Candidate net promoter score
What is candidate NPS?
Candidate Net Promoter Score, also known as cNPS, is a key metric adapted from the Net Promoter Score developed by Fred Reichheld, Bain & Company, and Satmetrix. While NPS is typically used to measure customer loyalty, cNPS helps organizations gauge how likely their candidates are to recommend them to family, friends, and acquaintances as a place worth applying for interviews.
Why does candidate NPS matter?
Here's why every organization should track candidate NPS:
Provides insights on your employer brand:
A higher cNPS means that your candidates perceive your hiring process in a positive way, whereas a lower score indicates that your hiring process requires improvement.
Identifies areas for improvement:
Analyzing candidate feedback can provide solid insights friction points in your hiring process.
Improves candidate experience:
Tracking cNPS regularly will motivate you to prioritize hassle-free application processes, clear communication, regular updates, etc.
Attracts high-potential candidates:
As you keep improving your hiring practices, more candidates will feel valued, start recommending your organization, and be willing to join your workforce.
Improves new hire retention:
A positive candidate experience keeps candidates engaged and satisfied, improving their loyalty.
How is candidate NPS calculated?
As a first step, organizations send out a survey to candidates asking how likely they are to recommend them as an employer to family and friends on a scale of 0–10, with 10 being extremely likely and 0 being not likely at all. Sometimes, the reason for the rating is also collected along with the survey. Candidates who give a score of 9 or 10 are called as promoters; those who give a 7 or 8 are called neutrals; and candidates who rate between 0 and 6 are called detractors, meaning they're unlikely to recommend your organization for an interview.
Candidate NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of promoters from the percentage of detractors (cNPS = % of promoters – % of detractors). For instance, consider that 50 of your candidates have responded. Out of this, 40 (80%) are promoters, 10 (20%) are detractors. The cNPS of your organization will be +60%.
How can candidate NPS be improved?
Here's how you can improve your candidate NPS score:
- Make sure that your application forms are intuitive, brief, and user-friendly.
- Be sure to keep candidates informed about what to expect from your interview process during the initial screening calls.
- Only include necessary interview rounds. It’s best to avoid repeated conversations during the process.
- Create a respectful and welcoming environment when candidates come in for an interview.
- Send emails after every stage to offer feedback and keep them informed on what’s coming next.
- Make sure that your entire hiring process is consistent with the values, mission, and vision of your organization.
- Create a smooth onboarding experience for your new hires so that they feel included from day one.
- Stay in touch with your candidates at least for a month post-onboarding to help them feel supported.