Today, creating a positive candidate experience is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-do. Recent data points from Lighthouse Research & Advisory studies offer a compelling insight into why this is more important now than ever:

  • Two out of the top three reasons candidates ghost employers are directly tied to speed and hiring workflows.
  • A staggering 84% of candidates believe that anything more than two interviews or phone screens is simply overkill.
  • Nearly four in 10 employers provide no interview training or a token amount to their hiring managers.

In today’s fast-paced world, first impressions are everything. The hiring process is often a candidate’s first real interaction with a company. Think about it: if a candidate experiences a lengthy, convoluted hiring process, what does that say about your organization? It could suggest inefficiency, a lack of respect for candidates’ time, or even an indecisive corporate culture. On the other hand, a streamlined, respectful process conveys a message of efficiency, organization, and a high regard for candidates’ time and experience.

To put it bluntly, candidates today are in the driver’s seat. They have choices and they know it. If they feel that a hiring process is dragging or unnecessarily complicated, they won’t hesitate to pursue opportunities elsewhere. This is where the need for speed and simplicity in hiring workflows becomes evident. In the graphic below you can find some other data points that can help you think about how to create the right first impression, not the wrong one.

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