This article was updated on March 17, 2026, to reflect the latest statistics and information.
TL;DR: A positive candidate experience is one of the most effective ways to attract and retain top talent. Nearly 78% of applicants say the hiring process reveals how a company treats its people — and 58% won’t apply again after a bad one. This guide covers 12 practical steps to improve your candidate experience, from writing better job descriptions to creating more accessible into onboarding.
The ups and downs of the job search process can be exhausting for both the job seeker and the hiring team. But as a talent leader, you can make the candidate experience better from the inside out.
A positive candidate experience is essential for recruiting and hiring top talent. Nearly four out of five applicants believe that the candidate experience reveals how a company treats its people — and when it’s bad, they run away. In fact, 58% of candidates will never apply again to a company after a negative candidate experience.
According to our What Talent Wants in 2025 report, job seekers confront substantial challenges, with 63% encountering ghosting and 60% experiencing fake job descriptions during the interview process. These frustrations prevent companies from hiring top talent and undermine employer branding. Furthermore, emphasis on degree-based hiring (43%) and a lack of transferable skills (40%) intensify exclusionary practices, putting diverse candidates at a disadvantage.
With more available jobs than job seekers right now, your process must be competitive to attract the best people. Below, we’ll share some key ways for your organization to create a positive candidate experience, including the things talent outright expects to see today.
Understanding the candidate experience lifecycle
The best candidate experience definition is this: how potential applicants feel during the entire process. The lifecycle of recruitment and hiring breaks down into six steps: preparing, sourcing, screening, selecting, hiring, and onboarding. With multiple touchpoints happening along this lifecycle, the quality of every interaction defines the candidate experience.
First impressions begin long before the job application, and applicants form opinions of your company based on various sources. Whether or not an applicant gets hired, their comments to friends and colleagues hold weight.
The overall health of your recruitment pipeline depends on positive candidate experiences. Reflect on (and change) existing hiring practices. Don’t be afraid to question long-held industry standards. Here are 12 candidate experience best practices to get you started.
12 things you need for a positive candidate experience
1. Hire to fill a real gap
How do you make sure you’re hiring to fill a gap? Perform a needs assessment. Get the data necessary to be transparent about job duties and functions. Change job descriptions when necessary. Make sure the position is funded before reaching out. You won’t win any candidate experience awards if an interviewee finds out there ultimately wasn't sufficient budget to fill this role.
2. Highlight the company’s values and culture
The landscape for inclusion initiatives has grown more complex in recent years due to executive orders and legal challenges. Despite these headwinds, showcasing inclusive values and culture remains crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. In our What Talent Wants in 2025 survey, 93% of respondents said they would switch their current jobs for ones that better align with their values.
Candidates want to see what insiders see before applying for a job. They look for an environment that is safe, inclusive, and has employees that look like them. Images and videos are a powerful tool. Make good use of your social media and company website to demonstrate your commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
3. Write inclusive job descriptions
A well-written and inclusive job description is not only an inclusion best practice — it also sets candidates at ease. Encourage a variety of candidates to apply with both what you say and how you say it. The job description should focus on concrete outputs of the position. Separate must-haves and nice-to-haves. Write a day-in-the-life perspective. Let candidates know they can be themselves at work.
4. Make it easy to apply
A complex application process is the kiss of death. Unclear skill requirements and competitive job markets continue to be major challenges for many job seekers, with 56% unable to stand out in application pools and 48% unsure about skill requirements. Women (60%) and professionals from other underrepresented backgrounds face even higher hurdles, highlighting the importance of inclusive hiring procedures.
Many other barriers prevent top talent from applying for jobs. Don’t make candidates create yet another online account just to apply. Accept applications through different avenues like direct email, LinkedIn, or popular resume upload sites. Keep job listings up-to-date on your website. Most of all, test it out. Go through the application process yourself and see what it's like. Is your process going to attract high-performing candidates that value their time?
5. Remove bias from the application screening
Some companies invest in AI software to reduce bias from applicant screening. Without that budget, another option is to work in tandem to create “blind” resume viewing and even interviews. For resumes, one recruiter can block or remove candidate names, photos, and university information from applications, and the other recruiter will therefore have less bias when selecting applicants. Using skills instead of degrees when hiring is also a great way to avoid bias and diversify your pipeline.
6. Encourage inclusive interviews
Interviewer bias is when a recruiter makes a judgment about a candidate based on irrelevant personal attributes. In a face-to-face interview, this includes judging body language, a lack of eye contact, accents, manners of speaking, or physical appearances. Interviewers should be aware of their own biases and keep them in check. Negative reactions or comments from a recruiter can hurt both parties.
7. Meet candidates where they’re at
Interviews shouldn't be an ambush. As much as possible, share your interview questions with candidates ahead of time. Let them know who will be there. Better still, ask your candidates how they want to be interviewed. What about phone, video chat, video on/off, or face-to-face? Candidates should feel included, prepared, and relaxed — just like when performing typical work tasks.
8. Implement paid tests
Research shows that a growing number of companies are using pre-employment tests in the recruiting process. If you’re asking a candidate to do work, pay them for it. Unpaid labor, whether it leads to a job or not, leaves a sour taste in the candidate’s mouth.
9. Communicate often and with everyone
Let candidates know as soon as possible that they are no longer being considered. Those that are still in the running should also be contacted and prepped for each stage of the process. We value candidates that communicate proactively, so make sure that communication goes both ways.
10. Offer feedback
When a candidate is no longer being considered, tell them why. Give clear and specific feedback. Avoid generalizations like “we need more experience” and get specific. Research shows that candidates who receive actual feedback are 3.5 times more likely to reapply to a different position at the same company.
11. Request feedback
Designate a candidate experience coordinator to take the lead on a follow-up candidate experience survey. According to research, 78% of candidates report never being asked for feedback about their candidate experience. Want to know what applicants thought about your candidate experience? Ask them.
12. Incorporate inclusion and accessibility into onboarding
Onboarding is the final step in the hiring and recruitment lifecycle. Focus on inclusion and accessibility to set a positive tone. Research shows that a large majority of new hires are dissatisfied shortly after starting. Onboarding is your chance to welcome a valued new hire and prevent bad first impressions of your company culture. Incorporate inclusion best practices such as one-on-one training and mentorship, and connect new hires with relevant employee resource groups (ERGs).
Creating a positive candidate experience
A positive candidate experience is crucial for recruiting and retaining top talent. It conveys the image and reputation of your company to both your hired and unhired (for now) candidates. People then talk (and type) about that experience. To help ensure they’re saying good things, you can incorporate strategies such as writing inclusive job descriptions, mitigating bias in screening, inclusive interviews, and encouraging two-way communication.
PowerToFly has resources to help you on your journey. You can also take a look at our professional development platform — PowerUp. Our Inclusive Hiring pathway includes courses on Candidate Attraction, Inclusive Interviewing, and Inclusive Onboarding.
Diverse teams perform better. Let us help you build yours.Frequently asked questions
What is a candidate experience?
A candidate experience is how potential applicants feel during the entire hiring process — from seeing a job posting to getting hired (or not). It includes every touchpoint: the job description, application process, interviews, communication, feedback, and onboarding. A positive candidate experience signals that a company values its people.
Why does the candidate experience matter for employers?
A poor candidate experience directly impacts your ability to hire top talent. Nearly 78% of candidates say the hiring process reflects how a company treats its employees. When the experience is negative, 58% won't apply again — and many will share that experience publicly on platforms like Glassdoor.
How can companies improve their candidate experience in 2026?
Start with the basics: write clear and inclusive job descriptions, simplify the application process, communicate promptly with all candidates, share salary ranges upfront, and provide specific feedback to those who aren't selected. Using skills-based assessments instead of degree requirements also helps diversify your pipeline and improve fairness.
What role does inclusion play in the candidate experience?
Inclusion is central to a strong candidate experience. PowerToFly’s research found that 93% of professionals would leave their job for one that better aligns with their values. Candidates evaluate your commitment to inclusion at every stage — from the language in your job descriptions to the diversity of your interview panels to your onboarding practices.
How does ghosting candidates affect employer branding?
Significantly. According to PowerToFly’s What Talent Wants 2025 report, 63% of candidates have been ghosted during a job search. When candidates don't hear back, they’re far less likely to apply again or refer others. Consistent communication — even a brief rejection email — protects your employer brand and keeps the door open for future talent.
Diverse teams perform better. Let us help you build yours.
