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A 5-star experience: Why employee experience matters

“Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first” – Simon Sinek

Employee experience is recognised as one of the most important trends in human resources. According to the 2017 Global Human Capital Trends report by Deloitte, 80% of executives rate employee experience as important or very important, yet only 22% said they are excellent at differentiating. What is it that makes differentiating so difficult? And how can you excel in providing the best employee experience?

Internal marketing: key to employee experience

Colin Mitchell wrote an article in Harvard Business Review back in 2002, yet it is still relevant today. The article is titled “Selling the Brand Inside”, and it articulates the need to sell a company to the inside market – the employees. As measured by Glassdoor, overall employee engagement rates are the same year after year, indicating that companies are not improving their employee experience. Marketing your company to your employees, however, enables you to create a powerful, emotional connection.

An example of successful internal marketing is Miller Brewing Company; they launched an internal branding campaign that was meant to improve employee morale. This campaign transformed into a celebration of employees’ pride for the tradition of brewing: Brewers were portrayed as company heroes on massive posters, and books and T-shirts were provided to the employees. This campaign then influenced the external marketing as well, displaying the proud heritage of brewing and craftsmanship. The employees at Miller Brewing Company felt motivated to work harder, and their loyalty increased because they felt inspired by a common sense of purpose and identity.

Yelpification

Employees and candidates are able to provide instant feedback on employers through dedicated employment websites and social media. Employees are in a position now to rate their company’s culture in the same way they would review a restaurant on Yelp. Candidates seek out these reviews in an effort to determine which companies to apply for, so HR departments are aiming for positive reviews. Focusing on the employee experience is necessary to get those desired 5-star ratings.

5 star experience

The candidate experience

The candidate experience is the very first step in the employee experience. Treating candidates well sends out a message that employees are also treated well, which will boost your ability to attract talent to your company. Unfortunately, many companies struggle with delivering a high-quality candidate experience; research has shown that many candidates never hear back from a company after sending in an application, or even after going for an interview. A poor candidate experience can have a disastrous effect on attracting talent: Over 60% of applicants is likely to reject a job offer because of a bad candidate experience, and more than 80% of candidates will likely never apply to the company again.  Alternatively, a positive candidate experience will very likely be shared with family, friends, and through social media.

positive experience
Various companies are improving their candidate experience. PwC, for example, now attaches a link to a calendar when they send an invitation for a face-to-face interview. The scheduling time is reduced drastically, as the candidate can select a time when the recruiter is available that best matches their personal schedule. The candidates appreciate the control and flexibility of this process. Johnson & Johnson has also improved its experience by creating the possibility to track an application all the way through the process. Candidates can message recruiters with questions, and review the progress of their application.

Video recruitment

Video recruitment can assist you in improving your candidate and employee experience. By using recorded video questions the candidate will get a first impression of your company and its culture. Furthermore, candidates will feel that they are able to show their personality early on in the application process, making them more engaged in the process. Candidates are able to record their answers at a time that best suits their schedule, giving them control and flexibility. By implementing video recruitment in your hiring process, you will improve the candidate experience and improve your quality of hire.

Happy hiring!


Infographic | Why Video Recruitment Works | Download