Josh TolanA 2017 CareerBuilder report revealed 78 percent of job seekers believe the candidate experience shows how much a company values its employees. But for candidates, going through the staffing process is a bit more complicated.
The first person they talk to isn’t someone at the company they’re considering. Their initial interviews are at an office they’ll never work in. Then they finally meet their potential future manager in a completely different location. If there are inconsistencies in their experience, what information should they use to make their decision about the job?
To give candidates a clear picture of what it’d be like to work for a client’s company, everyone involved with the staffing process needs to be on the same page. You need to know who can impact the candidate experience and how. This way everyone can do their part, and nothing falls through the cracks.
Here are three essential stakeholders when it comes to the staffing candidate experience:
The staffing firm
Of course, your firm isn’t an individual person. But the collective group and the firm’s policies play a big part in candidate experience. For example, if a candidate comes into your office to record their one-way video interview and they feel rushed through the process, this can sour their mood — so much they decide to drop out of consideration for your client’s position.
The best way to ensure a consistently spectacular candidate experience is to have clear expectations for the entire team. No matter which staffing professional a candidate works with, they should have a great experience. Of course, the experience will be different depending on which of your co-workers is working with the candidate, but the quality level should be the same.
Take proactive steps to maintain a consistent candidate experience between you and your co-workers. Check in with them and see how you can support them if they get overwhelmed. This way you do your part to keep up the firm’s reputation.
Individual staffing professionals
Staffing professionals have the most one-on-one interactions with candidates, giving them the most chances to continually improve candidate experience. Even though your staffing firm has rules and processes in place, you have flexibility in how you engage candidates.
Remember that you are the one who knows your specific client best. You know about their company culture, mission, and values. This gives you the information you need to introduce aspects of their organization into the staffing process.
Think of ways you can improve the candidate experience by helping candidates see what it’d be like to work for the company. Customize the staffing process to your client by:
- Having clients record introduction videos showing candidates company leaders with a glimpse into their personality and the company culture
- Get employee testimonials from your client and share them with your candidates
- Clearly communicating the process and how candidates transition from engaging with you to the company they’re applying
Clients
Even if you and your co-workers create the perfect candidate experience, your client can accidentally ruin it if they don’t understand their part in the process. Once the candidate goes to them for the final steps of the hiring process or to start the job, if the work environment is drastically different, it hurts everyone’s reputation.
Get examples of past successful placements and current company employees to better understand the role and culture. Also, remind your candidates that a long staffing process hurts the candidate experience. If they take forever to make a decision, candidates might look for work elsewhere.
During the staffing process, everyone the candidate engages with contributes to the overall candidate experience. If any vital stakeholder drops the ball, it will hurt the whole situation. Knowing what everyone’s role is and what bases they need to cover will ensure that candidates enjoy the staffing process and end up happily employed with your client.
