Does “Candidate Experience” really matter?

The short answer: it does.

As a hiring manager or recruiter, it's easy to get lost in the daily grind and forget what it's like to be a candidate. You have goals to achieve and deadlines to meet. Candidate experience might not be top of mind.

But think of your own experiences as a consumer. Did you buy coffee today? Eat out? Get a haircut? How did you feel from the very first interaction?

Welcomed? Understood?

This is exactly how candidates feel when they apply for a job. Every touchpoint is a chance to create an exceptional experience, even if they aren't hired.

Remember, "Talent Strategy is Brand Strategy." Candidates don’t see the internal workings of your company - they don’t have the same internal view as you do. So even if your company IS awesome, they won’t know. They only know the interactions they have during the hiring process. And those interactions are your company to them.

In any job market, the way to stand out is to build a strong reputation from the moment they click "apply."

• Is your application process smooth and respectful of their time?

• How quickly did they receive a status?

• How do your candidate communications make them feel?

• What impressions did your hiring managers make during the interview?

• And at the end of the process do they feel valued, even if they’re not hired?

You have the power to shape your company’s story through the hundreds of candidate interactions your company will have over time. Make it count.

Check out the candidate journey map and use it as a guide to get to work!

It might just be the most impactful work you do.