We talk a lot about strategy in recruitment – budgets, platforms, reach, conversions. But in the middle of all that, there’s a simple question we think deserves more airtime:
What’s it actually like to apply for your job?
Behind every job advert is an entire process – structured, multi-layered, sometimes chaotic – that shapes how a candidate experiences your brand long before they ever speak to a human. And as much as recruitment tech has evolved, the candidate experience often feels like it’s stuck in the past: click-heavy, convoluted, and a bit cold.
At Artfully, we think it’s time to re-centre the conversation around the person at the heart of it all – the candidate. We’ve broken down the entire recruitment ecosystem into a visual story – highlighting where things work, where they often fall apart, and what recruitment teams can do to improve both reach and results.
Candidate-first thinking isn’t just good for experience – it’s good for hiring.
A Job Advert’s Day Out: More Complex Than It Looks
Once a hiring manager gives the green light on a new role, it sets off a chain reaction. First comes the internal conversation – role objectives, ideal profiles, timelines. Then comes the translation of that information into a job advert. But that’s just the beginning. From here, the ad gets pushed out through various systems: ATS platforms, job boards, internal databases, agency partners, and aggregators.
The advert might live in ten different places. And depending on how it’s distributed, each of those touchpoints offers a completely different application experience.
Some routes are short and intuitive – a click,, done. Others? Not so much. Redirects, long forms, login prompts, re-entering the same information twice… It’s no wonder more than half of candidates drop off during the application process. According to industry data, over 50% of candidates abandon job applications that are too lengthy or poorly structured. That’s talent lost not due to lack of interest – but friction.
A 2024 report from Tribepad paints an even clearer picture:
92% of UK job seekers have quit an application mid-way through. The reasons? Technical issues. Poor mobile experience. Repeating the same information over and over. Here’s what else they found:
- 55% said the process felt unnecessarily long
- 42% struggled with mobile usability
- 1 in 4 felt discouraged from applying to that company again
That’s not just a bad UX – it’s a bad brand impression. And more importantly, it’s a missed hire.
Let’s not forget: the average UK job seeker applies to up to 27 roles a month (Totaljobs, 2023). They’re moving fast. If your process creates resistance, they’ll move on – often to a competitor who made applying feel easy. And in a market where top candidates are snapped up in under 10 days (LinkedIn UK, 2023), your application experience can’t just be functional. It needs to be fast, simple, and genuinely candidate-first.
So Where Does It Go Wrong?
Let’s map it out. There are typically two main ways a job advert gets to market: internally via an in-house recruitment team, or externally via an agency. And within each path, there are even more variables at play.
Why This Isn’t Just About the User Journey
You might be thinking – is a messy application journey really that big a deal?
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: candidate experience impacts more than just feel-good metrics. It directly affects application volume, quality of hire, employer brand perception, and overall recruitment ROI.
Every extra click, every redirect, every poorly-worded job ad represents an opportunity for a candidate to opt out. And when good candidates exit early, hiring becomes slower, more expensive, and less effective.
What a Better Journey Looks Like
Candidate-first thinking isn’t about flashy tech or gimmicks. It’s about simplicity, clarity, and respect for the applicant’s time. Here’s what we’ve seen work time and time again:
Use Direct Apply wherever possible – reduce unnecessary friction
Invest in compelling, well-branded job content – don’t just post a spec
Minimise clicks and platforms – make it easy to apply without jumping through hoops
Work with partners who understand your tone, your brief, and your brand
It’s not about reinventing the wheel. It’s about making the wheel turn more smoothly.
And Here’s Where Artfully Comes In
At Artfully, we spend every day helping businesses get more from their recruitment media budgets – not by spending more, but by spending smarter.
We look at the whole ecosystem: where your jobs are posted, how they’re written, how they perform, and – most importantly – what it feels like to apply.
Because when you make it easier for the right people to find and engage with your jobs, you hire better. Simple as that.
Want to see what that looks like for your next campaign? Let’s talk.
