The Role of Technology in Enhancing Candidate Experience

Technology continues to revolutionize almost all industries, and hiring and recruitment are no exception. Companies are embracing new tools to help them pick the best candidates for crucial roles. Not only does this make work easier for them, but it also enhances the candidate’s experience with the brand.

Candidate experience refers to the interactions between an applicant and a brand throughout the hiring process, and the impact those interactions have on brand perception. With 53% of job seekers admitting to having at least one bad experience during hiring, and 52% having declined a job offer due to poor experience, it’s no wonder a greater emphasis is now being placed on improving candidate experience during hiring.

In this article, you’ll learn how you can use technology to enhance the candidate experience, saving you time and money during the hiring process. You’ll also learn five technologies you can use to achieve this goal.

How Does Technology Enhance Candidate Experience?

Using the appropriate technology will go a long way in making the hiring experience more pleasant for your staff and candidates alike. 

From the onset, every applicant gets to see all the steps they should expect to take during the interview process from start to finish. This reduces uncertainty and makes it easy for candidates to know what to anticipate in each phase. It allows you to cultivate candidate relationships early and nurture them through the recruitment cycle.

ATS technology and other recruitment automation tools can help you sieve the applications and retain the most appropriate ones for the job. If you’re a hiring manager or business owner, you no longer have to read through the hundreds of resumes sent in by job seekers. Not only will this save time and stress, but it also allows your candidates to get prompt feedback on whether or not they’ve made it to the next step of the process.

In addition, recruiters can have more prompt and regular communication with candidates through automation. For instance, recruiters can set up regret emails to be sent to unsuccessful applicants while successful ones get congratulatory messages and next steps. This continues throughout the process and gives candidates closure if they don’t make it through. 

Emerging cloud-based ATS software lets you save unsuccessful candidate resumes for consideration in the next hiring round. That way, committed candidates get the priority and they don’t have to apply again from scratch. You may also choose to use one of the best cloud storage services to store candidate data if your ATS is not cloud-based. Just be sure to get the candidate’s consent before saving their resume. 

Another way technology can enhance the candidate experience is in administering assessments. These tests are presented in an easily readable, colorful way that allows candidates to track their progress. They also get to know whether they passed the assessment or not once they’re done with the test. 

Tests and assessments have become a common recruitment procedure that checks for competence and mastery. These are used to test grammar and cognitive skills among other essential capabilities for the job. 

With emerging technologies, business owners and recruitment managers get to schedule interviews with successful candidates on a shared calendar. Both parties will get reminders when the set time approaches, reducing the number of no-shows. The interview’s agenda can also be shared in advance with ease, allowing everyone to remain on the same page throughout the process.

Some video interview tools offer both an Applicant Tracking System and video interviewing capabilities to streamline the recruitment process. Since human resource teams can all listen in on the interview and give feedback, video interview tools help to streamline your hiring process and keep everyone on the same page. 

35% of job seekers have left a negative review online after a bad hiring experience. On the other hand, 60% of happy candidates are willing to leave a positive review whether or not they got the job. Therefore, enhancing the candidate experience doesn’t only work for the candidate, it works for your business as well.

5 Technologies To Use To Enhance Candidate Experience

We shine the spotlight on five out of the multiple technologies you can use to enhance the candidate experience. These will help save you time while keeping your applicants engaged and informed throughout the process.

Automation Tools

Recruitment marketing automation software allows candidates to self-schedule meetings and receive triggered responses immediately after they complete a specific action. Similarly, automation tools help get rid of mundane tasks and free up your hiring manager’s time. This allows them to handle higher-priority candidate inquiries and respond quicker to their questions.

Since these tools allow recruiters to automatically screen loads of applications in a shorter time, candidates get responses about their applications faster and more efficiently.

Recruitment Optimized Social Media Platforms

Recruitment-optimized social platforms like LinkedIn have made the hiring process more accessible. The platforms serve as an online resume for candidates and allow recruiters to discover qualified talent right from their mobile phones. Candidates can apply for listed jobs with a few clicks since most of the information about their professional history is already on the platform.

In addition, recruitment-optimized social platforms allow applicants to proactively search for jobs that suit their professional preferences. They get to interact with other employees working for their desired employer and learn about company culture and ethics. They can then decide whether the company is a good fit for them or if they should keep searching.

Video Interviewing Software

Video interviews are mostly used before the in-person interview to get to know shortlisted candidates a little better. They do not serve as a replacement for physical interviews. Video interviewing software allows candidates to have a one-way interview at a time and location that’s convenient for them. That way, they allow their personality to shine through to the interviewers prior to the physical interview.

You can choose between having questions in the form of text or recording the hiring manager asking interview questions for a more personalized feel. You can also add a welcome video to help the candidate feel more at ease before their one-way interview. Video interviews are a quick way to get to know shortlisted candidates better while elevating their experience with your brand.

Chatbots and AI Virtual Assistants

AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants can be set up to handle the initial stages of the recruitment process. They can answer FAQs and send out assessment links to candidates after they apply. They can also highlight the next steps for applicants to be aware of what to expect moving forward.

Since chatbots and VAs provide real-time interactions, they allow the candidate to get prompt responses about the process and keep them posted throughout. In a fast-paced world, quick replies will highly boost a candidate’s experience with a brand. 

Gamification

Gamification is a great way to engage candidates by giving them an immersive experience as they apply for their dream job. Some companies apply game simulations to see how each candidate handles various situations. It’s an effective way to gauge their problem-solving skills while keeping candidates engaged throughout the assessment. Gamification mainly appeals to younger candidates who are accustomed to the gaming world. 

Final Thoughts

Hiring managers and business owners can leverage new software solutions to make their work easier while elevating candidate experience during the recruitment process. Using tools such as automations, chatbots, and new gamification strategies, they can save time and money and engage with candidates effectively to attract the best possible talent. 

Enhancing the candidate experience is also an effective way to boost your branding. It will help you land some of the best talent in the market. Therefore, consider applying one or more of these technologies to your next hiring round.