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Candidate experience affects not only the employer brand but the consumer brand and overall organizational reputation as well.
With more and more organizations recognizing the need to deliver a positive candidate experience, standing out amidst competitors and differentiating the candidate experience is a challenge.
What HR and talent acquisition perceive as a positive candidate experience may differ from the lived experience of candidates.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

Think about your candidates as consumers. Making the effort to truly understand their needs will attract great talent and build positive brand perceptions.

Impact and Result

Design a candidate-centric talent acquisition process that addresses candidate feedback from both unsuccessful and successful candidates and is aligned with your EVP and employer brand.

Redesign the Candidate Experience Research & Tools

1. Determine candidate experience goals

Map the organization’s current state for candidate experience and set high-level objectives and metrics.

2. Assess the candidate experience

3. Redesign the candidate experience

Create action, communications, and training plans to establish the redesigned candidate experience with hiring process stakeholders.

Candidate Experience

An active membership is required to access McLean Academy

This program has been approved for 1 to 1.5 continuing professional development (CPD) hours under Section A of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Log of the Human Resource Professionals Association (HRPA).

McLean & Company is recognized by SHRM and can award Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®.

HR Certification Institute’s® official seal confirms that McLean & Company meets the criteria for pre-approved recertification credit(s) for any of HRCI’s eight credentials, including SPHR® and PHR®.

How to complete this course:

Use these videos, along with the Project Blueprint deck above, to gain an understanding of the subject. Start with the Introduction, then move through each of the Course Modules. At the end of each Module, you will be required to complete a short test to demonstrate your understanding. You will complete this course when you have completed all of the course tests.

Number of Course Modules: 4
Estimated Completion Time: 1.5 hours

Learning Outcome

Assess and create an action plan to redesign the candidate experience.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

Assess the candidate experience at each stage of the candidate lifecycle.
Align the candidate and customer experiences.
Link the organization’s EVP to candidate messaging.
Identify candidate pain points.
Select actions to improve the candidate experience.

Course Modules

Now playing

Introduction

Now playing

Module 1

Now playing

Module 2

Now playing

Module 3

Workshop: Redesign the Candidate Experience

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost onsite delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Set Project Objectives and Analyze Data

The Purpose

Assess the organization’s current state for candidate experience.
Set baseline metrics for comparison with new initiatives.
Establish goals to strengthen the candidate experience.

Key Benefits Achieved

Gained understanding of where the organization is currently.
Established where the organization would like to be and goals to achieve the new state.

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Map current candidate lifecycle

Process map

1.2

Record and analyze quantitative data

Candidate experience data gathered and analyzed

1.3

Record and analyze qualitative data

Candidate experience data gathered and analyzed

1.4

Set organizational objectives and project goals

Candidate Experience Project Charter

1.5

Set metrics to measure progress on high-level goals

Candidate Experience Project Charter

Module 2: Empathize With Candidates and Create a Journey Map

The Purpose

Apply design thinking methods to identify pain points in your candidate lifecycle.
Assess the competition and analyze results.
Empathize with candidates and their journey.

Key Benefits Achieved

Segments with pain points have been identified.
Competitor offering and differentiation has been analyzed.
Candidate thoughts and feelings have been synthesized.

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Identify extreme users

Extreme users identified

2.2

Conduct an immersive empathy session or go through the process as if you were a target candidate

2.3

Identify talent competitors

2.4

Analyze competitive landscape

Known and unknown talent competitor’s candidate experience analyzed

2.5

Synthesize research findings and create empathy map

Empathy map created

2.6

Journey map the candidate experience

Journey map created

Module 3: Identify Improvement Areas and Improve the Candidate Journey

The Purpose

Create a communications and action plan and set metrics to measure success.
Set expectations with hiring managers and talent acquisition specialists through a service level agreement.

Key Benefits Achieved

Action plan created
Metrics set to track progress and assess improvement
Service level agreement completed and expectations collaboratively set

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Assess each stage of the lifecycle

Candidate experience lifecycle stages prioritized

3.2

Set success metrics for priority lifecycle stages

Metrics to measure progress set

3.3

Select actions from Candidate Experience Best Practices Action Guide

Candidate experience best practices selected

3.4

Brainstorm other potential (organization-specific) solutions

Candidate Experience Assessment Tool

3.5

Set action timeline and assign accountabilities

HR Action and Communication Plan Tool

3.6

Customize SLA guidelines

SLA guidelines

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 10 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation #1 - Determine candidate experience goals

Call #1 - Review the organization’s agile talent acquisition strategy
Call #2 - Determine target candidate segments
Call #3 - Review EVP and determine key candidate experience messaging
Call #4 - Set high-level objectives and metrics to measure organizational-level results

Guided Implementation #2 - Assess the candidate experience

Call #1 - Analyze quantitative and qualitative data
Call #2 - Analyze data collected from discovery interviews and empathy map findings and prepare for candidate journey mapping activity
Call #3 - Review results and prioritize lifecycle stage(s) to address
Call #4 - Identify success metrics for priority lifecycle stage(s)

Guided Implementation #3 - Redesign the candidate experience

Call #1 - Review and select recommendations from the Candidate Experience Best Practices Action Guide
Call #2 - Customize McLean & Company’s Candidate Experience Service Level Agreement Template

Contributors

Adam Cooper, HR Director, Aon
Amar Grewal, Global Practice Leader, Talent Acquisition, Hatch
Alexandra Norris, Talent Specialist, HubDoc
Camille Shrouder-Henry, Talent Acquisition & Candidate Experience Manager, Fleet Complete
Dorothy Wolentarski, Strategic Talent Acquisition Projects Leader, Intact Insurance
Elyse Mayer, Director of Marketing, SmashFly Technologies
Lisa Chartier, Global Head of Employer Brand & Marketing, Philips
Maura Dyer, Vice President, Talent Acquisition & Employment Brand, Rogers Communications
Maureen Carroll, Senior Manager, Talent Attraction, Finastra
Peter Cappelli, Professor of Management, University of Pennsylvania & Director of Center for Human Resources, The Wharton School
Sara Cooper, Talent Director, Portfolio Companies, OMERS Ventures
Sarah Mortimer, AVP HR, SuccessFactors Lead, Great-West Life
Sondra Dryer, Global Head of Employer Brand & Experience, Alexander Mann Solutions
Tiffanie Witherspoon, Learning & Development Associate, The George Washington University
Tim Sackett, Chief Storyteller, Fistful of Talent HR Blog & President, HRU Technical Resources
Tracey Wells, Talent Acquisition Manager, HubDoc
William Maurer, Global Talent Sourcing Manager, General Motors