Imagine that you’re a busy senior leader who’s ready for the next big role. You start interviewing with two organisations, each have very different interview processes. One runs a clear and transparent process, stays in close touch with you, and gives you feedback throughout the process. The other organisation takes weeks to get back to you about next steps, keeps adding steps to the process, and provides minimal feedback. Which role are you more likely to take? This situation captures the important idea of Candidate Experience, or how leaders that interview with your organisation feel during the hiring process. It can include a variety of different steps in the process ranging from the job description to interviews to feedback. Unfortunately, the candidate experience is often neglected by organisations, which has consequences on their ability to hire the best leaders. Many in-demand and talented leaders interview with many organisations during their search; a poor candidate experience can lead them to go elsewhere. The hiring process can be the first time a leader interacts with an organisation; a negative candidate experience can easily give them a negative view of the organisation.
This could prevent them from applying to future roles, recommending candidates, or even becoming a donor or supporter down the line. This is even more important in this current moment known as the “Great Resignation” where 46% of employees are considering new opportunities.
The data and research on the candidate experience clearly demonstrate the impact of poor processes. According to Career Builder, 78% of candidates believe that the candidate experience is an indicator of how the organisation values its people. According to the Human Capital Institute, 56% of candidates who had a positive experience during a hiring process would apply there again and 37% would recommend others to apply to that organisation.
So how can organisations re-think and improve their candidate experiences? By following some of the following strategies, all of which work whether your interview process is remote or in-person.
Remember that these candidates, especially senior leaders, could be future supporters, advocates, or donors. If you ensure a positive candidate experience, you keep these candidates in your orbit and maintain open communication. Ensure your interview process is representative of your culture and you’ll be able to bring in fantastic leaders and ensure others have a positive view of the organisation.
How SRI Executive Can Help
As an executive search firm, we work to ensure both our clients and candidates have a positive experience during executive search processes. We rely on our experience of over 25 years of business to bring best practices to the recruiting journey. We understand candidate’s motivations and their personalities and ensure they have a positive experience. We have a structured search process that is transparent to everyone involved. We have utilise-wide industry best practices to ensure both a consistent process and constant communication throughout. For more information about how SRI Executive could benefit your organisation, review our materials here.