets their expectations as a consumer they’ll apply and accept a job offer from a company that does.
So, put yourself in the candidate’s shoes and take another look at your candidate experience and ask yourself, “was this a delightful experience?”. If yes, keep doing what you’re doing. If not, find out the tech or resources you need to improve it. There’s always an app (with a great UX) for that.
