6 tips from a candidate to recruiters on how to improve candidate experience

I had decided to move on and the great journey to find a new job had just started. I thought to myself, how hard can it really be to apply and find a job? I understood fairly quickly that this was not the case. There were plenty of jobs out there at the time but I was overwhelmed when I realised what was expected of me as a candidate. 

In this article I have 6 tips for all the recruiters out there on what they should think about:

Tip one - Make sure you have frequent communication with your candidates and update them regularly. Don’t take the easy way out and ghost your candidates.

Tip two - Make the process personal to the company. What makes your application process different from other companies and how does it reflect your culture?

Tip three - Be transparent with information, e.g. reveal salary on your job ad. This will encourage candidates to carry out the same behaviour.

Tip four - Don’t add unnecessary stages, e.g. don’t have too many interviews just for the sake of it. Your process should be simple and relevant.

Tip five - Understand the time commitments of the candidate and align with their schedule.

Tip six - Get a recruitment tool that understands candidate needs so you can automate the tedious tasks and streamlining the process. 

So what did Oneflow do so well?

When I applied to Oneflow they were just on another level. They were always transparent and communicated with me frequently with updates on the process. It all moved along pretty quickly. Most importantly, I felt the recruiters were interested to get to know me on a personal level as well as a professional one which I know is crucial in terms of hiring for cultural fit nowadays.

In the process itself, they used Teamtailor's integrated tools such as the NPS surveys to create the best possible experience. I think the NPS function plays a key part in having a voice as a candidate and helping recruiters improve as a result. To be able to give feedback to the recruiter about the process is still seen as rare because the structure has always been the other way round.

I also loved the way they communicated through Teamtailor with confetti and the GIFs! The Alva Labs tests were also great and I think psychometric testing has to play a big part in the application process and as a means of forming a healthy work culture.

“I look for a genuine, warm culture where the company does that little bit extra for everyone to enjoy their work”.

Nathalie Lif, Partner Marketing Manager at Oneflow

We also asked Nathalie about the Teamtailor system in more detail and about her experience in the application process.

How was your experience with the recruitment process and would you recommend Teamtailor?

I would definitely recommend Teamtailor as the whole process was very smooth. There were never any question marks and everything just happened really quickly and seamlessly throughout the whole process.

What device did you use to apply (e.g. mobile/desktop/tablet)?

Desktop

What is your preferred choice of interviewing?
Face-to-face. I think it’s important to develop that rapport with the interviewer, which is much harder over a phone or video call.

What is important for you when it comes to candidate experience and employer branding?For candidate experience, I think you companies need a fast, easy process with limited waiting time in between stages. Feedback and updates throughout the process are also crucial to keep the candidate interested and to let them know what is going on. Even with an unsuccessful application, feedback is still so valuable to have as a candidate for future application processes.

For employer branding, the company must show the true image of themselves through their communication channels. It goes a long way when the company has put a lot of effort into forming a great work culture and ensuring that employees enjoy being at work. 

What advice would you give to a candidate who is using Teamtailor for the first time? 

Log into your account and add the extra information and answer the additional questions about yourself to give a better picture of who you are.

What do you look for in a work culture?

A genuine, warm culture where the company actually cares about their employees and does that “little bit extra” for everyone to enjoy their time at work. You spend so much time at work, so of course you want it to be as fun as possible too.

What coloured animal would you be in the anonymous mode feature?

Pink dolphin

My Teamtailor experience

The whole process was incredibly smooth, from start to finish. I love the user-friendly interface and how it makes life very easy for the candidate. Applying for a job shouldn’t be a pain in the butt and Teamtailor understands that.