February is the month of perfect matches and hiring isn’t all that different.
In today’s candidate-led market, securing top talent in the events industry isn’t just about salary or job titles. It’s about how candidates feel throughout the hiring process. A strong candidate journey creates trust, confidence and long-term engagement all of which directly impact retention.
When candidate journey is overlooked, employers don’t just lose applicants. They risk damaging their employer brand and hiring people who disengage before they’ve even started.
What is candidate journey?
Candidate journey refers to every interaction a candidate has with an employer throughout the recruitment journey, including:
Client brand appearance and voice
Initial communication
Speed and structure of the process and the communication of this
Interview experience
Transparency around salary and progression
Feedback and follow-up
In short, it’s how respected, informed and valued a candidate feels.
Why poor candidate journey leads to poor retention
In the events industry, where skills are highly transferable and competition for talent is strong, you will lose out on strong candidates due to unclear or impersonal processes. Even if you do manage to secure someone, a poor candidate journey can often result in:
Candidates accepting offers with lingering doubts
A lack of emotional buy-in before day one
Early withdrawal during onboarding
Increased risk of disengagement or even people leaving their new role in the early stages
If a process feels disorganised or unclear, candidates naturally assume the working culture will be the same.
What candidates actually want from the hiring process
Through daily conversations with event professionals, several themes consistently emerge:
· Clear communication: Candidates want to know where they stand so that means regular updates, even when there is no news, to help build trust and equally to allow candidates to manage their own search.
· Speed and momentum: Lengthy processes lead to lost interest or competing offers. Speed doesn’t mean rushing decisions; it means respecting candidates’ time.
· Transparency: Honesty around salary, progression, working patterns and challenges is essential. Overselling roles often leads to disappointment and early exits.
· A positive interview experience: Interviews should feel like conversations, not interrogations. Candidates want to be understood, not just assessed.
· Company insights: Businesses need to sell themselves to candidates and give insights into the role and company. Be forthcoming with information and help build that rapport further.
Creating the “perfect match” in hiring
Successful hiring isn’t about filling vacancies quickly; it’s about finding the right long-term fit. At Live Recruitment we don’t just focus on the candidate’s professional experience but also their:
Cultural and value alignment
Long-term career goals and aspirations
Motivation beyond job titles
Mutual expectations on both sides
This approach ensures candidates feel confident in their decision and employers make informed, sustainable hires.
Why strong candidate journey improves retention
A positive candidate journey does more than just secure an offer acceptance; it sets the tone for the entire employment journey:
Start roles feeling confident and motivated
Respect for their employer from day one
Engage more effectively during onboarding
That early emotional investment is the foundation of job satisfaction and job satisfaction is key to retention.
The hire that sticks
If you want your hires to last, candidate journey can’t be an afterthought, it needs to be the foundation of your recruitment strategy. Take a step back and view your process through a candidate’s eyes. Hiring managers should ask themselves when they last truly considered the journey their candidates experience, while candidates might reflect on what has made them feel confident that a role and company were the “right match.”
Every interaction during recruitment sets the tone for long-term engagement, satisfaction, and retention, so it’s essential to get it right from the very beginning.