Why candidate experience still undermines executive hiring, and how to fix it ?
Because senior leaders don’t forget how they were treated.
Executive recruitment is more than a process. It reflects how a company makes decisions, aligns at the top, and communicates when it matters most. And yet, when it comes to C-level hiring, the experience candidates go through is still too often disappointing.
At this level, candidates aren’t just looking for a position. They’re observing leadership culture, testing alignment, and paying close attention to how seriously the company handles key transitions.
They notice when weeks pass without an update.
They notice when conversations repeat because teams aren’t aligned.
They notice when feedback never comes, even after multiple interviews.
It’s not about ego. It’s about what the process reveals.
And senior candidates interpret those signals quickly and instinctively.
When the hiring journey lacks clarity, consistency, or ownership, it signals more than just inefficiency. It suggests disorganisation, hesitation, or even deeper misalignment. And those impressions matter.
At Cb-Advisory, we see recruitment not as a sequence of administrative steps, but as a strategic experience. One that shapes perceptions, builds or breaks trust, and communicates values long before the first day on the job.
That means aligning internally before the first contact.
It means giving candidates visibility on the steps ahead, sharing decisions transparently, and treating feedback as a sign of respect.
When the process is coherent and well-managed, the results speak for themselves.
Top candidates engage with more confidence.
Those not selected leave with a sense of professionalism, not frustration.
And the relationship starts well before the contract is signed.
Senior leaders don’t judge a company by its employer brand. They judge it by how it behaves when the stakes are high, and the room is small. And often, that begins with how they were treated during the process.
