Several hiring managers believe that ensuring a positive candidate experience requires one-on-one time with them. While that approach is beneficial, it is possible to cultivate a great candidate experience on a larger scale. When more people apply for jobs, you also have a bigger impact on how others see your company.
By now, you might be thinking, “Sure, providing candidates with a positive experience sounds wonderful. But, with 8 positions to fill, 400 applicants to handle, and only 24 hours in a day, I can’t constantly focus on candidate experience.”
No need to worry! We’ve got you covered with practical suggestions on maintaining a positive candidate experience, even when navigating the challenges of high-volume recruitment.
The Challenges of High-Volume Hiring: Struggling Recruiters and Poor Candidate Experience
Candidates now expect more; the talent competition is getting tougher, and recruitment teams grapple with a pile of manual tasks.
Routine activities such as interview scheduling and screening consume valuable time and take time away from more important tasks. Despite efforts to provide candidates with engaging and efficient recruitment experience, traditional recruitment technology frequently falls short or, at times, works counterproductively.
On the flip side, as recruiters grapple with manual tasks, highly qualified candidates might experience delays, communication gaps, or, in more unfortunate cases, get hired by rival companies. However, it’s important to remember that positive candidate experience starts when a job seeker decides to apply and that as many as 50 percent declined job offers because of poor experience.¹
This implies that your capacity to attract talent is closely connected to the kind of experience you provide for candidates. So, what steps can you take to enhance your likelihood of attracting exceptional candidates?
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Understanding Candidate Priorities
In high-volume entry-level positions, candidates usually have a main objective: job security. They aim to secure a job and a steady income promptly. Therefore, the most beneficial offering is a streamlined process with clear communication about their status at every stage.
Aside from that, candidates often value transparency regarding the process, role, and organization. Throughout each stage, candidates consistently share information about themselves through their resume and interview responses, yet they don’t always get the same amount of information back.
The bottom line? Candidates want a process that’s fast but also transparent and engaging.
This is where your expertise and influence come into play. As key contributors to the recruitment process, you can mold and enhance the candidate experience. By prioritizing quick procedures, open communication, and engaging elements, your company can foster a connection with candidates that goes beyond the transactional, leaving a lasting and positive impression.
Elevating the Candidate Experience in High-Volume Recruitment
Improving the candidate experience in high-volume recruitment demands a systematic approach—a consistent strategy that can be applied to each new recruitment initiative. Even though many see high-volume recruiting as a fast race, think of it more like a relay race. Each step in the process can affect how well the next one goes.
Here are strategies to enhance the candidate experience in high-volume hiring.
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Maintain clarity and transparency at all times.
Candidates should never feel uninformed about your brand, the specific role they’re applying for, or their status in the hiring process. Any ambiguity can hinder candidate engagement and interest in your company as an employer. To address this, utilize every communication channel to proactively clarify information and set expectations.
For instance, ensure your job description clearly outlines the job requirements, salary range, and benefits. Include details about the application and hiring process to give candidates a clear understanding of what to expect.
Your careers page can serve as a platform to communicate your employer values and provide insights into the corporate culture. Additionally, design automated messages to address common questions candidates might have at different stages of the hiring journey.
Seize every opportunity to address any potential questions candidates proactively may have. Remember, if it seems like you’re stating the obvious or providing too much detail, you probably aren’t.
Focus on agility.
A high-volume hiring process that is slow and complex not only hampers your team’s efficiency but also disrupts a positive candidate experience.
Candidates are less inclined to fill out a long application form; in fact, the dropout rate for candidates who click on “Apply” but don’t finish the application is 92 percent.² Thus, convenience is key, considering that 58 percent of people use mobile phones for their job search.³ As such, having a simple and optimized mobile application is far more likely to meet candidate needs.
Similarly, candidates shouldn’t experience prolonged waiting periods between communications or stages of the hiring process. Extended waiting times make it easier for candidates to lose interest or explore other opportunities, and that means the time you spend on them goes to waste.
Make sure to make your process as quick and smooth as possible for the candidate. In cases where delays are anticipated, proactively communicate with the candidate and set clear expectations.
Establish timelines.
Two out of the top three reasons candidates worldwide withdraw from the application are:⁴
- “I felt my time was not respected during the interview process.”
- “The recruitment process was overly time-consuming.”
This highlights the significance of establishing clear timelines to ensure a respectful and efficient recruitment process. Candidates should feel that the outcomes are worthwhile for the effort they invest.
That’s why it’s important to establish and communicate clear timelines to candidates. It can be frustrating for candidates to submit an application and then go weeks without any updates on the next steps. After applying, candidates should receive a message indicating when they can expect to hear about the next steps.
It’s also advantageous to provide candidates with a designated point of contact for any questions regarding the process or their application.
Having defined timelines benefits the candidates and helps you stay organized in the hiring process. When faced with numerous positions to fill and a large pool of applicants, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Timelines serve as a tool to keep you accountable. Once a timeline is established, adhere to it; if adjustments are necessary, communicate those changes to the candidates.
Implement automation in the process.
Candidates should smoothly progress through the process. For instance, after submitting their application, they can easily move on to the assessment stage.
Upon successfully completing the assessment, candidates should be directed to self-schedule their interview. Employing an automated process helps avoid bottlenecks, eliminating the need for candidates to wait for manual communication about the next steps.
This holds true, as 62 percent of candidates would rather have an automated system manage the interview process efficiently instead of dealing with lengthy back-and-forth communication.⁵
Additionally, the ability to execute tasks in bulk proves highly beneficial during periods of high-volume hiring. It is impractical to send 300 individual emails to candidates regarding the next steps.
Thus, investing in technology that facilitates bulk emails and updates to your tracking system is essential. Maintaining templates for candidate communications is advantageous because it can save time by eliminating the need to recreate messages from scratch repeatedly.
For instance, you can use email marketing platforms like Mailchimp or SendGrid, which can be adapted for bulk communication in recruitment. Recruiters can design and send customized mass emails to candidates, providing updates, interview invitations, or other relevant information.
Personalize the candidate’s experience.
While automation is a fundamental tool for high-volume recruiters to enhance speed and efficiency, excessively depending on it can pose a risk to the candidate experience. Treating candidates uniformly and guiding them through the same automated process might make them feel like just another part of the crowd.
An alternative approach involves taking every possible chance to personalize the experience while balancing the need for efficiency. This might involve ensuring automated communications incorporate personal details, such as the candidate’s name. For individuals in your talent pool, consider sending location-specific notifications whenever your company hosts a hiring event in their region.
Another important thing is ensuring candidates can easily request accommodation for a disability or chronic illness. These options should be available at every step because not everyone feels comfortable sharing this information right away. And when candidates do ask for help, it’s important to respond quickly and address their needs.
LET SALEM SOLUTIONS UNLEASH POSITIVE CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR BUSINESS
In staffing, where the demand for talent is high and the competition fierce, it’s crucial to revolutionize your approach. At Salem Solutions, we understand the critical role of candidate experience in high-volume recruitment. Our processes prioritize transparency, making every step clear for candidates.
Get in touch with us today to infuse a personal touch into every candidate interaction, making their journey with your company a great, memorable experience.
References
1 40 Notable Candidate Experience Statistics: 2024 Job Application Trends & Challenges.” FinancesOnline, https://financesonline.com/candidate-experience-statistics/. Accessed 09 Feb. 2024.
2 “Most People—92%—Never Finish Online Job Applications.” Shrm.org, 2022, www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/talent-acquisition/people-92-never-finish-online-job-applications.
3 Glassdoor. The Rise of Mobile Devices in Job Search: Challenges and Opportunities for Employers. 2019, research.glassdoor.com/site-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Mobile-Job-Search-1.pdf.
4. “It’s Baaaack: Candidate Resentment Increases Globally.” Talent Board, 2023, www.thetalentboard.org/article/its-baaaack-candidate-resentment-increases-globally/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2024.
5 “Candidate Expectations Report 2023.” Cronofy.com, www.cronofy.com/reports/candidate-expectations-report-2023. Accessed 1 Feb. 2024.