Employers have gotten better and better about providing feedback to candidates during the recruiting process, a trend we’ve seen quite clearly over the 11 years Talent Board has researched the candidate experience. However, employers aren’t nearly as progressive when it comes to asking candidates for feedback — a definite misstep in building positive candidate experiences and a strong employer brand reputation.
In 2022, only about one-quarter of the nearly 200,000 candidates we surveyed worldwide said employers asked them to share feedback about their experiences through any stage of the recruiting process. Importantly, the candidates who were asked to provide feedback were 87% more willing to refer others to the company and 88% more willing to increase their relationship with the company (i.e., apply to other jobs, review the company positively online, purchase its products/services, etc.).
Clearly, it’s a key differentiator to ask candidates for feedback, especially in a job market where qualified talent is increasingly hard to find.
When Are Employers Asking for Feedback?
Among the employers we surveyed last year who did solicit feedback from candidates:
40% asked for feedback after candidates were hired. This is the highest percentage at any stage of the recruiting process… but, sadly, it’s down 9% from 2021. Post-hire feedback helps to maximize new hires’ early commitment and satisfaction levels going into their new jobs, and it improves the odds they’ll stay with your organization beyond just a few months or a year.
20% ask for feedback at every stage of the recruiting process. This is exceptional, of course, but a practice that we hope grows in the years ahead. Asking candidates to share insights about their experiences at every stage of your recruiting process is one of the best ways to distinguish your employment brand from the pack. And the more specific you get—asking for rating on your team, your communication, your timeliness, your technology, your workflows and processes, etc.—the more candidates will feel respected and listened to.
19% asked for feedback after interviewing candidates (but before hiring or turning them away). Notably, these candidates were 65% more likely to refer others to the employer because they felt the interview process was fair — a feeling that’s directly improved by asking for their feedback.
6% asked for feedback after candidates submitted an application (but before being interviewed). The point of application typically offers a very limited experience for candidates — one that’s mostly automated with little to no human interaction. Asking for feedback at this stage helps to humanize the experience, even if the feedback mechanism is automated, because candidates feel as though an actual recruiter or member of the company’s TA team is interested in what they have to say and will review their input.
2% asked for feedback during the research stage (i.e., even before candidates applied to a job). Asking for candidate feedback at this early stage of the recruiting process is a rarely used but definitive best practice, and one that should be adopted by far more employers. Candidates today are actively seeking out more respectful employers and workplaces where they feel heard and appreciated. Asking candidates for their feedback from their initial contact with your company shows it may well be exactly what they’re looking for.
Read more about the importance and power of feedback by downloading our complete 2022 benchmark research report here. And be sure to check back here soon for my next blog post, in which I’ll share information about how proper onboarding can help improve early retention.
You can also learn more about and participate in our 2023 benchmark research program here.
Be safe and well.