Kristina FinsethMarch 01, 2017
Topics: Candidate Experience

5 Key Takeaways from the 2016 Talent Board Candidate Experience Report



For the past six years, the Talent Board has successfully published reports on candidate experience at companies across the world. The 2016 report was recently released, and it shares the thoughts and experiences of over 183,000 candidates as they go through the recruiting and application process with leading companies.

Although a lot of valuable information is covered, here are my five key takeaways from the report.

Candidates want to see company values and employee testimonials It's clear that candidates don't want to work for just any company. Research shows that candidates want to work somewhere with company values that match their own personal values. According to the report, company values are the most important marketing content for almost 50 percent of candidates. In addition, candidates are turning to Glassdoor and other review sites to find out more insight into company culture and interview preparation.

Surprise - the application process is still driving candidates crazy After completing the online application process, only 31 percent of the candidates surveyed actually felt like it was a worthwhile process. In fact, 69 percent wouldn't reapply due to a negative application process. That means lots of candidates feel that the application process is cumbersome, lengthy, and sometimes difficult to understand and complete.

Companies struggle to provide closure to unselected candidates It's no surprise that companies are still failing to provide closure to candidates, especially when they aren't selected to move forward with in the recruiting process for a particular position. However, despite the many technological advancements over the years, only 20 percent of candidates received any type of email communication from their recruiter or hiring manager when they weren't chosen for a position. Research shows that quite a few candidates were waiting more than two months to hear anything back at all.

Employers are investing more dollars into their career sites According to the report, over 75 percent of companies consider their career sites to be the most important resource for candidate attraction. More and more, they recognize that candidates are turning to the career site as a critical aspect of company research before they even decide to apply for opportunities within the company.

Few companies are surveying rejected candidates to gain feedback Companies tend to focus on gathering feedback from new hires, but they fail to survey applicants that weren't selected during the recruiting and interview process. According to the report, only 12 percent of recruiters survey all rejected candidates to gain feedback on their process. If captured, this information can provide valuable insight into the gaps and pain points of the application and recruiting process - allowing companies the ability to make improvements in the future.

---

Are you surprised by any of the findings in this year's Talent Board report?



Get the latest talent experience insights delivered to your inbox.

Sign up to the Phenom email list for weekly updates!

Loading...

© 2024 Phenom People, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

  • TRUSTe
  • CSA logo
  • IAF
  • ISO
  • ISO
  • ISO
  • ISO
  • ANAB