How to create a great candidate experience in retail industry

Offering a great candidate experience is a must-have across industries — but recruiters in retail have more to lose if they don't get it right.

"You have to remember that your candidates are likely also your customers!" says Rosie Williamson, Manager, Talent Acquisition & People Experience at Herschel Supply Company. "If someone has a poor candidate experience, it can be damaging to the customer relationship and buy-in to your brand — they may stop purchasing from you."

Savvy recruiters know that every interaction in the hiring process can impact both talent acquisition and consumer loyalty. As such, the entire candidate journey really needs to be optimized to deliver a candidate experience that inspires retention, advocacy, and customer loyalty.

What does that look like practice? Below, we've shared six ways to create a positive candidate experience in retail. These best practices include expert insight from Rosie Williamson of Herschel Supply. She and her team spent a lot of the last year refining their hiring process as they staffed multiple new stores in North America.

6 best practices for creating a positive candidate experience

From establishing a clear and relatable digital presence to providing clear and timely feedback, there are a number of things retail recruiters can do to improve their candidate experience.

1. Create a strong digital presence

Retail candidates are savvy job seekers, often scouring LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and social media for opportunities. When they stumble upon your opening, you can bet they'll want to check out your careers page and other resources to get a sense of what it's like to work for your brand.

Your digital presence needs to be consistent, engaging, and informative.

Here’s what this can look like in practice:

• Introduce consistency in your job postings across platforms. Include a compelling blurb on the company and its role in the industry.
• Develop an eye-catching visual brand that's recognizable across channels.
• Build a robust career site featuring FAQs, employee testimonials, and glimpses into your company culture.
• Leverage social media to showcase open positions, feature new hires, and celebrate any HR awards.

A cohesive digital presence will help you meet candidates where they are and build trust in your employer brand. In retail, where customer loyalty is paramount, this trust can translate directly into continued business success.

2. Keep things simple — and optimized for mobile

Did you know that just over 60% of job candidates will quit online job applications mid-way through?

The culprit? Long, cumbersome forms that take forever to fill out. In retail — where potential hires might be browsing opportunities on their lunch break or between classes — simplicity is key.

Here are three things you can do to streamline the application process:

• Cut the clutter: Avoid redundant steps like asking candidates to upload a resume and then also fill out their work history manually on the next page.
• Stick to the essentials: Only ask for must-have information up front. You can get more information later on in the hiring process, as needed.
• Optimize the application for mobile: With 75% of job seekers using their phones in their search, a mobile-optimized application is non-negotiable. Don't risk losing a great candidate because your form doesn't play nice with smartphones.

By making your application process quick and mobile-friendly, you're not just improving the candidate experience — you're demonstrating that you value people's time. That's a quality any retail employee would appreciate in an employer.

3. Communicate clearly, transparently, and proactively

In retail, clear communication can make or break a sale. The same principle applies to recruitment. From the moment a candidate spots your job posting to the final hiring decision, transparent and proactive communication can go a long way towards enhancing the candidate experience.

Start strong with your job description:

• Be crystal clear about role expectations
• Don't shy away from stating the salary range — in fact salary transparency laws are becoming the norm.
• Paint a picture of potential career growth

These are the things that will help a candidate make an informed decision when they apply.

Once applications start rolling in:

• Send an automated confirmation email
• Outline next steps and timelines
• Give candidates a heads-up about any future requirements (like reference checks or skills tests)

During interviews, open the floor for questions and be upfront about start dates and onboarding processes.

By anticipating your candidates' questions and needs, you'll be signaling how your company values communication. It's a sneak peek into your company culture that can set you apart in a competitive retail job market.

4. Standardize the experience, but include personal touches

Balancing consistency with personalization is an art form in retail recruitment. On one hand, you want to ensure that every candidate gets access to the same experience in the hiring process. On the other, you need to make each candidate feel valued and seen.

At Herschel, Rosie and her team have been putting time and effort into making their hiring journey more consistent and fair for everyone. "We have recently revamped and standardized the interview material and scoring system our store teams use," she said. "This means candidates interviewing at any of our stores across Canada or the US will have a similar experience, ensuring a fairer process."

This standardization sets the stage for a more equitable experience, but it's the personal touches that can truly elevate the candidate experience:

• Use the candidate's name in all communications
• Listen to and accommodate their specific needs
• Take the time to answer individual questions thoroughly

Plus, your standardized process should always have room for making accommodations to anyone that has specific access needs during the application, interviews, and more.

These small gestures of personalization can significantly impact a candidate's perception of your brand, potentially influencing their decision to accept an offer — or to remain a loyal customer, regardless of the outcome.

5. Run streamlined hiring events — virtual or in-person

As a retail recruiter, you're often hiring large numbers of people at the same time. Whether you're opening a new store, staffing up a warehouse, or preparing for busy seasonal sales, it's likely you'll be running volume hiring initiatives.

Hosting well-crafted hiring events can ensure that your candidates don't feel like just a number in a sea of applicants, keeping them engaged in the hiring process. Whether held virtually or in-person, these events allow you to assess multiple candidates efficiently while showcasing your company culture.

Here's why hiring events are a game-changer for retail recruitment:

• Efficiency: You can evaluate numerous candidates for customer-facing and warehouse roles in one go.
• Brand showcase: They give you a chance to bring your company culture to life, helping attract top talent in a competitive market.
• Flexibility: You can offer both virtual and in-person options to cater to a wider pool of candidates and their various needs.

Pro tip: Leverage a hiring event platform that allows candidates to self-serve, integrates seamlessly with your ATS, and reduces the workload on your hiring team. This approach will set you up for success, especially during high-volume hiring seasons like the holidays.

6. Provide timely feedback

In retail, customer feedback is gold. The same goes for candidate feedback in your hiring process. Even if a candidate isn't the right fit, providing constructive feedback can leave a lasting positive impression.

Rosie Williamson emphasizes this point: "Treating candidates with respect during the interview process, even if they aren't a fit, is important. Although our store teams are so busy, we encourage them to remember to provide constructive, timely feedback when rejecting where possible."

Here's why feedback matters:

• It shows you value the candidate's time and effort
• It provides actionable insights for their professional development
• It increases the likelihood they'll consider future openings with your company

Today's rejected candidate could be tomorrow's star employee — or loyal customer. By providing thoughtful feedback, you're nurturing a positive relationship with every interaction.

Optimize the candidate experience in retail

By implementing the six strategies outlined above — from crafting a strong digital presence to providing timely feedback — you're not only enhancing your recruitment process but also nurturing customer relationships.

A positive candidate experience can ripple out, influencing brand perception, customer loyalty, and even sales. It's an investment that pays dividends far beyond filling open positions. As you refine your hiring practices, keep in mind that every interaction is an opportunity to showcase your brand's values and culture.

Withe's hiring event platform is designed to help retail recruiters provide a standardized and seamless candidate experience. Learn more about Withe today.