Candidate Experience

Qualified and motivated employees are at the heart of every company. “Hiring the best is your most important task”, said Steve Jobs, who recognised that the right employees are essential to a company’s success. In the prevailing war for talent, the candidate experience can be the decisive factor in whether a company is able to attract the right employees or loses them to the competition.

Candidate experience refers to all perceptions and experiences that a potential candidate gathers during the application process. This includes the job search, the application process, the communication between employer and candidate and the various selection and interview stages that a candidate goes through. The more positive these experiences are, the more likely it is that the candidate will ultimately decide in favour of the employer.

A consistently positive candidate experience strengthens a company’s employer brand. Because even if a candidate is turned down, they should still have a positive perception of the company and remember it. This image ultimately defines the company’s image. A positive candidate experience can be achieved through the following aspects, for example:

A candidate who has a bad experience during the application process automatically has a bad image of the company. Bad experiences are passed on much more frequently than positive ones and can therefore damage the employer brand. Spread via social media channels, a single bad experience can quickly turn into a shit storm. Unfortunately, studies show that a negative candidate experience is not uncommon: according to the study “Bewerbungspraxis” by Monster, 6 out of 10 job seekers have already rejected a company’s job offer at least once due to their impressions during the job interview.

Typical characteristics of a negative candidate experience are

In general, a positive candidate experience means continuous, respectful communication with applicants as soon as they come into contact with the company for the first time. There are also other aspects that we must not ignore in the course of the candidate experience. Take the job advert, for example. Candidates spend an average of 30 seconds reading a job advert – with a good first impression, you can convince candidates to apply directly to you. In most cases, however, candidates first find out about the company before they apply. This is why an appealing company website, including a careers section, as well as a positive and active presence on social media platforms are essential for a positive employer brand.

If a candidate has been invited to an interview, it is important to give them a good impression of their future workplace. This includes both the greeting and the route to the room where the interview will take place. If the candidate is impressed by the company and discovers happy and satisfied employees, the overall package is right and it will be difficult for them to turn down the job offer. Employers should therefore consider the following aspects:

At softgarden, we attach great importance to a positive candidate experience, so we offer refreshing job ad templates that companies can use to convince their candidates.

With our recruiting software, the online application takes no longer than 2 minutes and if you want it to be even quicker and easier, simply apply with your XING or LinkedIn profile. The candidate experience is also perfect on the move, as softgarden’s software is optimised for both smartphones and tablets.

Immediately after submitting their online application, candidates receive an automatic confirmation of receipt and are kept informed of the current status of their application throughout the entire application process. The applicant management software automatically reminds both recruiters and hiring managers if a process step is still pending.

Last but not least, softgarden is a pioneer in social recruiting and can therefore support you in spreading your employer brand via social media channels.