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11 Ways to Modernize the Candidate Experience

Tammy Cohen, PHR, SHRM-CP

June 20 2022

Having a DEI strategy creates an environment of trust and respect. It also improves productivity, increases employee engagement, and accelerates innovation. To build and maintain a diverse workforce requires change, so don’t fall behind by holding on to outdated hiring practices.

If you want to build a DEI-focused company, begin with hiring. When you attract a diverse pool of quality talent, it creates a positive cycle that propels your company forward. That’s because candidates are increasingly gravitating toward businesses with inclusion in mind. For example, 74% of millennial employees believe an organization with a culture of inclusion is more innovative, and 47% actively look for diversity and inclusion when sizing up potential employers.

As people begin to investigate companies’ DEI policies in more detail, it’s vital to consider how you can develop inclusive hiring practices. To help you, we asked HR leaders and business owners for their best advice on the topic. Read on to gain insight into the different approaches and policies you can adopt to create an inclusive and trustworthy hiring process. Initiating these changes will benefit everyone in the company as the workplace grows into a more diverse, inspiring, and comfortable environment.

Ditch In-Person Interviews

Nowadays, people are used to virtual communication, so why make them come into the office? Today’s digital cameras are so high tech that Zoom meetings feel almost as real as meeting face-to-face. You can easily tell if there is a competent employee on the other side of the screen. This mode of communication offers a layer of convenience for me as well as the candidates we interview. We want to let them know from the beginning that we care about providing an excellent employee experience.

Jae Pak, Jae Pak MD Medical

 

Make the Most of Background Screening Technology

Background screening is a key component of onboarding, but it can be a time-consuming process if you choose the wrong vendor. To avoid a long and exhaustive back-and-forth between candidates and your hiring team, investigate the variety of tools and services that will streamline the entire process to ensure you’re equipped with the information you need. Many of these technologies seamlessly integrate with your ATS platform, so you’ll never lose out on important data.

Riley Beam, Douglas R. Beam, P.A.

 

Create Clear Job Descriptions

Make sure the job description is transparent. In doing so, you create a seamless application process. Job descriptions often use jargon, which can be hard to understand or overwhelming for candidates. By simply outlining what is expected, you can weed out candidates who aren’t the right fit for the position.

Kate Lipman, embrace Scar Therapy

 

Drop Cover Letter Requirements

One of the most time-consuming aspects of the hiring process is crafting and uploading a cover letter. Most job candidates dislike this component, even if they are dying to get hired by an organization. Do yourself and the candidate a favor: drop the cover letter requirement to streamline the candidate experience. Specify that you will not receive cover letters in your job posting. This is a modern trend among recruiting agencies and internal hiring teams because employers are learning more efficient ways of getting to know candidates. This change will save both your candidates and your team valuable time.

John Ross, Test Prep Insight

 

Recruit Through Current Employees

Modernize your candidate experience by recruiting through current employees, which has proven to expand talent pools by over ten times. Communicate with your employees when new roles become available so they can suggest someone they know who seems like a good fit. You can incentivize internal recruitment by offering employees referral bonuses. This measure saves the time usually spent searching for people. Plus, it’s often a good way to ensure you’re hiring people who fit into your company’s culture and maintain your company’s brand.

Brett Sohns, LifeGoal Investments

 

Get Candidates’ Feedback

In interviews, ask candidates about their best interview and application experiences and what they liked about them. Many candidates have recently interviewed with other companies and will openly share what created a good experience for them. When you finish interviewing a candidate, send a follow-up survey to learn the areas you excel in and the areas that need work.

Scott Baker, Stage 3 Leadership

 

Create Branding Videos

I’ve modernized my candidate experience by creating lighthearted branding videos with insight and a bit of humor. Videos are a great way to show your resourcefulness and acquaint yourself with potential employees. People love to laugh. Therefore, humor is an effective way to showcase my brand’s unique, witty tone while explaining our values. It lets people know that we like to have fun without sacrificing quality work. Introducing my business in this manner sets us apart from other companies that candidates may be considering.

Michelle Arnau, Rowan

 

Digitize Onboarding and Offer Auto-fill Options

We’ve digitized the application and onboarding process, saving candidates’ time by providing the option to auto-fill information. This allows applicants to enter their information once rather than manually inputting it multiple times, and it simplifies the process of updating information. Digital documentation also expedites the hiring process because employers can track candidates and give timely responses.

Ankur Goyal, Coterie

 

Communicate Every Step with The Candidate

A modern hiring experience requires clear and consistent communication. Check in with candidates at every step of the hiring process. In the beginning, recruiters should email, call, or text the applicant after each interview or skill test, making sure they understand the current assignment and the steps ahead. This grants the opportunity to discover the candidate’s attitude towards the position. In the later stages of the hiring process, the HR coordinator should provide guidance throughout the onboarding process. They should ensure new employees receive all necessary information and passwords to access their equipment, know who to report to on the first day, and more.

Maja Kowalska, Zety

 

Interview Less, Converse More

Getting out from behind the desk and socializing personalizes the candidate experience. The collective experience of a pandemic taught us the importance of empathy. This prompts us to evolve the interview process by finding ways to engage candidates personally. Employers get a better sense of a potential new employee by spending time with them and sparking genuine conversations. Asking open-ended questions such as “How do you handle a day when nothing goes to plan?” or “How do you measure a team’s productivity?” allows for stimulating, meaningful conversations. Taking a candidate out to lunch reveals clues about their interpersonal skills, including how they interact with others and whether they’re a good team player. With empathy at the core of our interview process, job interviews become a more fruitful experience for everyone.

Maria Shriver, MOSH

 

Engage Candidates Mobily

That’s what candidates want. People spend a large amount of time on their phones in modern times, so meet them there. We’ve found it’s possible to communicate via phone with candidates at scale while still having it feel like a true one-on-one experience for each applicant. Use conversational AI to guide them through the process in a text message format. This way, they can instantly respond to messages at any time with specific answers and content. When candidates have this kind of access at their fingertips, the hiring process speeds up and meets modern expectations.

Josh Zywein, Paradox

 

Don’t wait to modernize your hiring process and improve your candidate experience because the Great Resignation waits for nobody. Get started with hiring AI, streamlined job descriptions and application requirements, and quick yet reliable background checks. At InfoMart, we combine over three decades of experience in the screening industry with the latest technology and integrations to give you background checks you can count on. Check out this blog to learn more about Continuous Criminal Monitoring, a service that modernizes your background check process by scanning arrest records 24/7 and accounting for the increase in ban the box laws across the nation.

 

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About Tammy Cohen

Tammy Cohen, an industry pioneer and expert in identity and employment screening, founded InfoMart 30 years ago. Deemed the “Queen of Screen,” she’s been a force behind industry-leading innovations. She was most recently the first-to-market with a fully compliant sanctions search, as well as a suite of identity services that modernizes talent onboarding. Tammy revolutionized the screening industry when she stepped into the field, developing the first client-facing application and a due diligence criminal search that has since become standard for all background screening companies. Cohen has received national awards and honors for her business and civic involvement, including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 25 Women-Owned Firms in Atlanta, Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Women of the Year award, the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s Kathryn Woods Racial Justice Award, and a commendation in the 152nd Congressional Record. To learn more about Tammy, visit www.tammycohen.com.

About InfoMart

InfoMart has been revolutionizing the global background and identity screening industry for 30 years, providing businesses the information they need to make informed hiring decisions. They develop innovative technology that modernizes talent onboarding, including a first-to-market biometric identity authentication application and a verified sanctions search. The WBENC-certified company is a founding member of the Professional Background Screening Association, and they have achieved PBSA accreditation in recognition of their consistent business practices and commitment to compliance with the FCRA. The company is dedicated to customer service, speed, and accuracy, and it has been recognized for its success, workplace culture, and corporate citizenship with over 45 industry awards. To Get the Whole Story on InfoMart, please visit www.InfoMart-USA.com, follow @InfoMartUSA, or call (770) 984-2727.

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