12 Ways Your Talent Acquisition Team Can Nail the Candidate Application Process (Part 9 of 9)

Rejecting Your Candidates’ Applications continued:

Tip #6: Use a brief anonymous survey to gather candidates’ feedback on the application process.

Just as your candidates may be unaware of their blind spots, there may be pain points in your hiring process you don’t fully realize. The best way to find out what’s working well and what isn’t is to ask your candidates for feedback about their application experience. This final touchpoint affirms to the candidate that your company cares about how its potential employees are treated.

Example: Hi Charlotte. Thank you for applying at Carousel Chocolates! We'd love to hear your feedback on our application process to help us understand what we're getting right and what we can improve. Please take a moment to complete the brief survey below.

According to a recent SurveyMonkey article, a typical candidate experience survey includes questions which focus on the following:

• Application procedure

• Interviewing stages

• Quality of communication with candidates

• Responsiveness of hiring teams

• Timeliness of feedback and decision-making

In that same article, SurveyMonkey explains several reasons why candidate experience surveys are important. Feedback can illuminate potential issues with a company’s hiring and recruitment practices such as unclear job requirements, communication lags, and biases. Candidates who have a positive experience actively promote the company and its values, elevating the company’s brand and reputation and increasing candidate referrals. They are also less inclined to post negative reviews and online comments.

Admittedly, completing a survey is probably at the bottom of the list of what an unsuccessful candidate wants to do. However, if they felt like they were treated fairly during the experience, particularly if you followed the recommendations in this article, they just might provide valuable feedback.

Conclusion

The job application process is challenging. The best talent acquisition professionals put themselves in the shoes of their candidates. Use the tips described in this article to ensure your candidates enjoy a positive experience, regardless of whether they were selected for the role. A positive candidate experience has long-term benefits for both the applicant and your company.

4N Learning Consultants provides comprehensive Learning & Development services. As your trusted instructional design partner, we will work closely with your team to provide original content for your sessions. We facilitate interactive in-person and virtual learning experiences for groups of all sizes, focusing on leadership development, talent management, and power (soft) skills. Use our end-to-end strategy consultation services for guidance on everything from alignment with strategic priorities to training program design, launch, and implementation. Finally, use our training program evaluation services to receive a detailed analysis of its strengths and opportunities and a blueprint with specific recommendations to help close gaps in employee performance. Contact us to schedule a free consultation today.