It's time to update the status of candidate experience

The many challenges applicants and candidates must face when applying to jobs, coupled with the frustration recruiters have with candidate selection, has been a source of conversation for decades and also the inspiration and driving force behind the creation of the 2015 Talent Board North American Candidate Experience Research Report.

Recruiting top talent is becoming increasingly competitive and although many employers have invested in better talent acquisition strategies, they are still not meeting candidates with the high quality experiences that will attract and retain top talent. Strategic talent acquisition is now defined by the candidate experience more than ever.

How do employers keep up to continually hire great people and grow the business? Research finds that employers have been ignoring the most basic aspect of engaging talent - communication.

So let's update the current candidate experience status. Here are the latest insights in candidate experience from the 2015 Talent Board North American Candidate Experience Research Report.

1. Candidates are savvy shoppers
   • Candidates are more sophisticated than ever with the ability to 'shop' for any job on any device they like. In fact, candidates are taking over their journey with 76% of candidates conducting their own job search research across multiple channels before applying to a job. Now that candidates are empowered to drive their own job search journey, employers need to find new ways to engage and create relationships with candidates.
2. Mobile apply is still lagging
   • Remember when we discussed that "candidates are savvy shoppers?"(just a second ago.) If your mobile apply isn't accessible or easy to use, candidates will not apply. Making it enjoyable for a candidate to apply to a position at your company leaves them with a good impression of your employer brand.
3. Most employers are not making a first impression with candidates
   • Over 50% of candidates have some past relationship with an employer. Employers should be thinking about ways to re-engage with talent and brand themselves in an authentic way. Be nice to candidates, offer them content and materials that help them envision what it would be like to work in a position at your company.
4. Employers are making interviewing more efficient
   • Employers are conducting less interviews per candidate as 79% of companies now have 1-2 interviews related to a position - an increase from 63% in 2014. More efficient interviewing processes = happy candidates and hopefully happy hires.
5. Communication with candidates is very weak.
   • Although most employers send an immediate "thank you" reply to candidates after applying, nearly half of candidates never received an indication of the status of the application, or information about why gender, race and ethnicity questions were asked or the option to save their application for a later date. Just as you build personal relationships in your life, you should be building relationships with potential talent that could offer benefits to your business down the road if not today.

These are only a few of the takeaways from the 2015 Talent Board North American Candidate Experience Research Report. The candidate experience continues to transform the way we hire great people and build our businesses. Overall candidates are looking for better communication - aren't we all? But to really update the status of your candidate experience, employers should listen to what candidates are looking for and alter their talent acquisition strategy to meet their specific needs and wants.

Download the 2015 Talent Board North American Candidate Experience Research Report for even more insights to update the status of your candidate experience. The 2015 Candidate Experience Report was created with real data and insights as well as the action items required to improve the candidate experience from search to apply to hiring and onboarding. By downloading the report, you will also gain access to all past reports from 2011-2014.

---