Ideas for new #CandidateExperience metrics…

You know the adage, “When you become so good at using a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail”?

Applies to many aspects of life – and especially to #TalentAcquisition.

We’ve always done it this way…

What if we took an “angled” look at how we measure our successes and not-so-successes (AKA learning experiences)?

What if we had new ways to measure the oh-so-important #CandidateExperience?

⚫ Expectation Gap Score

Measures the delta between what the candidate expected (from the JD, recruiter messaging, or interview) vs. what they experienced once hired. Helps you catch misaligned messaging that breeds distrust, offer declines, first-year fallout, and long-term reputation damage.

🟡 How to track: Post-interview survey at 30, 90, 180, 360 days: Was the role what you expected based on the job description and recruiter conversations? Score the gap from 0 (perfect match) to 5 (totally different).

⚫ Emotional Load Index

Captures the candidate’s emotional fatigue or stress level throughout the process. Time-to-fill might be fast but if it’s exhausting, you’re eroding goodwill and turning off people.

🟡 How to track: Survey with prompts like: This process left me feeling…” (energized, neutral, drained, frustrated, etc.). Add optional sentiment analysis on open-text feedback.

⚫ Interview Confidence Bounce

Measures how much more (or less) confident a person feels about their skills and value after engaging with your hiring team. Great interviewers lift people up – even when rejecting them. Think of this in the Rate-My-Professor category of metrics.

🟡 How to track: Ask candidates before and after: “How confident are you in your fit for this role?” Look for positive, neutral, or negative “bounces.”

⚫ Invisible Labor Ratio

The ratio of total hours a person spends on your process (e.g. take-homes, prep calls, travel) to actual interview time or role relevancy. If people are putting in hours for roles they’re never seriously considered for, this becomes an experience equity problem.

🟡 How to track: Have candidates log time spent on take-home projects, assessments, or prep vs. perceived ROI.

⚫ Post-Rejection Brand Sentiment Delta

Measures the change in a person’s perception of your company after being rejected. The best employers elevate their brand even when delivering bad news. Want real hiring integrity? Focus on perception – because it is reality.

🟡 How to track: Pre-process brand perception (e.g., “How would you rate your view of our company?”), then ask again 1 week after a rejection decision. Add open-ended feedback.

What do YOU think about these?

Is “Well, we’ve always done it this way” truly the best approach?