According to a survey I looked at recently (which admittedly comes from 2023 but I imagine this stat continues to get worse over time), 82% of candidates say that a negative interview experience can change their perception of a company. 82%!! 📉
So how do we ensure a positive experience?
Whilst you can’t please all of the people all of the time, there’s definitely a way to treat jobseekers to ensure they have the best experience possible – regardless of the outcome with the client/hirer. And these are applicable to both the client AND the recruiter 😉
Don’t leave people in the dark 🌑 - ensure they receive timely, transparent, and personalised communication throughout the hiring process.
Don’t neglect the application experience - provide clear instructions about the application process, interview stages, and expected timelines.
Don’t misrepresent the role – giving the wrong information about the salary on offer 💰 , the location, the ability to WFH 🏠 and the number of days you might be able to do this – all these will destroy any level of trust and credibility you build with your candidate.
Don’t forget candidate feedback – have regular prep calls 📱 before all interviews giving as much information as possible at each stage to help. And then offer constructive feedback to people, regardless of the outcome – this helps candidates moving forward with other interviews.
And whilst this is all very good in theory, in practice the recruiter can be held back from carrying out these stages properly by delays in feedback and input from the client. Not that this is a client-shaming post – there are PLENTY of recruiters out there who can mess this process up even if the client has been absolutely on point.
Moral of the post? Be honest, open, and transparent in the recruitment process and ensure you don’t make your candidate part of the 82% statistic 😄
