What separates an average candidate experience from an exceptional one? Gerry Crispin of The Talent Board and creator of the Candidate Experience Awards, recently outlined a few key characteristics:
- Seek feedback and actually listen
- Set expectations and stick to them
- Allow everyone a chance at bat
- Be accountable
They seem straightforward ― so why are so few companies excelling in candidate experience? It takes pushing beyond the status quo and really taking a cold, hard look in the mirror at where your gaps are. It can be intimidating.
But take a look at the companies that did ― and see what they're doing to make the recruitment, interviewing and onboarding process memorable (in a big way) for candidates.
Listen
Deloitte surveyed 3,000 candidates about career goals as part of their ongoing research to improve their career site.
Lockheed Martin built and participates in a community, Military Connect, for veterans, where they can ask questions, share experiences, etc.
RMS established a chat room with the mantra: "You bring honest questions. We'll bring honest answers."
Set expectations
Accenture developed a mobile interview app that can be customized by the recruiter for candidates to prepare for interviews.
Spectrum Health System sets up and prepares candidates for an interview blitz, where they meet with hiring managers and are promised a decision that same day.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory promises, on their career site, the experience a candidate can expect.
Offer a fair chance
Intel created a Candidate Care team that researched candidates and how to build core relationships between recruiter and hiring manager, leading to fewer offer declines.
Jet Blue uses pilot recruiting, which source 20% of hires: building pipelines in universities and assigning mentors to interested students that continues until after graduation.
Be accountable
McGraw-Hill Financial focuses on internal feedback and status from hiring managers to improve percentage of hires.
Capital One launched a comprehensive metrics effort, benchmarked on asking every single person who applies a series of questions about their treatment, with a 50 to 80% response rate.
Look at where a look in the mirror took these leading companies: They are now Candidate Experience Award winners. And even more importantly, are winning top candidates. Are you ready to do the same?
