How do you measure and improve the candidate experience in your recruitment funnel?

1 Define your funnel stages

The first step is to define the different stages of your recruitment funnel, from the initial attraction and awareness to the final offer and onboarding. Each stage has its own goals, challenges, and opportunities to enhance the candidate experience. For example, at the attraction stage, you want to create a compelling and consistent employer value proposition across your channels. At the screening stage, you want to communicate clearly and promptly with your applicants. At the interview stage, you want to provide a positive and fair assessment of your candidates' skills and fit.

2 Collect feedback from candidates

The second step is to collect feedback from your candidates at each stage of your funnel. You can use various methods, such as surveys, interviews, reviews, or net promoter score (NPS). The feedback can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your candidate experience, as well as the expectations and preferences of your target talent pool. You can also segment your feedback by different criteria, such as job role, source, or outcome, to gain more insights and tailor your actions accordingly.

3 Analyze your data and metrics

The third step is to analyze your data and metrics to measure the impact of your candidate experience on your recruitment performance. You can use quantitative and qualitative indicators, such as application rate, drop-off rate, time to hire, offer acceptance rate, quality of hire, or candidate satisfaction. You can also benchmark your results against industry standards or competitors to see how you compare and where you can improve. You can also track your progress over time and test different strategies to optimize your funnel.

4 Implement best practices and improvements

The fourth step is to implement best practices and improvements based on your feedback and analysis. You can focus on the areas that have the most room for improvement or the most influence on your goals. For example, you can improve your career site, your job descriptions, your screening process, your interview process, or your offer process. You can also enhance your communication, your transparency, your feedback, your personalization, or your diversity and inclusion efforts.

6 Evaluate and iterate your process

The sixth step is to evaluate and iterate your process regularly and continuously. You can use feedback loops, audits, reviews, or experiments to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of your candidate experience. You can also solicit feedback from your hiring managers, recruiters, and employees to get different perspectives and insights. You can also monitor the trends and changes in the talent market and the candidate expectations to adapt and innovate your process.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?