The Hidden Truth About Candidate Experience

We say we’re “people first”, but candidates can tell when we’re not. This conversation is a reality check for how hiring actually feels in 2025.In this episode, Marie Chaproniere reveals how she fell into HR from performing arts and why great Talent Acquisition is far more than filling roles. We unpack what a real candidate experience looks like today, the mess, the honesty, and why transparency beats polish every time.You’ll learn:The difference between recruitment and true TA and why strategy wins over speedWhat “good” candidate experience looks like now (and the red flags to kill immediately)How to stay human with ATS and AI, you can’t automate empathyPractical inclusion: accommodations, the “cafeteria” model, and why truth-telling attracts the right peopleIf this helped you hire better or get hired better subscribe and share this with someone who needs it.Chapters00:00:00 — From Dance Studio to HR00:00:29 — Falling Into TA by Accident00:02:57 — TA vs Recruitment: The Real Difference00:04:11 — What “Good” Candidate Experience Means in 202500:05:39 — Tech’s Limits: You Can’t Automate Empathy00:07:16 — Public Call-Outs & Why Brand Behaviour Matters00:08:34 — Small Wins in Hypergrowth Hiring00:09:56 — Radical Transparency in Job Ads00:11:43 — Attracting for Fit, Not Volume00:13:28 — Truth-Telling Cultures Beat Perfect Stories00:14:43 — Inclusion by Default: Real Accommodations00:16:41 — The “Cafeteria” Model for Interviews00:19:30 — Where to Communicate Adjustments (Beyond JDs)00:21:33 — What Great Looks Like: Real Examples00:24:33 — Start With an Audit: Language, Process, Data00:26:38 — Map the Bad to Design the Good00:27:17 — Sharing Interview Questions Ahead of Time00:28:44 — Safe to Fail: Culture That Grows People00:30:36 — Using AI Well (Without Losing Yourself)00:31:15 — Metaview, Notes & Better Feedback Loops00:32:39 — Advice to My Younger Self00:33:58 — Choosing Authenticity (Even When Scary)