Remote work is here to stay. That means competition for top talent just took a hard left turn. Now more than ever, hiring leaders are stepping up their game to create the absolute best-in-class remote candidate experience.
Over the past year, economic and social challenges have driven many of us to reconsider how we spend our time, to revisit our values, and to hit the reset button on our lives; which is why some say 2021 will be a year of massive job turnover.
Many high-performing job candidates who wouldn’t have previously considered remote work as an option are welcoming the opportunity to work from anywhere.
And that means if candidate experience mattered before…it really matters now. These candidates understand that the way they’re treated as a remote candidate is the way they’ll be treated as a remote employee. Do they have access to the information they need? Are their time and talents valued? Do they feel connected to the company’s people, its mission?
If you lead a remote team, here’s a quick guide to stepping up your game and creating a best-in-class remote candidate experience.
Make it easy for candidates to show off.
Many of us have become remote office pros over the past year. Creating lighting that flatters, troubleshooting our own technology woes, finding that elusive mute button, we’re doing it all. But that’s not the case for everyone. When interviewing candidates virtually, don’t assume they’re already remote work experts.
Instead, go overboard with clarifying the ins and outs of the virtual interview process. Make it easy for candidates to self-schedule their interview at a time they’ll feel their best. Give tips on background, lighting, and audio settings that will set candidates up for success. Take it from Blinkist, a nonfiction book summary service, who is leading the way in remote candidate experience.
Before interviews, a Blinkist recruiter sends each candidate an overview of what to expect, along with tips for a successful interview, information on the company’s mission and values, and names of the people they’ll be meeting throughout the process. As a result, candidates go into interviews confident, prepared, and ready to make their best impression. Even better, the intention and thought they put into the process enables Blinkist to make a positive lasting impression on all candidates — even those who don’t get the job
Can’t bring a remote candidate to the office? Take the office to them.
According to a LinkedIn survey, candidates are most eager to learn about your company culture by touring company headquarters. So when bringing everyone to the office isn’t an option, get creative and take the office to them.
Start by sharing company social media accounts with candidates so they can get to know you, sending a video of colleagues introducing themselves, or putting together a live employee panel event for post-interview Q&A.
Or, learn from Jet.com and their use of virtual reality to create a “show, don’t tell” experience for candidates. This online retailer’s immersive welcome experience enables candidates to get a full view of the company’s culture, people, and workspace – all through video. From observing a meeting with the CEO, to participating in a company-wide happy hour, this remote candidate experience leaves nothing lacking.
Be upfront about your commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Representation matters before, during, and well after the interview process is over. GoodTime was built to keep tech companies from losing top female tech talent when those women weren’t seeing fellow females on interview panels.
Demonstrate that your team is committed to DE&I. Build diverse interview panels that prove your commitment to different opinions and points of view. Follow Intel, who started diversifying their interview panels and saw the number of new hires that were women or people of color jump from 32% to 45% in just two years.
Above all else…
Whether your candidate experience is in-person or online — one of the best ways to make it stand out is to respect your candidate’s time. GoodTime makes it easy to deliver seamless interview scheduling, helping you attract and impress today’s top-notch talent. Learn more now.
