WILMINGTON, NC AND SEATTLE, WA — Talentegy, the award-winning talent analytics and engagement platform designed to help HR teams optimize candidate and employee experience, today announced the findings and release of their 2019 Candidate Experience Report. The research surveyed more than 4,000 respondents and monitored the activities of millions of job seekers to produce a comprehensive study on candidate behaviors and perceptions. Additionally, the report is the first of its kind to segment consistently across generations: Baby Boomers, Gen-X, Millennials and Gen-Z.

The research covers many phases of the job search and employment process, from the top resources used when starting to consider a job change, to the importance job seekers place on career site content and employer review sites, to their satisfaction levels throughout the job search, application and interview stages. While the research shows where technology improvements have been made, a significant portion, 56% of respondents, still encountered technical issues during the job search and application stage. This high incident rate is across both desktop and mobile devices.

“Even with the impressive innovations in HR technology, candidate experience for most employers still lags significantly behind day-to-day consumer experiences,” said Dwaine Maltais CEO at Talentegy. “We have quantified that lag, the impact to businesses, and how each generation compares and differs in our latest research providing an important resource for employers and HR technology providers.”

The lack of communication is still where job seekers are most dissatisfied with the recruiting process. It is also the highest rated area where job seekers want to see increased capabilities with 95% of job seekers saying the ability to follow-up on an application is the most important among several selections from culture and benefits, employee testimonials, video content, clear instructions or personalized interaction.

“The report finds that all candidates want a more transparent and communicative experience regardless of generation, but also shows key areas where there are generational differences in what is expected,” said Shawna Berthold, CMO at Talentegy.

Among the other key findings, Talentegy research uncovered:

• Sixty-nine percent of job seekers who had a negative experience would rarely or never reapply.
• More than 80% of candidates who had a positive experience would share that with their friends and network; conversely those with a negative experience would share it 69% of the time.
• Seventy-five percent of candidates, across all age groups, still prefer in-person interviews over video interviews.

To get the full 2019 Candidate Experience Report and additional insights across the generational breakouts, you may download a complimentary copy here.