Key insights that elevate the candidate experience

As expectations shift in today’s competitive job market and advancements in AI and other technologies continue, a positive candidate experience remains key in attracting and securing top talent.

In a recent webinar I co-hosted with Trent Cotton (Head of Talent Insights & Analyst Relations at ICIMS), Trent and I gave our insights on improving this crucial aspect of hiring. Together we discussed strategies to transform hiring processes into seamless, engaging experiences for candidates while keeping organizational goals in sight.

Here are some of the key takeaways from our session to help hiring teams and HR leaders make the most of our advice.

The cost of friction in the candidate experience

We started by outlining the damage caused by inefficiencies in hiring processes: duplicate data entry, excessive application length, and unexplained delays. Repetitive tasks are prone to human error, no matter how simple those tasks may be. If you’re asking a candidate to enter the same data multiple times, you’re introducing not just the possibility but the near certainty of error.

Trent and I also agreed that recruiting goes beyond finding candidates and into branding and reputation. Candidates value momentum, and unexpected delays rank as the top job seeker frustration. As a result, risk management and speed have become dual mandates instead of mutually exclusive benefits in screening. While 42% of hiring managers surveyed rank the former as their top priority, 34% prioritize speed.¹

Feeling heard during the process matters deeply to candidates, and every interaction leaves an impression, whether you intend it to or not. If your competitors are providing an experience that’s more like shopping online and less like waiting in line at the DMV, that puts you at a disadvantage.

Trent reinforced the idea that hiring impacts more than your talent pool, citing a client’s approach. “We approach [the hiring process] as (if) every candidate is one day going to be a customer in our restaurant,” he explained. “So if we mess this up over here, we’re going to have a direct impact on revenue.”

Tackling key friction points in the candidate experience

Pay transparency and application efficiency

Trent highlighted pay transparency as essential to self-selection. “If I (as the candidate) know that I can self-select out, it helps your top-of-funnel problem. You reduce unqualified applicants, and this improves candidate quality.”

Overly lengthy applications are also an issue. Trent shared a candidate’s anecdote: “He said, ‘How is it that I was able to get a mortgage on a second home faster than I was able to get through this application?’”

Organizations can benefit from simplifying applications without losing critical information, and Trent urged leaders to proactively test their own systems. “Just see — what does that experience look like, and create a checklist asking the question, ‘Do we really need to do this? Can we move (some of these questions) further down in the process?’”

Streamlined communication

We also discussed the importance of communication to maintain momentum as another recurring theme of a positive candidate experience. Transparency builds trust and confidence in your organization, creating a positive first impression. However, delays aren’t the only issue; rather, it’s the lack of explanation for them. Candidates understand that hiring takes time, but they want to be able to see what’s going on.

To enhance transparency, Trent suggested using end-of-application screens to clarify the hiring journey. “Let candidates know where they are in the process, what decisions are being made by humans, and what automated decisioning or AI is involved at each step.”

The role of artificial intelligence

AI as an augmented resource

One major takeaway was the ideal role of AI in hiring as a technology that complements (not replaces) human capabilities. Our discussion reflected the shift from administrative to enterprise-value activities facilitated by AI.

The idea of AI replacing HR professionals is a myth. AI removes work that humans may be less effective at and don’t like doing — scheduling, reading through huge numbers of documents, data entry — and enables people to focus on work that is rewarding and uniquely human. This may help to explain why 90% of CHROs surveyed have implemented some form of AI into their recruiting processes (and why half of them indicated it’s been effective).¹

Trent shared data from ICIMS’s AI adoption report that reinforces this thought. “A third of respondents said that recruiters using automation or AI as an augmented resource save seven hours a week per recruiter,” said Trent. “That’s 28 hours a month that can be reinvested in areas like developing candidates, coaching, and creating hiring strategies.”

Treat AI as an employee

Trent and I agreed that AI is a tool that requires oversight. “Have a one-on-one with your AI tool,” said Trent. “Test its performance and hold it accountable. Treat it like an employee!”

Solving for better hiring processes

Collaboration and journey mapping

During the session, I emphasized system-wide thinking to address breakdowns at the seams between processes. Most dangerous failures occur between processes, not within them. That’s why seamless, integrated hiring ecosystems are crucial.

Trent introduced the idea of journey mapping. “Create lanes for each phase of your recruiting funnel — application, screening, interviewing — and map it out,” he said. “Then, include hiring managers, recruiters, and candidates to pinpoint pain points at each stage. This collaboration ensures alignment and celebrates small wins.”

Building candidate-centric solutions

Candidates see pre-employment screening as a signal of trust, with 97% of candidates surveyed finding value in the process.¹ For this reason, Trent and I encouraged webinar attendees to leverage candidate feedback and data to drive improvements.

Trent advocated for simple surveys at each stage. “Ask turned-down candidates for their experience too,” he explained. “Were they treated well? Surveys help you answer these questions and let you know which gaps to tackle first.”

I also highlighted the importance of focusing on the problem instead of the solution. By asking the “five whys,” HR teams can uncover root causes rather than merely solve surface-level symptoms.

Final thoughts

A future-forward approach to hiring prioritizes candidate satisfaction while reducing organizational friction. Our goal in this webinar was to make it clear that a successful candidate experience requires transparency, collaboration, and responsible use of technology.

By leveraging AI as an augmented resource, simplifying workflows, and keeping human connection at the heart of hiring, organizations do more than attract top talent; they establish themselves as leaders in the ever-competitive talent landscape.

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