This is Why Job Candidates Hate Your Candidate Experience

This is Why Job Candidates Hate Your Candidate ExperienceThe workplace has entered a digital era and so should your hiring methods. What worked in attracting job applicants ten years ago isnt going to work in todays highly competitive job market. In fact, text-heavy job ads and unrelenting headhunters may do your brand more harm than good. According to a recent study of more than 2,000 hiring decision makers by CareerBuilder, 82 percent of employers think theres little to no negative impact on the company when a candidate has a less-than-stellar experience during the hiring process. Wrong.The reality is that the majority of job candidates dont take an outdated or poor experience lying down. The same study, which also surveyed more than 5,000 workers, found that 58 percent of candidates are less likely to buy from a company they applied to if they didnt get a response to their application 69 percent are less likely if they had a bad experience during the interview, as are 65 percent i f they didnt hear back after an interview. Needless to say, much of the power has shifted from the employer to the job candidate. To remain competitive and create a candidate experience that attracts, secures, and retains todays top talent, determine how your current hiring methods measure up to the latest trends. Above all, continuously reevaluate your hiring process and identify areas for improvement.To give you a head start, here are seven reasons your current hiring practices might be embarrassing you and your company1. Youre losing the guessing game.Consider this Candidates go beyond the job boards and use up to 18 resources throughout their job search, including social networking sites, search engines, and online referrals, according to the aforementioned CareerBuilder study. The problem? While job seekers consult a wide variety of sources, the same study found that majority of employers (58 percent) dont use tracking or coding technology to find out exactly where candidates a re coming from and ensure that theyre targeting those sources when recruiting. Knowing where your applicants are coming from plays a major role in hiring the right people. Simply assuming every person applied as result of your job ad wont help you when it comes to sourcing candidates later on. And, without any hard data on where your candidates are coming from, you may be missing out on valuable opportunities to connect with job seekers.Fortunately, technology enables us to eliminate the guesswork when it comes to sourcing candidates. Applicant tracking systems (ATS), for instance, help you identify which sources are the most fruitful, thus allowing you to focus your time and efforts on those sources. And knowing where to look for qualified candidates will give you the competitive edge you need to land todays highly sought-after talent.2. Youre creating extra work for everyone.The most recent DHI-DFH Vacancy Duration Measure revealed that it took an average of 27.6 working days to f ill jobs in October, which remains near the highest vacancy duration levels since 2001. From scheduling interviews to collaborating on hiring decisions, the hiring process can drag on for weeks or even months on end but it doesnt have to.Advancements in technology have brought outdated hiring practices, from drawn-out applications to time-consuming phone interviews, into the present. Take the phone screen, for instance. One-way video interviews, in which candidates record their answers to a series of predetermined questions, have essentially eliminated the need for the phone screen.And why spend upwards of 30 minutes on the phone with each candidate only to find youve forgotten half of their responses when you can use that time to review and collaborate over pre-recorded interviews?With one-way video interviews, hiring professionals can interview up to 10 candidates in the time it would take to perform a single phone screen, according to research by the Aberdeen Group. And, becau se candidates can complete ansicht video interviews on their own time (within the deadline, of course), there are no scheduling issues, improving candidate experience. In addition to cutting down the workload during the screening process, the nature of video interviews makes it easier to collaborate with colleagues over hiring decisions, as they can be paused, replayed, and shared with others. And, whether youre making important hiring decisions or deciding on which restaurant to have cater your next work event, two heads are always better than one.3. Candidates take you out for dinner and never call you again.The hiring process often serves as a candidates first impression of your company and you dont get a second chance to make a good first impression. If you make candidates jump through hoops during the application process, for instance, chances are it wont reflect well on your company and the poor candidate experience can deter job seekers from completing an application. In fac t, the earlier mentioned CareerBuilder survey found that 40 percent of candidates feel the application process has become increasingly difficult. Of those, 57 percent believe the process lacks personalization, 51 percent are frustrated that they have no idea where they are in the process, and 50 percent say it has so many more steps than it used to. That being the case, its no wonder why three in five candidates leave their application unfinished.Reduce these frustrations and encourage more job seekers to apply by minimizing the amount of steps they must go through during the application process. Better yet, optimize your process for mobile. With nine in 10 job seekers planning to use a mobile device during their job search, according to Glassdoors 2014 survey on the Rise of the Mobile Job Search, an application process that cant be completed via mobile wont be completed at all. An application process that cant be completed via mobile, wont be completed. hiringClick To TweetMost imp ortantly, keep candidates in the loop throughout the hiring process. Taking the time to give candidates a quick status update on their application can make a world of difference and have a positive effect leid just on the overall experience, but on your employer brand.4. Theres dust on your social shares.With 56 percent of professionals looking to social media to discover new job opportunities, according to LinkedIns 2015 Talent Trends Report, your company doesnt just need to have a presence on social media, it needs to be active on those sites.Instead of relying solely on online job boards to advertise an open position, use the companys social media profiles to share new job openings, how to apply, and to give candidates a taste of your companys one-of-a-kind culture (i.e. why they need to apply). Social media presents a unique opportunity to get candidates involved in the hiring process. Ask potential candidates to present their elevator pitch in a single tweet or have them send a Snapchat story that showcases their qualifications in eight creative story frames. This is a fun alternative to the traditional candidate profile that job candidates are required to create when applying for a job. Above all, have fun with it. Having a lively social media presence and engaging with followers is a great way to get job seekers attention. Even if a job isnt up their alley, chances are, they will pass along interesting content to a friend or family member who might just be your next great hire.5. You forgot to check out candidates online.Just as job seekers use social media to get a better feel for your company and its culture, you need to use it to get to know the person behind the tailored resume. After all, theres only so much a resume or job application will tell you about a candidate. Social media can serve as a great pre-screening tool, as it gives you insight not just about a candidates professional skills and experience, but also on their character. According to a recent study by CareerBuilder, 52 percent of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates. Of those, 32 percent found information that ultimately caused them to hire a candidate, including Background information supported job qualifications (42 percent) Personality fit with company culture (38 percent) Site conveyed a professional image (38 percent) Great communication skills (37 percent) Creativity (36 percent)Social media can be the make or break with it comes to identifying the best candidateClick To TweetBut social media can also bring up a number of candidate red flags so much so, that the same study found that 48 percent of hiring managers who screened candidates via social networks have found information that caused them not to hire a candidate, including Provocative or inappropriate photos (46 percent) Information about candidate drinking or using drugs (40 percent) Candidate bad-mouthed previous company or fellow employee (34 percent) Poor communicat ion skills (30 percent) Discriminatory comments (29 percent)Its no secret to job seekers that most of the things they deutsche post ag and share online are made public for potential employers to see. So, a candidate who doesnt bother to clean up their social reputation before applying for the job might not be the candidate for you. While its important to look for supporting evidence when hiring, its equally important to use that evidence to avoid making a bad call. Dont make the mistake of making a costly bad hire because you didnt research the candidate online beforehand screen online before you hire. 6. You have no personality.Job candidates want to see the human aspect of your company. In fact, 57 percent of respondents in the previously mentioned CareerBuilder survey believe that companies are sacrificing personalization for automation.While automation can make for a smoother hiring process, you risk losing what makes your company unique. Put the human back in human resources b y personalizing various aspects of the hiring process. Take your job postings up a notch by featuring a company culture video or photos. Share individual employee testimonials on the companys Twitter and Facebook accounts. And make automated application receipt messages and candidate rejection emails sound a little less robotic and a little more sincere.7. Your slow and steady approach isnt winning this race.When it comes to candidate experience, slow and steady does not win the race for top talent. On average, 44 percent job seekers surveyed by LinkedIn said it took less than a month from the time they started their job offer to when they accepted a new position. If youre slow to update them on their status or extend an offer, theyll move on to the next opportunity. Job seekers want to know where they stand, so communicate with them throughout the process. According to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder, 52 percent of candidates expect a phone call telling them where they stand in the hiring process. Whats more, 25 percent of job seekers expect to hear if the employer will not be bringing them in for an interview.Even if the candidate did not get the job, its critical to your employer brand to send timely and open communication. Although its not pleasant, and it can be time consuming, email every candidates to let them know they didnt make the cut. When you do find the right fit, dont take too long to offer them the job. For 38 percent of employers, it takes more than three days after the interview to extend a job offer to a candidate, according to CareerBuilders 2015 Candidate Behavior Study. By that time, your perfect candidate may could accept another offer. Dont hesitate to snatch up the talent you want or you could miss out. Although youve created a hiring process that works for you, it wont be effective unless it works for candidates as well. Update your candidate experience to attract job seekers and keep your employer brand in tact. Are you guilty of any of these embarrassing candidate experience mistakes? Share in the comments below