How to Think Like a Candidate

Today, the candidate experience matters more than ever before. First and foremost, a good experience tells candidates what they can expect from you if they accept an offer. A poor candidate experience signals a poor employee experience. If you offer a poor experience, candidates can review your company online on sites like Indeed and Glassdoor which could discourage talented people from applying. If you want to recruit top performers, it pays to think like a candidate and offer a positive experience.

Leverage Your Website

Top candidates will conduct research before applying for a job. This means they will head directly to your company website. Spend time creating a robust Careers page that lists current openings, the company’s mission, vision and culture, and showcases what it’s like to work there. Include photos, videos, employee testimonials and more to paint a robust picture. Finally, make sure your website is optimized for mobile – 90 percent of candidates use a mobile device in their job search.

Simplify Your Application

According to data from CareerBuilder, two-thirds of job seekers have abandoned an online application because the process was too complex. Sit down and work through your own application process and make note of how long it takes, whether you ask for information that is too personal (like a social security number), whether you can save your application and come back later, if there is a way to upload resumes rather than typing all the details out, etc. Make note of areas where the process could be streamlined and fix them immediately.

The Interview Process   

The interview process itself can turn off talented people if it is too long, disorganized or complex. How would you want to be treated during a hiring process? Strong processes are:

  • Transparent: Candidates want to know what to expect and how long the process will take.
  • Timely: You’d eliminate a candidate who was 20 minutes late, so don’t make them wait for you, especially if they took time off work to interview.
  • Streamlined: Don’t call people back repeatedly because some managers couldn’t make it to the interview.
  • Communicative: If you say you’ll reach out in one week, reach out in one week. If candidates don’t hear from you, they will move on.

When you take the time to think like a candidate, you can provide a positive experience that will make them want to say yes to your offer.

Are You Ready to Think Like a Candidate?  

If you are looking for top talent for your ag business and want to improve hiring by focusing on candidate experience, contact the expert recruiters at Morris Bixby today. Our process is streamlined, accurate and efficient to ensure you access the exact people you need, when you need them.

 

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