Survale, a provider of talent feedback and experience management solutions, announced that registration is now open for the 2026 Candidate Experience Benchmark Research and Award Program. The program enters its 15th year as the industry's longest-running and most rigorous benchmark research initiative, offering organizations 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. According to Jason Moreau, CEO of Survale, "We are proud to kick off the 15th year of the CandEs, a program that has defined the standard for candidate experience excellence. By combining this prestigious research with Survale's powerful analytics technology, we are giving talent leaders the actionable intelligence they need to not just measure sentiment, but to drive real operational change."
Participants in the 2026 CandE Program receive access to a "lite" version of Survale's analytics platform, enabling them to benchmark globally by comparing anonymous candidate feedback against aggregate data from hundreds of other participating organizations. The program helps organizations uncover perception gaps by identifying discrepancies between how recruiting teams view the process and how candidates actually experience it. 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, emphasized the program's importance, stating, "Candidate expectations continue to evolve, and in any competitive hiring market, understanding those expectations is paramount. The CandE Program goes beyond simple metrics; it provides a deep dive into candidate resentment, fairness, and the business impact of the hiring experience." Organizations can learn more about the methodology, benefits, and timeline, or register by visiting https://survale.com/candes/.
In honor of National Candidate Experience Day, Survale will host a webinar presenting findings from the 2025 CandE Research Program. The webinar, "#CandExperienceDay2026: What's in Store for Candidate Experience in 2026," will feature Benchmark Research VP Kevin Grossman on January 21 at 11 AM PT. This announcement matters because it provides organizations with a structured framework to systematically improve their hiring processes at a time when candidate experience directly impacts employer branding and competitive advantage in talent acquisition. The program's longevity and rigorous methodology offer validated approaches to addressing evolving candidate expectations while providing concrete data to drive operational improvements in recruiting functions.
