6 Ways Your Hiring Team’s Personal Brand Impacts Candidate Experience

When I work with hiring teams, I constantly advocate for the influence a strong personal brand can have on attracting exceptional candidates and providing a great candidate experience. Recently, I shared a post on LinkedIn that showcases the positive impact of personal branding on the candidate experience, particularly for recruiters and hiring managers.

Following my usual style, I started the post with a strong hook: “Ghosting candidates is a choice. A terrible choice, but it’s a choice.” This statement resonated deeply with many, shedding light on the all-too-common issue of candidates being left in the dark after applying for a job. Indeed, as a recruiter or hiring manager, you might have faced numerous challenges, including the overwhelming number of applicants and the pressure to respond to each one. However, the post emphasizes that ghosting is not the answer, and I firmly stand by this belief.

Expertise and Credibility: Building Trust with Candidates

In the post, I shared a recent experience where I messaged over 800 applicants that had applied to one of the roles I was working on to let them know the role was no longer available. I wanted to debunk the notion that responding to candidates requires hours of manual work. Instead, I shared about how I had leveraged tools and worked on creating a very intentional and well-thought-out process that allowed me to personalize and send individual messages efficiently. Every candidate deserves to be treated with respect, and a thoughtful response, even if it’s a rejection, is part of creating a positive candidate experience.

At the time, I was working for Leaf Group, a company that, before its dissolution, believed in the importance of treating candidates respectfully and providing a positive Candidate Experience to anyone who interacted with our Employer Brand. This is something that aligns perfectly with my Personal Brand, and it’s one of the reasons why I chose to work at Leaf Group.

Fostering a Candidate-Centric Culture Through Personal Branding

I wholeheartedly believe that the candidate experience is not just about sending emails or making calls; it’s about empathy, transparency, and treating candidates as valuable individuals. Building a strong personal brand as a recruiter or hiring manager plays a pivotal role in shaping this experience positively. Here’s how:

1. Authenticity and Trust

When you build a personal brand focused on honesty, integrity, and empathy, candidates feel more at ease engaging with you. They trust you will treat them respectfully and communicate openly, even if it’s not the news they hoped for.

I have countless examples of past candidates that have expressed how impressed they were with the quality of our candidate experience, even if they were rejected. Here’s an example of a candidate that posted about this publicly. (Click on the image below to read the full post where Carrie shared the email we sent.)

2. Consistency

A well-established personal brand means you consistently uphold the values and standards you promote. Candidates can expect a consistent and compassionate experience throughout the hiring process.

3. Expertise

Developing a personal brand that showcases your expertise as a recruitment professional elevates your credibility. Candidates will be more receptive to your feedback and guidance, even in moments of disappointment.

4. Positive Reputation

As a hiring professional with a strong personal brand, your reputation will precede you. Candidates will actively seek out opportunities to work with you, knowing they’ll receive fair treatment and genuine consideration.

5. Promoting Candidate-Centric Culture

Emphasizing the value of the candidate experience in my personal brand fosters a candidate-centric culture within the hiring team and the organization as a whole.

6. Empathy in Action

My personal brand revolves around empathy, acknowledging the emotions candidates invest in their job search. I strive to understand their perspective and deliver compassionate interactions.

Your Personal Brand: A Beacon for Remarkable Candidate Experience

As a Personal Branding strategist, I urge hiring teams to recognize the value of a strong personal brand. Embrace it not only for attracting top talent but also for making a lasting and positive impact on every candidate who interacts with your organization. Your company Culture is what you do, not what you say you do. Remember, ghosting candidates may be a choice, but choosing to create a remarkable candidate experience is the mark of a true recruitment professional. Let your personal brand be the beacon that guides your hiring efforts towards excellence.

Conclusion

In summary, personal branding plays a pivotal role in enhancing candidate experience. By embracing the principles of authenticity, trust, consistency, expertise, and empathy, recruiters and hiring managers can create a positive and memorable candidate journey.

If you want me to teach your team how to build an authentic personal brand, aligned with your goals, showcases your culture, and enhances candidate experience, click here to schedule a call with me.