How to Develop the Best Candidate Experience in the Age of AI

From the initial advert all the way through to the onboarding process, the experience your candidates have throughout the hiring process can help shape their success before they even start – and consequently, the future success of your business.

Right now, we’re seeing many candidates receiving multiple offers, particularly in technology, finance and pharma.

Making your recruitment process feel human, prompt, frictionless and enjoyable for candidates can give your business the edge. Not only does it help you attract the best people, it can also ensure they’re engaged, prepared and connected from day one.

Here are seven essential tips on how to achieve that.

1. Transparency is Key: Be Honest From the Outset

Transparency and honesty are top of the list for candidates when it comes to what they want from a recruitment process. Whether you’re connecting with someone about a live job that has a clear, concise job description, or you’re just putting out feelers to see who’s out there, the candidate needs to know where they stand, and what you’re looking for from them.

With live roles, they need to know precisely the scope of the opportunity and what the application process will look like from the initial application stage to the final decision. Being open, honest and clear builds up trust between the recruiter and the candidate which is vital in attracting the top talent.

2. Avoid Silences With Regular Communication

Silence is deadly. From a candidate perspective, going into that black hole where you hear nothing is frustrating and off-putting. It causes many candidates to disengage. Let people know as soon as possible that their initial application or screening has been successful, or their second interview went well and contact them regularly throughout the process.

Even if there is nothing new to update, text or email to let them know that they are still very much in the running. If there’s going to be a delay, tell them how long that might last. You may know that they are one of your top candidates but they don’t and they may well be interviewing elsewhere.

3. Give Candidates the Information They Need

Setting candidates up for success in their own eyes as well as yours is key. Arming people with all they need to know will help deliver confident, invested applicants and interviewees who can give of their best makes the hiring process more productive for everyone.

That means clear, targeted information, starting with your initial advert and a well-structured careers site, then moving onto personalised candidate packs and detailed information on any tests or meetings, such as team introductions or presentations.

It also means sharing your own knowledge of the organisation they’re applying to, from culture and values to interview styles. Being open and prompt in answering questions and queries goes a long way, too.

4. Put Yourself in Candidates’ Shoes

At every stage, put yourself in the candidate’s shoes, and think ‘how would I like to be treated in this circumstance?’ Then act accordingly. Each person needs to feel valued and that they’re not just a number in the process.

With the onset of AI in recruitment, this is even more true, as automation can remove the personal touch at every step of the journey. Whilst AI has its place (particularly in volume recruitment), you can still design it to deliver prompt communications that keep people fully informed and avoid ghosting or confusion.

For senior, niche or hard-to-fill roles, the human-to-human touch is still essential. Personalise the process and treat people with respect and professionalism, as whether it’s a good or bad experience, it will be remembered.

5. Be Kind to Those Who Aren’t the Right Fit

Not all news is good news. Be comfortable giving candidates who have been rejected constructive feedback. It’s as important as delivering positive news, and it’s something the candidate can take forward into their next interview cycle.

Letting people know promptly when they haven’t been successful is key, too. Not doing so can damage an employer’s reputation and lose candidates who may be perfect in a different role.

6. Consider the Process After the Offer

The candidate journey carries on throughout the whole contract negotiation, the initial onboarding process and the one-to-one check-ins you should be having with new starters during their first days, weeks and months. All this contact minimises dropouts and reneges, as well as building engagement and retention.

Again, silence can be deadly here, especially during the period when people are working out their notice. Check in. Schedule a coffee. Make sure they know you are excited about them joining and give each candidate the chance to let you know of any problems that need ironing out or queries that they have. Make sure the process with everyone from HR to Finance and hiring managers is running smoothly.

7. Gather and Implement Timely Feedback

Put in place processes that allow you to gather data on candidates’ experience and then act on that feedback. Whether you identify problems with the application process itself, or trouble with their technology setup or systems access once they start, polls, surveys and face-to-face chats can highlight any areas for improvement.

The Bottom Line: Great Candidate Experience Matters to Your Reputation

The candidate experience you offer directly affects your acceptance rates, whether top candidates choose to go with your offer, and their view of your employer and corporate brand going forward. What’s more, word of mouth referrals are a vital area of candidate sourcing – so if your new hires have had a good experience, they are much more likely to put forward contacts from their network.

Careers are long, industries are often small, and the pool of the really talented (especially in niche roles) is even smaller, which makes giving your candidates a poor hiring experience a big risk. Now, more than ever, human connection and respect are the most important elements in delivering exceptional candidate experience.