Are Your Candidates Unhappy? Here are 5 Big Reasons it Could Be the Candidate Experience

The candidate experience is one of the most important (but often overlooked) aspects of the recruiting process.

A recent study by CareerBuilder found that nearly half of all candidates who have had a bad candidate experience with a company will never apply to that company again, and nearly a third will tell their friends not to apply either.

Ordinarily, when it comes to the job search process, many candidates can attest that it’s often an arduous and frustrating journey. From submitting resumes to grueling interviews, it seems like companies are doing everything possible to thin the herd of potential employees.

Therefore, if you want to ensure that your company is attracting top talent, it’s essential to make sure that you’re providing a positive candidate experience. 

Here are five big reasons why your candidates might be unhappy.

1. You’re Not Being Responsive

One of the candidates’ biggest complaints is that recruiters are simply not responsive. If a candidate takes the time to apply to your job, the least you can do is acknowledge receipt of their application and let them know the next steps.

If you’re not being responsive, candidates will likely assume that you’re not interested in them and move on to other opportunities.

What you can do is:

• Acknowledge the receipt of applications and let candidates know what the next steps are.
• Respond to candidates promptly.
• Keep candidates updated throughout the process.

You can also demonstrate to candidates that you value their time and are interested in them as potential employees by being more responsive and boosting the candidate experience.

Did you know that 78% of job seekers said that the most important thing to them in a job is feeling appreciated?

It’s true. Candidates want to feel valued; one way you can show them that is by being responsive. If you are responsive, candidates will likely have a positive experience and remember your company favorably should they decide not to accept your offer.

2. You Don’t Have an Online Presence

In today’s day and age, companies need to have an online presence. With so many people using the internet to search for jobs, if you don’t have a website or social media presence, you could miss out on many potential candidates.

Furthermore, not having an online presence can frustrate candidates who want to learn more about your company but can’t find any information.

What you can do:

• Make sure your website is up-to-date and informative.
• Have an active social media presence.
• Encourage employees to post positive reviews about their experiences working for your company.

An online presence will show candidates that you’re current and allow them to learn more about your company, which could result in a positive experience and encourage them to apply.

Did you know that 94% of job seekers use the internet during their job search?

Ensure your company is visible online, so you don’t miss out on potential candidates. An online presence will also allow you to control better your employer brand and the message you’re sending to potential candidates.

Encourage employees to post positive reviews about their experiences working for your company on sites like Glassdoor. These reviews can help attract new talent and promote your company as a great workplace.

By having an online presence and encouraging employees to post positive reviews, you can incredibly improve the candidate experience.

3. You Don’t Have a Mobile-Friendly Website

These days, most candidates use their mobile devices to access the internet and apply for jobs. Therefore, your website needs to be mobile-friendly. If candidates have to zoom in or scroll horizontally to view your website, they’re likely to get frustrated and move on to another company’s site.

What you can do in this case is:

• Make sure your website is responsive and can be viewed on all devices.
• Include clear and concise information that is easy to find.
• Use large fonts and buttons to make it easy to navigate on a mobile device.

Making your website mobile-friendly will improve the candidate experience by allowing candidates to access information about your company on their mobile devices.

4. You Don’t Have an Employee Referral Program

An employee referral program can be a great way to attract new talent. After all, employees are likely to know other people who would be a good fit for the company. Furthermore, candidates who an employee refers to are more likely to have a positive experience since they’ve been recommended by someone they know.

Here are a couple of things that  you can do:

• Encourage employees to refer candidates they know.
• Offer incentives for employees who refer candidates who are hired.
• Make it easy for employees to submit referrals.

Employee referral programs can improve the candidate experience by making it easier for candidates to be referred by someone they know.

Incentivizing employees to refer candidates can also be a great way to improve the candidate experience. Offering incentives will show candidates that you value their referral and are more likely to result in a positive experience.

Making it easy for employees to submit referrals is also important. If it’s difficult for employees to refer candidates, they’re less likely to do it. By having an employee referral program, you can improve the candidate experience and attract new talent.

5. Not Leveraging The Right Hiring Tools

This is one of the most important tips for the candidates’ experience. Utilizing hiring tools can help you save time and money while also improving the candidate experience.

For example, here are a couple of hiring tools that you can begin utilizing:

• An applicant tracking system (ATS) to automate your hiring process.
• Video interviewing to screen candidates before inviting them to interview in person.
• Online assessments to evaluate candidates’ skills and potential.

An applicant tracking system (ATS) like EVA-REC can help you automate your hiring process and improve the candidate experience by allowing candidates to apply online and keep track of their applications.

Video interviewing software like EVA-SSESS can also be a great way to screen candidates and improve the candidate experience. Video assessment interviews allow candidates to conduct their interviews from the comfort of their own homes. Which can be a great way to screen candidates who are not local.

Plus, video interviewing software can also be used to evaluate a candidate’s skillsets through online talent assessments. These assessments can be taken at the candidate’s convenience and give you a better sense of their competencies and capabilities.

Therefore, leveraging hiring tools can help you save time and money while also improving the candidate experience.

Final Thoughts

If you’re noticing an uptick in unhappy candidates, it’s time to take a closer look at your hiring process. While there are many potential reasons why candidates might be unhappy, we’ve outlined five of the most common ones here. By understanding what’s driving your candidates’ unhappiness, you can begin to make changes that will improve the candidate experience and help you find better talent.

Deliver a memorable candidate experience with EVA-REC today! 

EVA-REC is a multi-award-winning hiring platform that helps small businesses to enterprises build skillful workforces and hire top talent at scale. It makes it far easier for recruiters to find, attract, and hire the right people, every time. With world-class integrations and AI features, EVA-REC creates a rich and immersive hiring experience for HR teams and candidates alike.

Request a free demo and get to see EVA-REC in action!

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