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The hiring process can be a harrowing experience—both for companies and candidates. That’s why it’s mission-critical for teams to get hiring right the first time. Part of that means selecting the right interview style, whether that be candidate-driven interviews or company-driven interviews.
Interviews are a pivotal part of the hiring journey, so much so that 83% of candidates say a negative interview experience can change their perception of a company. Likewise, 87% of candidates say a positive interview experience can change their perception of a company they once doubted.
In our recent Candidate Experience Survey, we delved deeper into candidate experience best practices. We found that a vast majority of candidates want to lead the interview by showcasing their skills. We also found that 87% of interviewers agree that candidate-driven, strength-based interviews are more effective than traditional employer-based interviews.
But why? Let’s take a look.
Scheduling the Interviews
All too often, the first stumbling block in the interview process is scheduling. A cumbersome scheduling process can lead to weeks of back-and-forth emails, reschedules, and cancellations. In fact, our data shows that HR leaders spend more than one-third of their time scheduling interviews.
Finding a suitable time for two or more busy professionals to sync their calendars is a challenge—but it doesn’t have to be that hard.
By flipping the model on its head and switching to candidate-driven interviews, interview scheduling can be seamless. For example, automated interview scheduling can allow candidates to choose a time that fits into their schedule, without going through a recruiter.
Then, once the candidate chooses their preferred time, they’re automatically sent a calendar invite that includes specific, personal details about their interviewer.
Finally, follow up is made easy when automatic SMS and email reminders are sent in advance, confirming every piece of information the candidate needs.
Interviewing Candidates
So the candidate has self-scheduled their interview. What’s next?
It’s possible to extend this candidate-driven approach to the actual interview. In a traditional, company-driven interview, the interviewers drive the conversation. Ultimately, this confines the conversation only to what the interviewers want to know, failing to give candidates an opportunity to showcase their experience.
But with candidate-driven interviews, everybody wins. While candidates show off their skills and creativity, interviewers receive deeper insights into the candidate’s mindset and motivation.
Feedback From Candidates
Truth: feedback makes everyone better.
In a traditional, company-driven approach, interviewers often provide feedback to candidates. But as part of a candidate-driven approach, candidates get a chance to share feedback on their experience, too. After all, no one can provide better insights into your hiring process than those that experience it firsthand!
This can be invaluable to companies, as it empowers hiring leaders to improve things like weak communication, biased behaviors, or misaligned expectations—benefiting them (and future candidates) for years to come.
The Bottom Line
It’s pretty simple. A key component of a remarkable candidate experience is letting the candidates themselves guide the interview process.
Candidate-driven interviews not only make each step more efficient and productive but also more enjoyable. The end result? Candidates who are better prepared for their big day, and interviewers who are better equipped to determine great job-fit.
It’s time to make a shift toward candidate-centered, connection-driven interviews. But if you really want to take your hiring process to the next level, you need GoodTime Hire.
Hire’s intelligent interview scheduling helps you coordinate interviews faster, hire top talent more efficiently, and boost teamwide productivity. That’s right—no simple scheduling tools here.
Discover how GoodTime Hire’s interview scheduling software can elevate your process.
