Reversing the Interview Process to Improve the Candidate Experience

4.25.19 | When a job position opens, employers typically follow a predictable path – post the job, screen applicants, and conduct interviews. However, one employer has completely reversed this process. The result? An improved candidate experience that yields big wins for candidates and the talent acquisition team.

Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., offers an “Introduce Yourself” program for would-be employees. It enables candidates to introduce themselves via a short video recording during which they answer two questions:

1) Tell us about your background and experience;

2) What would you like to do for Children’s Mercy?

What’s more, the questions are asked by children who are served by the hospital. It’s a unique approach that cleverly exemplifies the employer’s mission.

Recruiters review the videos and recommend job options for the candidates.

Win for the Candidates

• Empowers candidates to “talk to someone” and tell their story

• Candidates apply for the job they want even if it’s not available

• The interview process is engaging and personal; candidates say they “love it!”

• Candidates are evaluated individually and matched with the best-fitting opportunities

Win for the Employer

• It spotlights candidates who would have been overlooked in a traditional hiring process as long-time applicants were applying for the wrong types of jobs

• The approach allows hiring managers to interview candidates for “always on” positions that are filled if the right candidate is available, even if there are no openings

• The process significantly increased the employer’s diversity rate

Ultimately, it meets the employer’s goal: To find the best talent for the organization.

Once the ideal applicant is hired, the hospital’s candidate experience ends just as it began – with a fun, engaging video that demonstrates the employer’s mission and makes the participant feel special. Check out the congratulatory video.

Children’s Mercy Hospital is a winner of the 2018 North American CandE Awards, which was created by the Talent Board, a non-profit organization focused on the elevation and promotion of a quality candidate experience. This blog was written based on excerpts from the case study published in the Talent Board’s 2018 North American Candidate Experience Benchmark Research Report.

Orion Mobility is a proud sponsor of the Talent Board.