It is helpful to look at your recruitment process from the perspective of the job candidate. Simply put, “candidate experience” refers to the emotional state the candidate is in while passing through the various stages of your hiring process. Your goal is to make sure each candidate feels good about your company and your offer throughout the process, as those feelings are a primary factor in whether or not they will accept your job offer.

When you treat the candidate well, that good experience will make him or her feel good about your company. A great experience will make them eager to share their good feelings with others, which will also help to build your company’s reputation as a great workplace.

On the other hand, a bad experience will make candidates lose respect for you as an employer and as a brand. The candidate who has had a bad experience may also share their feelings with colleagues and peers in their network, which could result in fewer candidates applying to your open roles.

The first step in creating a better candidate experience is understanding your current one. After your new hires have been with you for two or three months, ask specific questions about their experience of the recruitment process. At that point, the new hire is still new enough to remember their experience in detail, yet there has usually been enough trust and rapport established for them to feel comfortable being honest. Discuss things such as what was the deciding factor in having them join your company and what they enjoyed and disliked about the process.

Meanwhile, here are some steps to get you started ensuring your candidates have a great candidate experience:

1. Make sure you are hiring to fill a real need. Identify the gaps you need to fill, and then, from a background perspective, clearly define the character and competency attributes required to fill this need.
2. Write a clear job description, based on the information you acquired following step one. Keep your description free of trendy buzzwords like “guru” and trite phrases like “passionate.”
3. Make the application process as easy as possible. Services such as LinkedIn and Indeed have “easy apply” buttons that simplify the process for candidates.
4. Give candidates your full attention at interviews. Refrain from multitasking and maintain eye contact as much as possible to demonstrate to the candidate that you respect their time and appreciate their interest in the job.
5. Review each candidate’s resume beforehand and have a list of questions ready to go. No matter how experienced an interviewer you are, never “wing it.” Make certain your questions demonstrate you have read and understood that candidate’s job history and interests.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions if their answer is not clear. When you make every candidate experience a great one, you will not only secure the best hires possible; you will improve the reputation of your company, thereby expanding your pool of future recruits.

When you make every candidate experience a great one, you will not only secure the best hires possible; you will improve the reputation of your company, thereby expanding your pool of future recruits.