6 tips on how recruitment agencies can maintain a positive candidate experience while recruiting remotely

Candidate experience refers to candidates’ perception of your entire recruiting and hiring process. Providing a positive candidate experience matters greatly to recruitment agencies because:

• It boosts the chances of reapplication
• Candidates are sure to spread the word
• It demonstrates empathy on the part of the brand

But with this remote/hybrid era comes new demands. Thus, this post takes a deep dive into how recruitment agencies can maintain a positive candidate experience while recruiting remotely.

Image Source: TalentLyft

1. Assess the status quo and reinvent as necessary

As a recruitment consultant, upholding a positive candidate experience while recruiting remotely begins with vetting the current process. It will reveal the various loopholes and indicate how you can make improvements.

You need to incorporate technology. In order to make up for what’s missing in remote recruiting, video interviews are super-necessary. Shine, the leading video interview platform for recruitment agencies, works wonders in that regard.

Also, you need to train your recruitment panel to use your software of choice properly. They have to truly understand what’s involved in the remote recruitment process.

Streamline the remote recruitment process to ensure that it doesn’t drag on for long. Research shows that 57% of job searchers find a lengthy recruitment process discouraging.

Essentially, this first step demands that you observe the process through a candidate’s lens. If the candidate’s journey doesn’t appear hassle-free, then you have some work to do.

2. Never keep your candidates in the dark

According to more than 80% of respondents, the hallmark of laudable candidate experience is clear and consistent communication. Recruitment agencies must keep the candidates in the know at all times. Give candidates a rundown of the entire process.

Never leave them wondering what stage in the process they are at or at a loss as to what’s going on. Instead, put them at ease by responding quickly, notifying them of what the next steps are, and keeping them informed in the event of any hiccup.

Do well to communicate whatever they’ll need, be it an Internet connection, a certain dress code, and even the manner of questions that will be thrown their way. Here are some other elements of communication recruitment agencies should incorporate to preserve positive candidate experience:

• Let them know the various software needed, then provide guidance on how to use them.
• Publish tips on how they can nail the video interview, as well as noteworthy details about your client.
• Encourage the brand to use FAQs on their website to address notable concerns. Let the career page on the site be updated regularly.

These moves are strong indicators that you want the candidates to succeed.

3. Flaunt the brand’s employee value proposition

As a recruitment consultant, one powerful way to maintain a positive candidate experience while recruiting remotely is to show off your client’s culture. Giving the candidates an idea of their potential employer’s values and initiatives helps enhance the candidate experience. As a matter of fact, 56% of the respondents to a survey care more about a brand’s culture than the salary.

Candidates deserve a true feel of what life is like working with the brand. Since, for now, an in-person office visit might be off the table, you need to get creative to effectively remake the effect. Here are some pointers on how you can show off the company’s strengths:

• Give the candidates a virtual office tour, highlighting the various members of the team and their roles.
• Make room for the candidates to interact with the current employees. After all, according to 66% of candidates, that’s the best way to get to know a potential employer.

The watchword at this point is transparency. Candidates should see what they’ll get. No smoke and mirrors.

4. Humanize the process

One of the possible downsides of remote recruiting is the lack of human touch. Recruitment agencies can ensure a positive candidate experience during remote recruiting by introducing the human connection.

Prioritising empathy is one way to reach that goal.

As much as we all know that a calm environment is necessary for a successful remote interview, not all candidates would have flawless surroundings. There might be various intrusive elements such as kids demanding attention, dogs barking or car horns blaring around the candidate’s environment, to name a few.

Be considerate, and do well to put up with these imperfections. Focus only on the candidates, their skills, and their responses to your questions; don’t let the distractions sway your assessment.

Additionally, you can boost the candidate experience by making time for a friendly chat with the candidate. Show concern for their personal issues by asking about their hobbies and aspirations. Candidates appreciate it, trust us.

Don’t dig too deep, though. Steer clear of sensitive subjects such as religion and politics. You don’t want to ruin a good thing.

5. Give the candidates feedback. Give them a voice as well.

Truth be told, not all candidates will make the cut at the end of the day.

So, what recruitment consultants must do is to let those who didn’t sail through know that they didn’t. A smart way to go about it is to, first, praise the candidates for the areas they excelled in, then let them know why they didn’t get the job.

This tactic prevents candidates from having their feelings crushed, and allows them to continue their job search with renewed self-assurance, gusto, and improvements.

Such constructive feedback makes candidates appreciate your decision and saves them from frustration.

Recruitment agencies, however, should recognize that they need to hear from the candidates as well. Ask for their feedback on the experience in general. What did they like most about the process? What could your recruitment team have done better?

Some unkind responses might come your way, but so will constructive ones too. Make the most of the latter.

6. Modify the onboarding process accordingly

The remote recruiting process doesn’t end when the candidate gets the job; the onboarding process is an integral part thereof.

To uphold an impressive candidate experience, recruitment agencies and their clients are saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that successful candidates are properly welcomed aboard.

The essence of a wholesome onboarding process lies in the fact that it sets the tone for the employee’s time with the brand.

Here are some fun-filled ways to onboard successful candidates during remote recruiting:

• Throw a virtual party to celebrate the new hires, and help them get familiar with your company’s culture and other employees.
• Send branded items such as shirts, wristbands, water flasks, etc to the successful candidates as part of their welcome package.
• Use social media to spread the word about the candidate’s hire. Tag them and say nice things about them.

The onboarding process indicates that the company is happy to have the new hire. People like being appreciated, so this will keep the new hires in high spirits, making them happy to be a part of your brand.

All in all, these hints will make the remote recruiting process seem as pleasant as its in-person counterpart. For more insight, read our post for concrete guidance on successful remote recruiting.