Candidate Journey
Written by
Tiffany ClarkAbout the Author
Tiffany is an experienced workforce development expert with extensive experience in the public sector, course development, and online learning.
Reviewed by
VidCruiter Editorial TeamAbout the Author
The VidCruiter Editorial Team offers practical recruitment advice, drawing on insights from seasoned professionals. Our award-winning content, supported by industry specialists, underscores VidCruiter's dedication to innovation in recruitment.
Last Modified
Apr 17, 2024
Candidate Journey
The candidate journey is a phrase that refers to the seven stages or steps of a job applicant’s process:
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Awareness
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Consideration
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Interest
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Application
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Selection
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Hiring
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Onboarding
During a candidate journey, potential job applicants will interact with a company through a number of points of interaction called touchpoints. Touchpoints can include:
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Viewing a job posting on a job board
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Reading reviews about a company
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Visiting a company’s website and social media channels
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Speaking with a representative at a career fair
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Filling out a job application
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Interviewing
Example:
Hiring managers and recruiters have a great deal of control over the candidate journey, and judicious planning can increase the chances of success for both the recruiters and the candidates. Many recruiters build out candidate journey maps that can include any or all of the touchpoints for the position they’re seeking to fill. One place to start is by building a persona for the ideal candidate and defining the candidate’s needs, then working forward from there to create the journey map.
Related Terms
Active Candidate
Passive Candidate
refers to candidates who are happily employed and not looking for a new job. A passive candidate has not applied for a recruiter’s open position, but the recruiter or hiring manager is considering them for a specific position. In some cases, passive candidates are already employed at the recruiter’s company.
Candidate Experience
refers to a job candidate’s interactions with a company and its hiring process.
Candidate Journey Map
Candidate Pipeline
is the term referring to a pool of potential candidates being considered by a recruiter or hiring manager. In some cases, the term may also be used to mean the same as candidate journey.