The Candidate Experience Gap: What Job Seekers Really Expect in 2025
85% of workers are currently open to other job opportunities, according to a recent Job Seeker Nation Report. Almost half of the candidates surveyed in this report say they’re also actively seeking a new role.
These figures show that now is the perfect time for employers to refine their recruitment and onboarding processes to meet job search strategies in 2025 more effectively.
A good candidate experience is no longer just about offering good pay. To compete, organisations must build a highly skilled and engaged workforce. That means considering what candidates are really looking for during their 2025 job search to attract and retain the best talent.
In this article, we’ll explain how closing the candidate experience gap can help you secure first-choice employees. We’ll also provide some key examples of job expectations and how your organisation can meet them to ensure candidates become valued workforce members.
Why Should You Consider the Candidate Experience?
As a key part of prospective employees’ overall journeys, considering the candidate experience is crucial because it shapes their early perceptions of your organisation.
Good job descriptions highlight the key responsibilities and qualifications required. However, it’s not until the interview stage (and beyond!) that candidates begin forming first impressions about whether the role and culture are a good fit for them — not just the other way around!
A poor candidate experience with inconsistent communication and little consideration for their professional needs can cause top talent to go elsewhere. This includes everything from ghosting candidates after job offers to long, complex onboarding processes that leave them feeling lost and deflated. As a result, these organisations struggle to attract and retain their first-choice candidates.
72% of candidates who have had a poor experience share it online or in person, warning future applicants away from the company. On the flip side, companies that build strong reputations, with a great start to the employee journey, are more likely to secure candidates who have the right skills and qualifications for the job.
This is especially crucial in health and aged care, where offering top-quality services is key to good patient outcomes and a high quality of life for residents. The aged care sector is also expected to see a 110,000-worker deficit by 2030. This could rise to over 400,000 by 2050.
HR teams in this sector, and in all industries, must therefore show why their organisation is the best fit for their ideal candidates’ expectations.
What Do Job Seekers Expect From a Good Candidate Experience?
Job seekers today expect a structured, timely candidate experience that’s personalised to their needs, with clear feedback and flexibility. HR teams must use digital, modern processes to achieve these goals and leave a good lasting first impression reflecting the company’s values.
Considering some key job search strategies for 2025, here are five examples of job expectations that should inform your recruitment and onboarding processes:
1. Clear Application Process
66% of workers say they feel burned out from searching for a new job, reaching 81% in the clinical healthcare industry! By the time they apply, many job hunters are already stressed.
One way to ease this stress is by making complex application processes, which immediately put candidates off, as seamless as possible. Include comprehensive job descriptions that clearly outline your expectations, as misleading information wastes the time of both HR teams and candidates. With 67% of job applications completed on mobile devices, convenient and accessible applications are also essential for optimising your recruitment process.
65% of candidates surveyed by LinkedIn agreed that a bad interview experience would make them lose interest in the job, so focus on this key stage of the application journey, too.
Candidates are screening the company just as much as your HR team is interviewing them, so don’t just ask questions — help them learn about the company culture. In the same LinkedIn survey, 51% of professionals said an office visit and tour is the best way to learn.
Be sure to gather feedback after every interview. This helps refine the experience for future applicants and also leaves a good lasting impression, even if the candidate isn’t hired.
2. Flexible Working Options
Employees aren’t just workers. They’re also juggling family commitments, their health, and their social lives, which are more important today than ever in these post-pandemic years.
Good work-life balance is now an expectation, not just an employee benefit. 46% of workers say they’re looking for a new job that provides more flexible or remote opportunities. 32% of those who have declined offers in the past 12 months point to limited remote working opportunities as the most significant factor in their decision.
That’s why even more companies are switching to fully remote and hybrid roles, which also helps with childcare and saves on commuting expenses. For instance, a human resources professionals survey found that demands for full-time staff to be in the office or on site between three and five days per week are falling.
While not possible for all industries, flexibility in schedule and place of work should be a crucial consideration for organisations looking to meet candidate expectations more effectively.
3. Strong Communication
Although the selection and onboarding process can be time-consuming, try to avoid leaving candidates in the dark after making a job offer. A personalised experience with consistent communication throughout is key to demonstrating that you care about their needs and well-being.
Starting preboarding straight away shows that you respect their time, which is reflective of your organisation’s overall values. Begin by setting new hires up with their own online portal to receive all contracts and policies and start training. HR teams can also use the portal to track employee progress and see where they need help.
Invest in quality onboarding software that sends automatic reminders to ensure this paperwork gets signed on time and the candidate experience isn’t delayed. You could also provide personalised welcome messages that celebrate candidate milestones and really integrate them into the company culture from the beginning.
Maintaining great communication builds trust and keeps candidates engaged. They also know what to expect on the first day, helping them settle in more easily and quickly become a loyal team member.
4. Comprehensive Training
81% of job hunters believe training in new technologies is important for securing a job this year. 89% agree that addressing skills gaps can improve their odds of moving into a new role.
Creating a strong training and development programme is key to closing the candidate experience gap, showing candidates that you’re invested in their future as an employee within your workforce.
However, overwhelming candidates with information can cause them to become frustrated and struggle to absorb your policies and procedures, leading to errors when they start the role. Instead, deliver training materials in small, manageable chunks, adapted to the candidate’s learning style.
Use online videos or digital step-by-step checklists, for example, that cover their day-to-day responsibilities, important company information, and specialist areas required for the role. Some candidates may prefer working one-to-one with a colleague.
5. Streamlined Onboarding Process
Forbes research found that 30% of new hires leave within the first 90 days. 43% of these hires leave because the role doesn’t meet their initial expectations, while 32% say the company culture isn’t a good fit.
The takeaway? HR teams must demonstrate both clear role expectations and a positive company culture from the start to stop candidates from getting cold feet. Integrating technology into the candidate journey can achieve this by creating a more efficient onboarding process.
Prioritise mobile-first platforms that make candidate onboarding quick and straightforward. Candidates can complete the process from anywhere, without the back-and-forth between candidates and departments to sign, print, and send important preboarding documents.
Comprehensive onboarding software also reduces the administrative burden. Switching manual contact creation for digital tools helps to create custom contracts and policy documents in bulk that ensure you meet industry compliance requirements. Automated review workflows send notifications to all relevant departments and team members, collecting secure digital signatures quickly and effectively.
This leaves more time to spend on the fun aspects of the candidate experience, including planning social events like team-building activities and welcome lunches. These activities truly help new hires build relationships with colleagues and feel part of the organisational culture.
Close the Candidate Experience Gap with Onboard Express
Fail to meet candidate expectations and you could lose valuable employees before they’ve even started. But create an informative, streamlined journey that reflects your brand’s values and you’ll be one step closer to successfully building a productive, engaged workforce that will continue attracting top-tier candidates in future.
At Onboard Express, our purpose-built platform delivers a personalised onboarding experience for every candidate. Enjoy effortless contract creation and secure online approvals that cut costs by up to 80%, accelerate day one readiness, and keep new hires engaged, all while maintaining compliance.
Book a free demo today to see how we can help your HR team effectively close the candidate experience gap and ensure more choose you during their 2025 job search.