WU surveys candidates as part of the 2017 Candidate Experience Awards program.
Western Union is in the relentless pursuit of better, from the way money is moved, to the application experiences of WU job seekers around the world. Understanding the perceptions and experiences candidates have helps improve each stage of the job application process.
Recently, the Talent Acquisition (TA) team at WU set out to uncover what makes for a great candidate experience. Is it easy-to-discover company and job information or a simple application process? Or is it straightforward interview questions, relevant to the role, allowing an applicant to thoughtfully present their skills and knowledge?
Enlisting the help of the non-profit organization, Talent Board, Western Union conducted a two-part survey to benchmark the candidate experience in the EMEA and APAC* regions. This multi-phased approach:
- Captured and evaluated our current recruitment practices that impact the candidate experience, and
- Assessed job candidate responses (both hired and not hired** over the last 12 months) regarding various touch points from pre-application to onboarding (if hired).
The work of the Talent Board is to elevate and promote quality candidate experiences, by evaluating and recognizing companies who deliver these outstanding experiences through their Candidate Experience (“CandE”) Awards program. Because of this evaluation, Western Union is pleased to be named a winner of the 2017 EMEA CandE Awards and part of the Candidate Experience Benchmark Class of 2017! 
What’s important to WU about this achievement, is that the process isn’t about just surveying recently hired candidates. Western Union received high ratings from a representative sample of candidates who had applied for a position and, for the most part, were not hired. Amy Bauer, Director of Talent Acquisition, says, “the positive results we received are a testament to the strong collaboration of our recruiting and hiring teams, ensuring WU candidates, regardless of their offer outcome, have detailed company and role information, a best-in-class application tool, and clear, consistent communications throughout the process. Being selected for an EMEA CandE award is icing on the cake for our recruiting teams!”
The WU TA team will evaluate the full employer benchmark data, examining the areas we provide a positive experience for job candidates and identifying ways in which we can improve. Of note are three key indicators of success, according to the CandE benchmark results, including the:
- Overall candidate experience ranking (scale of 1-5, 5 being the greatest)
- “Not Selected” candidate choosing they would refer other job seekers to the company (based on four choices)
- “Not Selected” candidate choosing they would reapply to the company (based on four choices)
We hope these results ultimately translate to positive perceptions for Talent Acquisition and the broader Western Union organization. Just like employees, job candidates can have a powerful voice when speaking about any company, whether hired or not. The TA team takes this to heart, aiming to ensure anyone interacting with candidates exploring opportunities at WU, understands it’s imperative to provide a simple, respectful, and consistent experience.
“Year after year, more companies recognize the importance of the candidate experience, and the role it plays in attracting top candidates and promoting employer brand. The Candidate Experience Benchmark Class of 2017 represents those companies that take this understanding one step further, to elevate the standard and improve the relationship between job seekers and employers. We are thrilled to honor the exemplary efforts of this year’s winners,” said Elaine Orler, Talent Board co-founder.
Read more about the Talent Board and the Candidate Experience Awards Research Reports.
*Our APAC research for 2017 did not receive a high enough job candidate response rate to meet the minimum benchmark requirements. WU did not participate in the 2017 North American Candidate Experience.
**WU had to meet a minimum qualification for responses based on the size of the candidate population plus a minimum percentage of those not hired.
