Attracting good candidates is essential in today’s tight labor market; the competition for solid talent is intense. That’s why your application and background check process must be smooth and seamless. With so many job opportunities to choose from, candidates won’t stick around through a tedious process; they’ll just ghost you and move on. Here are 5 ways to improve the candidate experience so you can put your best foot forward from the very beginning:
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Make it Mobile Friendly
There’s an extremely high chance that your applicants will complete all or part of your application on their smartphone. If you don’t offer end-to-end mobile recruiting tools, you’re going to lose candidates. While your ATS is important for the HR department, it’s also the first place candidates interact with your organization. They need to be able to apply for the position, complete all the forms, including the electronic 1-9 form, and check the status of their application from one easy-to-use portal.
Avoid Long, One-Size-Fits-All Applications
Beyond the basic info you need to collect for every candidate, applications need to be short and specific to the position. Only ask applicants to enter information that’s relevant to the position. Applicants will give up if the application is too long, too complicated, or irrelevant.
Personalize
Candidates need to feel like they’re communicating with a human from the start. Avoid using boilerplate templates and generic communications. Always customize messages to reflect your business. Use the candidate’s name and always respond. Keep candidates informed, so they know what’s coming next; never leave anyone hanging. Even if you’re not interested, a personalized rejection is preferable to a non-response.
Be Clear
Candidates don’t like surprises. If the position requires a skills test, a background check, or any other additional steps, make sure that information is communicated clearly from the beginning, so folks know what they’re getting into before they apply. And don’t ask for stuff you don’t need as, again, candidates will give up if the process is too much.
Use a Professional Background Check Vendor
Background screening is an important part of the hiring process. Using a background check vendor makes background checks easier for both sides and provides the following benefits:
- ATS integrations that avoid duplicate data entry points for candidates and HR
- Compliance tools that keep you on the right side of the law and make sure candidates are treated fairly
- Accurate, reliable information
- Economies of scale and efficiency leading to quick turnaround times and low costs
It’s Worth the Effort
Take the time to improve the candidate experience. Your background check vendor can help, so get started today.