Cracking the code: Job hunting vs. online shopping

What do an audioshop and an IT recruiter have in common?  

They both prioritize experience, whether it’s the customer experience in the shop or the candidate experience in recruitment. But what exactly constitutes a positive candidate experience, and how does it parallel the journey of buying something online? Just imagine: you order a fabulous pair of headphones (let’s call them the BOSE brand) for home delivery. You’re on the website, you choose a model, you put it in your basket, you pay, and then you wait for the confirmation that will pop up after your order: „Your order has been placed.” This is the first sign that things are going well. Some of us don’t trust the confirmation from the website, so we wait for the next steps, such as: 

• An email stating, „Your order has been placed” confirms that the retailer has indeed received our order.  
• „Your order is in progress” — This builds a sense that we are up to date with the progress.  
• „Your order has been shipped and will be delivered within 2 working days” — The excitement level rises. The knowledge that we will soon be able to enjoy our purchase becomes increasingly tangible.  
• The final stage: „Your order will be delivered today between 10:00-12:00.” Here, we just stare at our clock, waiting for the delivery person.  
• You receive the package. 

The whole process, from placing the order to receiving the product, was transparent, smooth, and hassle-free, contributing significantly to a positive CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE. 

Let’s change the perspective: You had not received any confirmation e–mail of your order. Think of the emotions you would have felt. Probably, you are wondering, „Has the order been received, or not? Should I write that I have placed the order, or should I wait?”  

We are going further: How do you feel when the delivery person doesn’t deliver your package between 10:00-12:00?  

Are you disgusted, upset, or maybe disappointed? Someone has not fulfilled the promise they gave you.  

All these steps take care of the customer experience. Let’s try to apply this to the world of recruitment. 

How we, at Macrix take care of the CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE? 

And what the Candidate Experience actually is? 

Candidate experience is simply how a job seeker feels about their interactions with a company during the hiring process. It includes everything from finding job ads to getting feedback after interviews. The goal is to make this journey positive and respectful for applicants, with clear communication and transparency, regardless of whether they get hired. 

Important touchpoints in candidate experience: 

• Job advertisement 

Right from the moment you see the advertisement and start applying.  

The ad is the analogy of an advertisement for the headphones you want to buy.  You see an advertisement written in a pleasant language, describing the company’s culture and opportunities for growth, and after reading it you can determine if it is the company for you.  At MACRIX, you will find an advertisement written in this way. 

BTW 92% of candidates really consider how a job offer is written before they decide to apply (according to the eRecruiter report). – 

• Application procedures 

The simplicity of applying can be compared to the easiness of placing an order. When you click the 'Apply’ button, the form’s simplicity determines whether you submit your CV. The intuitive process encourages you to complete your application and provides a positive Candidate Experience. 

What would you do if the application form asks you to enter all the information from your CV into individual fields on the form? Most likely you would not complete the application as you seen it as a waste of your time especially when the CV with all those data is usually required as well. This is where your Candidate Experience would dropped off 🙁.   

We simplify applying, respecting your time. Complex forms? Not here. We value efficiency.

• Communication from the company 

After submitting your application, you should receive an automatic reply confirming that your CV has been received. All that remains is waiting for the next contact.  

At Macrix, this is the message that everyone receives: We want you to know that your CV has arrived! A few days later,  we will inform you whether we would like to invite you to the next stage of the selection process This is the analogy of receiving your parcel. Getting such a call is extremely valuable – you know that your application was seen by a real person and not just an automated e-mailing system.  It’s that human touch in our virtual world, something I value and practice when recruiting. 

During the first call, you should be told what type of interview you are being invited to, what topics will be on the agenda and who will be the interviewer. You should receive a mail confirming the appointment, including the date, time and link to the interview. You can combine this with a mail confirming when a package is delivered. When you are fully informed of a meeting, you are naturally in a better state of mind.  

If you received an invitation to a job interview without any confirmation by e-mail or SMS, how would you feel?  

Nobody likes to feel uncertain, especially about something as important as an interview.  We understand the importance of confirming the meeting and its details, which is why you will receive from us a confirmation mail up to 15 minutes after our call. 

• Interview stages 

We’re transparent about the process from the start. And if there are multiple stages, we keep you informed. 

This approach ensures that the candidate feels supported and clearly understands what to expect. If it is a single stage process, we should mention this in the job advertisement from the very beginning. 

 When the interview is completed, the recruiter should let you know when you can expect feedback. If you have been promised feedback within 3 days, the recruiter should contact you no later than the third day. However, if for some important reason this is not possible, you can expect to be informed of the postponement, at least a basic explanation and the new deadline. 

• Feedback after the recruitment process 

Waiting for feedback during the recruitment process is like expecting a parcel to arrive. Imagine you expect a parcel to be delivered between 10:00 and 12:00; similarly, feedback arrives within a set timeframe.  When it comes to recruiting, we may decide not to go ahead with a candidate. When this happens, we ensure that our feedback is constructive, as we value honesty and transparency. These principles are fundamental to build long-term relationships. If we find there’s a mismatch, even the most impressive technical skills cannot overcome the importance of a good cultural fit. This approach respects both sides – our team and the candidate – and ensures fairness and clarity throughout the process. 

The feedback you get from the recruitment process is supposed to be an added value for you. Do not take it negatively and try to not see it as a bad intention of a company you applied. Only transparent and honest feedback provides clear explanation about the decision, ensures common understanding and identify the areas for improvement for you. You can learn a lot about your strengths and areas for improvement by going through the recruitment. 

By the way, information about the reasons for non-qualification is an expectation of 72% of candidates and received only by… 17% (these are again the results from a survey by eRecruiter and Great Digital).

Candidate experience is an essential aspect of candidates journey from being engaged by a job advertisement to being hired, or sometimes rejected from the process.   

 Guiding candidate through each recruitment process stage, it’s essential for me, as a recruiter, to provide clear expectations and ensure that any commitments made are upheld. Your journey shapes Your experience and forms initial impressions of the employer. Mistakes and misunderstandings are part of being human, but what truly matters is learning from them and and always working to make the process better over time.   

Myself and the entire HR team pay a lot of attention to making the processes enjoyable. We experiment with various  feedback methods such as  surveys, individual post-recruitment calls or  feedback mails), ensuring our candidates  have a voice and they are heard. 

• In our last recruitment cycle, once we had made our decisions, we contacted the candidates with detailed feedback and invited them to share their impressions of the whole process. We also asked for their perspective on the feedback they had received. This approach helps us to maintain a transparent and constructive dialogue, ensuring that each interaction is a valuable learning experience for both parties. 
• At Macrix at one stage we conduct a company presentation  to provide candidates with comprehensive information about us, how we work and what is important for us the most. This ensures  that candidates have a better picture of a company and could decide if they share the same values. 
•  We once sent out a pre-recorded presentation 3 days before an interview. This gave the candidate a chance to watch it and collect more questions. It was also a chance for us to see who was prepared for the meeting. 

Remember, recruitment is a two-way street. Both parties – recruiter and candidate – play active roles. Let’s enjoy the journey together! 

Stay updated on our job ads and feel free to reach out with any thoughts on candidate experience. 

Claudia Sójka

IT Recruitment Specialist at Macrix