Bring joy to the applicant experience with Namely’s ATS
Join us in a thought exercise: put yourself in the shoes of job applicants across America:
You pour your heart into your resume, tailoring it to what seems like your dream job.
You hit submit, excitement bubbling, only to be met with… nothing. Radio silence. Not even a courtesy email saying “we received your application.”
Industry data shows that the average job seeker submits 27 applications before landing a single job interview. Maybe this application is lucky #27 and you land your first job interview — but it feels like a mess. You’re met with disorganized, unprepared interviewers who look at other screens and call you by another applicant’s name. As a prospective employee, you leave feeling unvalued and walk away questioning if you want to engage with the company again.
And then there’s the drawn-out, convoluted process. Interview after interview, assessment after assessment, only to receive a generic rejection email. Or worse, you get ghosted completely. No closure, no feedback; you’re left wondering what went wrong. Back to the application pool – where you hope it takes less than the average 162 job applications to land your next role.
This is the harsh reality of a bad candidate experience. It’s demoralizing, frustrating, and all too common. Job hunting is difficult for candidates in the current market. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) like Namely’s can get ahead of headaches and help everyone involved feel seen, heard, cared for, and confident!
In this blog, we’re unpacking:
- The consequences of negative candidate experiences
- The power of positive candidate experiences
- How applicant tracking can improve hiring for both you and your candidates
The Consequences of Negative Candidate Experiences
The exhaustion from poor candidate experience extends beyond the candidate’s life. In today’s world, disgruntled applicants take to social media as vocal detractors – spreading word about their negative experiences with brands and warning others to avoid engaging with certain companies.
TikTok user @natalyahaddix went viral for her recollection of how disrespected she felt during an intensive in-person group application process for Brand IQ in Miami, Florida. She noted a lack of communication and confusion around dates and times of interviews, among other issues. Her comments were filled with TikTok users explaining they’d experienced similar struggles – from getting acceptance letters that weren’t theirs to outright ghosting after months of interviewing.
Haddix’s experience isn’t unique, and discourse around bad hiring experiences isn’t limited to TikTok. Younger generations (and those who have already been in the workforce for decades, like Millennials) are taking companies to task online to do better – and it’s impacting businesses. One scathing Glassdoor review, one critical Yelp post, or one LinkedIn post shared with a broad network can deter top talent from ever applying. Even more detrimental, it can make customers and partners question your company’s values and competency.
A bad candidate experience can tarnish your entire brand.
But what if you get lucky enough to still fill roles despite these bad experiences? Those experiences still color how new employees perceive onboarding and can make them hyper attune to feelings of disillusionment among longer-standing employees. This can lead to company-wide issues in:
- Low morale
- Reduced productivity
- Higher turnover
- Poor consumer reviews
- Cyclical negative experiences.
The Power of Positive Candidate Experiences
On the flip side, a positive candidate experience can be a game-changer for your organization. It reinforces your brand values and showcases your professionalism, positioning you as an employer of choice. When candidates feel respected and valued throughout the hiring process, they come into the workforce positive – and more productive. A study from Aptitude Research found that companies with positive candidate experiences were:
- 3X more likely to boost employee retention and
- 2X more likely to improve employee performance.
Even rejections can have positivity to them. 83% of candidates want to know as quickly as possible when they’re no longer being considered for a role. More importantly, they’d like to know why. Over 70% of applicants said getting clear reasoning why they weren’t selected would leave them with a positive impression of the company. Finalists who get feedback on roles they didn’t get are 30-50% more willing to refer other people to the company than those who didn’t get feedback.
By prioritizing a positive candidate experience, you can not only attract the best candidates but also foster a culture of engagement and loyalty from the very beginning.
What Candidates Expect and How Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) can Meet Those Expectations
Juggling countless resumes, scheduling interviews, keeping everyone in the loop—it’s a lot to handle.
However, candidates expect elements like:
- Mobile apps to help them access important application and onboarding information.
- Status updates from the team regarding their application.
- Easy scheduling for next steps in applications and onboarding.
- Digital offer letters that keep the process paperless and make roles easy to accept.
Let’s be clear: candidates aren’t being needy. Digital-first generations are taking the tools they’ve grown up with and expecting companies to at least understand the basics of those tools.
That’s where an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) comes in. Think of it as your trusty sidekick, automating and simplifying the recruitment process so you can focus on what really matters: connecting with top talent.
With an ATS like the one from Namely, posting jobs, screening resumes, and communicating with candidates becomes a breeze. No more manual tasks eating up your time. No more risking a candidate slipping through the cracks. It’s a smooth, consistent experience for everyone involved.
Plus, an ATS keeps all your candidate info in one central hub. Imagine a world where all your candidate information is at your fingertips, neatly organized and easily accessible. No more juggling multiple spreadsheets or digging through endless email chains. With an ATS, everything from resumes to cover letters to application materials is stored in one central hub. This means you can focus on what really matters: connecting with candidates and finding the perfect fit for your team.
Applicant tracking creates a seamless, engaging experience for your candidates. With customizable workflows and branding, you can tailor the recruitment process to reflect your company’s unique culture and values. From personalized application forms to branded communication templates, an ATS helps you build a consistent, cohesive candidate journey that leaves a lasting impression.
By embracing the power of an ATS, you’re setting yourself up as an employer of choice. In a competitive job market, a standout candidate experience can be the difference between landing top talent and watching them walk away.
The Bottom Line: Great Experiences Pay Off
A bad candidate experience means more than losing out on a great hire. Negative reviews spread like wildfire, making it harder and harder to attract top talent. But when you get it right, that’s when the magic happens.
Imagine a talent pipeline that’s always full of amazing candidates. Employees who are engaged, excited, and ready to give their all. A reputation that has top talent knocking at your door. That’s the power of a great candidate experience.
Offer a Positive Candidate Experience
Find, attract, and win the best talent with a candidate experience that will delight - not cause fright - with Namely’s integrated Applicant Tracking System.
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