Hiring Party: The Candidate Experience

Have you ever gone through a full-scale recruitment to fill a position - from postings, to applications, to interviews, possibly even to the point of extending an offer - only to lose your first choice candidate?

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The issue might just be your company’s candidate experience. Think of the candidate experience not as a single moment in time, but rather as the sum total of every single point of contact between your organization and a prospective new hire.
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That’s a lot of moving pieces to think about, I know. So, let’s think of the candidate experience like a party. Yes, a party. Partly because it’ll help illustrate the most important stages of the experience to look at. And partly because … well, who doesn’t like a party?

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The Invitation
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When you’re hosting a party, the first thing you’ve got to do is invite your guests. Your invitation should usually create a bit of buzz, it should make it appealing to come. It should
also let people know what to expect.
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Your invitation to candidates begins with your job posting. And let me make this crystal clear: a job posting and a job description are two different things. If you’re using job descriptions to advertise opportunities, please stop. Now. That’s like inviting people to a party by sending them the recipe for your hors d’oeuvres.
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The best candidates on the market need more than that to be attracted to your company, to be motivated to apply. They want to know what it would be like to work for you, what kind of place it really is. If there are values that are important to you, they want to know what they are. Can you articulate your company’s why? Then why not talk about that in your postings?
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How will they contribute, how will they make a difference, what are some of the exciting things they’ll get to do? These are the things that take an invitation from ho-hum to must-attend. Just remember that you also want your guests to know what to expect. Every company has a different culture and vibe. An invitation to a poetry reading and herbal tea
tasting will be a bit different than one to a no-holds-barred New Year’s Eve blowout.
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Likewise, your postings should convey a bit of your company’s authentic personality. While we’re at it, don’t underestimate the importance of your company website as a recruitment tool.

Excellent candidates thoroughly research companies they’re considering - certainly before interviewing, but often before even applying. Having an ‘Employment Opportunities’ page isn’t enough. Look through every part of your website through the eyes of the talent you want to attract. Is the information there consistent with what they saw in the job posting? Does it give a sense for the company culture, and the other people who work there?

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The RSVP

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The next step after a party invitation is the RSVP. At this point, you want to make it as easy as possible for your guests to say ‘yes’, and to attend. Directions to the venue should be clear and easy to follow. Whether it’s black tie or blue jeans, there shouldn’t be any question about the dress code. Should they bring a gift, or a dish to share? Also good to know.
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When a candidate decides to apply for an opportunity with your company, the process should be as easy as possible. According to some studies, over half of all candidates - 60%! - abandon online job applications before finishing them. Why? Because they’re annoyed and frustrated. The process was too long (37 screening questions?!), broken (oops, 404 not found), or maybe redundant (‘Click here to quickly and easily submit your resume! Oh ... and also copy and paste all the exact same information into these fields.’).
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Most companies put a lot of thought into making it as easy as possible for a new customer to buy from them. Ideally, it should be just as easy for a candidate to apply to work with you.

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Here’s a fun experiment you can try on your own: try to apply to work for your own company. Go through the process objectively, as if you were a candidate trying to RSVP to your party.
What kind of first impression are you giving?

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The Main Event
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Have you ever been to a party with a great host? It’s a fantastic experience. They greet you at the door, make you feel welcome and appreciated. They show interest in you, asking questions in conversation. They help you navigate the party, too - introducing you to a few people so you feel more comfortable, and they also let you know what to expect. What’s
going to happen when?

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When you’re hiring, the interview stage isn’t so different. Your candidates should feel welcomed when they arrive (virtually or in person). If several people are involved at various stages, don’t let them be a stranger - someone should be responsible to make introductions so everyone feels like they know everyone else. And like the intros at a party, it’s more than just the person’s name. A bit of context helps everyone. Nobody likes the feeling of not knowing what’s going to happen; giving an outline of the agenda puts people at ease.

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Accomplishing this takes some forethought and preparation. If your hiring process involves a number of different people and teams, it’s worth thinking about assigning one person as the ‘host’. This person can be the main point of contact to usher candidates through the process and make them feel welcome at every point, introducing them to the people they need to know, and making sure that the lines of communication are kept open. (Even at the end, when - inevitably - someone has to tell the unsuccessful they have to leave the party.)
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One last thing: nobody likes a party that goes on too long.
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Time to hire ranges between 16 and 40 days, but the best candidates are off the market in 10 days. Bit of a mismatch there, right? By no means am I suggesting that the hiring process
would be better if all decisions were snap decisions.
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It just means thinking strategically about what steps are important, and which ones aren’t necessary, streamlining the process to the extent that it can be. Multiple interviewers to
meet? Maybe consider group interviews, or at least back-to-back interviews so employed candidates can take just one block of time from their work. If there are multiple interviews, is everyone asking the same questions over and over? That’s kind of frustrating in the candidate’s seat, and can make it feel like nobody’s talking to each other. Wouldn’t it be better if one interviewer focused more on functional questions, and another on behavioural aspects? Don’t forget the decision stage, either. Some hires are delayed simply because nobody is ready to take the leap. Determine what criteria must be met to make a hiring decision, and when they’re met, make the decision.

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When you’re hiring someone new, from the invitation to the main event, is your company’s candidate experience the party that it could be? Stay tuned. Next, we’ll look at the after-party: making the most of the critical first few weeks and months of a new hire.

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