Why does a positive candidate experience matter?
Simple, because in today’s socially connected world, the term “word of mouth” no longer applies to just your close circle of friends or colleagues. In today’s hiring climate, with the help of platforms such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor and Twitter, a candidate’s experience, positive or negative, can be blasted out to thousands of people as quickly as it takes to hit enter on a computer.
However, company reputation, while certainly important, isn’t the only reason to ensure that the candidates that go through your process are satisfied. The candidate experience is crucial to the growth and success of a company because it impacts so many critical aspects of building a thriving and healthy organization.
Satisfied Candidates Help Promote Employer Branding
Because experiences are no longer just shared with a person’s inner circle, satisfied candidates become the best promoters of great organizations. Through social media, word of mouth or even referrals, your employer brand is automatically marketed throughout other peoples’ networks.
Satisfied Candidates Help Build Loyalty
Candidates who feel that their time, efforts and skills are valued by a company are eager to develop a relationship with that organization, even if they aren’t offered a job initially. If there is respectful and transparent communication throughout the whole interview process, candidates will be appreciative of the candor and will not only be willing to apply again for other opportunities but will more often than not, be happy to tell others about your organization and how thorough your application process is.
Happy Candidates Provide Great Referrals
When a candidate has experienced a positive application and interview process first-hand, they will not hesitate to refer personal friends and colleagues to the organization. As a general rule, people will only refer others when it will reflect positively on them personally. Thus, raising the bar and encouraging the referral of more highly qualified talent that may have otherwise gone elsewhere for the next step in their career path.
It Reduces the Cost Per Hire and Accelerates the Fulfillment Timeline
A natural byproduct of building brand loyalty and increasing referrals is the development of a large pool of resources to work with. With a large pool to source from, the ability to quickly and efficiently identify the right talent for a role is accelerated substantially which in turn helps reduce the cost per hire while maintaining the ability to attract top talent.
Companies that take the time to develop and ensure interactive and respectful experiences for their candidates see a return beyond merely improving their brand. They are able to stand apart as the go-to company to work with in their industry which leads to the highest quality candidates knocking on their door and ultimately, the success of their clients’ projects.
Connect with one of our Matlen Silver recruiters today if you are looking for more than just another job opportunity.