As a recruiter, it is your priority to find the perfect candidates for job openings. What you may not have considered, however, is that it’s necessary to make the job search experience a positive one for candidates. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on top talent.

It is clear that recruiters are not following through with this mission. According to a study from Recruitment Buzz, less than 40 percent of job candidates said they had a positive experience. This percentage is way too low, and is problematic for candidates and recruiters alike.

According to the study, 73 percent of candidates would tell their inner circle about a positive experience and 62 percent would share a negative experience. Additionally, 28 percent of candidates would share a positive experience on social media and 17 percent would do so for a negative experience. This means how your candidates feel about their experience affects current and future talent pools. A positive experience will open more doors for exceptional candidates.

3 Ways to Improve the Candidate Experience for Millennials

You need to do everything in your power to give candidates a positive job search experience. Given that Millennials are going to make up 75 percent of the global workforce by 2025, their needs are a good place to start. Here are three ways to improve the candidate experience for Millennials:

Avoid the resume black hole.

Candidates are frustrated by the “black hole” appearance of the job search process. It can be extremely disheartening to apply for a job and receive no updates or communication explaining your position in the process. In fact, 30 percent have received a “do not reply” automated response and 31 percent have received no response at all, according to the Recruitment Buzz study.

Candidates need to feel their resumes are being read by an actual human being. In large companies, sometimes automated responses are the best option, but whenever possible, email candidates directly. Let them no know when they are no longer being considered for the position. Provide updates when they move to the next round of the process. Job seekers need this kind of feedback to stay motivated.

Make referrals a priority.

Nearly half of the candidates in the Recruitment Buzz study claimed some relationship with the company they applied to. About 20 percent were existing customers of the company and 12 percent had family and friends who worked there. Employee referrals account for 40 percent of job search success, so it’s important to make your referral process simple.

A great way to improve your referral process is to keep your referrers and candidates in the loop. One company cited in the study informs every referral of their status within 48 hours of being submitted. These are simple changes to make to your process that improve the experience for candidates.

Get social.

If you’re not using social media in your recruiting process, you’re missing out on the majority of your young talent pool. Ninety-six percent of Millennials discuss their job search with others both in-person and online, and more than 30 million students and recent graduates use LinkedIn to find and share jobs. Social media makes your hiring process much more transparent to job seekers, which is an attractive quality for Millennials.

Nearly nine in 10 Millennial job seekers are optimistic about their jobs search, but a negative candidate experience from your company will discourage future Millennials from applying. Make an effort to cater to your candidates and you will succeed in finding the best fitting talent in your industry.

What are some other ways recruiters can improve the candidate experience for Millennials?