Candidate experience is how an applicant feels when moving through your company’s hiring process. This includes their initial job search and application process, as well as your screening methods, interviews, follow-ups, and overall UX of your hiring.

If applicants had a bad experience with an employer, the consequences are:

• they probably wouldn’t apply again
• they might not buy from the company
• they might tell close friends and family how they were treated
• they can write bad reviews about the company on multiple websites (linkedin and glassdoor)

Here are several candidate experience statistics that illustrate this point:

• 58% of surveyed candidates feel that a good recruitment process increases the likelihood of them accepting the role
• 69% of candidates will never apply to your company again if the candidate experience is bad
• 72% of candidates who’ve had a poor recruiting experience have shared it online or with someone
• 93% of job seekers experience anxiety as a result of interviews.

A great candidate experience can relieve stress among candidates, enabling them to focus on showing your team their best qualities and skills. Improving the overall experience in your hiring process requires you to start out by thoroughly evaluating every step of your hiring process.

How to build a positive candidate experience at each stage of your recruitment process?

• Make sure you’re hiring to fill a real need
• Write clear job descriptions
• Make it easy for candidates to apply for your jobs