I understand all the job candidate frustration today. I remember struggling to find a new job coming out I understand all the job candidate frustration today. I remember struggling to find a new job coming out of the Great Recession back in 2010-2011. This was when unemployment was 9%+, over double what it is today.
Finding a new full-time job at that time was difficult. Eventually it all worked out for me, but for many job seekers today – from new grads to experienced professionals – it’s again a cold hiring market.
Back in 2011 is also when Elaine Orler, Gerry Crispin, and Ed Newman founded the Talent Board and the Candidate Experience Benchmark Research and Awards Program. I was fortunate to be an early volunteer for the program. In 2015 I was hired on to help run the program and have been running it ever since. We’re now part of Survale, the talent experience feedback platform that has been our primary technology partner for over nine years.
It’s in these economic times today when talent acquisition teams should be investing in improving their recruiting and hiring processes and ultimately the candidate experiences. And, in fact, should be something they invest in continuously regardless of the economic environment.
As we embark on determining this year’s CandE Winners – those companies with near-to-above average candidate experience ratings – and analyzing this year’s CandE data from over 110 employers big and small across industries, and over 66,000 candidate responses, it’s important to review the key process improvements and outcomes from the 2024 CandE Case Studies. These process improvements and outcomes are still applicable in today’s market and we look forward to sharing the 2025 CandE Case Studies before the end of the year.
1. Enhanced Communication and Transparency Organizations are prioritizing clear, timely, and personalized communication throughout the recruitment journey.
- Improvements:
- Automated yet personalized messages and email templates ensured consistent and empathetic communication at every stage. Many companies now guarantee a next-step or disposition email within 48 hours of application.
- Proactive updates included regular recruiter check-ins, mass updates for timeline changes, and providing information about upcoming process stages.
- Direct feedback was increasingly provided to candidates, including personal calls for those declined after a hiring manager interview, explanations for non-selection, and real-time structured feedback from interviewers.
- Pay transparency was adopted across North America, clearly displaying narrow salary ranges on all job postings.
- Clear process maps and interview agendas were provided on careers pages and in pre-interview communications, outlining expectations and steps.
- Outcomes: Candidates appreciated the personal touch, feel well-informed, and reported increased satisfaction with communication. D2L saw a reduction in compensation-related offer declines after implementing pay transparency and received positive candidate feedback. Providing feedback to unsuccessful candidates enhances the employer brand.
2. Strategic Use of Technology and Data-Driven Insights Companies are investing in and leveraging various technologies and data analysis to refine their recruitment processes.
- Improvements:
- ATS and CRM enhancements allowed recruiters to prioritize outreach, identify “stalled” candidates, and streamline internal application processes.
- AI and automation tools were used for efficient candidate sourcing, personalized communications, chatbot support on careers sites, and scheduling phone screens.
- Continuous listening platforms like SURVALE gathered ongoing feedback from all stakeholders (candidates, hiring managers, and talent acquisition teams).
- Rigorous data analysis included retrospectives of candidate experience data, AI-driven comment analysis, and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) such as time-to-fill, offer acceptance rates, and candidate satisfaction scores.
- Outcomes: These efforts led to improved recruiter efficiency and prioritization, streamlined application processes, and reduced time-to-hire and associated costs. Employers experienced significant improvements in overall, external, and internal NPS scores. Chatbots provided a more personalized experience and insights into candidate behavior.
3. Enhanced Employer Branding and Candidate Engagement Organizations are actively showcasing their culture and employee value propositions to attract talent.
- Improvements:
- Employers provided rich media content such as engaging videos highlighting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives, employee benefits, HQ office tours, employee value proposition (EVP) videos featuring current employees, and “team member life” videos.
- Active social media engagement through platforms like TikTok (showcasing fun culture and attracting early talent) and increased frequency of employee blogs provided insights into workplace culture.
- Extensive community outreach, like expanding into job fairs, community events, and workshops, provided career guidance and met candidates where they were.
- Unique engagement programs offered foster connection and individuality for new hires.
- Outcomes: These initiatives attracted more diverse candidates and increased application rates. Northwell’s Summer Talent Marketing Campaign in particular generated over 2 million impressions and led to 215+ hires. D2L’s TikTok account gained significant views and successfully reached its target demographic of 18-24-year-olds.
4. Process Streamlining and Fairness Companies are simplifying and standardizing hiring processes while actively ensuring fairness and inclusivity.
- Improvements:
- Structured interviewing was widely adopted, including comprehensive interviewer training, interview guides, and interview matrixes for fair evaluation. Training on unconscious bias and inclusive hiring practices was also common.
- Recruitment workload management strategies, such as Room & Board’s “recruiting hold” for requisitions when workload is high, prioritized quality over quantity and maintained high candidate engagement.
- Skills-based hiring emphasized experiences and skills over degrees or diplomas to expand the candidate pool and foster inclusivity.
- Onboarding enhancements included streamlined programs, in-person orientations, assigning mentors/buddies, and utilizing digital platforms for a smooth transition.
- Outcomes: These changes result in reduced time-to-fill, higher quality hires, more diverse candidate pools, and increased fairness in candidate evaluation. D2L reported a 97% candidate re-application rate and an 87% offer acceptance rate. Room & Board saw their candidate ranking rise from 35th to 17th place and reduced time-to-fill from nine to three weeks.
5. Internal Engagement and Leadership Buy-in Organizations are actively involving internal teams and leadership in candidate experience initiatives to foster support and commitment.
- Improvements:
- Hiring manager training was provided on reducing biases, structured interviewing, candidate care, and improving pre-boarding experiences.
- Cross-departmental collaboration with teams like Racial Health Equity or Business Development ensured aligned objectives and helps anticipate hiring needs.
- Regular reporting on candidate experience metrics to leadership teams and boards tied these efforts directly to business outcomes like revenue generation, cost savings, and quality of hire.
- Outcomes: This approach garnered increased support from leadership, improved recruiter performance, and established a shared understanding of the strategic importance of candidate experience across the organization.
Each year we find many companies that transform their recruitment processes by creating a process-driven and human-focused ecosystem. They are continuously refining every interaction, from the initial application to onboarding. Companies that sustain these improvements will be the ones with the recruiting and hiring competitive edge in any market, keeping more job candidates engaged in their business and brand, whether they’re hired or not.
