It’s still early days in our 2025 CandE Benchmark data collection stage, but one thing is clear this year: those candidates who said they had only one interview with one individual recruiter and/or hiring manager gave the lowest Net Promoter Score (NPS) fairness ratings compared to all the other screening and interview events we track in our research (on the NPS scale of +100 to -100).
We updated those interview activities this year (see table below) to better reflect the experiences candidates have across job types. We also know measuring “fairness” is a highly subjective ratings measurement – more subjective than any of the ratings we capture year after year.
For most candidates across job types who are dispositioned (rejected) after the interview stage, perception of fairness skews more negative (which is true throughout the candidate journey). However, because the candidates are “in play” in the recruiting process being screened and interviewed, there’s been more engagement for them with the prospective employers they’re interested in. And so, their fairness NPS ratings are still mostly positive.
While those candidates who said they had only one interview with one individual recruiter and/or hiring manager gave the lowest Net Promoter Score (NPS) fairness ratings, those who had a series of individual interviews with company representatives (recruiter, hiring manager, and/or team members) gave much higher Net Promoter Score (NPS) fairness ratings. On average 40% higher, with the biggest difference coming from management/senior leadership candidates.
But what made the biggest differences here were those who had a series of individual interviews with multiple people received more job offers than those who had one interview with one person. The biggest difference again was for management/senior leadership candidates.
- 57% of hourly candidates were made a job offer after series of individual interviews
- 48% of hourly candidates were made a job offer after one interview with one individual
- 54% of professional candidates were made a job offer after series of individual interviews
- 39% of professional candidates were made a job offer after one interview with one individual
- 51% of management/senior leadership candidates were made a job offer after series of individual interviews
- 25% of management/senior leadership candidates were made a job offer after one interview with one individual
Hourly candidates had the least difference, because for many hourly jobs one person (store manager, etc.) can make the hiring decisions more often than professional to management positions.
The other highest rated fairness activities included the following:
The overall interview process, including stages (phone screen, technical assessment, panel interview, etc.), agenda, timelines, and decision making criteria were provided prior to the interview. Year after year, expectation setting always drives higher positive candidate sentiment and fairness ratings.
Candidates were told what success looked like for the interview, including skills, experiences, or qualities the employer was seeking. Related to expectation setting, letting candidates know beyond the job description what the employers are looking for can help the candidates better frame themselves during the interviews.
I was provided job fit and candidacy status feedback within 1-2 weeks. Always a big differentiator in the candidate journey, but happening with much less frequency on average, giving timely feedback to those interviewed, especially finalists, increases their willingness to refer by 30%+, even when they’re dispositioned at this stage.
Only 5%-10% of the candidates across job types said they experienced none of these interview activities, but that still led to negative NPS fairness ratings (and more negative ratings across the candidate journey).
Second to preboarding/onboarding activities for those hired, these screening and interviewing activities usually entail much more human interaction and investment from candidates, recruiting, and hiring managers. They can provide the biggest competitive advantage for employers when it comes to ensuring rejected candidates will continue to engage their business and their brand. This includes applying again, referring others, being a brand advocate, and for consumer-based employers, purchasing decisions. That’s why all can be fairer when screening and interviewing.
NPS Fairness Ratings of Screening and Interview Activities
| Hourly | Professional | Management | |
| Interviewer names and background information were provided prior to the interview event | 81 | 75 | 64 |
| An in-person or virtual company tour was provided during the interview event | 70 | 81 | 72 |
| Video information, tools, and instructions were provided prior to the in-person and/or virtual interviews | 87 | 75 | 64 |
| I was provided job fit and candidacy status feedback within 1-2 weeks | 88 | 90 | 75 |
| Interview travel was fully coordinated (if in-person) | NA | NA | NA |
| I had a series of individual interviews with company representatives (recruiter, hiring manager, and/or team members) | 73 | 80 | 66 |
| I had one interview with one individual recruiter and/or hiring manager | 58 | 63 | 30 |
| An overview of the company, its culture, values, and recent achievements were provided prior to the interview | 80 | 84 | 77 |
| The overall interview process, including stages (phone screen, technical assessment, panel interview, etc.), agenda, timelines, and decision making criteria was provided to me prior to the interview | 89 | 97 | 85 |
| I was told what success looks like for the interview, including skills, experiences, or qualities the employer was seeking | 87 | 88 | 78 |
| I was encouraged to rehearse responses to potential questions or scenarios prior to the interview | 79 | 82 | 54 |
| None of the above | -42 | -9 | -12 |
