Do Unto Others: Revisiting the Candidate Experience

Much emphasis in recruiting is placed on finding the best candidate for an organization’s open position – and rightfully so. After all, the goal in hiring top talent assists in the overall profitability and efficiency of an organization on a long term basis. Not only is the focus placed upon candidates who possess the experience and aptitude for the position to be filled, but it is also to find those who share and endorse your company’s core values and culture.

Core values are becoming primary recruiting and retention tools. By having the ability to research a company with ease, thanks to technology and the internet, job seekers are weighing in on whether or not companies hold values similar to their own before applying. Fundamental core values that are common across organizations in different industries include; Accountability, Integrity, Respect, Ownership and Commitment.

But what if your recruitment process and the candidate experience by which your external candidate base is receiving is not in line with the very values your organization claims to have?

As a professional in the area of Talent Acquisition, I do my very best to hold myself accountable, take ownership of the communication between myself and candidates and try my best each and every single day to treat others with respect while possessing a high level of integrity. The commitment I have to myself and candidates is to ensure my own values represent the values my organization stands for. I recognize that being one of the very first people a candidate may come in contact with makes my job important to my employers brand and public perception. Not to mention the fact that my own standards guide me to treat others the way I would like to be treated – which brings me to this past summer/fall when I was surviving through my very own candidate experience after being restructured out of my position this past spring. I can honestly say I have a new found respect for fellow job seekers in this hot and competitive market and as a Talent Acquisition Leader, I now make it a priority to place additional emphasis on candidate experience while ensuring my team is aligned with specific standards and clear on educating business partners as to why this is so very important to the overall organization.

During the course of the last 6 months, although I was employed and strategic in my job search, I became frustrated and downright disappointed by the lack of respect and integrity among my fellow Talent Acquisition professionals in other organizations I was looking to pursue. I can only imagine the level of frustration in those candidates who are not employed. Your confidence can be deflated when your employment has ended, regardless of the reason, and it certainly does not help when you are continuously snubbed while going through the already vigorous process some job searches can bring. That said, what are the organizational effects of a negative candidate experience? Does this issue extend far beyond common courtesy and professional values?

A recent online study by Harris Interactive of more than 3900 workers, over the course of 30 days, found that when job seekers had the misfortune of facing a negative candidate experience:

•  42% of candidates said they would never seek employment at that company again
• 22% said they would actively tell other candidates not to work at the company
• 32% said they would be less inclined to purchase products or services from the company
• 9% said they would go so far as to tell others not to purchase products or services from the company
• 78% said they would share their bad candidate experience with friends and family
• 34% will share their experience on social media –which is essentially out there for the world to view!

Harris Interactive also brought to light what constitutes a negative candidate experience and cited lack of follow through, inconsistencies from the employer or poor representation of the company’s brand as primary culprits.

• 60% of candidates say employers never bothered letting them know a decision either way after the interview
• 43% found out during the interview that the job didn’t match what was written in the job description they had initially applied for
• 34% said the company representative did not present a positive work experience
• 30% said the company representative did not seem to be knowledgeable
• 29% say that most employers never acknowledge receiving their application

A few more things, in my opinion, can make or break a candidate experience:

1. Communication Throughout the Process: Even if there is no news to share, let the candidate know that the process is still ongoing and that you hope to have some news soon. If you say you will call a candidate back, please do so - especially if you have given a specific timeline. If your week becomes hectic and you miss that deadline (we all know this can happen and most of us really are quite forgiving) please respond to a candidate when he or she follows-up. DO NOT blatantly ignore emails or voice messages. Please.
2. Role Reversal: As the famed moral motto states “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you”. Not to sound overly biblical here, but we have all heard this golden rule at one point or another, and whether you hold yourself to religious standards or not, we are human and deserve the right to be treated respectfully and with dignity.  Every single one of us.
3. Being Genuine: People like dealing with those who are genuine, authentic, and kind – and not only when they are the top candidate. This should be exercised with every candidate you come across. In my experience, the world is small and you never know if and when you will cross paths with that person again – either professionally or personally. Would you not want to walk away knowing that you left a good impression and had someone walk away feeling better about themselves?
4. Communication After the Process: We’re in the business of people, people. Just because someone might not be a good fit for a particular role today, does not mean they will not be a good fit for another role tomorrow – or three years from now. Keeping in contact with those who have given their time to your process will let them know that you value them as a candidate – and as a person. Talent is talent – and there is a good fit for everyone. It is our job to recognize this in people and assist them with their career goals, just as much as it is our job to assist our organization in finding and utilizing specific talent effectively.

It is always easier to maintain a good reputation than to rebuild one – and that can be applied both professionally and personally. Take pride in what you do as Talent professionals – your candidates will respect you, and your organization will thank you.