Improving Candidate Experience – The Application Process

You have captured the attention of a job seeker, so they come to your site to research the organization, watch videos, and learn more about who you are as an employer. Assuming the information is compelling, they will search for open jobs and apply. 

This is likely the most memorable part of the website visit for the applicant. The level of aggravation and annoyance, or lack thereof, is information they will share with their network and potentially on social media. They will post horror stories of the application process, the time it demanded, and the clicks necessitated. Applicants will be brutally honest about the experience you are providing.  

This raises the question, do you care about the applicant’s time? 

• How long are you expecting the applicant to give you to complete your paperwork?  
• If they spend 45 minutes filling out forms and conducting tests, what is your feedback to them?
• How much is your application process holding you back?

When did you last test drive your own application process? 

We recommend you conduct a secret shopper exercise. Apply to your own company’s openings. During this process, compile these key metrics:  

• Time to complete the application  
• Time to get in contact with your organization  
• Time to interview  
  

Once you receive an application, do you build or crush the relationship? 

Are your candidate responses prompt, personalized, brand compliant, and informative? Do they help convert a shopper to an engaged applicant?   

In reviewing the candidate's experience, we always conduct this secret shopping exercise as a starting point. We guarantee that you will be stunned by the results. We assess: 

• Number of clicks it takes to get through the process  
• Time it takes to get a response  
• The absence of any personalized responses to your application  
• The proliferation of emails that start: Dear (insert candidate name)  

Does your current website provide a roadmap of the hiring process? Does it prepare the job seeker for interviews? If your process is long and requires multiple interviews, are applicants informed?  

It’s okay to have a long interview process but tell the candidate.  

Candidates appreciate being told what they are getting into. They don’t like being two weeks into the process and finding out that they have barely begun.   

Configure your existing tech stack or add to it 

Your existing tools can easily be fine-tuned to generate a positive experience. At a minimum, configure the personalized email function. Otherwise, consider automation tools that will help end the black hole of the candidate application.  

Many tools are available that reduce the time to interview from 10+ days to 2 days. How? By having a chatbot do the initial screening, linking that conversation to the recruiter’s calendar, and engaging candidates throughout the application and interviewing process. Can you imagine? I can apply and know almost immediately if I qualify and can earn an interview. 

How’s that for an exceptional experience?  

In summary: 

• Secret shop your applicant journey 
• Define the metrics that drive your candidate experience
• Understand your existing tech stack and configure those modules that impact candidate experience
• Consider technologies that focus on candidate screening
• Calculate the ROI (Return on Investment) of improving the candidate experience metrics 

Want our experts to assess your application process? Contact Wicresoft Talent Acquisition today, and we can help find pain points in the entire talent acquisition process, including career website navigation, employer brand presence, and application process.