Do You Offer an Award-Winning Candidate Experience? These 10 Companies Do

Looking for a surefire way to fend off top talent? Want to make sure great candidates totally stop applying to your company? All you have to do is deliver an awful interview experience. 

According to a 2013 survey from CareerBuilder, 42 percent of job seekers would “never seek employment at [a] company again” if the company’s candidate experience is dissatisfactory. A further 22 percent would dissuade other job seekers from applying to the company.

Most of us, of course, want to do exactly the opposite: we want to attract more great talent. In that case, you’ll want to put some time, money, and effort into building a great candidate experience for all of your applicants. The same CareerBuilder survey mentioned above found that 56 percent of job seekers would “consider seeking employment with [a] company again in the future” if the candidate experience is good, an 37 percent of job seekers would encourage others to apply to the company.

If you’re in need of some advice about how to create and execute a winning candidate experience, look no further than Glassdoor’s first-ever “Candidates’ Choice Awards,”  which recognizes companies that “are getting the candidate experience right [emphasis in original].”

“For employers, this report really helps them because it shows them, by industry, where job candidates report a positive interview experience,” explains Scott Dobroski, career trends analyst at Glassdoor. “Employers can use this to see a company’s interview experience and better understand what job candidates are saying about them, and compare it against their own interview processes, and identify where improvements can be made.”

In general, Glassdoor notes that the winners of the “Candidates’ Choice Awards” share three characteristics, regardless of the industries they’re in:

-They communicate regularly with candidates throughout the process.

-Their  interview processes are thoroughly transparent.

-Their interview processes are efficient and organized.

What Sets the Winners Apart From the Competition?

It may be helpful to dig into the results and look more closely at what makes the winners better than other employers in their industries.

Let’s see what candidates are saying about these companies:

1. Time Warner Cable, Winner in the “Cable, Internet & Telephone Providers” Category

What the candidates say:“You’ll have numerous opportunities to ask questions of them — utilize them. It’s very important. The interview process is a two-way street.”

2. Red Lobster, Winner in the “Casual Restaurants” Category

What the candidates say: “Simple and very straight to the point. Was interviewed by two different managers and both were extremely sweet and made the atmosphere feel less tense.”

3. Starbucks, Winner in the “Fast-Food & Quick-Service Restaurants” Category

What the candidates say: “It was very quick and easy. The manager had my resume in front of her and asked questions about it. She was very friendly; it felt extremely colloquial and comfortable.”

4. eBay, Winner in the “Internet” Category

What the candidates say: “I enjoyed the conversation and [the] straightforwardness of the interview. [The interviewer] gave me a clear picture of what the role consisted of, asked if I needed clarification, presented the interview questions, and allowed me time to ask any other questions. The brief eBay tour was nice.”

5. Insight Global, Winner in the “Staffing & Outsourcing” Category

What the candidates say: “Very quick interview and hiring process. They want to get a feel [for] who you are [and find out] if you can hold a conversation and build rapport with those you interview with … It felt like a reverse interview because I was asking the most questions.”

6. State Farm, Winner in the “Insurance Carriers” Category

What the candidates say: “After the interview they said they would get back to me in a week, but they actually called me two days later.”

7. U.S. Postal Service, Winner in the “Federal Agencies” Category

What the candidates say: “They don’t waste time!”

8. SolarCity, Winner in the “Energy” Category

What the candidates say: “I was actually pleased with the way group interviews are conducted. They will ask the same question to more than one person, [and] you must be prepared to answer the same question in a different way. You definitely have to have done your research on the company before the interview.”

9. Johnson & Johnson, Winner in the “Biotech & Pharmaceuticals” Category

What the candidates say: “Many rounds, but well done. Also was asked to do a presentation of the 30/60/90 day plan. I thought that was great. I met quite a few people, along with HR.”

10. U.S. Bank, Winner in the “Banks & Credit Unions” Category

What the candidates say: “My interview was calm and in a great atmosphere. [I was] welcomed nicely by the HR rep.”

The Takeaway:

Employers can pick up a few tips and tricks to help them improve their own candidate experiences, but what about job seekers. Are these results of any use to them?

Dobroski says yes.

“For job seekers, this report helps them identify companies at a macro level with the best interview experiences, according to … those who have actually gone through the process,” Dobroski says.

Dobroski reminds employers — and candidates — that it’s a job seeker’s market today. Companies that deliver great candidate experiences are going to have a much easier time attracting the best talent, and job seekers should gravitate toward those employers that really invest in creating great candidate experiences.