This is about far more than just attracting the right talent. This is about creating fans of the organization in the hiring process. The average recruiter will receive 250 applications for a corporate job listing. If the focus is solely on that one person who gets the position, that ends up being 249 missed opportunities to create brand ambassadors. It also represents the possibility of creating 249 brand enemies. Employer brand and culture have taken a back seat for long enough. Craft a hiring process that is aimed at creating fans each step of the way.

1) Treat Candidates Like Customers…Because they ARE!

Mystery Applicant shows us exactly how important the candidate experience is. The candidate and consumer experience have, until recently been thought to be totally separate. Not so!

• 49% of candidates have some relationship with the company. Tweet this stat.
• 38% are less likely to use a product or service as a result of a poor candidate experience. Tweet this stat.
• 64% of candidates will share their experience on social media. Tweet this stat.
• 1 in 5 candidates are actually customers as well. Tweet this stat.

All this goes to show that improving the candidate experience has a ripple effect on their entire organization. We now know that investing in the consumer/candidate experience, can actually improve customer retention. Oh, and it’s pretty helpful at attracting talent.

2) An Emphasis on Cultural Fit and Transparency

Gallup’s 2013 State of the American Workplace report found that 70% of those surveyed either hate work or are completely disengaged. Tweet this stat. I’m sure it’s dawned on recruiters that as much as organizations don’t want dissatisfied workers, those workers aren’t exactly too happy about their situation either.

These dismal numbers are exactly why recruiters are focusing more on cultural fit and job transparency. If selling the job means getting someone in that seat and fast, that 70% will only get higher. Janet Choi, Chief Creative Officer at iDoneThis believes in strategic transparency in business for better hires:

“Transparency is the kind of competitive advantage that is the gift that keeps on giving. Access to more information equips companies with valuable insight into how to improve while empowering people to make the best decisions moving forward — including how to attract, hire, and retain the best people.”

3) A Simple and Informative Hiring Process

Specialist recruiter Randstad conducted some research on the state of the modern interviewing landscape. He found that over the last 5 years, the interviewing process has lengthened by 25%. Tweet this stat. It makes complete sense then when he finds that 52% of candidates think that recruitment processes are now more difficult. Candidates aren’t satisfied with most current processes. How is yours stacking up?

Is your ATS user friendly, fast and welcoming?

Do you have automated communications with the candidate set up?

Are you interacting with candidates/customers and employees on social media?

How long is your average time-to-fill?

Many recruiter believe they are doing a great job at providing a stellar hiring experience, but there seems to be a disconnect. 70% of the recruiters surveyed in a TMP worldwide study, said they went to great lengths to inform candidates about the structure of their assessment centers. However, nearly 50% of candidates said they were either only partly informed or not informed at all.

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photo credit: Camdiluv ♥ via photopin cc