Dive Brief:
- Going above and beyond to make candidates happy is worth the effort, Indeed concluded based on the results of a recent candidate experience survey.
- Most job seekers (70%) reported generally positive recruiting experiences, citing enjoyable conversations; salary and benefit transparency; and respect for their time as contributing factors. Those with negative experiences pointed to a lack of respect for candidates' time; job descriptions that didn't match the work discussed in the interview; and inadequate communication, Indeed said.
- Notably, the survey found that negative experiences hurt, but not as much as positive ones helped. Candidates are more likely to share positive experiences with family and friends and also are more likely to become a customer, regardless of whether they received a job offer. This means that employers may want to work to create a positive experience; "Simply avoiding a bad experience won't get a response from that extra 20% of talent who are eager to share about the exceptional times," Indeed said.
Dive Insight:
Indeed's findings echo what others have found: Employers cannot risk turning candidates off with a negative recruiting experience. Phenom People's 2018 study of Fortune 500 companies found that employers that engage in poor recruiting practices lag behind competitors in attracting and engaging candidates and converting them into hires.
Indeed's findings also revealed that a slow feedback process can damage the recruiting relationship, as did a recent report from Talent Board. That report found that candidates who received feedback on the day of their interview were 52% more likely to have a better relationship with a prospective employer, including reapplying, referring others or buying its goods or services.
The Phenom People study also addressed the key role technology has in the recruiting process; employers ranked highest in the study when they offered a user-friendly online application process, posted personalized career content on their websites and used powerfully tailored language in job descriptions.
