Registration is now open for the 2026 Candidate Experience Benchmark Research and Award Program, marking the 15th year of this industry benchmark. The program, operated by Survale, provides organizations with critical data to measure, understand, and optimize their recruiting processes while improving candidate experience.
The 2026 CandE Program enables employers to benchmark their candidate experience against a global standard of peers using a time-tested methodology. The program captures confidential feedback from job seekers at all stages of the hiring funnel—from pre-application to onboarding—to reveal the true impact of recruiting efforts on employer brand and business outcomes. Jason Moreau, CEO of Survale, emphasized the program's value, stating it gives talent leaders actionable intelligence to drive operational change and validate recruiting strategies.
Participants in the 2026 program receive access to a "lite" version of Survale's analytics platform with several key benefits. Organizations can benchmark globally by comparing anonymous candidate feedback against aggregate data from hundreds of other participating companies. The program helps uncover perception gaps by identifying discrepancies between how recruiting teams view their processes and how candidates actually experience them. Participants also gain expert insight through one-on-one consultations with candidate experience experts to review results and discuss improvement strategies. Qualifying organizations with the highest candidate satisfaction ratings will be recognized as 2026 CandE Award Winners, a mark of excellence in the talent acquisition industry.
Kevin Grossman, VP of CandE Benchmark Research at Survale, noted that candidate expectations continue to evolve, making understanding those expectations paramount in competitive hiring markets. The CandE Program provides a deep dive into candidate resentment, fairness, and the business impact of the hiring experience beyond simple metrics. Organizations interested in participating can learn more about the methodology, benefits, and timeline by visiting https://survale.com/candes/.
In related news, Survale will host a webinar on January 21 at 11 AM PT presenting findings from the 2025 CandE Research Program in honor of National Candidate Experience Day. The webinar, titled "#CandExperienceDay2026: What's in Store for Candidate Experience in 2026," will be presented by Benchmark Research VP Kevin Grossman. This annual program's continued operation signals the growing importance of candidate experience measurement in talent acquisition strategies across industries.
