Done well, background checks should be quick, secure, and seamless for candidates. Done poorly, these checks can cause delays, extra work, frustration, and concern about data privacy.
Just as it is important to hiring organizations to have a seamless experience when performing background checks, it is equally important that candidates have a positive experience, too.
Why is Candidate Experience Important in Background Checks?
The candidate experience encompasses each step of the hiring process, from submitting their application to assessment, interviewing, onboarding and orientation. When a job applicant has an overall positive experience, they are likely to think highly of your company, and if hired, will feel confident about their decision to join your team.
On the other hand, if the candidate has a negative experience, the opposite will likely occur. A PwC study found that 49% of job seekers have turned down an offer because of a bad experience during the hiring process. And if a candidate has other job prospects, it is more likely they will turn down your offer for another company with which they’ve had a more positive candidate experience.
On top of that, applicants with a less-than-enjoyable experience will be inclined to share it on platforms such as GlassDoor, which can potentially hurt your company’s hiring reputation.
So, to avoid all these downsides, steps should be made to make the candidate experience as seamless as possible, and that includes the background check process.
How to Improve Candidate Experience During Background Checks
Regardless of the type of background screening you perform, these considerations can help you improve the candidate experience during the process.
User-Friendly Platform
A platform that prioritizes the user experience will be mobile-first, easy to navigate, intuitive, and a support team should be available in case the candidate has any difficulties.
Easy Onboarding
Every background check platform requires applicants to sign in (often requiring the candidate to create a new account and password), input past job information, and sign various documents. To make this process easier, small additions, such as allowing Google or social media sign-in, e-signatures, and syncing information from LinkedIn, will make a difference.
Timely Process
The background check usually comes just before an applicant receives a job offer, meaning it’s the final step before they are officially employed and can begin work. The longer this process takes, the longer until the candidate can reach this milestone.
A streamlined screening application or platform should allow candidates to quickly and easily submit the right information needed to perform the background check. After, it should provide an estimated time frame within which applicants can expect a follow-up or confirmation.
Communication
A great candidate experience prioritizes communication to maintain candidates’ trust and cooperation. This means keeping them informed of the status of their application, next steps, and explaining why it is necessary to collect their data.
Data Privacy
To ensure the safety of candidates and their data used for background checking, make clear that you value their privacy and have an easy-to-access policy in place to assure them that their information is safe and will only be used for screening purposes. A three-tiered data privacy approach will involve processes, people, and technology.
At the end of the day, your candidates should feel satisfied and have the utmost confidence in your background screening processes. See how our background check process ensures a positive candidate experience here.
