When you’re recruiting job candidates, you engage them in what’s called employer branding. This is your value proposition to employees, rather than customers. A good candidate experience survey helps you identify the things that suck about your recruitment process. When you know what sucks, you can fix them. How else do you expect to attract top tier talent? At Typeform, we make sure people know about Glassdoor so they can read honest feedback from employees and candidates. Great recommendations could turn talented heads your way. You’ll gain trust as an employer and a brand as a result.

Accumulating high satisfaction scores can beef up your company street cred, but don’t neglect the red flags that spring up in your feedback results. For example, if the feedback for the Marketing team says the process is too slow, lead discussions with the team to get to the bottom of it. The highlighted issue may be relevant to all teams, or it might be something HR can influence directly. What about a 100% satisfaction rate? Maybe you need to start surveying unsuccessful candidates. Low response rate? Look at your delivery method and accompanying message Don’t stop at the job offer either—employee onboarding forms the next crucial part of your candidate-turned-newbie experience.

First, decide whether you want to focus on the entire recruitment process, or just one part of it. Before you ask questions, thank them in advance. Let them know why you’re doing a survey. As you improve your recruiting, you’ll bolster employer branding. Yes, it’s a thing. Then make a list of questions that will give you insight into their experience. Ask them for an emotional rating over numbered ratings. Was the process challenging? Fast? Boring? Too long? Another thing to look out for is a disconnect between the job description and the questions asked during the interview. A revealing question to ask is: “Is there something you wish we’d done differently?” Finally, ask if they’d encourage friends to apply. For a few extra tips take a look at our survey questions guide.

First, consider who you send the survey to. If you only send it to candidates you’ve hired, chances are they’ll be pretty happy with the whole experience. On the other hand, those you’ve just rejected may not always respond with gusto (surprise, surprise). Getting those unbiased responses is a tricky sweet spot to hit—but it’s hittable. Rejected candidates, in particular, can be a fantastic source of honest feedback—many are willing to highlight which parts of the process could be improved. Next, consider when to send feedback. A rejection email with a request for feedback might feel like rubbing salt in the wound. Two weeks later may give them time to reflect, and lead to more measured responses. Keep the conversation going. Candidates who weren’t the best fit for one position might be a perfect fit for another.