Posted on: 11/12/2025

Thought Leadership

Guest writer, Paula McInally from West Midlands Combined Authority, reframes candidate experience as the true measure of modern recruitment, showing how small human moments build trust, confidence and lasting engagement. Personal contact, inclusive adjustments and accessible processes benefit candidates through clarity and dignity. For employers, they strengthen reputation, widen access, improve outcomes and position recruitment as a strategic lever for culture and community trust.

Redefining Candidate Experience: Making recruitment feel human again By Paula Mcinally, Talent Acquisition Partner, West Midlands Combined Authority

What if the most memorable part of recruitment wasn’t the job, but how you made someone feel? It is how they were treated. Not the job title. Not the salary. Not even the organisation’s brand. It is how they felt.

The role, pay, and brand bring people into the process, but it is the experience they have that keeps them engaged and encourages them to join. That is the difference and the value created by great talent acquisition teams. Yet many organisations still treat recruitment as a transaction rather than a relationship.

At the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), we have taken this to heart. Over the last few years, our recruitment team has been rethinking what good candidate experience looks like and why it matters.

Starting point

We looked at our recruitment process from the candidate’s perspective. It was functional but not always personal. Candidates did not always know what to expect and feedback was inconsistent. While our team worked incredibly hard, much of that time went into administration rather than human interaction.

When we introduced Tribepad as our applicant tracking system through WME’s WMTalent Acquisition Service, it gave us a fresh start. This was more than a system change. It was a chance to put people back at the centre. We chose to use technology not to speed up processing, but to create space for better human connection.

We asked a simple question: how can we make every candidate feel respected, supported, and informed, whatever the outcome? That became our goal.

We are treating this as a continuous journey. We are now reviewing our systems to make engagement easier, listening to new joiners to understand their experiences, and improving onboarding so people feel supported from the moment they accept an offer. We are also running external focus groups to shape our Employee Value Proposition, so it reflects the communities we serve. What would happen if every candidate received the level of care we would want for ourselves?

Challenging our assumptions

Every candidate invited to interview now receives a personal call from a member of the team. We explain what to expect, check for any adjustments they might need, and answer questions. It is a small gesture, but it makes people feel prepared and supported.

We recognise how many people across the West Midlands want to work for the Combined Authority and contribute to our shared ambition. Every conversation is a chance to learn about a candidate’s career story and lived experience. If someone is not successful, we keep them in mind for future roles.

Feedback has also been transformed. Every candidate receives constructive feedback. One candidate told us: “The recruitment experience was encouraging, supportive, and empowering. I felt genuinely valued every step of the way.”

Extending our reach

Improving candidate experience also means widening who gets to experience it. We focus on reaching underrepresented groups and working proactively in local communities. We are introducing tools to reduce gender bias in job descriptions and providing clearer, more inclusive information for neurodivergent applicants.

We are mindful that not everyone can easily access digital systems. Visual impairments or limited access to technology should not be barriers. We offer alternative ways to apply and provide support whenever needed. Candidates applying through the Disability Confident scheme are supported with reasonable adjustments, and we guarantee interviews for anyone meeting the minimum requirements.

Social mobility is also a priority. Through the Mayor’s Job Growth Charter, we are creating opportunities that reflect the diversity and talent of the West Midlands.

Seeing the results

The impact of these changes is clear. Across WMCA, completed applications increased by 36 percent, time-to-offer dropped by 19 percent to 26 days, and 96 percent of hires are now made directly.

Numbers tell part of the story, but the real success comes from how candidates feel. They are completing applications, staying engaged, and recommending us to others, even when they do not get the role.

This year’s Policy and Public Affairs internship programme was a highlight. The campaign received 716 applications and seven offers. We designed the process to focus on potential, not just experience, and hosted webinars to explain the process and build confidence.

One candidate said: “Your clear communication and supportive approach made me feel confident and genuinely valued.” That feedback captures what we wanted to achieve: empowering candidates and opening doors to opportunities they might never have imagined.

What we have learned

1. Start with people. In a world where early career talent is often processed by technology with little human contact, human connection builds trust.

2. Small gestures matter. A short call, personal guidance, or feedback can transform an experience.

3. Inclusion is active. Review processes regularly and adjust for everyone. Every process decision either widens opportunity or narrows it.

4. Collaboration works. Recruitment is everyone’s responsibility. Managers, teams, and HR all shape the experience.

5. Measure beyond numbers. Track engagement, feedback, and belonging, not just time-to-hire.

Looking ahead

Recruitment is changing fast. Technology and AI can make processes faster and smarter, but the heart of it will always be human.

Every interaction matters. A kind word, clear guidance, or thoughtful feedback can transform a candidate’s journey. Recruitment is more than filling roles. It is about shaping futures, supporting diversity, and opening doors for people who might not have seen themselves in these positions before.

Candidates who walk away from our process, successful or not, carry that experience with them. They tell others, return when new roles open, and see public sector careers differently. That is not just good recruitment. That is brand building, community trust, and long-term talent strategy.

By putting people first, we create experiences that candidates remember and carry with them throughout their careers. This approach helps us build a workforce that is engaged, representative, and prepared to drive the West Midlands forward. Long after the process ends, people remember how you made them feel, that’s where real recruitment starts.