Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Someone recently asked me about a project that I worked on during my career that I was particularly proud of. My answer was a project that I worked on as a consultant. The company was convinced that they had a training problem and brought in a team of consultants to “fix” the problem. 

The situation was interesting because there was this room full of consultants and we all had to learn how to work together. But one thing we were all committed to was doing a proper assessment of the situation. In doing so, we discovered that the problem wasn’t training. It was employee scheduling. This changed the entire scope of work but thankfully, it saved the company a lot of money and their challenge was assessed and solved correctly. 

This story was also a reminder to me that if organizations use good processes, it will result in good outcomes. Please note I didn’t say that you would get the outcome you expected or maybe even wanted. But a proven process, when administered correctly, can point you in the right direction. Neil deGrasse Tyson mentioned the same thing in his MasterClass on Scientific Thinking and Communication “What You Know is Not as Important as How You Think”.

Now is a great time for organizations to look at their processes to make sure that they’re using proven models and that employees know how to use them as well. 

Make Your Organization Unique

Organizations should be very focused on what makes them stand out from their competition. It seems to me that’s the uniqueness factor. If a company says, “We do what everyone else does and we do it exactly the same as everyone else.” well, that’s not really a compelling argument to buy your product or service. Now could be a perfect time to discuss what makes the company unique and then ensure there are systems in place to support it.

HR Departments Need to Prepare for Delivering Value

The business world is constantly changing. But we can evaluate our situation, acknowledge our strengths, address our challenges, and develop a plan. The more prepared we are, the better we can react to the changing needs of the organization. And the better we can be at delivering value.

How To Calculate Return on Investment

Return on investment is an important business calculation. It can help organizations make good decisions and it can help organizations measure the results of decisions they’ve made. But the value in ROI isn’t in just calculating the number. It’s in making sure you calculate the number completely. Using the right information. Because that allows the organization to gain the proper insights.

How to Evaluate Your Employee Value Proposition

Regardless of what your organization is doing right now from a recruiting perspective, the organization’s employment brand is important. Which means the employee value proposition is important. Now could be a perfect time to see how your EVP looks in a quadrant model. Ensure you have a balanced offering of components that will be attractive to candidates in the short-term and to career-focused employees in the long-term. 

Organizations: Please Stop Ranking Candidates and Employees

Ranking candidates and employees is a form of bias called contrast bias. It’s when we’re comparing people to each other versus what we should be comparing them to – which is the company standard. There’s a reason that ranking fell out of favor decades ago. It doesn’t help organizations attract, engage, and retain the best talent. In fact, organizations could just be making talent decisions using the wrong information.

Goal Setting Today Can Be Fun

Now has always been the time of year when I start thinking about my goals for the year ahead. Yes, I start early. It takes time to weigh the options and to figure out the time and resource commitment. When I can add a little fun into the process, that’s great! Especially because I work remotely. In an office environment, the company might have fun signs or something talking about progress toward goals. When you’re not in the office every day, you might need something that helps you encourage yourself.

Problem Solving Can Be a Proactive Exercise

How many times have you been on the receiving end of a situation and said to yourself, “This problem didn’t happen five minutes ago. They’ve known for a while and just got around to telling us.”? Time to employ some proactive problem-solving techniques to better deal with the situation.

Force Field Analysis: What Is It and Why Use It

Decision making is an important skill. When we make bad decisions, they could weigh on us for a long time. Having good decision-making tools can help us ask the right questions so we make the best decisions possible.

While there are some very positive business indicators right now, organizations are going to continue their focus on profits and market share. They will be regularly evaluating their progress toward goals and wanting solutions to their challenges. Not only will the organization need to have good processes in place, but managers will need the same tools to ensure their aspect of the operation is running as effectively and efficiently as possible. Oh, and employees will need the same tools to maintain a high level of performance.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at the SHRM Annual Conference in Orlando, FL

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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

I ran across a statistic recently that – while it’s a bit dated – speaks volumes about the value of employee training programs. According to a study from the Association for Talent Development (ATD), organizations that make investments into learning and development realize 218% higher income per employee and 24% higher profit margins. Those are pretty significant numbers. And even if they dropped a little over time, they’re still significant. Getting 100%+ return on investment (ROI) is noteworthy. 

But this means that organizations need to do more than just implement one or two training programs. Training has to become part of the culture. Let me rephrase that … learning must become part of the culture. 

I know sometimes the phrase “lifelong learning” gets pushback but there is truth in it. I’m reminded of the Peter Senge’s book “The Fifth Discipline” and how organizations can improve performance when they become learning organizations, meaning that they regularly learn from the successes and not-so-successful moments. 

Employee Training Is an Essential Business Activity

Basic employee training – the kind of training that employees need to do their jobs – isn’t a luxury item. If you cut it from the budget, you’ll pay for it somewhere else. If employees don’t feel that the company supports them by providing the training and tools to do the job, they will go somewhere else. Basic employee training isn’t a carrot to dangle in front of someone and say, “I’ll tell you how to do your job if you promise to stay.”

Managers Should Encourage Employee Development

It can be very tempting for organizations to say that “we can’t afford employee development right now” or “if we develop people, they will take jobs with our competition”. Companies that don’t develop their employees will lose those employees because they’re not demonstrating support for an employee’s career. No one is going to stay with a company that says, “We like you. We just don’t want you to be marketable.”  

Teach Employees How to Unlearn

Organizations often tell employees “Effective tomorrow, here’s the new procedure.” and not give anyone a chance to unlearn the old procedure. Not only does unlearning create buy-in for the change but it gives employees a chance to practice, which can improve their overall performance. And isn’t that what organizations want – good employee performance? Because good performance = good bottom-line.

Let Employees Learn by Breaking Things at Work

Speaking of learning new things, organizations and individuals need to find ways to be curious. There’s an old saying that the most dangerous six words in business are “We’ve always done it that way.” It’s true. If we want to continue delivering value, we need to be willing to “break things” occasionally. 

Team Building and Team Development Are Not the Same Thing

There are advantages and disadvantages to working in teams. In my experience, the number one reason from employees that they either love or hate teamwork is the team dynamic. Set employees up for success by giving them the tools and training.

3 Steps for Employees to Identify Their Own Learning Needs

It makes good business sense for organizations to give employees the methodology and tools to manage their own learning during orientation or onboarding. Employees start their jobs with a clear understanding of their role and expectations with goal setting, one-on-one meetings, and performance management. Meanwhile, managers can spend their time coaching employees to use the process well. 

As we move into the new year, there will be a lot of pressure to perform at a high level – both for organizations and for individuals. The best way to accomplish that is through learning. Organizations that make learning a part of their culture and the way they do things, will see positive results.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby at the Association for Talent Development Conference in Orlando, FL

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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

It might sound like we have this conversation every year, but recruiting is going to be tough in 2024. In fact, for some employers, it might already be a significant challenge. I saw an article on LinkedIn saying that 77% of companies said they struggled to fill open jobs in 2023.

The same article mentioned that 53% of employees are likely to leave their current employer in the upcoming year. It reminded me of a new term that’s making the news called “job cuffing”. Like the term “ghosting”, job cuffing originated in dating and relationships. The idea behind cuffing is that you have someone to hang out with during the winter months when there are lots of festive events and parties. Because you don’t want to go to those events solo. Then after the New Year … the relationship will be over.

Now the concept of job cuffing is making its way to the workplace. You hang out with your current employer until the holidays pass and then it’s time to find a new opportunity.

Even if organizations don’t believe they’re subject to job cuffing, they should recognize that turnover happens. People find new jobs, retire, or opt to stay home and care for family. Bottom line, recruiting will continue to be a challenge. 

I wanted to share with you some of the recruiting related articles we published during the year, because I think they reflect things we need to review and consider in our recruiting strategy. The articles are organized by topics to consider before, during, and after the interview. 

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

How to Conduct a Job Analysis – A job analysis is about figuring out how the work is getting done in the organization and determine if it is assigned to the right job title. Organizations can take the information and possibly shift some responsibilities for greater effectiveness and efficiency.

The 4 Key Elements of An Effective Recruiting Strategy – The workforce is changing. HR and talent acquisition professionals need to be prepared for a strategic response.

4 Reasons for Organizations to Consider Second Chance Employment – A growing number of organizations are developing second chance employment programs. Because it’s the right thing to do. And it makes good business sense. When you can do both, it’s a win for all.  

The Pros and Cons of Using Ghost Jobs in Your Recruiting Strategy – Organizations need to examine the rewards and risks to determine whether a ghost job strategy really works for them. The question becomes are they effective? They might have been at one point in time. Then, the question is are they still effective today? And do the rewards outweigh the potential downsides? That I’m not so sure about.

DURING THE INTERVIEW

Cover Letters Need a Purpose to Be Useful  – This article isn’t designed to sell anyone on writing (or not writing) cover letters. if you’re a candidate using cover letters then make them good ones. Don’t just rehash your resume in a letter format. And if you’re a recruiter evaluating a candidate based on their cover letter, have solid criteria for doing so. 

Use CARL as a Behavioral Interview Alternative to the STAR Method – Regardless of what’s happening in the labor market, organizations will need to find and hire the best employees. That requires a solid recruiting strategy and asking good interview questions. You can use STAR and CARL to design interview questions that will allow the candidate to showcase their experiences. 

Make Interview Questions Relevant to the Job – The purpose of today’s article isn’t to say don’t get to know the people you work with. Because work is better when we have positive working relationships with the people around us. But maybe we need to become more cognizant of how we go about building those work relationships. 

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

Non-compete Agreements Should Not Be a Retention Strategy – The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently introduced a proposal to ban non-compete agreements. It’s still in the proposal stage, so there haven’t been any final rulings, but this has huge potential for the workplace. If you’d like to read what’s in the proposal, check out the Fact Sheet on the FTC website. 

E-Verify: What Organizations Need to Know – If the company hasn’t adopted E-Verify as part of a good recruiting strategy, now is the time to have a conversation. Services like E-Verify are designed to protect employers and employees. Employers know that they’re hiring someone who is authorized to work. And employees know that the organization is following the law by hiring individuals who are authorized to work. 

Workplace Inclusion: Organizations Must Choose to Take Action – According to a LinkedIn study, 76% of candidates and employees say that diversity is important when considering job offers and 80% said that they want to work for an organization that values DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion). There are also several studies that show how companies that place an emphasis on DE&I outperform their competition. However, these outcomes are predicated on organizations not simply talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion but also doing something about it.

Organizations: Your Social and Political Views are Part of Your Brand – As we’re starting to talk about the 2024 U.S. election cycle, this could be a good time for the organization to have an intentional conversation about their views. Because the organization’s social and political views are a part of their brand. Even if the company’s view is “We’re not going to comment on social and political matters.”, that becomes part of your brand. Because in today’s business environment, “no comment” is not a neutral statement. 

In my work experience, I found that when the recruiting process wasn’t optimized, it became the target of the organization’s problems. Meaning that when recruiting is broken, hiring managers will use that as the excuse for not getting things done. 

“We don’t have enough employees.” 

“We don’t have enough qualified applicants.”

“HR isn’t getting us candidates in time.”

…and the list goes on. 

We don’t want to be in that position. The organization doesn’t want to be in that position. Now is a great time to review your recruiting strategy and make sure it can deliver. 

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby at the SHRM Annual Conference in Orlando, FL

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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The title of today’s article might seem a bit obvious. But it’s not intended to say that organizations are intentionally trying to get away with something when it comes to employee compensation and benefits. The title of today’s article is a reminder that when it comes to employee pay, there’s a lot of information to keep track of. And it’s changing all the time. 

I wanted to do a roundup of the articles we’ve published this year that reference employee pay, specifically focused on making sure that employees are paid equitably and in compliance with federal, state, and local laws. 

Just a reminder, in Season 2 of the HR Bartender Podcast, I chatted with Brian Reaves, UKG’s executive vice president and chief belonging, diversity, and equity officer about a research report from UKG and Harvard Business Review on pay equity. I hope you’ll check it out when you have a moment. 

There Is More to Equity Than Just Pay Equity

It’s time for organizations to realize that pay equity isn’t the only equity we need to be addressing. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) define health equity as the state in which “every person has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health”.  Some of the reasons that we’re not seeing progress with health equity involve other inequities like to education, employment, food, social relationships, etc.  It’s a complex topic that involves many other factors and deserves our attention.

Employers: Pay Transparency Might Apply to Your Current Employees

I’d like to think that most organizations know about the wave of pay transparency laws that are being enacted around the United States. But I read an article in the Foley & Lardner LLP newsletter that caught my attention. It was about pay transparency laws applying to current employees. It’s important for employees – at every level – to understand how pay works. And a big part of that is knowing what the pay range is for the job. And frankly, employers should want employees to understand their compensation as part of financial wellbeing.

Everything Organizations Should Know About the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)

First created by Congress in 1996, the WOTC is a federal tax credit available to employers who invest in American job seekers who have consistently faced barriers to employment. The targeted groups include qualified veterans, ex-felons, qualified Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit recipients, qualified Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, and qualified long-term unemployed just to name a few. 

I wanted to mention this article about the WOTC today because employers can receive a tax credit of up to $9,600 per qualified new hire, which is equal to 40% of the new hire’s qualified wages, provided the new hire works at least 400 hours during their first year of employment. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit can help talented people get jobs and provide organizations a tax credit for doing it. 

Wage Garnishments: Manage Them Effectively, Efficiently and With Empathy

Organizations are very focused on being effective and efficient. This is a common conversation when it comes to technology and compliance. Let the technology do what it does best, and HR will focus on what it does best. This same philosophy applies to wage garnishments. Find a solution that does garnishments well so HR can spend their time focused on the employee experience. 

Wage garnishments happen more than we might think. In the white paper “The U.S. Wage Garnishment Landscape: Through the Lens of the Employer”, they report that 1 in 14 employees is subject to some form of wage garnishment. The most common type of garnishment is related to child support (50% +) with tax levies being second (19%). The report indicates that the highest number of garnishments are employees between the ages of 35 and 54. This group also has the highest wage garnishment rate. And approximately one in one hundred people have more than one garnishment. 

Fiduciary Responsibilities Under Employee Retirement Plans

Employee benefits, including retirement benefits, are both important and complex. If you’re not aware, organizations and HR departments have what’s called a “fiduciary responsibility” when it comes to employee retirement plans. We often tell employees that their benefits package is a part of total compensation, which is true. But that also means we need to get it right. No one likes having their pay messed with. 

If you’re saying to yourself, “This is great information. We definitely need to stay on top of our obligations and do the right thing for our employees. But where should we start?!” It’s a great question. The answer might be to conduct an internal audit.

It Is Time to Schedule a Minimum Wage Audit – 3 Important Steps

In the United States, the federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour. It’s been that since July 2009. However, there have recently been a TON of changes to the minimum wage on a state and local level. Minimum wage laws are changing regularly. Dare I say frequently.

The last thing any company wants is to be considered “out of touch” because they don’t know what the current minimum wage is for employees. Beyond appearing to be clueless, companies can’t afford to risk the potential wage and hour or Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) lawsuits from their employees. 

As we’re getting ready for the new year, this is a perfect time to do an audit, get reliable information about compensation compliance, and put a plan in place. Organizations do not want to make mistakes when it comes to employee pay and benefits.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Fort Lauderdale, FL

The post Employee Pay Should Be Equitable and In Compliance With the Law appeared first on hr bartender.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

I read an article in HR Brew about how new hires are leaving organizations at higher rates than in previous years. According to a report from Qualtrics, 40% of employees who have been with an organization for less than six months are planning to leave. The report cites the reason being a disconnect in setting new hires up for success (i.e., onboarding). 

There are lots of articles declaring that quiet quitting is over and voluntary quits are down. And that might be true. But it doesn’t change the fact that turnover is expensive. Organizations should remember that there’s a direct relationship between the employee experience and retention. 

If you’re looking for an opportunity to assess your employee experience, here are a few articles that might be useful. 

A 5-Step Audit of the Candidate Experience

Some people might be saying, “I thought we were talking about the employee experience?”. Truth is that the labor market continues to be competitive. Organizations cannot have a terrible candidate experience and expect people to want to work for them. A positive candidate experience is the gateway to a positive employee experience. 

Give Employees a Better Employee Experience

Organizations are very focused on the economy and profits right now. Hopefully, they are equally focused on the people side of the business. Because it takes people to earn profits. Companies that want to thrive will make the connection and deliver the best experience.

Employees Expect an Experience Based on Trust

The employee experience is important. Candidates want to talk about it during the interview. Employees want to learn about it during onboarding. And all along the way, employees want to know that they can trust their employer to do the right thing – be honest. That helps with employee retention. Even when we don’t have all the answers. Or when we have an answer that the employee might not want to hear. 

Work is Not Like Family

I do believe there might have been a time when candidates and employees wanted to work at companies where the employment brand portrayed “family”. I’m not sure that’s the case today. But that doesn’t mean organizations have to change who they are. My guess is if they really looked at their definition of family, the company already has a great message to send. 

Employee Feedback Can Help Employers Save Money

Organizations are always going to have some sort of challenge that they’re dealing with. Start putting a process in place to ask and get employee feedback. That can help with employee retention. Employees have great ideas. Use them.

Organizations Need to Proactively Monitor the Employee Experience

I want to believe we all agree that organizations need to have a pulse on what’s happening in the workplace. The process of doing so is a never-ending task. Because expectations change all the time – company expectations, customer expectations, and employee expectations. 

That’s why using a gap analysis to set a baseline then regularly utilizing the feedback tools allows the organization to proactively monitor the employee experience. 

Organizations spend a lot of time and resources attracting and selecting the best talent. From a business perspective, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to not give those employees a great experience and setting them up for success. And we’re not just talking about new hires. Throughout an employee’s career, they should feel the organization wants them to have a good experience and wants them to be successful.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Orlando, FL

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Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

I’d like to think that most, if not all, of us would answer the question “Is it okay for job seekers to get help with their job search?” with the answer “yes”. 

We encourage job seekers to reach out to their networks when they’re looking for new opportunities. We encourage them to speak with mentors and coaches about how to share their strengths during interviews. And if necessary, we encourage job seekers to talk with career coaches and professional resume writers to get their job seeking tools like social media profiles and resumes in order to help land a job. 

Here’s my question: Should that change when the help or support an applicant is using is an artificial intelligence tool like ChatGPT? 

The reason I’m bringing this up is because I recently overhead a conversation where someone was wondering if someone’s resume and cover letter had been written by ChatGPT. And whether they needed to consider that when evaluating the applicant. It made me pause for a moment. 

We really don’t know who or what writes any candidate’s resume. Yes, we can speculate that a resume, article, etc. was written by a bot. This happens frequently in today’s business world. But I haven’t seen the same conversation when someone’s resume is written by a resume writer or outplacement firm. So, the question becomes, does it matter? Regardless of who or what wrote it, a badly written resume is bad, and a well written resume is good. 

Typically, we don’t ask who prepared a candidate’s resume. I understand there are jobs that require good written communication skills. But I’ve not seen situations where the resume is considered a test of sorts when it comes to confirming those skills. Organizations need to ask themselves if who or what prepares a candidate’s resume matters. And more specifically why does it matter. 

Also, just as a reminder, if you’re using pre-employment tests or assessments, it’s important for those to be valid, reliable, and aligned with the purpose you’re using them for. There could be a time when you have to defend your decisions. It might be valuable to direct any questions to your friendly neighborhood employment attorney. 

HR needs to make sure that hiring managers are a part of this conversation. Human resources and talent acquisition professionals might be completely on board with the “It doesn’t matter who or what writes the resume” conversation. But it’s equally important that hiring managers are as well. They might have questions – legal and nonlegal – that should be answered. The last thing any organization wants is to send conflicting messages to candidates. 

As technology tools like artificial intelligence become more mainstream, people and organizations are going to want to check them out. And that’s fine. Organizations and individuals need to figure out what they will use technology for and the best way to use it. Both organizations and individuals will want to make sure that they are using technology responsibly. (FYI – If you haven’t read it, you might want to check out President Biden’s executive order on safe, secure, and trustworthy artificial intelligence.)

The goal of an interview is to determine if the candidate truly has the skills and abilities represented on their resume. If they do, does it matter who or what wrote that resume? Ultimately, the organization is hiring the person, and they need to have a well thought out talent acquisition process to do that.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Jacksonville, FL

The post Artificial Intelligence: Is It Okay for Job Seekers to Get Help With Their Job Search appeared first on hr bartender.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

(Editor’s Note: Today’s article is brought to you by our friends at Accurate Background, a leading provider of compliant background checks, drug and health screenings, and Form I-9 verifications. They’ve been recognized on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list for the ninth time. Congrats to them. Enjoy the read!)

I’d like to think we all know this but it’s worth repeating: The candidate experience is important. A poor candidate experience could:

• Keep candidates from saying “yes” to a job offer.
• Hurt the organization’s employment brand (if the candidate shares their experience with others). 
• Impact the company financially. There’s a famous case study from Virgin Media that illustrates this point. 

So, to make the company’s candidate experience the best it can be, it only makes sense to audit it. But before we do, let’s have a quick refresher on what the candidate experience is. It’s everything the candidate experiences from first contact with the organization to the final decision to hire / not hire. That means it’s more than just the interview process. It includes the organization’s recruiting technology. The work environment. The frequency and clarity of communications. Even the recruiting partners you use. 

How to Audit Your Company’s Candidate Experience

Since the candidate experience involves more than just the recruiter, hiring manager, and the interview, the entire experience needs to be reviewed. Here are five steps for auditing the candidate experience. 

STEP 1: Document your current candidate experience.

One way to document the experience is to bring together your key stakeholders, give them a pile of sticky notes, and ask them to write all the steps in the process. Then organize them in a logical sequence.  This allows everyone to view the entire process and see what the candidate is experiencing.

This is a great activity, even if you don’t do any of the remaining steps. Because there are lots of people in the organization who do not realize what’s involved in the candidate experience. For example, if the company’s applicant tracking system (ATS) isn’t mobile responsive and candidates aren’t applying because the site isn’t user friendly. 

STEP 2: Reach consensus on what the organization’s candidate experience should be.

When the organization sees their current process documented, it’s possible they might identify duplicate steps that can be consolidated. This might reduce time to fill and decrease the number of times a candidate says “no” because they already accepted another offer. 

The organization might also want to consider changing the order of certain activities. For example, it might make sense to conduct a cognitive aptitude assessment earlier in the hiring process so an interviewer can possibly ask some related follow-up questions.

There could also be people who should be included and are not as well as people who are in the process and maybe don’t need to be – or at least not at the same level. For instance, a vice president who is currently in the early interview stages might be better just meeting the final candidate.  

STEP 3: Conduct a traditional gap analysis.

We’ve talked before about how to conduct a gap analysis before. This is where we compare what the organization wants the process to look like and what’s currently happening. Typically, the results will show several areas where there’s a perfect match between what’s currently taking place and what the organization wants to take place. Don’t discount getting this level of verification. It’s good to know where the efforts align. 

That being said, there will also be some areas where what’s happening and what the company wants aren’t in alignment. This is not a signal that the recruiting process is a disaster. As we’ve seen, the business world changes. Which means employer and employee expectations change. This needs to be factored into the candidate experience. Which is why the audit is a valuable activity. 

STEP 4: Create SMART plans for gaps the organization wants to address. 

To deal with the gaps, it makes sense to have action plans. And regular readers of HR Bartender know I’m a fan of SMART plans. But before you start creating a SMART plan, prioritize the gaps. The organization might not be able to address all the gaps at the same time. It could be because the budget won’t allow or there’s not enough time. It’s also possible that there are gaps that must be addressed first before other gaps can be addressed. Regardless, prioritize the list and then create SMART plans. 

A SMART plan can serve as a roadmap for goal achievement and allows the candidate experience team to stay focused on their goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, actionable, responsible, and time-bound.

• What’s the specific goal we’re trying to accomplish?
• What’s the measurable result that will tell us we’ve achieved the goal?
• What are the list of actionable steps that will help us accomplish the goal?
• Who will be responsible for each step?
• What is the time frame for getting each step done?

STEP 5: Regularly monitor and evaluate progress.

As the organization is working their SMART plans, they will want to monitor their progress. It’s possible the plan could need some tweaking. If the effort is going well, maybe the organization will want to add some of the other goals on the list. And when we talk about the effort going well, we might want to start surveying candidates and new hires about their experience. 

You could mention to candidates during interviews that the company sends anonymous surveys to candidates to ask for feedback. Additionally, the organization can survey new hires about their experience during orientation. Some of the questions you might want to ask could include:

• How long did it take you to complete your application?
• How long did it take for a recruiter to respond to your application? 
• How long did you wait for the interview?

And if you want to keep it really simple, just ask one question: Based on your candidate experience, how likely is it that you would recommend us as an employer to your friends and family? (also known as net promoter score)

The Candidate Experience Allows the Company to Stand Out (in a Good Way!)

Ultimately, the goal of auditing the candidate experience is to make sure that neither the candidate nor the company is surprised by what happened. And that both the candidate and the company can focus on building a positive professional relationship. Even if the candidate doesn’t become an employee, they do have the ability to recommend and refer customers and candidates in the future. 

If you’re looking for some ideas on how to improve your candidate experience, I hope you’ll join me and the Accurate team for a webinar on “Humanizing the Candidate Experience: 5 Activities to Improve the Process”. It’s scheduled for Wednesday, November 15 at 11a Pacific / 2p Eastern. And if you’re already booked that day, sign up so you can listen to the recording. 

The labor market continues to be competitive. Organizations cannot have a terrible candidate experience and expect people to want to work for them. A positive candidate experience is the gateway to a positive employee experience. 

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