Candidate Experience: Corporate Culture in Real Time

If your application process only works for healthy, neurotypical, German-speaking full-time employees – then who are you actually recruiting?

Recruiting has long since become more than just process optimisation. It has become a culture test. And the candidate journey is the test format.

While companies invest a lot of money in employer branding, the real attractiveness of an employer is often decided in moments that no glossy campaign can capture: when a form is not barrier-free, an interview is conducted without regard for neurodiversity, or candidates never hear from the company again after applying.

A strong candidate journey doesn't begin with the job ad and it certainly doesn't end with the employment contract. It's an end-to-end experience – and it says a lot about how seriously a company takes diversity, respect and communication.

But how do you create a candidate journey that inspires and continuously improves? In short, the key lies in the right combination of feedback, culture and inclusive thinking.

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The candidate journey mirrors corporate culture

If the candidate journey is a strategic success factor today, it is not only because of the shortage of skilled workers, but because it shows how a company sees people as a whole.

Those who value transparency, fairness and individuality in the application process usually demonstrate these values in their day-to-day work as well. On the other hand, those who reject candidates without providing feedback or exclude candidates with disabilities due to technical barriers unintentionally send a strong signal about their own self-image.

Research supports this effect. According to a Gallup analysis from 2024, new employees who had an appreciative, structured experience during the application process are three times more likely to be satisfied with their job in the long term (Gallup 2024). The candidate journey thus has an impact that extends far beyond the moment of hiring. In particular, it affects employee retention.

Particularly relevant: many companies underestimate the role of accessibility as a cultural signal. If, for example, the online application form is not screen reader compatible or no consideration is given to sensory processing during interviews, neurodiverse or mobility-impaired talents implicitly experience the feeling of ‘I don't belong here.’

These barriers are not only an ethical failing – they are a business risk. In a 2023 study, Accenture shows that companies with high levels of inclusion in recruiting achieve 2.6 times more profit than the average (Accenture 2023). We also address this in our insight ‘Inclusive application processes – how to attract a greater pool of talent’.

Culturally mature companies recognise the candidate journey for what it is: an authentic expression of leadership culture, lived diversity and digital maturity. Those who act on an equal footing here – and actively listen – position themselves as modern employers and as authentic cultural ambassadors.

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Design experiences – actively manage the candidate experience

Candidates rarely remember what companies say about themselves – but they always remember what they experience. In times when ratings on kununu or Glassdoor reflect reality in recruiting, it is negligent to leave the candidate experience to chance.

Every touchpoint in the application process is a cultural micro-moment. From the first click on the job ad to the invitation to the interview and the final feedback – everything sends signals. And these signals shape the feeling of whether you feel seen, respected and welcome.

A common mistake: processes are designed from an internal efficiency logic, not from the point of view of applicants. At the same time, data from the 2023 Global Candidate Experience Benchmark Report shows that candidates drop out as soon as they feel they are being treated in an untransparent way or not addressed respectfully (Talent Board 2024). According to the study, the basic emotional feeling of the entire journey is decided in the first three phases in particular – job ad, application, initial contact.

What can companies do specifically?

Job ads with a focus on people: What do applicants really expect – in terms of content and culture?
Shorten response times: According to PwC, over 60% of candidates cancel applications if they do not receive feedback within a week (PwC 2022).
Conduct respectful interviews: Small talk is not a soft skill – it helps determine whether applicants feel safe.
Give feedback – even when you turn someone down: A short, personal message is shared more often than any image campaign.

And what about technology? It is not an end in itself. Digital tools such as applicant tracking systems (ATS) or chatbots should simplify processes, not distance you from applicants. Those who communicate automatically should still build in empathy: with understandable language, clear information and the option to ask questions.

Candidate experience is not created in PowerPoint slides – but in daily activities. Those who actively design their journey instead of just managing it transform recruiting from a process to a relationship.

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Establish a feedback culture – listening more often than you ask

It's easy to solicit feedback. The art is in listening – really listening.

Many companies use automated satisfaction surveys after job interviews to ‘measure the candidate experience’. But too often, these surveys are little more than superficial numbers that have no impact on the reality of the applicants.

Feedback is the most valuable indicator of cultural friction. It shows where expectations are not being met, where communication styles are misunderstood, or where technological tools may be efficient but impersonal. And it reveals blind spots, especially when organisations ask people from a wide range of backgrounds – such as neurodiverse applicants, international candidates, and applicants with disabilities – about their experiences.

The best employers do just that:

They make feedback an integral part of the candidate journey – structured, anonymised and, if desired, also open.
They analyse feedback along defined touchpoints and KPIs – such as drop-off rates, satisfaction with initial contact or post-interview transparency (feedback after rejection).
And above all: they react. They adapt their language, change forms, brief hiring managers and improve timings.

A strong practical impulse for inspiration: According to the CandE Benchmark Report 2023, top companies ask for applicant feedback three times more often than the average company – and implement the specific measures derived from it (Talent Board 2024). They make feedback visible. In the form of transformed processes. Or through feedback along the lines of: ‘Thanks for the hint – we've changed XY.’

This is exactly how trust is built. And trust is the currency of strong employer brands. After all, applicants don't remember how often they were asked – but they do remember whether they were heard.

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Inclusion as a quality feature – How barrier-free processes strengthen the candidate journey

Accessibility in recruiting is often seen as a technical task. But it is much more than that: it is a cultural quality feature – and a real differentiating factor in the competition for talent.

Important: Inclusion does not begin on the first day of work. It begins where people decide whether they want to apply at all. And this is precisely where it fails far too often: confusing forms, no alternative formats, no clear instructions for applicants with disabilities. Yet ‘barrier-free’ does not only mean ‘wheelchair accessible’. It means: visually accessible, linguistically comprehensible, sensory relieving, technically compatible – for everyone.

The good news is that many measures are easier to implement than you might think.
Here are a few examples:

Screenreader-optimised application forms
Alternative texts for images in job advertisements
Subtitles for videos on the careers page
Information on accessibility in the job ad
Flexible interview formats (e.g. remote, asynchronous, written)
Consideration of cognitive stress – e.g. by taking breaks during the interview or a clear structure

These measures send a signal: you are welcome – not despite, but because of your individuality.

Please also read ‘Checklist for barrier-free and successful career pages’ and ‘AI and automation: how algorithms render the application process more inclusive’.

Numerous studies confirm that companies that recruit inclusively benefit not only from greater diversity, but also economically. As already mentioned, the Accenture study ‘The Disability Inclusion Imperative’ shows that employers with a high level of inclusion achieve 1.6 times more revenue and 2.6 times more profit than the industry average (Accenture 2023).

And from a candidate experience perspective, inclusive processes increase the likelihood of applications and reduce dropout rates – especially among underrepresented groups.

To ensure a barrier-free experience is not a ‘nice to have’, but an integral part of a sustainable, credible candidate journey. It not only shows who is invited – but who has been considered.

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Conclusion: Rethink the candidate journey – and treat it with seriousness

The candidate journey is not a process diagram. It is an experience. And as with every experience, it is the feeling that counts. Always.

Companies that see recruiting as a one-way street lose talent before they really get to know it. Those who are willing to listen, reflect and also allow uncomfortable insights will be rewarded: with better matches, stronger employer branding – and a culture that is convincing both internally and externally.

The path to get there starts with a clear attitude and concrete steps:
taking feedback seriously.
designing touchpoints in a targeted way.
And breaking down barriers – visibly and silently.

Because the best candidate experience is one that excludes no one.

Do you want to optimise your candidate journey from start to finish – from the first job ad to onboarding? CareerTeam can support you with strategic advice, digital solutions and a deep understanding of modern talent acquisition. Let's work together to find out how your recruiting processes can become not only more efficient, but also more humane and inclusive. Feel free to contact us.