This is Part 2 of our two-part guide on how to improve the candidate experience during the hiring process. In Part 1, we discussed what makes a good candidate experience and provided four strategies to improve the candidate experience during the hiring process. In this article, Part 2, we explore how Verifile’s frictionless screening process can help you maintain a positive candidate experience to the very end.
As a recruiter, you’ve likely invested significant time and effort into securing a great candidate and providing them with a pleasant hiring experience. Don’t let background screenings, often the final stage of the process, damage the positive impression you’ve worked hard to create.
For many candidates, the background check process can be a tiresome, lengthy, and sometimes isolating experience. Making this process more positive, efficient, and supportive can help you deliver a great hiring experience right until the very end.
In this article, we discuss how Verifile’s frictionless background screening process can enhance your candidate experience with helpful support, efficient use of technology, customised communication, and a focus on privacy.
Nurture your candidates with outstanding support every step of the way
When Verifile partners with employers, we like to think of ourselves as an extension of their HR team. We recognise that the screening process can be stressful for some candidates, and we are supportive throughout the entire process.
In the early stages, our team can help candidates positively understand why screenings are necessary and dispel concerns to put them at ease with the process. If something comes up in a background check, we handle all communications with utmost respect and sensitivity.
We are just as dedicated to providing a positive candidate experience as you are. The following are some examples of how our team supports candidates from beginning to end:
1. Clear Communication
Many candidates approach the background check process with hesitation and worry. It can feel uncomfortable to feel like you’re being questioned and checked, and for some people, the process may involve dealing with sensitive information. This is why we invest in human interaction to support all choice channels, ensuring candidates can communicate through their preferred method, whether it be email, live chat, or speaking directly with our team.
We have a dedicated Candidate Relationship Team with patient, thoughtful, and highly experienced team members who are there to guide candidates every step of the way. The goal of this team is to make people feel heard, respected, and supported throughout the entire screening process.
If a candidate has special circumstances, we know it’s important to speak to a human being to seek reassurance or resolutions. Our team members are always there to provide guidance and make the process smooth and comfortable for candidates.
Clear communication is essential for a positive candidate experience. At Verifile, we are experts in background screening, and we ensure the process is simple and straightforward to avoid overwhelming candidates. Our team provides timely updates at every stage, from application receipt to completion.
By combining human interaction with clear and consistent communication, we strive to create a seamless and supportive background screening process. This approach not only helps alleviate candidate concerns but also enhances their overall experience, ensuring they feel valued and respected throughout the hiring journey.
2. Gentle follow-ups and assistance
If a candidate doesn’t complete the online screening form within the first 48 hours, we offer an enhanced service to follow-up and provide assistance. One of our professional Candidate Relationship Team members will make a courtesy call to provide any assistance and assurance required to help candidates access our system, complete their form, and provide us with all the information we require to initiate the checks you’ve ordered.
This proactive approach not only helps increase the speed and efficiency of background checks but also supports candidates who may be too shy to reach out for help. Additionally, we offer live chat support within the form, allowing candidates to get assistance without navigating away from the page.
3. Minimal back and forth
When we first receive your candidate’s details, we carefully review the information and cross-reference it with your background screening policy to ensure we have everything we need at the outset. If we identify any possible discrepancies, insufficiencies, or apparent errors, we list these down and consolidate them into one conversation.
Once we have completed our review, we then call and/or email the candidate to request the information required. This process ensures that candidates aren’t being contacted by multiple team members for different pieces of information or documentation. Or worse, being contacted by different teams seeking the same information from candidates for multiple checks. By cc’ing clients in the last chase, we ensure they are aware of what is going on.
As a result, the candidate’s user experience is more positive, and they feel that their time is being respected. Candidates can interact with us through various channels that suit their preferences, including phone, email, and live chat. We also provide a comprehensive knowledge base for help and support, and live status updates are available within the candidate portal.
Streamline the process with efficient technology
Efficient screening benefits both candidates and employers by reducing back and forth and speeding up the process. We invest in technology to reduce a lot of friction and points of frustration for candidates by automating many manual processes, enhancing user experience, and making it quick and easy to submit information.
Verifile uses its own in-house screening software which is frequently updated to improve processes and address inefficiencies. Candidates can access their information through a candidate portal which includes clear guidance, a video walkthrough, and autosave features so candidates don’t have to re-enter information they’ve already submitted.
To enhance accessibility, our platform is equipped with tools that ensure it is usable by everyone, including those with disabilities. This commitment to accessibility ensures that all candidates can navigate and complete their background screening process with ease.
Our efficient use of technology is also useful to hiring organisations. Recruiters can integrate their Applicant Tracking System (ATS) into our system to allow information and service requests to pass seamlessly between the two. This speeds up processing times and eliminates errors that can arise through entering data manually.
Case Study: How Verifile helped LSBU save time and money with paperless DBS checks – Verifile's innovative approach reduced LSBU’s screening time by 30%, significantly improving their hiring efficiency.
By leveraging advanced technology, we not only streamline the screening process but also ensure it is accessible to all candidates, providing a more inclusive and efficient experience.
Personalise communications with your brand identity and tone of voice
It can feel strange and unwelcoming for candidates to be directed to an unfamiliar third party screening provider. To make the process more pleasant, you can customise candidate communications so that your company feels like a part of the screening process.
Our screening process can be tailored to ensure continuity of tone, language, values, and company culture. You can also brand the Verifile portal with your company’s logo, while also making it abundantly clear to candidates that Verifile is undertaking the screening process on your behalf.
This allows your background screening communications to feel natural and seamlessly fit in with your company’s other touchpoints.
Case Study: How Verifile improved Aldi’s background screening process to streamline recruitment
Put candidates at ease with a focus on privacy
Many candidates feel nervous about submitting their information to a third-party provider. Privacy is a priority at Verifile, and we provide multiple assurances to candidates on how we use and protect their personal information.
From the beginning, candidates are made aware that we only process or share their personal information with:
- The company that requested it,
- Any third party we need to contact to collect of validate personal information, and
- Service providers we use to fulfil services and manage our infrastructure (e.g. the DBS, credit referencing agencies, and our Cloud hosting supplier).
Verifile is committed to protecting individual privacy rights and we hold ourselves to the highest legal and ethical standard for compliance. We value the trust our clients, colleagues, and suppliers place in us, and work to maintain that trust by building privacy protection into everything we do.
This not only provides peace of mind for candidates but also reflects well on your company by assuring that privacy is a priority.
Example: Verifile’s Commitment to Data Security and Privacy
Safeguard your candidate experience with a positive screening process
At Verifile, we are just as invested in your candidate experience as you are. There’s a person behind every check and a team member ready to guide you and your candidates through each step of the screening process. Our goal is for candidates to leave the background process feeling supported and for your company to manage the screening process with ease.
To learn more about how we can help you create a custom screening programme that benefits your company and its employees, get in touch with our team at sales@verifile.co.uk or give us a call on +44 (0) 1234 60 80 90.