Whether talent is tight or talent is abundant, the way companies treat candidates during the hiring process can make or break their ability to attract top performers. A stellar candidate experience isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic advantage. One often overlooked key to unlocking this advantage is gathering feedback from candidates at every stage of the recruitment process. Not only does this feedback provide the means to measure and prove the quality of your candidate experience, but it also provides invaluable insights to refine the people, processes, and technologies companies rely on to hire effectively. Let’s dive into what candidate experience entails, why it matters, and actionable ways to elevate it.
What Is Candidate Experience?
Candidate experience encompasses every interaction a job seeker has with an organization, from the moment they discover a job posting on a corporate career site or job board to the final handshake (or rejection). It’s the sum of their perceptions—good, bad, or indifferent—about your recruitment process, interview process, and overall employer brand.
The Modern Candidate’s Expectations
Today’s candidates aren’t just looking for a paycheck—they’re seeking respect, clarity, and a glimpse into your company’s culture. They expect career site optimization that makes job hunting intuitive, transparent communication about where they stand, and personalized interaction that shows they’re more than a resume in a pile. A 2023 survey by Talent Board found that 68% of candidates expect a response within 48 hours of applying, yet only 42% of employers meet this benchmark. Falling short of these expectations risks losing talent to competitors who prioritize candidate engagement.
Why Candidate Experience Matters (For Brand + Business)
A poor candidate experience doesn’t just alienate applicants—it damages your brand. According to Glassdoor, 72% of candidates who have a negative experience will share it online or with their network, amplifying the fallout. Conversely, a positive experience can turn even rejected candidates into brand advocates. Beyond reputation, candidate experience impacts business outcomes: companies with strong hiring experiences see 70% higher offer acceptance rates, per LinkedIn data. Feedback from candidates highlights friction points, enabling you to tweak your processes and technologies for better efficiency and results.
Key Stages of the Candidate Journey
The candidate journey typically unfolds in five stages:
- Awareness: Discovering your brand and job openings.
- Application: Submitting their materials.
- Interview: Engaging with your team at phone screen and live (or Zoom) interviews
- Offer: Receiving and evaluating an offer (or rejection).
- Onboarding: Transitioning into the role (for successful hires).
Feedback at each stage reveals what’s working and what’s not, making it a cornerstone of efforts to improve candidate experience.
10 Ways to Improve Your Candidate Experience
Here are ten actionable strategies to enhance every touchpoint of the candidate journey, with a focus on leveraging feedback to drive continuous improvement.
1. Optimize Your Job Descriptions & Career Site
A clunky career site or vague job posting is a candidate’s first red flag. Use clear, concise language in job descriptions and ensure your career site is mobile-friendly and visually appealing. Jobs should be easy to find and your employer brand should be reflected. Candidate feedback can reveal if your site’s navigation confuses users or if job requirements feel out of touch—use it to refine your approach.
2. Simplify the Application Process (Especially Mobile)
A lengthy application process deters talent—especially on mobile, where 60% of job searches now occur (Statista, 2024). Streamline forms, enable one-click applications via LinkedIn or Indeed, and test the experience on smartphones. New technologies even support SMS based applications supported by AI. Post-application surveys can pinpoint where candidates abandon ship, guiding tweaks to your application tracking system.
3. Communicate Transparently from Start to Finish
Transparent communication builds trust. Tell candidates what to expect—timeline, steps, and decision points. If delays arise, acknowledge them. Feedback from applicants often highlights gaps in communication, helping you fine-tune your messaging and cadence.
4. Automate Interview Scheduling, But Keep It Personal
Tools like Calendly or GoodTime can simplify interview scheduling, saving candidates from email ping-pong. Pair automation with a personal touch, like a friendly confirmation message. Ask candidates how smooth the scheduling felt—their input can optimize this critical step.
5. Keep Candidates Updated (Even When There’s a Delay)
Ghosting candidates is a top complaint, with 62% reporting they’ve been left in the dark after interviews (CareerBuilder, 2023). Regular updates, even to say “we’re still deciding,” maintain goodwill. Feedback here can reveal how often updates are needed to keep candidates engaged.
6. Train Hiring Managers to Deliver a Great Interview
The interview stage of the hiring journey is the most personal and important. A disorganized or aloof or unprepared interviewer can tank the experience (and tarnish your valuable employer brand). Train managers to show up on time, ask relevant questions, listen actively, and showcase your culture. Post-interview feedback from candidates often flags interviewer missteps, offering a roadmap for training improvements. These surveys also put hiring managers on notice that their interviews are visible and they are accountable.
7. Provide Timely, Personalized Interview Feedback
Generic “we went with someone else” emails frustrate candidates. Offer specific, constructive feedback within a week of the interview. This not only improves their perception but also provides data on how your interview process is perceived—too tough, too vague, or just right?
8. Collect Candidate Feedback Post-Interview
Ask candidates directly: How was the process? What could be better? Use short surveys (5-10 questions) to gather insights on everything from application ease to interviewer demeanor. This feedback loop is gold—it exposes blind spots in your recruitment process and fuels iterative enhancements.
9. Leverage ATS for a Seamless Experience
An applicant tracking system (ATS) can streamline workflows, but a poorly implemented one frustrates candidates with duplicate requests or lost applications. Test your ATS from a candidate’s perspective and use their feedback to fix glitches, ensuring a polished experience.
10. Use Data to Continuously Improve the Process
Feedback isn’t a one-off—it’s a cycle. Track and analyze candidate responses alongside metrics like time-to-hire and drop-off rates to spot trends. This data-driven approach ensures your recruitment process evolves with candidate needs, boosting both experience and hiring success.
Candidate Engagement Tactics That Work
Engagement keeps candidates invested. Here’s how to make it meaningful.
Humanize the Process with Personalized Touchpoints
Generic emails scream “you’re just a number.” Address candidates by name, reference their skills, or mention why they’re a fit. Feedback often shows that personalization—however small—leaves a lasting impression.
Use Email & SMS Wisely
Email updates are standard, but SMS can stand out for quick confirmations or reminders. Keep it professional and opt-in only. Candidate surveys can gauge which channels they prefer, refining your outreach.
Send a Welcome or Thank-You Message from the Hiring Manager
A brief “thanks for applying” or “great meeting you” note from the hiring manager adds warmth. Candidates often cite these gestures as memorable in feedback, signaling a culture that values people.
Candidate Experience Metrics to Monitor
To improve candidate experience, you need to measure it. Feedback informs these metrics, turning subjective impressions into actionable insights.
Candidate Net Promoter Score (cNPS)
Ask: “How likely are you to recommend our hiring process to a friend?” Scores range from -100 to 100. A low cNPS (below 20) signals dissatisfaction—dig into feedback to find out why.
Time-to-Response & Time-to-Offer
Slow responses kill momentum. Aim for under 48 hours for initial replies and 10-14 days for offers. Candidate feedback often flags delays as a pain point, pushing you to tighten timelines.
Offer Acceptance Rate
If offers are declined, the experience might be the culprit. Pair this metric with feedback to see if unclear communication or a lackluster interview process swayed their choice.
Post-Interview Survey Results
Aggregate responses to questions like “Was the process clear?” or “Did you feel valued?” Trends in these answers highlight strengths and weaknesses, guiding your next moves.
Feedback Fuels a Better Candidate Experience
Improve candidate experience isn’t a one-and-done task—it’s an ongoing commitment. By weaving feedback into every stage of the hiring journey, you not only create a process candidates rave about but also sharpen the tools, teams, and strategies that drive your recruitment success. From transparent communication to personalized interaction, each tweak informed by candidate insights builds a stronger employer brand and a more effective hiring machine. Start asking, listening, and acting today—your next great hire is waiting.
FAQs
How can I improve my candidate experience?
Improving candidate experience is a continual process fueled by metrics and candidate feedback. By gathering candidate feedback at each stage of the hiring journey, you can understand what’s working and what’s not, while gathering actionable insights to improve experiences and the people, processes and technologies you use to hire. By setting key performance indicators like candidate Net Promoter Score (NP), interview satisfaction, offer acceptance rate, time to hire and more, you have a basis for data driven management of candidate experience over time.
Which of these is the simplest way to enhance the candidate experience?
Most candidates just want to be treated with respect. And the top ways to improve candidate experience are to communicate with them constantly and don’t waste their time. Advise them quickly and respectfully of progress for the job they’ve applied for. Ensure all parties arrive for interviews or screenings on time, prepared and engaged. Ensure all technologies are configured to provide smooth and simple transactions.
What is the key to a great applicant experience?
Great applicant experiences boil down to properly configured application technology at the front end. From there, treat applicants like customers. In many industries, your applicants are also customers. Let them know you care with clear, frequent communication and don’t waste their time.
What is good candidate experience?
A good candidate experience is the positive, respectful, and engaging journey a job seeker encounters while interacting with a company during the hiring process. It reflects how well an organization manages every touchpoint—from the initial job discovery to the final outcome (whether hired or not)—leaving candidates feeling valued, informed, and respected,
How do you collect feedback from candidates?
To truly understand the candidate’s experience, short surveys should be sent after each phase of the hiring process (after application, phone screen, interview, offer and rejection). This ensures higher response rates and more, better data. If feedback is only collect in post rejection surveys, candidates are no longer “in the running” and engaged. Plus they’re less likely to remember actual details. Post hire candidate experience surveys, skew responses positively because these candidates were hired, are more likely to provide positive feedback and usually withhold critical feedback. Continuous, stage based surveys can be achieved using technology.
Should I automate rejection emails?
Yes, at early stages of the hiring journey, like the application stage. For high volume employers it may make sense to automate rejections after a phone screen. Automated emails ensure candidates get the communication they deserve and crave. Automation avoids a black hole where candidates never know what happened. But the general of thumb is, the deeper into the process candidates go, the more a personal email is expected and recommended for a rejection.
