Should Companies Still Care About Candidate Experience?

With talent shortages causing headaches for talent acquisition leaders across many industries, some companies are tempted to deprioritize aspects like the candidate experience. Some may argue that with applicant pools shrinking and bargaining power shifting towards job seekers, investing extra effort into perfecting the candidate journey seems superfluous. Why devote resources there when it’s hard enough to secure talent in the first place?

While those questions may be understandable, our position is still an emphatic “yes!” Here’s why companies absolutely should still care about crafting a thoughtful, positive candidate experience:

It’s Key for Conveying Company Culture

Experiencing what a company is like directly influences whether sought-after candidates will accept offers. If the recruiting process itself seems disorganized or indifferent, it starts applicants questioning if that reflects the broader culture. Even small signals influence perceptions.

It Discourages Ghosting

Job seekers today, especially those in high-demand roles, have options and little hesitation in walking away from bad application experiences. This leads to ignored messages or mid-interview ghosting. While frustrating, it’s often because they feel deprioritized versus other opportunities showing more care.

It Builds Goodwill Value

Perhaps a candidate was not the right fit today, but had a positive enough experience to consider applying again down the road or recommend others do the same. Word-of-mouth referrals remain hugely valuable. Leaving talent satisfied rather than soured preserves future goodwill.

It’s Simply the Right Thing To Do

Respecting those willing to devote time, emotional, and intellectual energy into potentially joining your company by making the evaluation experience thoughtful shows character. Candidates are more than just means to overworked, understaffed ends today. Honoring that is the path forward.

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The recruiting landscape continues evolving quickly, so we understand the temptation to cut certain corners. However, preserving or elevating candidate experience efforts needs to remain non-negotiable. At best, it sets companies apart. At a minimum, it’s both the smart and principled path in an ever-competitive talent marketplace.

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