How to provide a great candidate experience.

As an employer, it can be challenging to balance a thorough interview process with a great candidate experience that reflects well on your brand. If your interview process is too short, you may not uncover everything you need to know about a candidate, and if it's too long, you run the risk of candidates opting out of the process altogether.

Here are a few tips to balance the two:

1. Make an interviewee feel at ease: Begin the interview with a warm greeting and small talk to help the candidate feel at ease. Deciding if a candidate is a good fit for your organization requires getting to know who the candidate is as a person and not just their skill set. By making a candidate feel at ease, you give them a chance to open up and you a chance to see who they are in a natural setting.
2. Don't be judgmental: Although you are evaluating whether a candidate is a good fit for your company, it is not a good idea to make them feel like they are being judged. Being open to what the candidate has to say without judgment gives them the space to talk openly about their work, the environments they thrive in, and their ambitions and goals.
3. Ask open-ended questions: Utilize open-ended questions to encourage the candidate to provide detailed responses and share relevant examples from their experience. Steer clear of leading questions and allow the candidate ample time to respond without interruption. These open-ended questions often prompt the interviewee to elaborate on experiences or skills, or the lack thereof, which can significantly aid in your decision-making process.
4. Work samples and tests are great tools - just don't make them too long: Behavioral assessments and skills tests can provide significant data points for evaluating candidates. These tools help hiring managers compare apples to apples and evaluate candidates using more than just their gut feeling. Asking a candidate to provide a work sample is also a great way to see how a candidate will handle an actual situation in the job they are applying for. Just be careful not to make this process too lengthy. Candidates who feel like they have to jump through a bunch of hoops or feel like a company is trying to get free work out of them will often opt out of the process.
5. Offer transparency: Be honest and transparent with the candidate about the position, including its challenges and opportunities. Provide clear explanations of the hiring process, timelines, and next steps to effectively manage expectations. Seize the opportunity to share information about the company's culture, values, and mission, as well as details about the role and its responsibilities. This transparency helps the candidate envision themselves as part of the team and addresses any questions or concerns they may have, fostering a sense of trust.

Hiring the right person to help your company grow is a challenge. It requires time, focus, and an established hiring plan to be effective. By making that process comfortable, concise, and honest, employers can alleviate a lot of stress for candidates and present a favorable representation of their company and brand.