Webinar Wrap Up - Building the perfect candidate experience

Grab a cup of coffee and settle in for the second session of our Mastering Candidate Experience in Your Coffee Break Webinar Series. This week’s webinar, Building the Perfect Candidate Experience, featured Conor Ryan, Senior Account Executive at TeamTailor, who walked us through the key elements of creating an exceptional candidate experience that can attract and retain top talent.

Conor highlighted the importance of clear communication, ease of application, and building a strong employer brand as crucial components to stand out in today’s competitive job market. He also emphasised that a positive candidate experience is not just about the process—it’s about ensuring that candidates feel valued from their first interaction with your company. Below are some key takeaways from the webinar:

Key Takeaways:

1. Employer Brand is Everything
   Connor began by stressing that every company has an employer brand—whether they are actively managing it or not. Your employer brand shapes how potential candidates perceive your organisation, and building a strong one can be a game-changer. Highlight company culture, values, and benefits across your careers page to make your business stand out to top candidates.
2. Simplify the Application Process
   A complicated application process can lead to candidate drop-offs. Connor recommended keeping the application form to around 10-13 questions and only asking for what’s necessary. Simplifying the process can make a huge difference in keeping candidates engaged throughout the recruitment process.
3. Personalise Candidate Communication
   Clear, timely, and personalised communication can make candidates feel valued. Keeping them informed on their application status and engaging them with personalised feedback—whether it’s about an interview answer or a personal milestone—helps build trust and enhances their experience.
4. Employer Value Proposition (EVP) Sets You Apart
   A strong EVP differentiates you in the talent market. Offering large salaries is not the only way to attract top candidates. Highlight elements like your company’s culture, career development opportunities, and work-life balance, which are often more important to candidates. These should be front and center on your careers page and in recruitment messaging.
5. Create a Candidate-Centric Experience
   Connor shared practical steps for creating a candidate-centric hiring process:some text
   • Keep it efficient: Avoid redundant steps, like asking candidates to input the same information found on their CVs.
   • Use engaging media: Video content that showcases employee testimonials or a ‘day in the life’ can boost engagement.
   • Track and improve the experience: Tools like TeamTailor allow you to measure and optimise candidate touch points to improve the overall process.
6. Nurture Relationships with Talent Pools
   Once the recruitment process is over, stay engaged with candidates. Build segmented talent pools by role and seniority, and keep them updated on future opportunities. Nurturing these relationships can help you secure top talent when new roles open up.

Why It Matters:

A positive candidate experience not only helps you attract top talent but also strengthens your employer brand and reduces recruitment costs. Companies with a strong candidate experience tend to see higher retention rates and more engaged employees.

Don’t miss next week’s session where Nadine from TQ Solutions will talk to us about Building the business case for a great CX. You can register here. 

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