Webinar Wrap Up - Lessons from the Candidate Experience Experts

Pour yourself a fresh coffee and dive into the final session of Checkmate’s Mastering Candidate Experience in Your Coffee Break Webinar Series. This week, we spoke with a panel of seasoned experts—Katie Le Page, Chief Talent Officer at Infinite Aged Care, and Brad Kent, Talent Acquisition Manager at Unitywater—who shared their insights on building and maintaining an exceptional candidate experience (CX). Drawing from their award-winning programs, Katie and Brad offered actionable advice for companies looking to enhance CX and cultivate a recruitment process that attracts top talent and strengthens employer branding.

You can check out the recording here.

Key Takeaways:

The Power of Feedback Loops

Both Katie and Brad emphasised the importance of listening to candidates to understand pain points in the hiring process. They recommended using surveys, such as SurveyMonkey or Benchmarx, to gather data on candidates’ experiences. Even small-scale feedback can reveal gaps, enabling companies to refine their CX. Brad shared that Unitywater’s candidate feedback revealed compliance-related bottlenecks, which led to a provider change and an improved onboarding process. Gathering regular feedback also reinforces trust and shows candidates that their input matters.

Streamline Onboarding and Compliance Processes

In highly regulated industries like healthcare and utilities, onboarding can be a compliance-heavy process. Katie highlighted that Infinite Aged Care initially lost top talent due to lengthy manual compliance checks. By working with vendors to streamline these steps and embracing digital onboarding solutions, her team reduced their onboarding time from days to under 45 minutes. For teams on a budget, Katie suggested focusing on improvements in the onboarding phase as a first step since a smooth start leaves a lasting impression on new hires.

Invest in Personalized, Low-Cost Solutions

Katie shared that organisations can achieve significant CX improvements with minimal resources by utilising creative, low-cost tools. For example, standardised email templates for candidate communications, customised welcome messages, and engagement reminders can be set up easily in systems like Outlook. This approach allows companies to create a professional and consistent candidate experience even without advanced software, keeping candidates informed and engaged throughout the process.

Communicate with Stakeholders in Business Terms

Katie and Brad both underscored the importance of presenting CX improvements in commercial terms when communicating with executives and managers. By linking CX efforts to outcomes like reduced attrition, overtime savings, and lower agency spend, they’ve been able to foster executive support for CX initiatives. Using data to illustrate the business impact, they noted, helps leadership see CX as a strategic advantage rather than a “nice-to-have.”

Consistency from Recruitment to Retention

Building a candidate experience doesn’t end with the job offer. Both experts highlighted the importance of maintaining an exceptional experience as employees transition into the organisation. Katie discussed how Infinite Aged Care extends its CX philosophy into the onboarding and employee experience phases, ensuring that new hires feel supported and valued as they settle into their roles. Brad echoed this, stressing that consistent communication and engagement with new hires helps prevent disconnects between expectations set during recruitment and the actual workplace experience, leading to stronger retention.

Focus on Candidate Communication and Transparency

Brad advised recruiters to maintain clear, transparent communication throughout the hiring process. He shared that Unitywater’s candidate feedback showed that candidates appreciate regular updates, even if it’s just to say “no news yet.” This not only fosters trust but also keeps candidates engaged. Brad and Katie both recommended personalising communication to reflect each candidate’s journey, even in rejection emails, which can leave a lasting positive impression and increase the likelihood of candidates reapplying.

The Value of Self-Reflection and Evolution

Katie encouraged teams to challenge their own assumptions and stay competitive by frequently revisiting and refining their processes. She recommended looking at what competitors are doing and being open to making adjustments to improve candidate flow and experience. Brad echoed this sentiment, adding that CX improvements require an open-minded approach and a willingness to accept feedback from all levels, including hiring managers and candidates themselves.

Why It Matters:

Investing in candidate experience not only enhances your employer brand but also drives long-term retention and engagement. With today’s talent market becoming increasingly competitive, companies that prioritise CX gain a strategic advantage by attracting and retaining high-quality candidates. Katie and Brad’s insights underscored that CX doesn’t have to be expensive—thoughtful communication, efficient onboarding, and a commitment to ongoing feedback and refinement can create a standout experience that strengthens your reputation and improves your hiring outcomes.