What is the candidate journey?
The candidate journey encompasses all touchpoints between an applicant and a company, including:
- Awareness – Initial perception of the employer brand
- Consideration – Information and decision-making phase
- Application – Application process
- Selection – Selection and interview phase
- Offer – Contract offer
- Onboarding – Integration into the company
Each of these steps can be decisive in determining whether a talent stays in the process or drops out.
Typical weaknesses in the recruiting process
- Unclear communication: missing or delayed feedback
- Complicated application forms: Long processes are off-putting
- Non-mobile applications: Without a mobile-optimized solution, candidates will be lost
- Lack of transparency: Unclear information about salary, benefits, and working conditions
- Lack of appreciation: No personal feedback or impersonal standard emails
Strategies for optimizing the candidate journey
a) Strengthen employer branding
- Authentic insights into everyday working life (videos, interviews, blog posts)
- Presence on relevant platforms (LinkedIn, Xing, Instagram, industry-specific portals)
- Communicate clear employer values and mission
b) Simplify the application process
- One-click apply or application via LinkedIn/Xing
- Reduce application forms to a maximum of 5 minutes processing time
- Mobile-optimized career website
c) Improve communication
- Fast response times: Feedback within 48 hours
- Clear timeline of the application process
- Personal contact persons instead of anonymous email addresses
d) Candidate-centered selection process
- Conduct structured but appreciative interviews
- Offer flexible interview options (video, telephone, on-site)
- Make feedback discussions timely and constructive
e) Don’t forget onboarding
- Early integration of new employees (preboarding)
- Digital welcome packages
- Mentoring programs for the first few months
Surveys as a tool for continuous improvement
Regular surveys of applicants and new hires are an essential component of optimizing the candidate journey.
They provide direct feedback that shows where the process is working well and where improvements are needed.
Examples:
- Applicant survey after rejection or end of process:
Questions about transparency, clarity, duration, and friendliness in the application process - Candidate experience survey after the interview:
How was the communication perceived? Was the process clear? - Onboarding feedback:
Satisfaction with the introduction, training, and support during the first month
These surveys can be automated digitally, thereby increasing the response rate.
It is important that the feedback is taken seriously and translated into concrete measures.
Key performance indicators for measuring success
Optimization should be reviewed regularly using KPIs:
- Time-to-hire: Time from initial contact to signing the contract
- Conversion rate: Ratio of applications to hires
- Candidate Net Promoter Score (cNPS): Would applicants recommend the process to others?
- Bounce rate in the application form
Conclusion
An optimized candidate journey is not a one-time project, but an ongoing process that needs to be regularly reviewed and adjusted.
Companies that take the needs of their applicants seriously not only attract the right talent more quickly—they also secure a long-term competitive advantage in the war for talent.
