The 2025 Global Candidate Experience Awards have identified 66 companies across multiple industries and regions for excellence in candidate experience, based on comprehensive analysis of over 66,000 job candidate responses. This recognition comes from the CandE Benchmark Research Program, now part of Survale, which has evaluated responses from over 2,000 global employers and nearly 1.9 million job seekers since 2011.
Winners were determined through rigorous data analysis focusing on four key metrics: overall candidate experience ranking, willingness to reapply to the organization, likelihood to refer other job seekers, and changes to business relationship status based on the hiring experience. The program requires participating companies to meet statistically significant response minimums, particularly ensuring adequate representation from candidates who were not hired.
The 2025 awards distribution includes 58 North American winners, 9 EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) winners, 6 APAC (Asia-Pacific) winners, and 3 Latin American winners. Several companies received recognition across multiple regions, demonstrating global consistency in candidate experience excellence. The complete listing of winners by final ranking is available on the Survale CandE Winner page.
Kevin Grossman, VP of Benchmark Research at Survale, emphasized the business significance of candidate experience, stating: "When the economy is uncertain, candidates remember how you made them feel. Improving the experience isn't just the right thing to do — it's a long-term investment in relationships and the ultimate impact on businesses." Grossman identified transparency, consistent communication, and feedback loops throughout the recruitment process as critical differentiators that correlate with positive business outcomes.
The CandE Benchmark Research Program continues its mission of helping companies recognize the business value of candidate experience. Winning companies will participate in case study research and be considered for Most Innovative Candidate Experience Improvement Awards at the virtual CandE Awards ceremony on October 30, 2025. More information about the research program can be found at https://survale.com/candes/.
This annual recognition matters because candidate experience directly impacts employer branding, candidate referral networks, and future business relationships. In competitive job markets, organizations that prioritize transparent and communicative hiring processes gain significant advantages in attracting and retaining talent, ultimately affecting their bottom line and market reputation.
