Today’s skilled professionals are looking for more than just a competitive salary and a generous benefits package. During the hiring process, while you are discerning whether they are a good fit for your company, they are deciding whether your workplace is a good fit for their lifestyle.
How can you promote a positive candidate experience to attract and keep top talent? Consider the following strategies. After implementing them, you will no doubt observe positive results that you can quantify on your positive results that you can quantify on your HR Director resume.
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Tell Them How They’re Doing
Earlier this year, Forbes reported that “75% of job applicants say a prospective employer has ghosted them following an interview.” Such a lack of communication is one of the most common pain points throughout the candidate experience.
You can do something simple to solve this issue and keep your candidates happy—communicate. Keep them up to date on the hiring timeline, stages of the hiring process, and what to expect next. If you decide not to move forward with a candidate, give them closure by telling them so.
Do you feel that you don’t have time for so much communication? You can set up automated emails for most updates and chatbots to address applicant questions. Scheduling changes and even rejection notices, for example, don’t require a personal touch. The most important thing is that the communications happen.
Keep It Simple
Strive to keep the candidate experience as simple as possible. Respect candidates’ time by not requesting more videos, interviews, or skills assessments than are absolutely necessary. In fact, cumbersome, time-consuming, demanding applications may deter talented candidates from applying—after all, they are likely busy applying to other positions as well.
Some candidates will be using mobile devices to fill out online applications and attend virtual interviews. Ensure that all materials are mobile-friendly.
Build Community by Emphasizing Company Culture
Help candidates get to know the heart of your company by offering virtual or in-person tours or by highlighting authentic employee experiences, values-driven projects, or positive impacts. When feasible, foster interactions between current employees and their potential future colleagues.
Make It Interesting for Remote Workers
Many companies hire remote workers because of the reduced expense and larger talent pool available. However, special consideration should be given to the remote worker’s candidate experience, whether you’re hiring them full-time or for temporary or contract positions.
Don’t Sound Scammy
Savvy remote workers are aware of the tactics scammers use to ensnare them with false job offers. When reaching out to remote candidates on LinkedIn or other platforms, make sure you don’t raise red flags. Avoid making offers that could sound “too good to be true.” Don’t hint that they should purchase products or software. Offer adequate information to confirm your company is legitimate and you are authorized to represent it before requesting personal information.
Offer Engaging Remote Options
Remote workers are often glutted with Zoom meetings and requests for samples of their work. Get creative in how you engage with them both during the candidate experience and after hiring. For example, some companies host virtual job fairs with video game flair, complete with decorated “booths” and avatars that can walk around and communicate with each other. Keep skills testing to a reasonable amount of time, and consider paying them for any time spent creating writing, coding, or graphic design samples.
Make Onboarding Hospitable
Some companies require new hires to complete onboarding in person, for as long as two weeks. This has certain advantages, including getting to know your candidate well and promoting teamwork. However, should you choose to require such travel, be sure to cover all expenses involved and pay the candidate for their time.
End on a Positive Note
For any given position, you must select one candidate from a pool of many. As mentioned above, you should provide closure by informing candidates when they are not selected.
But you can go further by ending the experience on a positive note. For example, you might encourage a promising candidate to apply for other available positions. If you think a candidate may be ideally suited for a role that is not currently available, tell them so and offer to keep in touch. Then, follow through by reaching out when the position does become available.
Finally, conclude the process by asking for feedback. You can do this via post-application feedback forms or through surveys. This will give you real insights into the experiences of both the candidates you hired and those you did not. Consider their comments when making adjustments to future recruitment efforts.
Key Takeaways
The hiring process is a time when candidates are trying on your company for size, so to speak. They know that how you treat them then will likely reflect how they will be treated as an employee. When you make this journey a positive, engaging, and respectful one, you will enjoy a steady stream of top talent to choose from.

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