Science

Inside the candidate mind

The psychology of the candidate journey

Ben Williams

Chief Scientist, Unseen Group

When candidates look at the people already working in an organisation, they are imagining a future version of themselves.

You will already be aware of the importance of representation in your marketing and attraction, but can your candidates genuinely identify with the people and stories they’re seeing?

Candidates are savvy enough to know that employer brand content is designed to persuade them. So if every employee uses the same, scripted language, it can be difficult to hear the person behind the message which can impact authenticity.

Our upcoming report, The Science of Employee Generated Content, dives into the power behind this and the credibility that individuality brings to your employer brand during the attraction stage.

Look for ways to give employees the freedom and confidence to tell their own stories, like through user generated content that they take the lead on. This could take the form of videos or posts shared on social, blog posts, thought pieces, or articles for the company website, or sharing professional milestones on LinkedIn. It can also be worth looking into different platforms that can help the team to create, for example Seenit guides and supports employees from start to finish in creating authentic testimonials in their own voices, even if being on camera isn’t something they’re used to.

Now they’re in the process, candidates are deciding whether to keep investing their time and attention.

Several things can raise red flags for candidates, with silence being the first. If there are delays or gaps in communication, without any context given, candidates will worry and fill those silences with their own stories, wondering whether they have failed or been forgotten.

Ensure you’re giving candidates clear communication deliberately at the moments where uncertainty is most likely to grow, rather than just increasing your volume of communications overall.

CIPD and Omni RMS reported in 2024 that 27% of UK employers recruiting in the previous year had experienced a new starter simply failing to turn up on Day One.

We recently outlined four key principles exploring science-backed approaches to this stage in the recruitment process, backed up by real examples of how to apply them shared by Holly Pearce, Grant Thornton’s Talent and Recruitment Experience Manager, in our blog. For practical strategies to reduce reneges and make sure your candidates are ready to join your team, read the full article here.

Candidates naturally form judgements about whether an assessment seems connected to the job and whether it feels like a reasonable way of making a decision about them.

Ensure you explain what you are assessing and why it matters to the role.

Difficulty should also be purposeful. An assessment should be challenging because the capability being assessed is challenging, not because the instructions are unclear, the interface is awkward or the time limit has not been properly tested.

It’s also important to think about the team delivering the assessment and how their behaviour can affect fairness and consistency, as this can impact how attractive the company feels at this stage in the journey.

Once a candidate receives and accepts an offer, the judgements and decision-making don’t stop there. Candidates may still be comparing opportunities, responding to a counteroffer or looking for reassurance that they have made the right choice.

Ensure your preboarding creates reassurance, connection and preparedness. Ahead of day one, share useful information and create opportunities to build connections (either in-person or virtually) to help candidates feel more engaged and prepared.

On day one, it’s important that the experience matches what you promised the candidate during attraction and recruitment.

If candidates were told they would have a voice, give them opportunities to contribute. If they were shown a close-knit team, introduce them to that team as soon as possible. If development was part of the recruitment story, show them how learning is supported. It may seem obvious, but ensuring these things are joined up can have a really positive impact post-offer.