Read any company's career site and you’ll find polished pages with company information, , colourful logos, mission statements, values, career pathways, video interviews with employees and business leaders, curated images and of course, open vacancies all aimed at projecting an employer brand worthy of great talent. Yet all of this can quickly crumble depending on the experience a jobseeker receives when applying for a role. 

Here are 6 tips for ensuring the candidate journey reflects the company culture, values, and employee experience projected on the portal .

6 tips for a better candidate experience

• First impressions count

“The candidate journey begins at the initial point of contact with a jobseeker,” Whether a person is just looking for a job or getting familiar with a company through a careers page, they will get a perception of your culture, your values, and how you treat your employees. The portal should guide the jobseeker through your organisation and build engagement.

A careers page is like an extension of an organisation, welcoming jobseekers with enough information to let them decide if this is the right company for them. 

• Set expectations early

Let the jobseeker know what happens after an application is made.

• Has the application been sent successfully? A simple but personalised autoreply to let the jobseeker know their application has been received.
• When can they expect to hear the next steps and how will you communicate this?
• What to expect in an assessment process, how many meetings and what part each meeting plays in the assessment process.

Letting the candidate know up front lets the candidate know what to expect and provides a level of transparency, which helps build trust. 

• Over communication is better than under communication. 

When a candidate converts to an applicant, clear and consistent communication becomes even more important. Number one frustration for a candidate is not hearing from a company once an application is made. 

“Thank you for applying” email can be updated to offer more clarity. It doesn’t just have to say, “Thank you for applying. Your application is under review.” Take it a step further and send the message that you’ve put thought into the candidate experience.

Replying to every unsuccessful applicant personally is not possible, jobseekers understand that. Nonetheless this does not give you licence to  announce "only successful candidates will be contacted" in your advertisement. It doesn't take long to write a simple but personalised message letting jobseekers know that on this occasion they were not successful. Expecting quality responses goes both ways.

• Assessments built to find the best fit

Think about your interview process: What are you aiming to learn about a candidate? What do you want a candidate to learn about your company? Read "how to conduct an effective interview" to learn more.

Don’t waste your time and candidate time with interviews that have no part in the decision making process. It’s important to be intentional in how you conduct interviews because a one-size-fits-all approach might not be effective in helping you find the best-fit person for a specific role.

• Build trust throughout the candidate journey. 

Let the candidate know as soon as possible if they’re not being considered. This can be in an auto reply written specifically to the job after you've read a resume. However once a candidate begins the assessment process (from phone screen and onwards) reject people over the phone and as quickly as the decision is made to reject an application. Taking the time to call someone and let them know personally is a direct reflection of how a company treats its employees.

Plan your response, you mean to be intentional, you must be truthful. If you see the candidate is a good company fit but not a job a fit, let them know and keep in touch with them.  Provide valid reasons for why the candidate fell short on this occasion wherever possible. You can keep it short and brief but always be transparent. 

Be brave and stand out from the crowd by asking for feedback and most importantly follow up when feedback is given to show you value their contribution. Improving your talent acquisition process is crucial for growth and you can learn a lot from the people who have been through it.

Declining a jobseeker doesn't mean having to risk your company's reputation. It can be an opportunity to form a connection, learn in real-time, and still leave candidates with a positive impression of your values and culture.

• Finally, give new starters a big warm welcome. 

The candidate experience continues after an offer is accepted. Use this time to build certainty in a candidate's choice to join your team.

Build motivation and excitement by getting the hiring manager to call the candidate after the offer letter is signed and as the start dys draws near start including them by inviting them into LinkedIn groups etc and provide a channel inviting them to ask questions. 

Extending a big warm welcome is an opportunity to leave a lasting impression on new hires. It doesn’t have to be excessive, it just has to be authentic and speak to who you are as a company.

Providing a thoughtful candidate experience allows an organisation to make strong connections with potential talent and hire people who trust you as an employer. Build loyalty from the beginning.