Talent attraction

• A strong understanding of the business’s working culture,
• Insight into the employee experience, and
• Some form of personal connection to the organization.

Completing & submitting the application

Filling out the job application form is often a long and tedious process, and to make it worse, candidates and employers often disagree on what information should be included. For instance, while more than 60 percent of organizations feel it is important to share information about diversity and inclusion, less than 20 percent of candidates agree with this.

Employers must consider the application process from the candidate’s perspective and recognize that making the application too time-consuming may scare off highly qualified candidates. Businesses should:

• Be transparent about how long the application will take,
• Avoid asking broad, irrelevant questions, and
• Provide frequent post-application updates.

“We shortened our application from 75 questions down to 31. This led to 15 percent more applications… That means about US$500,000 in savings. This was when we realized that improving the candidate experience was more than just a good thing to do for the candidate – it was also a good thing to do for the business.”
-AT&T Inc.

Screening & advancement

When it comes to the screening process, candidates want:

• Questions to be relevant to the job,
• The opportunity to highlight their skills and experience, and
• Some level of communication with the employer.

Unfortunately, the percentage of employers contacting candidates after the application process continues to drop. Looking forward, employers hoping to provide candidates with a positive post-application experience should

• Inform applicants that their application has been received and that next steps will be discussed shortly,
• Let applicants know if they have been dispositioned, and
• Give candidates the opportunity to provide post-application feedback.

The Interview

The mere words “job interview” are enough to leave some feeling overwhelmed with anxiety. When it comes to the interview, the most nerve-wracking part of the talent recruitment process, candidates only have a few simple requests. They want to:

• Receive an agenda beforehand,
• Discuss relevant interview topics, and
• Be followed-up with.