Question 1: What key recruiting processes and candidate experience improvements have you identified and completed in the past 6-12 months? (Be as specific as possible with examples for each.)
Over the past 6-12 months, we’ve implemented several targeted improvements to enhance our recruiting processes and elevate candidate experience, based on applicant feedback and data insights.
- Strengthened post-application communication: Candidates frequently reported a lack of follow-up after submitting their applications. In response, we partnered with our HRIS team to implement an automated email via Workday, triggered two weeks post-application if the candidate is still under review. This touchpoint has helped reduce uncertainty and improve transparency in the early stages of the hiring process.
- Addressed misconceptions around AI rejections: We noticed frustration from candidates over perceived AI rejections. Since our recruitment process does not utilize AI at any point, we added a clear and informative FAQ section to our careers site to clarify this.
- Improved visibility into the hiring process: Feedback reported that many candidates felt unclear about what to expect during the hiring process. To address this, we created a short, engaging hiring process video. This video was embedded within our FAQ page and our coordinators now include the video link in candidate communications, ensuring consistent messaging and setting clear expectations.
- Optimized job posting order: Some applicants noted that our job posting on our careers website displayed from oldest to newest posting, creating frustration when trying to look for our newest job postings. To improve usability and ensure visibility of our most recent opportunities, we collaborated with our careers site vendor to update our job postings to display from newest to oldest.
Question 2: How did you build support and commitment within your team and your leadership to make these improvements? (Be as specific as possible with examples.)
We used direct candidate feedback to highlight gaps in post-application communication. This helped secure buy-in for the automated Workday email initiative. We worked closely with our HRIS team to implement the automated email solution, aligning on timing, messaging, and system capabilities. This initiative didn’t require any extra leg work from our recruiters and would help limit candidates reaching out, which ultimately gave us their buy-in.
To address concerns about AI rejections, we presented the candidate comments to our talent acquisition team. This led to the consensus on adding an FAQ on our careers site about how our applications are not reviewed by AI at any step of the process.
For the Hiring Process video, we collaborated with our coordinators, recruiters, and employer branding team to write and produce a video that accurately reflects our process. Leadership supported this initiative after we demonstrated how this would reduce candidate confusion, create clarity, and improve candidate perceptions.
Question 3: Which of these improvements do you think are the most unique and innovative and why? (Be as specific as possible with examples for each.)
Among the improvements we’ve implemented, the automated email from Workday stands out as the most unique and innovative. This solution directly addresses one of the most common and frustrating pain points for candidates: the feeling of being “ghosted” after submitting an application. By configuring Workday to send a personalized update two weeks post-application, if the candidate is still under review, we’ve created a simple yet powerful touchpoint that keeps candidates informed and engaged during the traditionally silent phase of the process.
This improvement is entirely proactive, rather than waiting for candidates to reach out or disengage. By implementing a scalable, low-effort solution with high impact, we’ve enhanced transparency, reduced candidate anxiety, and reinforced our employer brand as thoughtful and communicative. To date, we haven’t seen many organizations adopt this kind of automated cadence for candidate updates, especially during the pre-interview stage. It’s a small but meaningful change that delivers outsized benefits and reflects our commitment to treating candidates with respect and empathy throughout their journey.
Question 4: How do you know that your changes are making a difference and what data or evidence validates the innovative improvements you made? (Be as specific as possible with examples for each based on your people, your processes, and your technologies, and include any candidate quotes that validate the improvements made.)
We’ve seen clear evidence that our automated email initiative is making a meaningful difference in the candidate experience. By leveraging Workday to send updates two weeks post application, we’ve addressed a gap in communication and created a more transparent, respectful process. The response from candidates has been overwhelmingly positive. Many reply to our Talent Acquisition inbox expressing their appreciation.
“Thank you for the update regarding my application status. I appreciate your informing me that it is still under review and look forward to hearing from you soon.”
“I just wanted to say ‘Thank You’ for sending an update email on the status of an application for employment.
“This is the first one I have received and it’s nice to get an update.”
“Great job Blue Cross and Blue Shield!”
“Thank you for the update regarding my application. I appreciate you taking the time to keep me informed, and I understand the importance of a thorough review process.”
These unsolicited messages validate the emotional impact of a simple, tech-enabled solution. From a process standpoint, it’s low-effort and scalable, yet it significantly improves candidate sentiment and reinforces our employer brand. From a people perspective, it empowers our recruiting team to maintain engagement even when timelines stretch longer than expected. And from a technology lens, it’s a smart use of existing systems to deliver a more human experience. This feedback confirms that we’re not just improving operations, we’re building trust among candidates.
Question 5: Do you use any of your candidate experience benchmark data to quantify and demonstrate financial, referral, and/or employer branding business impacts and report to your leadership team, your recruiting team, and/or your hiring managers? If yes, how? (Be as specific as possible with examples.)
We leverage our candidate experience data to quantify and communicate key business impacts across a few areas. We correlate candidate satisfaction scores with acceptance rates and time-to-fill metrics. We monitor online reviews, social media sentiment, and applicant and candidate feedback to assess how our candidate experience influences brand perception. We use this data to align our messaging and improve our reputation. We report on these metrics quarterly through a dashboard that is shared with our leadership team, recruiting team, and business partners. This ensures that our actions align with our organization and team goals and fosters accountability for continuous improvement.
