There is a lot more to it if you think about developing a successful hiring strategy. It includes a recruiting process that involves candidate feedback and is designed to:

Find and identify the best candidates
Impresses candidates to the point of actually applying/continuing/completing the recruiting process
Represent your company, corporate culture and employer brand

The challenge here is that companies often tend to focus on developing processes involving their efficiency and speed, while compromising the candidates experiences and perception of the company. It is a huge risk to compromise the experience. If candidates are not provided with feedback, have a bad interview experience or are simply left hanging, the damage to the employer brand can be critical.

The secret is finding a way to not compromise the candidates’ experience, which is what we are working towards with Lionstep.

So, what factors should you keep in mind to create a well-defined hiring process?

Thinking about the candidate when designing your hiring process: In the candidate’s mind, the recruiting process demonstrates how the company works and values its people. Every touchpoint along the process can influence the decision-making of the candidate. Since your goal is a positive decision from the candidate, you should provide enough information and guidance along the way.

We compromised a few points in a quick check-list style for you:

Do you communicate clearly? – The candidate checks the job description and company profiles on social media.
Do you have a good team? – The candidate checks out the people behind the company. Are these successful people?
Do you have a clear process? – The candidate wants to know how many processes are involved and feel like applying is efficient.
Do you value time? – This includes the processes and how efficient they are set up (no repetition along the way).
Are you organized? – The candidate wants to receive confirmations, and does not appreciate re-scheduling.
Are you respectful? – The candidate expects full professionalism.
Do you keep your word? – The candidate expects that everything mentioned is also carried out, for example: fast feedback, when promised.

Involving candidates in the hiring process:

Candidates should be involved in designing the recruitment process.

Why? Because you want them to walk away with a positive impression regardless of whether they are hired. Designing the best experience will help you build a positive reputation and attract the best possible candidates. Ask for feedback during your processes (when appropriate). Insightful questions to ask include:

Asking candidates how they find the recruitment process?
Asking candidates for suggestions on improvement.
Ask them if they received enough information to reach a positive decision?
OR Ask them what led to a positive decision?
Asking about general thoughts regarding the processes?

Your hiring process says a lot about your company.

A disregard for the candidate experience will impact your efficiency and sustainability of the talent pool. Analyze your recruitment process and ensure that each candidate is treated fairly. Once you know your process, you can help candidates understand what they can expect. Every candidate establishes their expectations, whether derived personally or from statements made by the company.

It is your responsibility to ensure their expectations mirror to the recruiting process, or even better, outperform their expectations.

At Lionstep we work continuously to push the boundaries of the candidate experience, while creating productive processes. Get in touch today to find out more about our services and how you can make the most of candidate feedback.