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Almost any job ad on any job site includes a mention about required previous experience: "The ideal candidate will have 5 years of experience in a similar role", "We are looking for someone with 3-5 years related experience", "At least 7 years of experience performing similar tasks is required", and so on.
We have all heard this question in a job interview, either when interviewing for a job as the candidate or we have asked it as the interviewer. Indeed, "what's your biggest weakness?" or sometimes, "what are THREE of your biggest weaknesses?" is still one of the most commonly asked questions in job interviews. It is so common that many recruiters and hiring managers just keep asking it in the interviews without ever stopping to think of its purpose.
If you have ever been job hunting, you know how frustrating the application process can be. You spend hours looking for positions and writing customized applications to impress the recruiters and hiring managers. You dedicate all that time and get your hopes up only to receive an automated "thank you, but no thank you" email or, in many cases, no response at all. You feel disappointed because you were so sure that you were the right person for that job.
Anyone who has ever posted a job advertisement knows that the majority of the received applications are not going to fit the role. Some are too junior, some way too senior, some don't mention the basic skills required for the job, and some don't meet any standards of a well-written job application. Also, if you have ever done this, you know how extremely time-consuming it is to screen 200+ applications.
Candidate experience refers to the feelings and perceptions that you create to your candidates during the hiring process. Creating happy candidate experiences is important because it not only sets the basis for happy employee experiences but it also helps you engage the right talent during the hiring process. Top talent will usually have more than one option to choose from, and it’s not always about the best economical offer. If you have created a better candidate experience than your competitors, candidates will be more likely to choose you. Happy candidate experiences also create positive word-of-mouth. During the hiring process, you interact with several candidates and they will talk about their experience to others, thus contributing to your reputation and employer brand.
I am a big believer in the famous Confucius quote: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” And I dare to say that most people wish they loved their jobs so much that work wouldn’t actually feel like, well, work. Instead, work would be something that they enjoy, something that they look forward to, and something that they feel passionate about. Something, that makes them feel happy.