It’s hard enough for job seekers to find a job. And struggling with a poor candidate experience will just result in mounting frustration.  Some of these complaints from job seekers will likely sound all too familiar.

Can Facebook really help me land me a job?

Of course job seekers will use social networks to tell close friends and family that they’re looking for work.  But beyond that, they’re unsure of how to leverage all of their resources.  Reluctant to post job search efforts on their Facebook wall, candidates need an easy way to make relevant connections with key members of all their social networks– alumni, peers, former colleagues, and mentors — rather than blast their entire network with a blanketed message. 

Job board search results aren’t relevant to what I’m looking for

Job seekers expect that posting their resume to job boards will result in a list of relevant jobs, tailored to their industry and expertise.  But that’s not always the outcome.  Often times, job seekers will be solicited for roles outside their industry — say, an Engineer gets recommended for a role in Insurance Sales.  Candidates need a solution that weeds through irrelevant jobs and expertly matches their profile with the most applicable job openings. 

Career fairs can be a letdown

Waiting in long lines to get inside a job fair, candidates anticipate making meaningful connections with potential employers.  But once inside, they often find higher education and “start your own franchise” opportunities instead of actual jobs.  They want job prospects, not pamphlets. 

What should I expect going into an interview?

Giving candidates insight into the people they will be interviewing with allows them to research and better prepare questions for those interviewers.  They also need to know how long the interview is expected to last.  Chances are, they’re taking time off from their current job, and need to plan ahead. 

I’m worried about my privacy

Job seekers know that once information goes online, it’s impossible to get it back. So, they’re hesitant to provide personal contact information.  Since they can’t see who views information they post to job boards, they worry that their current employer might see it, or that recruiters might pass their resume around without permission.

Job seekers naturally share their experiences with friends and families.  So, if they receive a poor experience with a particular company, their social network will hear about it.  Negative word of mouth might dissuade others from applying to the company in the future and erodes an organization’s ability to hire and recruit the best talent.  At Ascendify, we’re making it our mission to help HR professionals deliver the best possible candidate experience – which benefits employers and candidates alike.