Creating a Seamless Candidate Experience

In the early days of Gem, our mighty recruiting team of 1 was drowning—30+ open reqs, hundreds of candidates lost in spreadsheets, three hiring managers pitching the same person. Until our Head of People said, "What if we treated talent like customers?" Here's exactly how we rebuilt our talent strategy: BACKGROUND: We were scaling fast. Talent data lived everywhere: personal inboxes, random spreadsheets, forgotten Slack threads. The breaking point: we lost a staff engineer to our competitor. - Candidate had expressed interest 8 months earlier - Their info was buried in an ex contract recruiter's inbox - By the time we found it, they'd already signed elsewhere Then came the embarrassment: Three different people reached out to the same eng leader candidate. Different messages. Two different comp ranges. The candidate forwarded all three emails back: "You might want to get aligned internally first." That's when we realized: most talent pools aren't pools—they're graveyards where good candidates go to be forgotten. THE SHIFT: Initially, I thought better spreadsheets would fix it. Classic founder mistake :) Our Head of People pushed back: "We spend millions on CRM for sales. Why are we tracking our second-most-important pipeline in Google Sheets?" If candidates are future employees, why weren't we treating them like future customers? We had just launched shared projects in Gem, so here’s the system we built: —— 1. Individual Pools (specific roles): One pool per req. A/B test outreach. Track "silver medalists." Share with hiring managers. 2. Team-Wide Pools (evergreen roles): Frontend. Backend. Data Science. ML. One curator per pool. Clear naming: "TP_Frontend_Senior" 3. Engagement Cadence: Monthly: Blog posts, company wins 1-2x Quarterly: In-person happy hours & meetups Annual: "Where are you now?" check-ins 4. CRM Layer: Filter by location, experience, diversity metrics Search all pools simultaneously Track every interaction —— ↳ Now, what did this actually accomplish? - Time-to-fill dropped significantly. - Response rates improved dramatically. - Duplicate outreach vanished. And here’s how you REALLY knew we were on to something: Candidates we engaged with started reaching out to us first. Not for jobs. Just to stay connected. To refer friends. We'd built a community, not a database. Key lessons: Talent pools without engagement are expensive graveyards. Build relationships before you need them. Treat candidates like customers, not inventory. P.S. This system became what Gem is today. If your team's still losing candidates in spreadsheets, let's talk.

📱 My phone’s been blowing up lately—colleagues on both sides of the hiring game are venting about the same thing. Job seekers can’t land roles, and hiring managers can’t find people who actually stay. About half of my network who were job-hunting have found something, but the other half are still stuck in the grind. Meanwhile, companies tell me that even when they do make a hire, retention is a nightmare—new employees are bouncing within six months. The disconnect is real: companies are hiring, candidates are applying, but something is clearly broken. Traditional hiring—bloated job descriptions, ATS black holes, and never-ending interview rounds—is failing everyone. So, what needs to change? 🔄 Here’s what I’ve seen work: ✅ Ditch the ATS Dependence – Get back to human recruiting instead of relying on keyword filters. ✍️ Fix Job Descriptions – Make them clear, real, and relevant—cut the jargon. 🤝 Prioritize Personal Connections – Hiring managers should actively engage instead of passively posting. 🎯 Focus on Skills, Not Just Titles – Look at what candidates can actually do, not just where they’ve been. ⏳ Speed Up the Process – The best talent won’t wait around for a four-week approval cycle. 💬 Improve the Candidate Experience – Give real feedback and make the process transparent. Here’s a real-world fix I put in place: At a previous company, the hiring pipeline was a mess—ATS filters blocked great candidates, and the process dragged on. I introduced a referral-first hiring approach, tapping employees’ networks before posting publicly. We also replaced multiple early-stage screenings with a 30-minute call with the hiring manager. 📉 Time-to-hire dropped 35% 🎯 Quality of hires improved—better fits, fewer regrets 📈 Retention rates increased—candidates knew exactly what they were signing up for 🔑 Bottom line: Hiring is broken, but it doesn’t have to be. The best hires come through real connections, not algorithms. What’s been your biggest hiring (or job search) frustration lately? Drop a comment 👇 #Hiring #Recruiting #JobSearch #TalentStrategy #HR #FutureOfWork

Last year, my talent acquisition team started creating "Job Trailers" for all of our roles – short, engaging videos that give candidates a clear understanding of the position, the team, and what we're looking for. Candidates have responded incredibly positively; they really love them! 💡 Tip: These short, engaging videos provide a snapshot of the role, team, and what we're looking for, making it easier for potential candidates to envision themselves in the role – especially helpful if you're a fully remote organization, offering a virtual window into your company culture! Why Job Trailers? 🔹 Enhanced engagement: Videos are more compelling than text and accessible to share on social media, helping us reach a wider audience. 🔹Inclusivity: Videos cater to diverse learning styles, making the application process more accessible for everyone. 🔹Transparency: Provides a genuine look into the role and company culture, setting clear expectations for candidates. 🎬 Creating the Video: Creating the Video is simpler than you think. Partner with hiring managers or team members to showcase the role's responsibilities, team dynamics, and any unique perks. Remember, authenticity is key! A simple video shot on a phone is all you need! 📣 Sharing Your Masterpiece: Once your video is ready, embed it in the job posting or share it across social media platforms. Job Trailers are a win-win. They create a more transparent, engaging, and inclusive candidate experience while helping you attract top talent. (Picture below is a screenshot of the one I did last fall for the Candidate Experience Specialist!) #CandidateExperience #Recruiting #Hiring #JobTrailers #VideoRecruiting #TalentAcquisition #InclusiveHiring

Hiring team: "We need more applicants"  Also hiring team: “But no one qualified is applying…” The issue isn’t just sourcing. It’s your employer brand. Here’s what candidates don’t like: ✘ Generic careers page that doesn’t tell candidates why they should join. ✘ Ghosting, endless waiting, or vague next steps—82% of job seekers expect a clear hiring timeline. (Glassdoor) ✘ Job descriptions stuffed with corporate jargon instead of real reasons to apply—“dynamic self-starter” doesn’t tell them what success actually looks like. ✘ Bad online reviews—75% of job seekers research a company’s reputation before applying. (Indeed) ✘ Complicated applications—60% of candidates abandon long applications. (CareerBuilder) Here’s what candidates do like: ✔ Employee success stories—real career growth, not just perks. ✔ Clear, realistic job previews—no surprises post-hire. ✔ Smooth, transparent hiring process—first impressions matter. ✔ Actively managed employer reputation—responding to reviews and owning feedback. ✔ Simple applications—top talent won’t waste time. Your employer brand isn’t what you tell people it is. It’s what candidates actually experience. #employerbranding #candidateexperience #hiring

Cheat code for a strong #EmployerBrand: create strong candidate and employee experiences. Let people talk, and constantly iterate. Starting with #CandidateExperience... 1. Job postings: Do sourcers, recruiters, and hiring managers (hey, get team members in there too) all post relevant open reqs? Do they know best practices and have a few templates to leverage? 2. Job adverts: Are there more than 10 bullets? (Please no. The longest I've ever seen was 37, and ended with the crowd favorite "and other duties as assigned.") Is it clear why this company and this role should entice a candidate to leave their current role? Is the text brave enough to repel people who won't thrive at the company? 3. Application experience: What's the average length of time it takes to fill out the application - and is that listed? Are fields auto-filled when resumes are uploaded? Have you looked at the drop-off rates by page to ID improvement opportunities? 4. Recruiter communication: What are FAQs received by candidates - and do recruiters have talking points and candidate-facing materials? Are the email templates stodgy and formal (hey, if that's your brand, own it!), or conversational and engaging? Do you often link to relevant career pages and social accounts for candidates to learn more? 5. Interviews: Do you go back and forth on scheduling, or is there a link for candidates to enter availability? Have the questions been reviewed for neuroinclusion? Do candidates know what to expect in terms of process and timeline? 6. Career Site: Was this last updated recently... at all? (This is subjective, but you know the answer.) Have you done competitive research to see what experience candidates are having with industry competitors and non-industry companies? Is there an EVP or section that speaks to what differentiates the experience at your company (bonus points for department-specific)? Don't know where to start, or have limited bandwidth? Pick one item from above that can make an impact. Determine where you are now >> choose a realistic success marker >> test >> rinse and repeat. What would you add? Drop a line and let's get better together ⬇

A smooth and thoughtful hiring process has far-reaching impact. But every once in a while, you come across a hiring manager who takes it to the next level. Not by doing anything flashy, but by mastering the fundamentals. Recently, I had the pleasure of working with a hiring manager who knocked it out of the park with candidate experience. The client had originally been trying to fill a role on their own. They were looking for someone with in-house experience in pharma or biotech, with experience working with cross-functional teams. From our very first kickoff call, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a typical search. The hiring manager came in prepared and focused. We aligned on the ideal candidate profile, compensation expectations, and interview logistics. We even discussed external factors that might slow things down, like summer vacations or competing priorities, and planned around them. Within just a week, we had strong candidates in play. But what made this process stand out wasn’t speed. It was intentionality. The manager designed a process that made each candidate feel seen and respected. It started with a 45-minute video screen (with a human, no AI here), followed by a series of 1:1 interviews with key stakeholders from both within and outside the department. Each panelist was briefed on the candidate’s background and assigned a different focus area to explore so interviews didn’t feel repetitive, and candidates weren’t asked the same questions by each person. Sadly, this approach is the exception vs. the norm in most interview processes. Hiring managers, take note! Before each round, candidates received a short, personalized briefing: who they were meeting with, what the conversations might focus on, and what to expect next. It sounds simple, but this small step made a big difference. It gave candidates the confidence to show up prepared and the space to have real, productive conversations, not just rehearsed polished talking points. The manager also prioritized closing the loop quickly. Candidates received timely updates and, when possible, constructive feedback. It wasn’t just courteous. It reinforced the company’s brand as a thoughtful and organized employer. Every touchpoint was handled with care. The result? Candidates walked away feeling like they were being recruited, not processed. Multiple people told me it was one of the best interview experiences they’d ever had. And it didn’t require bells and whistles. Just preparation, consistency, and a little bit of empathy. So often we overcomplicate hiring. But this process was a reminder that when you get the basics right—clarity, communication, respect, you don’t just make better hires. You build trust, elevate your brand, and turn candidates into advocates, whether they get the job or not. It’s not rocket science. But it is rare. And it’s something every team can aspire to. #interviewprocess #hiring #feedback

If your talent acquisition process received even half the care you put into customer acquisition, you'd have exceptional candidates lining up to join your team. I've seen countless companies invest heavily in crafting sophisticated customer journeys with polished landing pages, personalized email sequences, and carefully optimized sales funnels aimed at converting every potential customer into a buyer. Yet when examining the same companies' talent acquisition processes, the contrast is startling. It’s like watching an artist carefully create a masterpiece, only to hastily frame it with cheap, rusty materials at the very end. Recently, we partnered with a healthcare organization that struggled significantly with talent attraction. Their career site was outdated, job descriptions read like dry legal documents, and there was no effort to communicate their culture or the meaningful impact of their work. After thoughtfully redesigning their talent attraction strategy, they achieved a 45% increase in qualified candidate applications. Their approach was straightforward: treat prospective employees with the same intentionality, respect, and polish typically reserved for prospective customers. Here’s what worked for them—and can work for you:  • Clearly communicate your company’s most compelling story  • Showcase meaningful projects and the genuine impact your teams have  • Ensure applying is as effortless as ordering takeout Imagine the results if you treated candidates with the same intentionality you show customers—higher-quality applicants, stronger teams, and a reputation as the place top talent wants to be. Look at your current candidate experience and ask yourself honestly: Is this your best pitch?

Candidate Experience is not just about the big moments; the small touchpoints matter too. 💡 Start focusing on these commonly overlooked touchpoints and start attracting more qualified candidates: 1.    Streamline the Application Process Remove unnecessary questions and steps from your application form and make it mobile-friendly. 2.    Personalize the Process Stop using no-reply email addresses, use candidate names & pronouns in all communication, and be mindful of what days of the week you reject candidates. 3.    Set Clear Expectations Share details of the process and timeline, and help your candidates prep for interviews by sharing the interviewer’s profile and the topics that will be discussed before the interview. 4.    Timely Feedback Share feedback with candidates! There are a ton of ways you can do this without getting into legal trouble, so stop hiding behind that tired excuse… Your company’s reputation in the eyes of candidates plays a huge role in attracting qualified talent. #candidateexperience #talentacquisition

Delivering a Positive Candidate Interview Experience In my conversations with job seekers, I have heard valid complaints about the recruitment process that leave a lasting negative impression of the brand. Candidates have withdrawn their candidacy at times based on their experience These insights highlight the crucial need for maintaining a positive candidate experience, grounded in clear, honest, and consistent communication throughout the hiring journey. What is a Positive Candidate Experience: A positive candidate experience includes all interactions from the initial job advertisement to the final stages of onboarding: 1. Set Clear Expectations: Accurately describe the role and work environment to prevent mismatches and ensure candidates know exactly what to expect. 2. Communicate Value Clearly: Effectively convey what your company offers, emphasizing the unique benefits of joining your team. 3. Provide Comprehensive Details: Ensure candidates receive all necessary information about the role and what it entails to join your company. 4. Simplify the Application Process: Create a straightforward application process, that respects candidates' time, and is easily accessible, particularly on mobile devices. 5. Ensure Respectful Interactions: Treat all candidates with respect throughout the process to make them feel valued and respected. 6. Streamline Interviews and Onboarding: Conduct interviews and transitions smoothly, emphasizing both efficiency and transparency. 7. Handle Rejections Tactfully: Approach rejections with care, ensuring that all candidates leave with a positive perception of your company, regardless of the outcome. Focusing on enhancing the candidate experience yields several key benefits: 1. Broader Applicant Reach: An accessible and straightforward application process can significantly increase the number of potential hires. 2. Competitive Edge: Efficient and respectful recruitment processes can secure top talent faster than competitors. 3. Improved Hire Quality: Positive recruitment interactions are likely to attract higher-quality candidates who are a better fit for your company. 4. Enhanced Brand Perception: Positive experiences can transform candidates into brand ambassadors, promoting your company by word of mouth and on social media. Conversely, negative experiences can significantly damage your brand’s reputation. Conducting a Self-Audit of the Interview Touchpoints: Conduct a thorough audit of your interview process to identify areas for improvement. Evaluate each touchpoint to ensure they align with your company's values and respect for candidates. Implement changes based on this audit to enhance your recruitment strategy and strengthen your employer brand. Regular evaluations help ensure that all interactions reflect your company's commitment to excellence, enhancing both immediate hiring success and long-term business growth. Contact me today to begin enhancing your candidate experience.

I had a candidate interview at 10:00 this morning and by 10:38 the hiring manager messaged me on Slack to extend an offer. They applied. They had two conversations. Recruiter screen. Hiring manager interview. No hoops. No take home. No project. They applied, interviewed, and got an offer. I believe in a smooth candidate experience. If you believe someone is a good fit, hire them. There is no need to stall the process, keep asking for more candidates, and put great talent on hold. Dragging out the process does not make the decision stronger. It risks losing the very talent you need. A strong process is clear, respectful, and efficient. Candidates should feel valued, not tested endlessly.