Cracking the candidate experience conundrum in 2024

It’s therefore vital that while we keep one eye on the big picture, we focus on the things we can control, and for recruiters, that suggests keeping your talent pipeline well stocked, well looked after and happy. Because now as much as ever – especially given the increased emphasis on applicant quality, over quantity – great candidate experiences are crucial for everyone concerned.  

 

Factors feeding into the candidate experience 

 

Let’s dive a little deeper by taking a look at the kind of issues agencies face when it comes to getting the candidate experience right in the recruitment industry and managing their clients’ expectations. 

 

• Work-life balance remains a big thing: ‘Quiet-quitting’ has been a theme in recent times, with candidates resigning as they seek equilibrium between their professional and personal needs. Employers who are willing or encouraged to review what working environment they can offer and flex working arrangements are therefore more likely to satisfy jobseekers’ demands.  
• Nail what information candidates want to know: A lack of details about pay and benefits, and interview schedule changes, are two prominent reasons why jobseekers view their job searches as stressful. Untimely (or lack of) responses and limited information about a role’s responsibilities are also disheartening for candidates. 

• Tech unlocks better experiences for talent: With the increasing application of technology, surging digital experiences, mobile browsing and the rise of social media, agencies need to adopt technological innovation faster than the competition. 
• Outdated systems will leave you out in the cold: Outmoded experiences that feel clunky and prevent feedback are no longer acceptable. Put simply, the talent will vote with their feet to find agencies that will treat them better. One recent study, for example, found that when conversational AI is part of the recruiting process, candidates offered a job are 38% more likely to accept (source: StepStone). 
• Take a leaf out of other brands’ books: How agencies handle comms with candidates impacts their ability to satisfy clients’ hiring requirements and shapes their brand identities. Corporate brands such as Airbnb, Amazon and Etsy have led the way with customer journeys that are engaging at every touchpoint through clever automation, so personalised customer experiences are largely expected. 
• Rethink your candidates experience in terms of a customer journey: It’s a smart move for agencies to review what’s working well and what could be done better, when focusing on improved candidate attraction and care. Adjusting how you interact and engage with candidates, by curating their pathways more as ‘customer journeys’, is an increasingly popular approach.  

 

Mapping a journey that can motivate candidates  

 

Let’s roll on with that last point by looking at how the customer experience can be configured – or do some CX mapping, to use a bit of techie talk. This is one of the biggest differentiators for brands that are committed to creating a positive environment for candidates, so it’s well worth consideration. Indeed, understanding the engagement touchpoints and how you can help guide candidates through the process is the first part of identifying how to deliver an optimal experience. And while the journey may differ slightly for the particular requirements of specific agencies, the key focus remains on how best to engage and communicate with people in order to build positive relationships. To make things easier to absorb, we’ve visualised an indicative journey via a handy infographic. 

 

Focus on the journey, not the destination 

 

As you can see, there are lots of elements to consider in creating a great customer pathway. For example, it’s important to gain feedback from recently placed candidates (including those who are unsuccessful at interview), to evaluate how it feels to interact with your agency. It can make sense to seek honest feedback through a candidate survey, or, if you’re serious about identifying and making changes, why not employ some mystery shoppers to give unbiased opinions? 

On a different note, while we often believe that human communication is better, being able to do this consistently, at scale, can be challenging for many agencies. Therefore, automation of some of the steps can be a boon and avoid the hazard of a comms ‘black hole’. Clever combinations of technology during prequalification stages, with recruiters then giving a more personalised approach as the hiring process evolves, can also yield good results. 

 

The right tech elevates the candidate experience 

 

Enhancing the candidate experience delivered by your recruitment agency is a hugely positive undertaking, one that can help to foster richer talent pools. And your technology, like in so many other areas of life and work, should be at the heart of what you can do in this respect. Because with the right IT tools, you can personalise the experience so that everyone feels welcome and like a valued contender. 

 

Six strategies to build a better candidate experience 

 

• Are you open to all? Build an experience so that everyone feels welcome. Look at all your touchpoints. Does your website conform to the latest website accessibility guidance? Are you using helpful ALT tags that help visually impaired candidates? Are the colours on your website in the right contrast? Don’t allow your copy to unintentionally discriminate. Access Volcanic, our recruitment website solution that blends digital performance with inclusivity, has created a helpful guide with actionable tips in all these areas. Check it out here.   
• Make applying for jobs easy. Your brand is working for you before conversations have even started with your agency. How easy (or not) is it for candidates to find you online, or to access information on your website? Is it designed for mobile first? How quickly and intuitively can they search and filter your jobs in their relevant specialisations?  
• Write compelling job adverts. Flip the focus of job adverts from the client’s long list of wants to the candidate perspective. How will the role use their experience, offer a career challenge and reward them? Is there a more appealing and impactful way to bring the job to life - maybe using video or employee stories. Have you ever thought about the language used in your job adverts, and how it could potentially cause candidates to de-select themselves from the application process? Lots to think about here, but there are specialist tools that can help! 
• Brief thoroughly. Arm your candidates with the best chance of success, whether they are attending an interview for a permanent job or getting ready to start a temporary assignment. Making them feel fully prepared is key to them performing well and representing your agency in the best possible light. No matter what the outcome, they can be advocates of your service and if treated well may be happy to write a testimonial.  
• Communicate more. Communication is the primary differentiator of a good candidate experience consistently applied across the hiring process from pre-application to onboarding, according to evidence gathered over ten years by the CandEs. Even candidates who were unsuccessful are likely to stay in touch with your agency if you provide honest and timely feedback maintaining an active flow of communication with them.  
• The VIP treatment. Once you’ve successfully placed a candidate make sure to stay in touch confirming the next steps, especially if they are serving a long notice period, to avoid the risk of a counter offer. For temporary workers, if you don’t have an app that lets you see they have automatically checked in for work, give them a call to ensure they are either on their way or have arrived safely. Post placement calls will allow you to confirm they have settled in well and potentially alert you of any issues. Happy candidates may be open to referring other good candidates to you. By creating meaningful candidate experiences you have the opportunity to create brand advocates. 

 

If you’d like to learn more about Access Recruitment’s software solutions that can help enhance the candidate experience, from our recruitment CRM software to our all-in-one recruitment website design platform, we’d love to hear from you. Because whether you want to grow your business, create a more diverse workforce or build better experiences for your candidate pool we have the innovative technology that can make it happen.