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A recent G2 survey found that 63% of job seekers will likely reject a job offer because of a bad candidate experience. That’s a big percentage, especially when considering how simple communication with candidates can be. In addition, finding qualified candidates is the biggest challenge for most recruiters. Knowing these stats, somehow, the candidate experience if still often overlooked or added to the bottom of the task list where it is rarely addressed and even less so improved upon. Candidates are in control, especially those in high demand. Which in our current market, is basically all candidates! Candidates are able to be more selective, take more time, and influence other job seekers easily. There were some other statistics from this survey that should give you some perspective on the importance of the candidate experience: 52% of candidates don’t receive any communication in the two to three (or more) months after applying. Job applicants who do not receive a job offer are 80% more likely to apply again if they already had a positive candidate experience. Also consider that the most valuable lead source today is referrals. Referrals don’t happen without a great experience. So what have you been missing out on if you’re not providing a good candidate experience? More than you may think. So how do you enhance the experience for candidates for high placement rates, as well as more referral leads? Tip #1 | Communicate with Candidates The most essential of the candidate experience is clear, concise, consistent communication. Be upfront and transparent with candidates on when they will be communicated with. Acknowledge their applications. Don’t leave them hanging or guessing, because if you do, they’ll go elsewhere. We’ve put together the following suggested touch points for when communicating with candidates. Common Candidate Touch Points Acknowledgement of receiving their application. This could be a simple thank you for applying to X, Y, Z position. We have received your information and will be in touch with you if we have questions or within one week to discuss next steps. Fill in the blanks. If there are questions about their resumes, cover letters, or other pertinent information, reach out and ask them! If it’s not a good fit, let them know! Reach out and explain you’ve reviewed all the submitted information and at this point, the current position doesn’t seem like a good fit. AND don’t let them go. Using a system like Tracker can allow you to search for other open positions that may be more suitable that you can offer them to consider applying for. If it is a good fit, tell them next steps. If they are going to move along in the process, explain the next step(s) so they can be aware and prepare. Do you need to schedule an interview? When and how will that take place? Do you need paperwork filled out? Send to them with a deadline to submit back. Keep in communication, even after they’ve been placed. Check in on your candidates. Ask how they are liking the position, if they have concerns, or if they are interested in future placements if there is an end date to this position. Reach out quarterly to touch base. This will go a long way when it comes time to re-up with them or when you’re looking for referrals. The above may look intimidating, but with Tracker’s ATS and CRM, all of these communication touch points can be automated through our sequences based on specific triggers. We make it easy with our pre-built templates to customize to your candidates. Tip #2 | Create Easy Access for Applicants The applicant process can be stressful, so don’t make it worse! At Tracker, our Candidate Portal and Candidate App make it easy for candidates to access or submit necessary items for their placement. Through simple, sleek, and efficient design, you can give candidates specific access to allow them to manage their own opportunities, especially those in gig work who are looking for more shifts or projects to take on. Tip #3 | Ask Candidates How You Can Improve You don’t know what you don’t know. If there was a way to improve, would you want to know? I sure hope so! Using our Custom Web Forms feature, it’s easy to send out surveys to past, current, or prospective candidates to ask for feedback on improving your candidate experience. Even asking them for their feedback is enhancing their experience with you and will build trust. Tip #4 | Step Up Your Recruitment Branding If you don’t think employer branding is important for overall candidate experience and placement, think again. On average, candidates will read six company reviews before forming an opinion about the business. 72% of recruiting leaders worldwide agreed that employer brand has a significant impact on hiring. 80% of HR leaders say employer branding has a significant impact on their ability to attract talent. Source: https://www.g2.com/articles/recruitment-statistics The candidate experience begins when they start researching both the employer and your recruiting firm. Candidates are more aware and investigative (especially with social media) when it comes to looking for companies they want to work for. Engage with candidates on other platforms and give them a sense of what they are applying for with more branding content. Keeping consistent communication with candidates can seem daunting and enhancing their experience may not seem like a priority. But if you focus on giving the best experience with support through an ATS and CRM like Tracker, you’re sure to see more growth, referrals, and better long-term placements. If you want to see how easy it is to set up a communication sequence (or many) to support your candidates’ experiences, contact Tracker today to schedule a free demo of our intuitive features. About Tracker Tracker offers intuitive and time-saving features to support your recruitment team in redeploying and reengaging your most qualified candidates, efficiently. Our multitude of candidate tracking, engagement, and management features allow you and your team to work smarter, not harder for all around success. Tracker is a leading recruitment and applicant tracking software designed for staffing agencies of all sizes. Our industry-leading support, onboarding and technology will improve both your recruitment speed, process and quality. With over 15 years of experience, our ATS System is built with you, the staffing professional, in mind.

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