Hiring Journey

The Hiring Journey Explained: What Most Companies Get Wrong in 2025

The hiring journey typically takes an average of 31 days to complete, yet many companies still struggle to get it right. We’ve seen firsthand how this process, which encompasses five critical stages from planning to onboarding, can make or break an organization’s talent acquisition efforts.

Unfortunately, most businesses underestimate how significantly candidate experience impacts their recruitment success. In fact, 48% of candidates are less likely to recommend or engage with an employer if scheduling isn’t handled well. The candidate journey has become essential to attracting top talent, especially as we define hiring strategies for 2025 and beyond.

Throughout this article, we’ll explore what the hiring journey actually entails, why it matters more than ever, and examine the key touchpoints where companies commonly falter. Additionally, we’ll share proven strategies to transform your hiring process into one that actually attracts and retains the best talents that align with your organization’s culture, values, and goals.

What is the hiring journey?

The hiring journey encompasses every step an organization takes to find, evaluate, and bring new talent aboard. Essentially, it’s the comprehensive process of recruiting and onboarding new employees within an organization. While companies often focus solely on their internal processes, the journey has two perspectives—the employer’s hiring process and the candidate’s experience moving through it.

Think of the hiring journey as similar to a marketing funnel. Just as customers move through awareness to purchase, candidates progress through distinct stages before becoming employees. Throughout this process, both the organization and potential candidates are evaluating whether they’re the right fit for each other.

The full hiring journey typically includes these key stages:

• Planning and analysis – Identifying the need for a position and defining requirements
• Recruitment and attraction – Posting job openings and sourcing candidates
• Selection and evaluation – Screening, interviewing, and assessing applicants
• Offering and negotiation – Extending offers and finalizing terms
• Onboarding and integration – Welcoming and integrating new hires

Behind the scenes, this journey involves numerous stakeholders working together—recruiters, hiring managers, HR personnel, and of course, the candidates themselves. Each participant plays a crucial role in making the process successful.

Moreover, the hiring journey doesn’t simply end with a signed offer letter. Many organizations now consider the onboarding process as part of the overall hiring experience. This extended view recognizes that proper integration into the company is just as important as selection.

For candidates, this journey (often called the candidate journey or candidate experience) begins long before they submit an application. It starts with their first exposure to your employer brand—perhaps through your careers page, social media, or word-of-mouth. From that moment, they’re forming impressions that will influence their decision to apply and eventually accept an offer.

The goal of designing an effective hiring journey isn’t just about filling positions. Rather, it’s about attracting and retaining the best talents that align with an organization’s culture, values, and goals. A well-structured process helps minimize costly hiring mistakes while ensuring new employees’ transition smoothly into their roles.

Notably, there’s a growing recognition that candidate experience throughout this journey profoundly impacts hiring outcomes. When candidates have positive experiences, they’re 80% more likely to apply to the company again. Conversely, 72% of candidates who’ve had a poor recruiting experience have shared it online or with someone else.

The stakes are high—a poorly executed hiring journey doesn’t just mean losing one candidate. It can damage your employer brand, increase hiring costs, and ultimately make it harder to attract top talent in the future.

Understanding this journey from both perspectives allows organizations to create a more candidate-centric approach. By placing candidates at the center of the hiring process and prioritizing their needs and expectations, companies can dramatically improve their recruitment outcomes.

Ultimately, the hiring journey represents more than just a series of administrative steps. It’s an opportunity to showcase your company culture, build relationships with potential talent, and lay the groundwork for successful long-term employment.

Why the candidate journey matters more than ever

“Never forget that behind every resume is a person who deserves respect and consideration throughout the hiring process.” — Jeff Moore, VP of Talent Acquisition at Toast

In today’s competitive job market, the power dynamic has fundamentally shifted. Candidates now evaluate companies just as thoroughly as companies evaluate them. This shift makes understanding and optimizing the hiring journey crucial for organizational success.

1. First impressions shape employer brand

First impressions begin forming long before candidates submit applications. The adage “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” rings particularly true in recruitment. These initial encounters—through your website, social media, job posting, or word-of-mouth—set the foundation for how candidates perceive your organization.

Unfortunately, many companies underestimate this impact. Data shows that 72% of candidates share their hiring experiences online or with others. Furthermore, 77% of people with negative experiences tell friends and family, potentially damaging your employer brand. This word-of-mouth effect significantly influences your reputation in the talent marketplace.

The consequences extend beyond recruitment—86% of employees and job seekers base their decision to apply on company reviews and ratings. Consequently, 55% of job seekers avoid companies with negative reviews, and 75% actively refuse jobs at organizations with poor reputations.

On the positive side, 8 in 10 candidates will share positive experiences with their work networks, and 50% will post favorable mentions on professional sites like LinkedIn or Glassdoor.

2. Candidate experience impacts offer acceptance

The quality of your candidate journey directly influences whether top talent accepts your offers. Consider this: 58% of candidates are more likely to accept a role after a positive recruitment process. Alternatively, poor experiences drive talent away—49% of job seekers turn down job offers specifically due to negative recruitment experiences.

Timing plays a crucial role here. According to a survey, candidates consider recruiting processes extending beyond three weeks too long. Indeed, half of candidates for management positions drop out when hiring takes over a month.

Communication throughout the candidate journey is equally important—60% of candidates drop out of hiring processes because of inadequate communication or delays. Yet another study found that 60% of candidates would appreciate knowing more about the recruiting process and their application status.

Through research, we know that candidate experience can boost offer acceptance rates by an impressive 28% when done well. Compared to the benchmark of 90% for offer acceptance rates, many companies fall short due to subpar experiences.

3. Poor journeys increase hiring costs

Suboptimal hiring journeys create substantial financial burdens beyond just recruitment costs. When candidates withdraw due to negative interactions, companies must restart searches and invest additional resources in screening, interviews, and coordination.

The direct financial impact is significant. Companies lose approximately INR 210,951 per open job requisition when candidates drop out of the funnel. This figure can quickly multiply into millions across multiple positions.

Extended vacancies create opportunity costs through:

• Lost productivity while positions remain unfilled
• Additional strain on existing team members
• Potential revenue loss from understaffed operations
• Competitive disadvantages in the marketplace

Alongside these immediate costs, poor candidate experiences create lasting damage to your talent pipeline. Almost 70% of candidates who have negative experiences will actively discourage others from applying. 

Even more concerning, 41% of those with negative experiences will stop buying from your brand entirely, creating a direct link between candidate experience and consumer behavior.

Optimizing Hiring Journey

Streamlining your recruitment process and enhancing candidate experience reduces these costs by helping you identify right-fit candidates more efficiently and fill positions faster. Organizations with strong employer brands see 50% more qualified applicants and 28% lower turnover.

The message is clear: investing in your hiring journey isn’t just good practice—it’s financially prudent and crucial for maintaining competitive advantage in 2025’s talent landscape.

Touchpoint 1: Awareness

The awareness stage marks the critical first touchpoint in the hiring journey, where potential candidates initially discover your company as a potential employer. At this stage, job seekers are forming impressions about your organization that will influence their decision to apply. Research shows that 65% of students in 2024 report that social media is their preferred channel for getting to know employers, making a strong initial presence crucial.

1. Define your employer brand clearly

Your employer brand represents your company’s identity in the eyes of your workforce and job seekers. It’s the authentic perception of your organization beyond marketing efforts and exists whether you actively manage it or not. A well-crafted employer brand not only attracts top talent but also builds loyalty among employees, helping organizations stand out in a competitive talent market.

The cornerstone of your employer brand is your Employee Value Proposition (EVP). This outlines the unique benefits and experiences your company offers to employees. A strong EVP typically includes:

• Career development opportunities for growth and learning
• Work-life balance with flexibility options
• Competitive compensation and benefits that attract top talent

To develop an effective employer brand, ensure alignment with your company’s mission, vision, and values. Then consistently incorporate this messaging across all recruitment touchpoints—from careers pages to job postings.

2. Use social media to showcase culture

Social media provides a direct connection to the talent you want to attract, with over 4.5 billion people using these platforms globally. Each platform offers unique advantages for employer branding:

• LinkedIn: Ideal for sharing company updates, employee achievements, and industry thought leadership
• Instagram: Perfect for visual storytelling that showcases company culture creatively
• TikTok: Excellent for connecting with younger talent through short, engaging videos
• Facebook: Great for community-building and longer-form content

Authenticity is paramount in social media employer branding. Candidates want to see real day-to-day experiences, not just polished marketing materials. Sharing employee-generated content, behind-the-scenes looks at your workplace, and “day in the life” features helps potential candidates picture themselves in your organization.

Employee testimonials have proven particularly effective. Interviewing team members with open-ended questions about company culture creates compelling content for your social channels. Likewise, showcasing team-building events and celebrating accomplishments demonstrates that you value your people.

3. Optimize your careers page for visibility

Your careers page often serves as a candidate’s first impression of your organization. Studies reveal that 64% of job seekers find career pages among the most useful resources during their job search. A poorly designed page can frustrate candidates, leading them to abandon the process entirely.

Beyond just listing vacancies, your careers page should showcase what makes your organization unique and help candidates visualize working with your team. Include these essential elements:

• Employee testimonials and “day in the life” videos
• Clear articulation of company culture and core values
• Photos of real employees and behind-the-scenes content

To maximize visibility, ensure your careers page ranks high on search engines. Use strategic keywords such as “jobs at [Your Company]” and “[Industry] Careers”. Creating location-based landing pages for specific regions and adding meta descriptions with header tags to organize content further improves discoverability.

Finally, consider using structured data (JobPosting schema) to improve job visibility on Google for Jobs. This technical optimization can significantly increase the chances of your openings appearing in specialized search results.

Touchpoint 2: Attraction

Once potential candidates become aware of your company, the next critical phase in the hiring journey begins—attraction. This touchpoint focuses on compelling qualified talent to take action and apply. A staggering 61% of employers struggle to retain employees while 73% face difficulties attracting them, making this stage particularly crucial for recruitment success.

1. Write transparent job descriptions

Transparency in job descriptions isn’t optional anymore—it’s essential for drawing the right candidates to your organization. Clear, honest job descriptions demonstrate that your company values fairness and builds trust with potential applicants. When expectations are transparent from the beginning, candidates arrive prepared and excited about the role.

A well-crafted job description should include:

• A defined job purpose and detailed scope of responsibilities
• Specific skills and experience requirements
• Professional tone with straightforward, inclusive language
• Salary range and benefits information

Surprisingly, although 61% of job seekers consider compensation information most important, 99% of top-performing job descriptions don’t include it. Breaking this pattern by being upfront about salary ranges sets you apart from competitors.

Alpine Virtual CEO Nicole Magelssen explains, “When expectations are clear from the start, the right candidates show up ready to hit the ground running. Transparency isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the secret ingredient to building strong, lasting teams.”

2. Highlight growth opportunities

Forty-five percent of employees leave jobs over concerns about lack of advancement opportunities. To attract top talent, your organization must be a place where people can advance their careers and develop new skills via upskilling and reskilling programs.

Job candidates are increasingly focused on long-term potential. Millennial workers, in particular, are eager to grow professionally. Accordingly, your job descriptions should clearly explain:

• How the role fits into the organization’s hierarchy
• Available training programs, mentorship, or certifications
• Potential promotions or expanded responsibilities

Consider including visual roadmaps that illustrate how employees can progress from entry-level positions to leadership roles. Sharing career transformation stories on your company pages gives candidates concrete examples of growth within your organization.

As Jennifer Mihajlov from Qualee recommends, “In your job description, share how performance will be measured within the first 6-12 months”. This transparency helps candidates visualize their future success with your company.

3. Offer real glimpses into team life

Candidates crave authentic insights into your company culture beyond polished marketing materials. Team Stories—content created by current employees—gives applicants a genuine look at daily work life.

Naomi Clarke, Flingster’s Head of HR, explains how this approach builds diversity: “A successful outcome of this approach was a recent hiring cycle where 40% of applicants came from underrepresented backgrounds—a direct result of transparent and inclusive job descriptions.”

Consider these practical approaches:

• Encourage current employees to share their daily work activities through social media or your careers page
• Add a “day in the life” snapshot to job descriptions that helps candidates envision their potential workday
• Include video content or employee testimonials on your career site

Remember that different departments offer unique perspectives. Your sales team’s daily experience differs completely from marketing. By showcasing these varied experiences, candidates can better determine whether they’d thrive in your environment.

Throughout the attraction phase, consistency matters. When your employer brand messaging aligns with the actual experience, you’ll attract candidates who are genuinely excited about your organization and more likely to become engaged, productive team members.

Touchpoint 3: Application & Evaluation

“Time spent on hiring is time well spent.” — Robert Half, Founder of Robert Half International

After attracting candidates to your opportunities, the application and evaluation stage becomes the make-or-break moment in the hiring journey. First and foremost, your application process directly impacts candidate follow-through—with job abandonment rates reaching as high as 95% in some cases.

1. Simplify the application process

A complicated application process is the silent killer of your recruitment efforts. Job seekers often juggle multiple applications simultaneously, making simplicity crucial for completion rates. Research shows that candidates value their time and don’t want to navigate endless obstacles just to express interest in your company.

To simplify your application process effectively:

• Create short forms that can be completed in just a few steps
• Enable single-page application submission to reduce confusion
• Implement CV autofill features to minimize repetitive data entry
• Consider breaking the application into digestible stages

Remember that forcing applicants to jump between platforms or re-enter information after uploading their resumes frustrates candidates and increases drop-offs. Remarkably, tools that allow candidates to apply via SMS or chat can boost application conversion rates by more than 5x.

2. Use automation for faster screening

The raw numbers are eye-opening—approximately 88% of resumes received for open positions come from unqualified candidates. This reality makes manual screening both time-consuming and inefficient.

Automated screening technologies transform this process through several key innovations. Resume parsing software automatically extracts essential information from applications—including skills, experience, and education—organizing it into easily readable formats. Simultaneously, AI-powered screening tools can scan thousands of databases to identify qualified passive candidates.

Pre-screening questionnaires with automated scoring further refine your candidate pool. The best systems can automatically shortlist or reject candidates based on pre-defined criteria, allowing recruiters to focus immediately on high-potential applicants. This approach substantially reduces time-to-hire while ensuring only qualified candidates move forward.

Despite this efficiency, the human element remains vital. The ideal screening process allows recruiters to shift from mechanical tasks to meaningful candidate conversations.

3. Communicate next steps clearly

Poor communication drives candidates away—60% drop out of hiring processes due to inadequate updates or delays. As demonstrated by research, candidates have clear expectations regarding communication throughout the application process.

At minimum, your communication strategy should include:

• Confirmation of application receipt
• Clear timeline expectations about when candidates will hear back
• Status updates at each stage of the evaluation process
• Personalized feedback, especially for rejected candidates

Ultimately, job seekers want to understand where they stand in your process. They appreciate knowing your hiring timelines and what to expect next. In contrast to common practice, providing constructive feedback to unsuccessful candidates transforms rejection into a positive interaction—candidates will remember and value this transparency.

By implementing these three strategies, you’ll create an application and evaluation experience that respects candidates’ time while efficiently identifying your best-fit talent. The result? A stronger candidate journey that builds your employer brand rather than diminishing it.

Touchpoint 4: Interviewing & Hiring

The interview stage represents the pivotal moment in your hiring journey where both parties make critical judgments. Structured interviews are typically twice as effective at predicting job performance than unstructured ones, yet many organizations still rely on gut feelings and inconsistent approaches.

1. Train interviewers for consistency

Proper interviewer training forms the foundation of fair hiring decisions. Interviewers must understand how to conduct structured interviews via proper interview techniques, rate candidates objectively, and avoid unconscious bias. In an increasingly remote world, recording and reviewing interviews helps reduce errors through quality control processes. This investment pays off—rigorous interview quality assurance can result in the same recommendation for identical candidate skill levels 98.8% of the time.

2. Provide interview guides to candidates

Interview guides benefit both interviewers and candidates alike. For candidates, receiving preparation materials reduces anxiety and creates a more level playing field. A comprehensive guide typically includes:

• The expected timeframe for the interview
• Names and roles of panel members
• Position details and responsibilities

These guides increase fairness by standardizing the interview process, ensuring every candidate gets the same opportunity to showcase their skills. They also help candidates arrive prepared, resulting in more meaningful conversations about job-relevant qualifications.

3. Use structured evaluations to reduce bias

Standardized scoring rubrics are fundamental to reducing hiring bias. Unlike unstructured interviews where questions vary based on interviewer whims, structured approaches follow consistent formats with predefined evaluation criteria. The most effective systems include:

• Standardized job-specific questions asked to all candidates
• Anchored rating scales with clear examples
• Documentation of feedback for each candidate

This methodology ensures evaluations focus on job-relevant skills rather than subjective impressions, yielding more reliable hiring outcomes.

4. Speed up offer rollouts with digital tools

The period between final interview and offer represents a critical window where top candidates may accept competing opportunities. Digital tools streamline this process through:

• Automated workflow systems for approval routing
• Digital document signing capabilities
• Integrated background check processes

Creating a standardized, tech-enabled offer process reduces the risk of losing qualified candidates during extended waiting periods—particularly important as half of management position candidates drop out when hiring takes over a month.

Throughout the interview phase, remember that candidates are evaluating your company just as thoroughly as you’re evaluating them. Each interaction and measuring candidate NPS contribute to their perception of your organization and ultimately influences their decision to join your team.

Conclusion

Throughout our exploration of the hiring journey, we’ve seen how critical each touchpoint becomes in securing top talent. The five stages—from planning to onboarding—require thoughtful design and implementation, especially as we move further into 2025. Companies that understand the candidate’s perspective undoubtedly gain a competitive advantage in today’s talent marketplace.

Most organizations still miss the mark by treating recruitment as a one-sided process. However, the evidence clearly shows that candidates evaluate employers just as thoroughly as companies assess them. First impressions matter significantly—72% of candidates share their experiences online or with others, creating ripple effects that extend far beyond a single hiring decision.

Financial implications of poor hiring journeys cannot be overlooked. Companies lose approximately INR 210,951 per unfilled position when candidates drop out, not to mention the hidden costs of extended vacancies and damaged employer reputation. Alternatively, strong employer brands attract 50% more qualified applicants while reducing turnover by 28%.

Each touchpoint offers opportunities for improvement. Your awareness strategy must showcase authentic company culture through social media and optimized career pages. Job descriptions need transparency about compensation and growth paths during the attraction phase. Application processes should prioritize simplicity and clear communication, while interviews must follow structured approaches that reduce bias.

The most successful organizations recognize that the hiring journey extends beyond simply filling positions. These companies focus on creating meaningful connections with candidates that reflect their values and culture. This approach transforms recruitment from a transactional process into a strategic advantage.

As we look toward the remainder of 2025 and beyond, organizations that prioritize candidate experience throughout the hiring journey will certainly outperform their competitors in attracting and retaining valuable talent. After all, your hiring process doesn’t just determine who joins your team—it fundamentally shapes your organization’s future.

Key Takeaways

The hiring journey in 2025 requires a candidate-centric approach that treats recruitment as a two-way evaluation process, not just company selection.

• Poor candidate experiences cost companies INR 210,951 per unfilled position – 72% of candidates share negative hiring experiences online, damaging employer brand and future recruitment efforts.

• Simplify applications and communicate clearly throughout the process – 60% of candidates drop out due to inadequate communication, while complex applications can have 95% abandonment rates.

• Use structured interviews and transparent job descriptions – Structured interviews are twice as effective at predicting job performance and reduce hiring bias significantly.

• Showcase authentic company culture through social media and employee testimonials – 65% of job seekers prefer social media to learn about employers, making genuine cultural representation crucial.

• Speed matters in competitive talent markets – Half of management candidates drop out when hiring takes over a month, making streamlined processes essential for securing top talent.

The hiring journey extends beyond filling positions—it’s about building your employer brand and creating lasting impressions that attract quality candidates while reflecting your organizational values and culture.

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