Distinguishing Candidate Journey from Candidate Experience

Candidate journey

Candidate journey describes the path a candidate takes when applying to a company. The candidate journey thus represents the whole process, starting with a search for new challenges, through the decision-making process of the company to the completion of the application process.

Candidate experience

Candidate experience describes the perceptions and experiences that the candidate collects during the application process. The more positive these experiences are, the greater the chance that the candidate applies and accepts the job offer.

Distinction between the two

It should be noted that the candidate journey and the candidate experience play together and cannot be viewed independently. On the journey of the candidate, (the candidate journey), they collect impressions, (the candidate experience), of a company.

During his or her journey, therefore, the candidate must be guided further and further to the next step and must be prevented from exiting before sending the application.

Furthermore, the individual phases should be remembered positively by the candidate,
so that they are convinced of the company and form a positive opinion about it.

In times of a shortage of skilled workers, it is important to convince the candidate of yourself as a company at every point of contact. Employers cannot afford to attract negative attention in the application process and lose the top candidates to the competition.

With a holistically optimized candidate journey, you increase your candidates' experience sustainably and thus build up a positive employer image. This positive employer image means that top candidates are attracted and will apply.

To sum up, the optimization of the candidate journey is nowadays indispensable in order to survive in the war for talent. 

Check out our posts "The Ultimate Guide to Candidate Experience" or "The Ultimate Guide to the Candidate Journey" to find further resources on either topic.

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