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With all the technical terms such as active sourcing, key performance indicators and data-driven recruiting, it is important to never lose sight of what recruitment is all about: people.
The Candidate Journey helps to shift the focus back to the people behind the application process.
By creating an authentic candidate journey, companies are able to connect with their ideal candidates on a human level. This shows that you are not simply looking to fill a vacancy, but rather to build a long-term relationship based on trust, appreciation and mutual respect.
Definition: What is the Candidate Journey?
The candidate journey is the process that an applicant goes through when he or she is interested in a position in a company, applies for it and is ultimately hired. This journey consists of a series of phases that cover the entire application process and have a direct impact on the candidate experience.
The experiences that the applicant has along the way are referred to as the Candidate Experience.
The heart of a positive applicant experience: it must feel authentic . Every single touchpoint with your company has an emotional impact.
That’s why it’s important that applicants get an honest insight into the corporate culture at every step.
In addition, every dialog and interaction should convey a feeling of respect and appreciation, as this ultimately lays the foundation for a long-lasting bond between applicants and your brand. Transparent communication and an empathetic approach to the needs of the talent play a key role in ensuring a positive candidate experience.
The 6 phases of the Candidate Journey
The Candidate Journey can be divided into six phases that cover the entire process from initial interaction to hiring.
- Interest
- Information procurement
- Application
- Job interview
- Decision making
- Setting
Phase 1: Interest
In this first phase, the aim is to arouse the interest of potential applicants in your company.
This can be done via various channels, be it through job advertisements on job portals, posts and direct approaches on social media or via your website. The aim is to attract the attention of potential applicants and arouse their interest in a possible position at the company.
A strong employer branding is particularly important to build trust and credibility. A clear and authentic presentation of the corporate culture and the opportunities and benefits on offer are crucial here.
The messages should be conveyed consistently and attractively across all communication channels.
The more attractive your company appears and the better you communicate its values and vision, the more likely potential applicants will be motivated to take a closer look at the career opportunities in your company.
Tip: Make sure that your job advertisements and your careers page arouse emotions and have a low inhibition threshold.
On our blog you will find tips on how to write a convincing job advertisement, what you should bear in mind when social recruiting and which active sourcing methods you can use.
Phase 2: Gathering information
You’ve done it!
You have sparked a candidate’s curiosity.
Now she’s starting to find out more about your company and the advertised position. She researches the company website, reads testimonials on review platforms and perhaps even seeks contact with current or former employees. In this step of the candidate journey, applicants want to find out more about the corporate culture, working conditions and career opportunities in order to make an informed decision about a potential application.
Tip: Maintain your website and make sure it makes a positive first impression.
Attractive team photos and videos help to give applicants an authentic picture of the working atmosphere.
Phase 3: Application
Once the potential applicant has gathered enough information, she starts the application process.
This can be done via various channels: For example, candidates can fill out an online application form on the company website, send application documents by email or upload documents via a job platform.
Tip: Ensure that the application process has the lowest possible inhibition threshold and is user-friendly.
Reduce unnecessary steps to a minimum .
Denke daran, dass jeder zusätzliche Klick oder jedes unnötige Formularfeld die Wahrscheinlichkeit erhöht, dass potenzielle Kandidatinnen und Kandidaten den Prozess vorzeitig abbrechen.
Ein schnelles Feedback über den Eingang der Bewerbung hilft außerdem, das Interesse aufrechtzuerhalten.
Phase 4: Job interview
After reviewing the applications, potential candidates are invited to an interview.
Here it is particularly important that you ensure the flow of the interview by preparing thoroughly for the meeting and creating an open, appreciative atmosphere in which the applicants feel comfortable and can show their full potential.
Tip: Make sure that you actively listen during the interview and respond to the candidate’s needs.
You also show genuine interest if you ask for feedback after the interview.
Even in the event of a rejection, appreciative and transparent communication is essential to keep the door open for a possible future application.
Phase 5: Decision-making
After a successful interview, you should not keep your preferred candidate waiting unnecessarily long for feedback. Delays can be frustrating and people may already be in other selection processes where they receive faster feedback.
The candidate then has to decide whether or not to accept the job offer.
Various factors such as working conditions, salary, working atmosphere and development opportunities within the company are taken into account.
However, the emotions that the candidate experience has aroused up to this point also play a decisive role.
Tip: Offer potential candidates the opportunity to clarify open questions and obtain further information about the company.
A personal contact person who is available to answer questions can strengthen trust in your company.
Phase 6: Adjustment
In the final step of the Candidate Journey, the candidate officially becomes part of your team.
This final step includes signing the employment contract and clarifying administrative matters.
Tip: Make the recruitment process as smooth and efficient as possible. Keep the new employee informed about the status of the process and prepare a warm and informative welcome for the first day of work.
Candidate Journey Map
A candidate journey map visualizes the applicant journey in graphic form. Candidate journey mapping allows you to visualize the different phases of your applicant journey and graphically highlight the contact points where there is still room for improvement.
For example, if many applicants abandon the application process prematurely and do not submit their application, you should analyze at what point in the process these abandonments occur.
Perhaps it is due to an overly complex application platform, unclear instructions or a lengthy completion process.
By identifying these obstacles, you can take targeted measures to improve the candidate experience and reduce the dropout rate.
Candidate experience management with Kooku
With good candidate experience management, you can ensure the quality of the candidate journey in your company.
At Kooku, we reliably help you to optimize every step and ensure a positive candidate experience.
By implementing user-friendly application platforms, clear communication and efficient processes, we support you in increasing candidate engagement and successfully attracting talented candidates to your company.
Let’s make the most of every candidate journey.
