The Candidate Experience - What a Hiring Manager Should Know

​The Candidate Experience - What a Hiring Manager Should Know

As a Hiring Manager, your goal is to find the best person for a position from the applicant pool. Due to the concern over filling a vacant position, there are many factors in the experience of the candidate that the Hiring Manager overlooks. We have outlined some of the common mistakes Hiring Managers make and ways to improve the experience for candidates applying for a position.

Authenticity

Authenticity is a two-way street. Candidates are presenting their best, authentic selves during an interview whilst also feeling the pressure of providing recruiters with the answers they want. The candidate also wants as much information as possible about the company and the position, and the authenticity of the presentation of this information is crucial to quelling the applicant's doubts. An open, frank conversation will help to build the relationship between the applicant and Hiring Manager.

Ghosting

This one can be saved for the dating apps! Waiting for a response requires patience, and there can be a lengthy time period between application and interview for a candidate. Hiring Managers can improve the candidate experience by using video and voice tools to increase the speed to hire.

Feedback

Rejections are part of the candidate experience. For a rejected candidate, they want to know what prevented them from obtaining the role and will often ask for feedback to improve future applications. A generalised guideline can be offered to all candidates, with more personalised feedback offered to the more promising ones.

Making Connections

Fostering long-term relationships with Hiring Managers and employers is important to a candidate, as they hope they are the first people thought of when the company is looking for new hires. By nurturing these potential hires, a talent pool can be built with a candidate-nurturing email campaign, letting candidates know they are still on the minds of Hiring Managers.

The Next Steps

Advising candidates on the next steps in the application process could be a game-changer. A bit of guidance, even though not all information can be disclosed, can do wonders for a candidate. This information could include who the interviewers are and their positions, as well as providing motivation to calm the interview jitters. 

Following these steps during the hiring process can help build a great rapport with candidates. Your candidates will know where they stand during every part of the application process, and even rejected candidates can still have a positive experience with clear and open communication between Hiring Managers and applicants.

Hiring new employees can be a rewarding exercise when it is done successfully. Need help with your next hire? Impact will help you create a positive experience for both job seekers and hiring managers alike.