By Celine Burns-Hind, Principal Consultant, Peak Recruitment 

Championing Candidate Care: Elevating Recruitment for Queensland Councils

In an era where talent is crucial to organisational success, treating candidates with care and respect has never been more important. Sometimes the standard of candidate care in recruitment can fall short, leaving applicants feeling undervalued and disconnected. From personal experience, I’ve encountered multiple instances where a lack of candidate care has left a lasting negative impression—no acknowledgement of applications, generic rejections after interviews and little to no feedback on performance. As someone committed to change, I've made it my mission to ensure candidates in my process feel valued, informed and appreciated. In this article, I’ve outlined why candidate care is important, and the positive impact and long-term benefits of candidate care for organisations and recruiters.

What is Candidate Care?

Candidate care encompasses all interactions with job applicants from the moment they apply to when a hiring decision is made—and ideally beyond. It’s the support, communication and respect extended to candidates, recognising their time, effort and commitment. Quality candidate care goes beyond transactional exchanges. It involves personal acknowledgement, genuine appreciation and feedback that helps candidates grow, even if they are not selected for the role.

Why is Candidate Care Important?

Good candidate care is essential for several reasons:

Reputation: Recruitment is as much about building a positive employer brand as it is about filling roles. Candidates remember how they’re treated and word of mouth spreads quickly, especially in a connected industry like ours. Research from a CareerBuilder1 study shows that 78% of candidates say their experience during the hiring process shapes their perception of how a company values its employees. This directly influences employer branding, with 86% of candidates checking company reviews2 on sites like Glassdoor before applying. Over half (55%) will avoid applying altogether if they see negative reviews. A positive candidate journey is not just a courtesy—it is a strategic necessity.

Experience: For many candidates, the recruitment process is their first impression of an organisation. An impersonal or unresponsive approach can deter high-quality talent and potentially impact relationships with your community. Positive experiences also make candidates more likely to engage in the future, with those receiving feedback being four times more likely to consider other opportunities with the company.

Fairness and Respect: The job application process requires time, energy and sometimes significant preparation. Showing candidates that their efforts are valued fosters goodwill and reflects positively on the organisation’s values.

Benefits of Prioritising Candidate Care

An intentional candidate care strategy benefits both organisations and applicants:

Strengthens the Talent Pipeline: Engaged candidates are more likely to apply for future roles even if they were previously unsuccessful, as they know they’ll be treated with respect and fairness. Candidates with a positive hiring experience are 66% more likely to refer others to the company5, making it easier to build a strong talent pool.

Enhances Employee Loyalty: According to research by the Talent Board, candidates who have a positive hiring experience are 38% more likely to accept a job offer and 29% more likely to remain with the company after three years3. This shows that a respectful and well-managed recruitment process directly contributes to long-term employee loyalty and retention.

Additionally, data from LinkedIn highlights that 83% of candidates say a negative interview experience can change their mind about a role or company they previously liked, whereas a positive experience can reinforce their commitment to the role and organisation4.

Builds a Positive Brand Reputation: Candidate care is a direct reflection of a company’s culture. A respectful recruitment process signals to the market that the organisation values people attracting top talent. Poor candidate experiences can have damaging consequences with dissatisfied candidates discouraging others from applying and actively avoiding engaging with the company as customers.

Who is Responsible for Candidate Care?

Responsibility for candidate care extends beyond recruiters to hiring managers and executives. Everyone involved in the hiring process plays a part:

Recruiters: Serve as the primary point of contact, guiding candidates through the process, managing expectations and ensuring timely communication.

Hiring Managers: Collaborate with recruiters to provide meaningful feedback ensuring that candidates receive specific insights from interviews that they can apply moving forward.

Executives: Promote a culture that prioritises people reinforcing candidate care as a core value in recruitment.

Attracting and Retaining Talent through Exceptional Candidate Care

To attract and retain the best talent, it’s essential to show candidates that your organisation values their time and skills:

Timely Communication: Promptly acknowledge applications and provide regular updates. Even if the process is lengthy, keeping candidates informed reduces anxiety and shows respect. I always make a point of contacting my candidate on a Friday, even if there’s no update on the process. I don’t want them going into the weekend feeling anxious or wondering if the role has gone to someone else. I give them a quick call to touch base and reassure them that no decision has been made yet and they are so appreciative.

Personalised Responses: Whenever possible, deliver feedback in a personal way—whether that’s a direct call or an email with specific feedback. Avoid impersonal rejections that fail to acknowledge a candidate’s effort.

Valuable Feedback: Provide actionable feedback, especially after interviews, that helps candidates understand their strengths and areas for growth.

In my own work, I’ve seen the benefits of a personal and engaged approach. Both successful and non-successful candidates frequently express gratitude for the time I take to provide feedback and insights, as well as my thorough knowledge of the roles. This commitment to care has created a positive reputation for the recruitment process I manage, benefiting both my clients and the candidates themselves.

Improving candidate care is not just a nice-to-have—it’s an essential part of building a strong, reputable organisation. By treating candidates with respect, showing genuine interest and providing meaningful feedback we can transform recruitment from a mere transaction into a process that adds value to everyone involved. Let’s make exceptional candidate care the standard for Queensland councils, creating a recruitment culture that attracts, retains and truly values the best talent.

1 CareerBuilder: Candidate Experience From End-to-End https://resources.careerbuilder.com/guides/candidate-experience-guide?utm_source=careerbuilder&utm_medium=pressrelease&utm_campaign=candidateexperience2017_b2b

2 Starred.com: Candidate Experience Statistics 2024: Stats, Facts, and Data You Need to Know https://www.starred.com/blog/candidate-experience-stats-facts-and-data-you-need-to-know#:~:text=As%20many%20as%2086%25%20of,poor%20ratings%20on%20their%20page.

3 The Talent Trailblazer Weekly: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ensuring-positive-candidate-experience-key-strong-brand-ferguson-1c/

4 LinkedIn Business https://business.linkedin.com/content/dam/business/talent-solutions/global/en_us/c/pdfs/global-talent-trends-report.pdf

5 https://corvirtus.com/blog/why-is-the-candidate-experience-so-important