Great candidate experience is how candidates feel about your company and how you hire. In a survey on the subject, PeopleScout revealed that a bad experience results in 27% of the candidates "actively discourage others to apply", while a positive experience has 77% of candidates "likely to share positive experiences with others in their network".

I addressed this key topic with long-time friend and expert on the subject, Ira Wolfe, for a Sales Hiring Straight Talk podcast. Here are some key points of our interview. 

What is Candidate Experience?

It's how candidates feel when they apply for a job with your company. In the past there were more people applying for your job than there were jobs available. That is not the case today. 

Did 2020 cause this … and why is it so important now?

2020 didn't cause this … it just ripped the Band-Aid off the situation. Candidate experience matters now more than ever because people have choices. It's an employee market.

Job Shortage Trends that have converged at one time:

• 4.4 million people quit their jobs in February 2022, up from 4.2 million in January 2022
• An all-time record high number of job openings
• A 3.2% unemployment rate in Virginia
• Lowest number of people applying for unemployment claims in 20 years

Does Candidate Experience start with the job application?

No, it starts even before that. It's important to consider:

• What does your job description look like?
• How long does it take to complete a job application?
• Did anyone ever contact or call the candidate back after they've applied?
• What are your interviews like?

But in today's market, Candidate Experience means more. It starts when someone is first thinking about getting a job or changing jobs. Candidates look at your website to see what the company is all about. They look at the company's page on Facebook or LinkedIn. What are people saying about your company as they read Glassdoor or Indeed ratings? What is the first impression they get of your company?

Critical in this process is how candidates find your job openings and apply for them online. I recently spoke to 3 companies that were hiring and found their job buried in their website. Even they were shocked to discover they couldn't find it, a scenario echoed by Ira in our interview. 

Candidate experience is the message you send to job seekers. It's the first impression when someone is thinking about a job - and continues all the way through the hiring process. It's never been more important than today.

ACTION STEP: Where on YOUR website do your candidates go to see if you're hiring?