Why Offering The Best Candidate Experience Is Crucial For Technical Applicants

1. The tech industry is still competitive - for jobs and top talent.

Over the past 12 months, we have seen a dramatic change in technical hiring, which included sizable layoffs, hiring freezes, and a change in optimistic views for growth.   With all that happening, though, the need for technical resources has never been higher as more companies continue their digitization journey.  

To help illustrate this point, the following metrics gathered from various sources tracking employment tell a compelling story.   Between 2022 and 2023, there have been roughly 340,000 technical layoffs globally.   Now compare that to the open tech-focused roles in North America today, hovering around 660,000.   So today, there are two times the available positions for technical resources in North America than have been laid off globally – that is a very telling metric.

The tech industry is still competitive - for jobs and top talent. In order to attract the best candidates, it is crucial to offer a top-notch candidate experience.

To be clear, the candidate experience is the sum of all the interactions a candidate has with your company - from the moment they first hear about the open position to the moment they either accept or decline your offer. A positive candidate experience can make all the difference in whether or not a candidate chooses to work for your company.

In this blog post, we'll discuss why offering the best candidate experience is crucial for technical applicants and how you can improve your candidate experience.

2. Offer the best candidate experience possible to set your company apart.

Technical applicants must offer the best candidate experience possible to set your company apart. Here are some strategies you can use to ensure an excellent experience for your technical applicants:

• Use automated screening and interview scheduling tools: Automated applications and scheduling tools make it easier for both candidates and hiring teams to make sure the recruiting process goes as smoothly as possible.
• Showcase the development team: Candidates want to know what it's like to work for your development team - that’s why it’s important to showcase it! Talk about the projects they are working on and the company culture within the development team.
• Use assessments and proofs of work: Assessments and proofs of work provide a great way to understand the candidate's ability and skill set. It’s also a great way to make sure they are the right fit for the role.
• Offer resources to help with the coding process: Show your technical applicants you are invested in their success. Offer them resources and tools to help them hone their coding skills, so they can be more confident in the process.
• Deliver these resources in a simple, effective manner that allows the applicant to see the information at the right time, during the right stage of the process and in a manner that is available to them.

Above all, remember that the candidate experience is an ongoing process. It's about providing applicants with the information, support, and resources they need to have the best experience possible.

3. What is the best candidate experience?

The best candidate experience begins before they even apply to a job. When candidates are researching your company and finding out what opportunities you have to offer, you must ensure that the information they find is accurate and up to date. Please provide them with information about the job responsibilities, what qualifications are required, and any additional benefits your company offers.

Once a candidate has applied, it is important to ensure you are responsive and keep them updated throughout the process. If possible, provide them with feedback on their work and clarify where they are in the process.   Also, consider the best way to provide information to the applicant so they can use it – the standard template emails that a typical ATS system generates is typically not helpful to most applicants.

Finally, when making a job offer, don’t rush the process. Give candidates enough time to digest the offer and ensure that all the terms are clear and that they are comfortable with making a move.   Ultimately, when it comes to offering the best candidate experience, it is essential to remember that a thoughtful, organized approach will help you stand out and attract the best talent.

4. Why does the candidate experience matter so much for tech applicants?

Technical applicants place a high degree of importance on the candidate's experience from a company. They want to know that the company prioritizes their applications and treats them respectfully. As technical applicants are often in high demand, they want to know that the company values their experience, credentials, and potential for the role.

Moreover, technical applicants may often be the best candidates for a position but may need to be made aware of the company's culture, project work, or other advantages the employer may offer. The candidate experience helps build trust and increases the likelihood that these candidates choose the company over other opportunities.

In addition, offering the best candidate experience also demonstrates that the industry and technology space is changing and that companies should embrace new ideas and new values. Technical applicants are more likely to consider a company that appears modern and forward-thinking.

Finally, the candidate's experience matters because companies want to develop a positive reputation in the technical space. This means they need to invest the time to ensure their candidates are given the attention they deserve and the opportunity to ask questions and get the answers they need. Developing this reputation is critical for securing the best talent in the industry.

5. How can you improve your company's candidate experience?

Improving the candidate experience for technical applicants begins with understanding their needs and acting on that knowledge. Here are a few steps to help your company improve the candidate experience for technical applicants:

1. Make sure technical applicants are kept informed from start to finish in the recruitment process. They should know what to expect and when.
2. Engage with technical applicants at every step in the process. This is about having meaningful conversations, not just emailing back and forth.
3. Show technical applicants that your company appreciates their skills and has a future-oriented approach to technology.
4. Offer technical applicants the opportunity to ask questions and receive timely responses.
5. Respect the decision of a technical applicant and provide them with closure. No news is not always bad news.

6. The bottom line: happy applicants = better talent for your company.

Ensuring that technical applicants are treated fairly and given the same respect as non-technical applicants is of utmost importance. Offering technical applicants the best possible candidate experience throughout the recruitment process will benefit your company in the long run.

The happiness of the applicants means more success in terms of being able to capture the best talent. Happy candidates are more likely to be passionate about their work, bring the best skills to the table, and stay with the company on a long-term basis. This results in increased employee retention and improved productivity.

Companies that create a positive candidate experience for technical applicants are seen as progressive and forward-thinking, which leads to a better brand image. This is a huge competitive advantage in a world where tech-driven businesses are heavily focused on innovation and customer experience.

The bottom line is that happy applicants mean better talent for your company. Therefore, it is essential to put effort into offering the best candidate experience for technical applicants.

If this sounds like an interesting approach to hiring amazing talent, Greetr can instantly help make it a reality for your organization!   Visit www.greetr.io to learn more.