The candidate experience — how the job seeker feels about the organization during the hiring process — involves more than just interviews. Think of the interviewing and onboarding process as if the prospective employee is learning to ride a bicycle for the first time. As an HR leader, you'll need to hold on and guide them for a bit before they can find their balance and take off on their own. Otherwise, you may lose them during onboarding.
The recruiting and onboarding process can take weeks to move someone from candidate to employee. And even after the new person receives an ID badge, take care to solidify your new hire's attachment to the organization. Follow best practices to improve the candidate experience and new hire's onboarding experience, to ensure that your organization remains a destination for today's top talent.
Stay in front and engage the new employee during the first 90 days and more by taking these steps.
1. Confirm the job description and requirements
Many organizations will continue to recycle the most recent job description or ad. However, that shortcut misses the critical step of verifying that the information still accurately describes the role.
Before you start recruiting, go to the source when answering the question, "What does this job entail and what does it require?" Ask solid performers in the role for their view of the job description and what's required to be successful. Use this feedback and edit accordingly.
2. Streamline the interviewing
Define who must be involved in the interview process, then challenge that list until you have who you need. Once you know who's interviewing the candidate, determine collectively what questions each person should ask to maximize the time, reduce redundancy and allow the team to learn more about the candidate.
Encourage interviewers to allow candidates ample time to ask questions, which enhances the candidates' experiences and helps them engage in the process. You can learn a lot from the questions candidates choose to ask and how they ask them.
3. Hire quickly
Emphasize with hiring managers and all those involved that time is of the essence during recruiting. Companies that hire the best available candidates tend to move quickly, while remaining thorough. Communicate the importance of a well-coordinated and choreographed process that spans as little time as possible. At the same time, allow the company to verify and confirm you've done due diligence and you're ready to make an offer.
4. Remember that reputation matters
Always set a goal to leave both candidates and former employees feeling positive about their candidate experiences. Without an intentional process, bad experiences can occur and can be difficult to erase from the marketplace. Whether spread via social media or word of mouth, an organization's negative candidate reputation may dissuade others from applying. Employers perceived as disrespectful and unappreciative of the candidates they interview will hurt their chances of hiring the best talent.
If you tell candidates you'll be back in touch by a certain time, make sure you do so. In general, proactively stay in front of the candidates you interview and provide them with timely updates. Even if you determine a candidate is no longer viable for the role, communicate that clearly and in a reasonable amount of time.
5. Respect the candidate's time
Appreciate the time invested by the candidates you approach. Show up on time for interviews, limit rescheduling and focus by eliminating distractions. If your interview is virtual, don't multi-task while you meet with the candidate. Hiring teams are less inclined to multi-task during in-person interviews, but because many interviews now take place virtually, it's easy to fall into the trap of doing other tasks while speaking with the candidate.
6. Stay in touch
Once you've extended an offer and your candidate accepts, you might think the race is over. Yet the marathon goes on. You're only at mile marker 23, not 26.2. You need to stay in touch with a candidate who accepts an offer and plan a well-strategized integration process for your new hire. Because most managers are busy and unavailable most days, make sure to buddy-up new hires with a peer who can serve as a guide when their manager isn't available.
When new employees start remotely, it's more difficult for them to introduce themselves virtually and build relationships with coworkers. To prevent remote employees from becoming just names on a computer screen, employers must navigate onboarding for remote staff, especially if you hire extroverted people. Make sure the new hire connects directly with their peers and others within your organization, just as if you're walking them around the office or seating them near coworkers.
Gallagher can help
By applying best practices to strengthen the candidate experience, you give prospective and new employees a positive impression of your organization. You will enjoy more success in attracting and retaining the best talent in today's competitive job market.
Gallagher has helped organizations of all sizes and industries optimize their recruiting process and improve their candidate experiences.
