A candidate is a person an organisation is actively considering for a job.
What is a candidate?
A candidate is a person who has applied for, or is being considered for, a role within an organisation. Candidates may be at any stage of the recruitment process, including application, screening, interviewing, assessment or offer acceptance.
Candidates are not employees and are not subject to payroll processes until employment begins. However, information collected during recruitment often forms the basis for onboarding, employment records and payroll setup when a candidate is hired.
For employers, managing candidate information accurately and consistently is an important part of creating an effective recruitment experience and supporting downstream HR and payroll activities.
Things to know
- Candidates are individuals being considered for employment opportunities.
- A candidate remains a candidate until an employment relationship formally begins.
- Candidate information often flows into onboarding and employment administration processes.
- Recruitment processes should be applied consistently and fairly to all candidates.
- Accurate candidate information can help reduce onboarding and payroll administration errors after hire.
FAQs
When does an applicant become a candidate?
Usually when they’ve passed an initial stage, such as screening, and are being actively considered for a role.
Can an internal employee be a candidate?
Yes. Someone already working at the organisation can be a candidate for a new role.
Why does candidate experience matter?
It can affect whether people accept offers, recommend the organisation and apply again in the future.
How should candidate information be handled?
It should be kept secure and used in line with data protection rules and company policy.
