CATALYST Issue 4 | Page 41

D Catalyst | Dexterity So how can recruitment teams rise above the competition to win talent when candidates have more choice and higher expectations than ever before? Taking an holistic look at the candidate journey from the outside-in is a great place to start, layering in digital tools to elevate the experience and enhance efficiency. After all, satisfaction with candidate experience across the six major processes of recruitment – from attraction to hire – remains low (between 13% and 27% according to an Aptitude Research survey of more than 1,000 hourly job seekers). Curate an authentic brand extension Today’s employees are seeking greater alignment between their own values and those of the company they work for. Research by Glassdoor reveals that 79% of job seekers consider a company’s mission before applying. This means the line between customer and candidate is becoming blurred and an organisation’s employer brand should reflect the same values and attributes as its customer brand in the marketplace. As existing brand advocates, customers are becoming a notable Candidates given feedback through the process are more likely to return to the company, even as a consumer, if they don’t get hired Madeline Laurano, Aptitude Research Dig deeper into expectations around candidate experience Alexander Mann Solutions partnered with Aptitude Research to study the preferences and experiences of more than 600 talent-acquisition professionals and 1,000-plus hourly job seekers, uncovering actionable insights and opportunities for improvement. Join Madeline Laurano, founder of Aptitude Research, for a live panel discussion on 21 February. Join via bit.ly/ams-hourly_webcast talent pool. But, what if that transition from customer to job seeker surfaces a disjointed experience? With a few clicks of their mouse, applicants can uncover information about a company’s culture, employee reviews, leadership and pay. If these fail to chime with its customer brand, it can diminish the organisation’s talent-acquisition efforts, potentially resulting in higher applicant drop-off rates, a loss of brand advocates and customers. The disconnect may also cause successful candidates to regret their choice, causing voluntary turnover. Today’s digital talent tools make it easier to surface critical brand values throughout the hiring process, so that an applicant’s transition from customer to candidate feels authentic and seamless. This helps companies to ensure brand plays an important role in creating differentiation as an employer of choice. Capture and communicate feedback Many organisations have transformed their performance-management processes over recent years, leveraging technology to capture and deliver more timely, relevant and ongoing feedback. Some have switched from traditional annual reviews to continuous (monthly or even weekly) models. This has had a measurable impact on employee engagement, productivity and retention. Issue 4 - 2020 41