There’s a lot of focus these days on the employee experience. But what does the employee experience mean? What can we do to improve the employee experience? And what does it mean to enhance the experience of someone who is a candidate and not yet an employee?

Employee experience, sometimes abbreviated as EX, relates to all the experiences a worker has with their employer. It focuses on ensuring that employees have the support (training, information, tools) they need to succeed and thrive in their work, from when they are candidates until they leave the job. Analyzing employee experience aims to create better outcomes, including increased employee productivity and job satisfaction.

Improving the employee experience in recruitment is about creating an easy, engaging, and personalized process for candidates. Below are some strategies for enhancing the experience during recruitment.

1. Use Technology: Use technology to capture applicants’ attention and facilitate the application process. Create videos to attract candidates. Tell them what’s great about working for your agency and the prospects for career growth. Implement an AI-driven interactive portal that provides FAQs based on the candidate’s department and role. Reduce the number of clicks required to read an online job announcement and apply for the job. Ask your Information Technology (IT) department or recruiting tool software provider to report the number of hits your job pages receive and how many people visiting your site apply for jobs and assess processes that need improvement.

2. Write Good Job Descriptions: You’ve probably heard someone remark, “If I had more time, I would have written less.” This aphorism points to the importance of editing, ensuring that what we write is as clear, engaging, and concise as possible. Outline key responsibilities, required knowledge, skills, abilities, pay, and perks. This will be sufficient to capture an applicant’s attention. If there is more that you want the candidate to know—workplace culture, community assets, building or expansion plans, employee testimonials—provide links to other pages, including social media sites, where the candidate can learn more.

3. Communicate: Maintain open and timely communication. Keep candidates informed at each stage and set expectations about timelines. If the recruitment aims to produce a list of names, let candidates know their rank, when they might expect to be called for the next round of interviews, and when the list expires. If the candidate is not moving forward, they must be notified that they have not been selected. This allows them to pursue other opportunities and leaves a positive impression of your organization, which may prompt them to apply again in the future.

4. Personalize the Candidate Experience: Personalization is a hot topic these days, and it’s not just about monogrammed towels, t-shirts, and Etsy mugs. Why is personalization important? It addresses the individual, which makes candidates feel seen, valued, and appreciated. To personalize the experience, use the candidate’s name in all verbal and written communications (such as emails, letters, and temporary name badges or table tent cards with the candidate’s name for the interview), and offer personalized interactions, such as a Q&A with interview panelists.

5. Train Hiring Managers: Ask hiring managers to consider paring down the number of supplemental questions asked in the application and save some questions for in-person exams and interviews later in the process. Ensure hiring managers are familiar with EEOC law and review questions in advance to ensure they are legal, fair, and professional. Design interviews to respect candidates’ time and avoid excessive rounds. Providing candidates with a simple agenda (e.g., 1. we will explain the position, 2. ask you a series of questions, and 3. then allow you to ask us questions) can help a candidate feel prepared and at ease.

Don’t forget the time between making an offer and the candidate’s first day of work. Do you remember the first time you gave notice to accept another position? It was likely a daunting and emotional moment, saying farewell to current colleagues and facing the unknown of a new job. That’s why it is essential to provide onboarding preparation once an offer has been made. Simple gestures, like sending welcome kits or connecting new hires with a mentor, can help candidates feel valued right from the start.

Implementing the above actions will foster a positive candidate experience, improve your agency’s reputation, and make your organization more appealing to applicants. Have you implemented strategies to improve employee experience in the recruitment process? Please share your tips with us at info@mynpsj.com.