Whether you rely on a stand-alone applicant tracking system (ATS), lean heavily on mobile recruiting, work with HCM software like PeopleSoft Candidate Gateway or Taleo, or some combination of the above—you have only a few seconds to make a first impression on applicants with your candidate experience.

You may be asking yourself: Why does it matter? 

It matters because the best will always gravitate to the best

Your Taleo or PeopleSoft Candidate Gateway user experience (UX) may well be the first exposure to your company that applicants encounter. And, if it’s painful, it may also be their last! 

Job applicants will assume the candidate experience you create for them reflects the culture, professionalism and quality of your organization. 

If applying through your ATS is unfriendly, bureaucratic and kludgy, guess who’s looking elsewhere? 

It is not surprising that today’s talent is particular. They are in demand and have been raised to be discerning. For that matter, don’t you appreciate and gravitate toward the best too? 

Consider these examples: 

You’re new in town and need to find a new doctor, so you make an appointment with a local MD. At your first appointment (three weeks out) the receptionist is rude, you’re left waiting for over an hour and, once you finally get in, the doctor rushes through the appointment without making eye contact. 

When you describe your frustration to a co-worker, she gives you the name of her physician and suggests you try again. The experience couldn’t be more different: pleasant staff, a next-day appointment and, most importantly, the doctor takes the time to get to know you and your medical history in an unhurried, approachable manner. 

Which doctor do you choose? 

Every morning you stop at the company cafeteria for your morning coffee. Monday’s server takes your order, sells you coffee and moves on to the next customer. Tuesday’s server greets you with a big smile; asks a question about that big proposal you were working on last week; and then proceeds to make “your usual” exactly the way you like it, without asking. 

Which day starts off better? 

The difference between an exceptional doctor and a regular doctor, between an awesome server and an acceptable server, comes through clearly in the experience. Anyone who feels that kind of difference, even once, has no doubt which option they prefer. 

You will never attract the A-list if your applicant tracking system scares them away. 

Don’t Let Your ATS Chase Away Your Best Candidates

The interesting thing about A-list talent is that they know who they are and they know they have choice. If the process of applying for a position through your PeopleSoft Candidate Gateway or Taleo system is irritating and laborious, or your ATS makes them jump through too many hoops, they will abandon you[1] and find a “better” company to work for. 

Losing your best candidates is the true cost of a low “return on impression.” 

Attract the best and the brightest by improving that first impression. To ensure your applicant experience is the best it can be: 

• Make it fast and efficient: simplify the process, remove duplication of effort and eliminate unnecessary questions—30 screener questions reduces applications by 50%, over 45 questions reduces applicants by almost 90%.^[2] 
• Deliver a modern UX that meets, or exceeds, candidate expectations. 
• Make sure your ATS works well on mobile devices. While 89% of job seekers search for jobs with their mobile devices^[3], many don’t apply that way because it’s too complicated—78% of searchers would apply via mobile, but only if the process were simplified.^[4] 

How You Can Help Your Hiring ROI

When job applicants come across an excellent candidate experience, they know they’re applying to an excellent company: a company that respects their time, recognizes their talent, and anticipates their needs. 

Create the kind of candidate experience your applicants will appreciate and tell their friends about. Make sure your Return on Impression is high with a beautiful, modern user interface and extend that experience seamlessly to mobile (where the talent is!). Streamline the search and application process, reducing the number of clicks and steps required to apply. 

Just imagine it - full functionality across all devices, with the simple, responsive and contemporary UX applicants crave! 

You adopted technology to help you find and hire the best talent. Don’t let the changing needs of today’s candidates turn that technology into an obstacle. To attract the best, you need to be the best. And that starts by making an awesome first impression with an outstanding candidate experience. 


Karl Wiezbicki of InFlight Corporation is an insights leader with 14 years experience driving exceptional ROI (both kinds) through innovative solutions and user-centric technologies like InFlight Aura, to achieve impact and drive business results. 

[1]Jeffery Giesener, Your ATS Is Driving Candidates Away http://sourcemob.com/your-ats-is-driving-candidates-away//span>
[2] Survey conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Indeed http://blog.indeed.com/2014/09/18/78-of-candidates-would-apply-to-j...
[3] Glassdoor Blog https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/9-10-job-seekers-search-jobs-mobile-...
[4] http://blog.indeed.com/2014/09/18/78-of-candidates-would-apply-to-j...