Lessons Learned from an Election Year: Evaluate Your Candidate Experience
As the presidential election approaches, we are all inundated with a particular kind of candidate experience. Each candidate, or perhaps each political party, is an organization offering a certain type of experience. They are presenting a particular brand and our votes will determine which “organization” we will be a part of for at least the next four, if not eight years.
This year’s political climate is more divisive than ever. The image that each candidate presents is crucial to securing not just a vote, but feverish support and devotion from constituents. Each speech, commercial, yard sign and t-shirt is part of a carefully crafted machine with a singular purpose in mind: to get you on board.
What can we learn from an election year? Even before candidates are officially announced, our opinions of them have been influenced by years of media appearances, interviews, social media profiles and even the opinions of trusted friends and family. This year, I challenge organizations to think about their candidate experiences as though your company is running for office and you want quality talent to vote for you. If you took a look at your company’s website, your value proposition and even your job listings, would you apply to work at your own company? If not, it’s time to reevaluate your candidate experience.
Every organization has a brand. It has either been defined by the organization itself, through a concentrated effort (or lack of effort), or it has been defined by its audience. The key to employer branding success is to take ownership of the employer brand, align it with the consumer brand, and craft a candidate experience that will attract the right candidates.
Think about your employer brand. Who controls it? When a new candidate comes in to interview, are you silently hoping they haven’t searched for you on Glassdoor? Or are you confident that the message you send potential candidates is an accurate portrayal of life at your organization?
Honest and transparent employment branding content provides detailed information about open positions at your company, while extolling the company culture and benefits. Give your candidates a more accurate idea of what it’s like to work for you, and what you can offer them in return. An enhanced candidate experience will lower candidate drop-off rates during the interview cycle and increase new hire engagement.
Candidate experience matters, and has a direct effect on your bottom line. It’s imperative to put your best foot forward. To learn more, join Kimberly Pope, EVP of Recruitment Solutions at WilsonHCG and Gerry Crispin, Board Member for the Talent Board, for the live webcast “6 Best Practices for Achieving ROI on Your Candidate Experience Strategy” taking place on Tuesday, September 27 at 1:00pm ET.