If you’re responsible for filling open positions, your top priority is finding the best fit for the job, period. The actual experience candidates have working their way through your pipeline may not seem as important as just getting them through it, but believe it or not, it matters. There are plenty of articles that talk about how terrible it is for job hunters who feel ignored and ways to improve the relationship between recruiters and job hunters, but why bother? The position is the reward, no matter what it takes to get it, right? Wrong. Here’s why.
CANDIDATES TALK
Much like any consumer experience, job seekers talk to other job seekers,to their friends, and to their online network about the specifics of their job search,. Meghan Biro (@MeghanMBiro) at Forbes points out that 27% of job seekers who had a negative experience would actively discourage colleagues from applying, 30% would buy less goods or services, and almost one third would broadcast their negative experience. Another survey puts the percentage of negative broadcasters even higher. So a bad candidate experience impacts your current and future candidate pool, and even your brand.
CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE IS PART OF YOUR CULTURE
Companies that pride themselves on their outstanding organizational culture and extol the virtues of employee engagement should understand that culture starts the moment someone finds your job posting. When candidates finally make it through the hiring funnel, what impression do they have of your company and your culture? If you’re one of the 70% of employers that don’t acknowledge applications received and that don’t keep candidates engaged and informed throughout the process, your reputation is invariably taking a hit.
CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE AFFECTS RETENTION
What does candidate experience have to do with how long someone stays at your company? According to Jared Balint (@jbalint88), from TalentWise, a lot. He reports that in a survey of candidate experience and retention, the bottom rated 30% of companies had a first year retention of 31%. Compare that to a retention rate of 91% for the top 20% rated companies.
The big takeaway is that an engaging, positive, and informative candidate experience is not only beneficial to candidates but it’s a big win for companies. Done right, a great experience for candidates in your talent pipeline can have a transformative effect on your organization and your current and future talent.
Hoops is talent engagement done right. Call us now at (877) 262-7358 and get started finding your next great hires.