Insights

​In today’s job market, both candidates and employers are on trial.

With applications per job ad at record highs in Australia, according to SEEK’s latest Employment Dashboard, competition is fierce. Standing out as an employer now depends as much on your candidate experience as it does on salary or title.

At the same time, Australia’s labour force participation is sitting around 67%, a statistic near historic highs, meaning that more people are active in the market and, importantly, are evaluating you from the first touchpoint.

Below, we unpack what great candidate care looks like in 2025, why it matters, and how to improve it with practical steps you can begin with now.

First impressions start long before the interview

It may seem obvious, but it’s important to remember that the hiring journey begins well before the interview. The first touchpoint with a candidate is your job ad, followed closely by your response – both how you respond and how quickly you do it.

When application volumes spike, clarity and speed separate strong employers from the rest. SEEK’s research confirms that application intensity is elevated nationwide, so a clear, well-structured ad and a tidy process are more than simple ‘nice to haves’ and instead are a competitive advantage.

Think about the early signals you send:

• Job ad clarity
  Jargon-free, transparent about duties, salary bands where possible, and next steps

•  Keep applications light on friction
  Ensure any forms are short, and also mobile-friendly

• Prompt acknowledgements
  A quick ‘we’ve received your application’ sets expectations and reduces drop-off

Communication isn’t optional, it’s decisive

Silence is the most common complaint from candidates. As reported by ERE, the Talent Board’s 2024 Candidate Experience Benchmark research (which is delivered from a research pool of over 230,000 participating candidates) shows that timely communication and status updates are among the strongest drivers of perceived fairness. Which means that communication is shown to be a key factor in whether candidates will reapply or refer others.

The research also found that many candidates were still waiting 1-2+ months to hear back, while top-rated employers were more likely to move candidates forward or close the loop within 3-5 days of applying.

Here are three practical habits to bring into your process, if they aren’t already there:

• Set and communicate timelines (i.e., screening, interviews, decisions).

• Close the loop quickly with those not progressing – don’t leave applicants hanging.

• Offer succinct feedback to finalists. The research links this to a 50% or more lift in the likelihood that candidates will accept your offer over competing ones.

Respect builds reputation … and reach

Candidates share experiences, whether it’s by word-of-mouth or via online platforms. In Australia, reviews on SEEK and Indeed are often the first places candidates turn, while Glassdoor remains influential globally. The latter platform reports 83% of job seekers research reviews and ratings when deciding where to apply, and users read about six reviews before forming an opinion.

Engagement matters too. According to Glassdoor, 70% are more likely to apply if an employer is active on the platform, and 71% say their perception improves when employers respond to reviews.

What you can do about this:

• Mind the basics
  Be punctual, prepared, and considerate at each stage

• Treat rejections with care
  Personalised notes where feasible and generic messages only when necessary

• Engage publicly
  Respond to reviews. Candidates value transparency and a listening culture

The business case for candidate care

Candidate experience isn’t a ‘soft’ metric. An analysis (ERE) of the Talent Board’s 2024 research links stronger experiences to higher perceived fairness, increased referrals, and better brand affinity, which are all examples of outcomes that compound over time.

ERE’s analysis also highlights that faster decisions, for example, offers made within a week of final interview, correlate with higher willingness to refer and stronger relationships with the employers.

Here are three practical tips to apply to your process:

• Offer acceptance
  Clear, timely, respectful processes improve the chance that your preferred candidate says ‘yes’. (Talent Board’s research consistently ties better experiences to higher acceptance and referrals.)

• Employer brand
  Active reputation management and responsiveness on review sites improve application volume and quality

• Long-term pipeline
  Positive experiences turn even unsuccessful candidates into future applicants to referrers, which can be a crucial edge for SMEs and NFPs

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A simple checklist to elevate your hiring experience

Use this as a quick audit against your current process …

Final thoughts

At Becks Wiggins Stokes, we believe recruitment should be a reflection of your business’ culture, and not just a transactional process. In a market where applications per role are at record highs, the organisations that win talent are the ones that show respect, clarity and consistency from the very first touchpoint.

We help SMEs and not-for-profits build hiring experiences that put people first, from clearer job ads and faster communication to closing the loop respectfully. If you’d like to improve your candidate care process (and your hiring outcomes!), we’re here to help.

Reach out to our team today at careers@bwsrecruitment.com.au