The 2026 Candidate Experience Benchmark Research and Award Program has opened registration for its 15th year of operation, offering organizations worldwide an opportunity to benchmark their recruiting processes against industry standards. As the longest-running and most rigorous program of its kind, the CandE Program provides employers with confidential feedback from job seekers at every stage of the hiring funnel, from pre-application through onboarding.
This research program matters because candidate expectations continue to evolve in competitive hiring markets, and understanding those expectations has become essential for organizational success. The program goes beyond simple metrics to examine candidate resentment, fairness perceptions, and the actual business impact of hiring experiences. Organizations that participate gain access to critical intelligence that can validate recruiting strategies and drive operational improvements.
Participants receive several significant benefits, including access to a "lite" version of Survale's analytics platform that enables global benchmarking against aggregate data from hundreds of other organizations. This allows companies to identify perception gaps between how recruiting teams view their processes and how candidates actually experience them. The program also includes one-on-one consultations with candidate experience experts who help organizations review results and develop improvement strategies.
Qualifying organizations with the highest candidate satisfaction ratings will be recognized as 2026 CandE Award Winners, marking excellence in talent acquisition. This recognition serves as an important industry validation that can enhance employer branding and competitive positioning in talent markets. The program's methodology has been time-tested over fifteen years, providing reliable data that talent leaders can use to make informed decisions about their recruiting operations.
According to Kevin Grossman, VP of CandE Benchmark Research at Survale, "The CandE Program goes beyond simple metrics; it provides a deep dive into candidate resentment, fairness, and the business impact of the hiring experience." This comprehensive approach helps organizations understand not just what candidates think, but why they think it and how those perceptions affect business outcomes. Organizations interested in participating can learn more about the methodology, benefits, and timeline by visiting https://survale.com/candes/.
In related developments, Survale will host a webinar on January 21 at 11 AM PT titled "#CandExperienceDay2026: What's in Store for Candidate Experience in 2026" to present findings from the 2025 research program. This event coincides with National Candidate Experience Day and offers additional insights into evolving trends in candidate expectations and hiring practices. The continued operation of this benchmark research program underscores the growing importance of candidate experience as a strategic business consideration rather than merely a recruiting function.
