Let’s face it, the candidate experience in 2024 has been a, dare I say it, a shit show. Companies are dealing with oodles of unqualified applicants, which makes it much harder for qualified applicants to rise to the top and be seen. Automation has taken over with candidates; now, applicants are robo-applying, and although there are some qualified ones, they’re buried within all the others. Thus, companies are overwhelmed with too many applicants and often cut it off after getting 100 to 200 applications. However, what if the most qualified candidate is 101 or 202? What then? They miss out on both the candidate and the company.
So, what does 2025 look like? I suspect the job market pendulum will swing back in favor of those looking. It will move away from an employer’s market, which will be a welcome change for everyone who has been laid off. The market is saturated. I know people who have been looking for jobs for a year or two to no avail.
Here’s a question.
What should companies do to improve their candidate experience in 2025?
I say start small. Look for quick wins that require little effort to implement. Leverage technology and emphasize personal connection to create a seamless, empathetic, and engaging recruitment process.
Here are eight inspiring ideas for every organization to consider.
- Clear Communication is Kind: Candidates’ anxiety is at an all-time high. They value updates and know where they stand in the process. Implement systems that provide automated yet personalized notifications throughout their journey, ensuring they feel informed and valued.
- Human Touch Before Hoops: If a project of any sort is required as part of your candidate experience, do not, I repeat, do not ask a candidate for this unless you have had at least two conversations with them using human-to-human interaction. Don’t make candidates jump through hoops because someone thought it was a good idea. Trust me, many people will drop out of the process at this point if not handled well. Three interviews should be enough, not eight. You’re asking a lot of candidates to invest this much time.
- AI-Driven Matching and Screening: Don’t take humans out of HR. After all, we are hiring humans. Use AI for initial resume screening to help match candidates to roles faster and reduce bias in the early stages. Ensure a human review and add AI tools to pre-qualify candidates based on skills and experiences, especially at later stages, to bring a balanced approach to the candidate assessment.
- Empathy Mapping for Better Understanding: Take a page out of marketing’s playbook. Develop empathy maps to understand candidates’ motivations, challenges, and values better. Help recruiters tailor interactions and messaging to create a more relatable and meaningful candidate journey.
- Transparent and Streamlined Application Process: Look for ways you can improve your application process quickly, make it mobile-friendly, and clear. Make sure it works by testing it. It should be user centric. Features like one-click applications and auto-fill for returning candidates can simplify the experience.
- Leverage Video and Interactive Content: Tap your employer brand, recruitment marketing, or marketing team to activate employees to become talent brand ambassadors. Ask them for authentic employee-generated videos, create interactive job previews, and “day-in-the-life” content to genuinely showcase roles and company culture. Candidates love to hear from those behind the curtain to gain real insights into the workplace. Let employees showcase their authenticity. Video is an impactful medium for creating quick, digestible content.
- Empowering Self-Scheduling and Interview Flexibility: Flexibility is key for a smooth process for candidates, recruiters, and hiring managers. Allow candidates to choose interview times that work for them through self-scheduling tools. Offering flexibility shows respect for candidates’ time and life balance, contributing to a positive impression of the company’s culture.
- Enhanced Feedback Mechanisms: Ask candidates to provide feedback on your candidate experience. Use post-interview surveys and open feedback channels to understand pain points in your recruitment processes. Using this feedback to improve your candidate journey continuously shows candidates you value and listen to their input, which strengthens your employer’s brand reputation.
In 2025, prioritize your candidate experience. Implementing these seven strategies will help set you up for success. Be efficient, provide a personal touch, and position your organization as one that values and respects its candidates.
