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The “Psycho Ex” Theory on Candidate Experience #thecandidate
Being a candidate can make you feel a lot like a your Facebook relationship status changed to it’s complicated. Having applied at a few of Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For and making it to the interviewing process means I have been that crazy chick. What did I learn from being on the other side of the interview table?
- Every client, every time no exception or excuses. Except when you are a candidate. Then, the required 24 hour response at this Great Place to Work had a few exceptions and excuses. Do you think my email went through? Did he read my email?
- Build Open and Honest Relationships with Communication. I felt like a pyscho ex-girlfriend stalking my recruiter. Oh you said you would call me back today? Let me drive past your office again to see who else is interviewing.
- It’s the people. Candidates, however, are more like a pipeline than a person. If you aren’t going to call when you are say you are going to call, please don’t say you’re going to call. I’m not complicated.
- Full disclosure and transparency. Well, the only communication was the generic rejection email sent 30 days later. I would have preferred you treated me like the last guy I dated; ignored me completely and changed your Facebook relationship status to in a relationship.
Ok, so even Fortune’s Best Places have candidate experiences that aren’t so fun. Which makes me wonder how bad it can be at not-so-great places to work. There’s lots of good reading on Glassdoor.com that backs up the candidates sentiments that the process is too long and there isn’t enough communication. Sounds like a relationship you would not want to be in, right? How to make the candidate experience better in case you never make it to home base?
- Have a dedicated recruiter whose job it is to update candidates, even if it’s only to say that they don’t know
- Have a recruiter follow up post-process and ask how the experience was
- Include candidate experience in the Great Place to Work survey to some capacity
- Tell candidates not to take it personal, as there is a lot of behind the scenes stuff going on that has nothing to do with them
Like all of my past relationships, I am super happy that the companies and me didn’t work out. Being rejected is the Universe’s way to tell you to dream bigger and candidates need to know this. Got any ex candidates stalking you? Holla!
