Technology for the Candidate Experience

The candidate experience is affected by a number of different aspects in the recruiting process.  From candidate attraction to the apply process to interviewing candidates to on-boarding new employees, the candidate experience spans a diverse group of functions.  For each of these functions, different technologies are used to improve and manage them.  So let’s look at the technologies that help control the candidate experience in the recruitment process.Here are technologies that have some impact on the Candidate Experience and can be used to improve it:
Applicant Tracking System:  Nearly every recruiting organization has one and it has a considerable impact on the candidate experience especially from an apply process standpoint.  With the ATS, you are able to control your full apply process, candidate notification settings, manage the entire interview process and in some cases utilize for your Career Site.  This is the main hub for your recruiters and is one of the first places you should look when trying to improve your candidate experience.
Career Site SEO solution: There are a number of technologies out there that provide much more flexibility and SEO optimization forCareer Sites than what a typical ATS solution provides.  These solutions enable organizations to create better targeted messaging for specific candidate populations.  Whether you use your ATS or a Career Site solution this technology is important in providing relevant information to candidates before and after the apply process.  This is where most of your branding also occurs.
Job Distribution: A global job distribution provider helps you get your jobs from an ATS to the recruiting channels you use (job boards, niche sites, social networks).  In these technologies you are able to control what you deliver in terms of recruitment messaging as well as use the recruitment metrics captured this messaging to see what’s most effective.Survey solutions: These solutions can help you capture information at every step in your recruitment process.  From your Career Site design, initial apply process, interview process and post-hire review. This data can help you determine where your process needs to improve and what candidates really care about in the process.Social Recruiting:  Social technologies like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn (not to mention Pinterest, Instagram and others) provide the opportunity to engage with candidates on a personal level.  If you are able to dedicate resources to these technologies they can have a tremendous impact on identifying potential qualified candidates, dealing with customer (the candidate!) service issues and providing information on the process in general.
Content Delivery Tools: From CMS tools for blogging or video creation services, there are a number of technologies that help your organization create content for your recruiting efforts.
Take a look at the technology you currently have in your recruitment marketing process.  Make sure to determine how can you use it to improve your candidate experience and start implementing the technology to make your recruiting process better.