I've worked with so many fantastic brands over the years who consistently receive great candidate feedback. Many businesses strive for this, and the benefits are significant to employers: attracting top talent through word of mouth, increasing offer acceptance rates, reducing hiring times and costs, and building talent pipelines for future opportunities. I was recently asked how the best brands achieve this. While there's plenty of advice out there, it's not always easy to find, so I wanted to share a few examples based on my experience of working with clients:
Have a structured interview process
Clearly outline the interview process from the start. Too many unexpected stages can deter candidates, causing concerns about the business’ ability to make decisions. Limit the number of interview stages wherever possible and have a clear plan for what each stage will involve and the purpose of the interview.
Ensure fair and equitable interviews
Ensure all candidates have equal opportunities with a diverse interviewing panel. Use a structured interview process with consistency for every candidate, and implement a scoring system focused on the development and positive behaviours you are looking for in answers.
Give detailed feedback
Always provide detailed feedback. It shows respect for the candidate's time and effort and saying things like “there were just better people in the mix” doesn’t give a great candidate experience. Candidates appreciate transparency and are more likely to speak positively about your brand, even if they weren’t successful. Remember - it’s a small world! Additionally, it gives the candidate the opportunity to take your feedback on board, which may help them secure a role in future.
Allow extra time after the interview
If you can, allowing an extra window of time at the end of an interview before scheduling in another meeting means you won’t be rushing to wrap up the interview, and gives the candidate enough time to ask all their questions too. It also allows some time for you to process your notes and feedback whilst it’s still fresh in your mind, allowing you to give much more detailed feedback without forgetting any details!
It's a two-way street
Whilst having a structured interview process is essential, remember that interviews are a two way process. If you want to hire a candidate following an interview, they need to want to work for you too! Introduce yourself and your business properly, talk about what it's like to work in your team, the culture, progression, your team's goals and objectives and give the candidate time to ask questions too. Active candidates may be in more than one recruitment process and you may have competition from another business if you decide you want to hire them, and you want to do everything you can to ensure that you are their preferred choice!
Have a clear job brief
Be clear about ‘must-haves’ and ‘nice-to-haves’ when working with internal teams or external recruiters. Adding unnecessary requirements restricts the talent pool. A clear job brief helps to articulate the role and goals to the candidate, ensuring they leave fully informed about the role.
Seniority doesn’t matter
Ensure consistency in the interview process experience for all candidates, regardless of their seniority. Yes, it may be tempting to spend more time with senior candidates and focus more on their interview experience (especially if it’s a hard to fill role or a candidate you’re trying to attract from a competitor), but on the flip side with junior candidates, whether or not you want to hire them now you may wish to hire them further along in their careers and wouldn’t want them to be put off working for you based on previous bad experience.
Treating candidates well transforms them into champions for your brand. Even if not selected, they'll be more likely to return for future roles and share positive experiences with others, making your company a top choice for job seekers. Ultimately, making sure we treat people with fairness, equity, and kindness is the only right thing to do and gives you the best opportunity to hire the people you want.
If you’d like to speak to someone about your current interview process and ways it can be improved, I’d love to help! You can contact me at seb.taylor@pod-talent.com, or call me on 0203 627 2420.