how to create a great candidate experience.

Any great people manager knows the job application process is as much an opportunity for candidates to size up your business and decide if it’s somewhere they can see themselves working, as it is for you to assess their suitability for a role.

Fail to impress and you might not only lose their interest, but also their advocacy – whether through word-of-mouth or social media, their negative experience could end up damaging your employer brand. Not ideal, right?

“false starts and abrupt halts in the recruitment process can put great candidates off”

So, how do you create a great candidate experience that elevates your employer brand, giving you a bigger pipeline of high-quality candidates in the long run? Here at mum, we’re all about helping forward-thinking hospitality brands do just that. Read on for our top tips:

1. make sure you’re ready to recruit

It might sound obvious, but do you have a role to recruit for? It’s not enough to know you need more people power: before you go out to market, you need to outline exactly what your new hire will be responsible for; what skills and experience they’ll need to be successful in the role; and you need to have the budget signed off. False starts and abrupt halts in the recruitment process can put great candidates off – not only this role, but ever working for you in the future.

2. be transparent about salary

First off, salary is often a useful benchmark for jobseekers, so stating it on job ads can avoid candidate frustration (when they realise they’ve wasted their time applying for a job that isn’t right for them), while increasing relevant applications. In fact, surveys show job adverts without salaries get 25-35% fewer applicants, which isn’t surprising considering 82% of people view salary as the most important factor when looking for a new role.

“Being transparent about salary helps you establish a culture of openness from the get-go”

Secondly, pay transparency is crucial for equity and diversity in the workplace. Different attitudes to and skills in negotiation contribute to pay gaps between genders and social backgrounds. Being transparent about salary – as well as responsibilities, opportunities for progression, and perks – helps you establish a culture of openness from the get-go.

By the way: Don’t ask candidates to disclose their salary history – this compounds pay inequalities over the course of someone's career. Instead, offer a salary based purely on the job duties and their experience level.

3. use inclusive language

In a survey by Deloitte, 80% of people said inclusion efforts were an important factor when choosing an employer, yet almost 43% of candidates have had their name mispronounced in a job interview – an easily avoided mistake that can immediately make someone feel unwelcome. Our point is: in recruitment, language matters.

“in recruitment, language matters”

Comb through your job specs and remove gender-coded language, as well as gendered titles and phrases – like “chairman” or “waitress.” Scrap culturally insensitive language – like “slaving away” or “guru” – and ageist or ableist phrases – like “young, vibrant company,” “blindspot,” or “crazy.” Normalise asking for preferred pronouns and, for goodness sake, check you’re pronouncing a candidate’s name correctly.

4. don’t overburden applicants

Did you know the average candidate spends 3-4 hours submitting a single application, while 70% of companies think it takes them less than an hour? Or that 60% of job seekers quit in the middle of filling out online job applications because of their length or complexity? We know how important it is to hire the right person, but make sure your laborious application process isn’t accidentally filtering out promising candidates.

“make sure your laborious application process isn’t accidentally filtering out promising candidates”

Top tip: In 2021, 70% of job applications were submitted on mobile devices. So, make sure your application experience is as seamless on mobile as it is on desktop!

5. keep candidates in the loop

A whopping 75% of candidates have been ghosted after an interview. Aside from being a pretty inexcusable way to treat people, this could spell disaster for your employer brand. In fact, even lags in a process or communications can raise question marks for candidates.

“Treat candidates as you’d expect to be treated at every touchpoint along their journey”

Treat candidates as you’d expect to be treated at every touchpoint along their journey: engage with them on a human level by acknowledging their application, setting expectations and providing updates about the process, and following up promptly after interviews and tasks.

6. give (and ask for) constructive feedback

More than 60% of jobseekers said receiving feedback during the interview process – even if they didn’t get the job – would make them more inclined to apply for future jobs at that company. Aside from being better for your employer brand, creating a feedback dialogue with candidates also allows you to ask for theirs. Is your EVP clear? How did they find the application process? Are there any improvements you could make to ensure a smoother experience?

7. think about your onboarding process

Think your job’s done once you get a new hire through the door? Considering people who have a negative onboarding experience are twice as likely to seek a different opportunity – which could mean a lot of wasted time, effort, and money for your business – you might want to think again… Make sure you get new hires excited about and immersed in their roles by arming them with the tools and support they need to start thriving right away.

“people who have a negative onboarding experience are twice as likely to seek a different opportunity”

8. partner with people you trust

Your employer brand is precious – when partnering with an external recruiter, you need to know it’s in safe hands. They should be responsible for so much more than just sending you CVs: it’s about the experience they create for both the candidate and for you.

Want to bring talent home? Here at mum, we’re an extension of your team. We embody your values and represent your business as if it were our own, creating a candidate experience that’s memorable for all the right reasons. Get in touch to find out how we can help.