Improving Candidate Experience Through Secret Shopping

In this episode of Take the Stage, Brad Bialy sits down with Lia Taniguchi to unpack Bullhorn’s 2025 Grid Talent Trends Report and explore how data, AI, and human connection are reshaping the candidate experience in staffing and recruiting.

Lia Taniguchi is the Senior Research Manager at Bullhorn, leading global market research that drives data-informed strategy for the staffing industry. With an MBA from Simmons College and a forthcoming MPH from Boston University, Lia brings a rare mix of analytical depth and human-centered insight to her work.

• Only 26% of Gen Z candidates are actively using a recruiter—showing an urgent need for better engagement and support for younger talent.

• 54% of candidates stopped working with a recruiter due to slow or unclear communication, proving that speed and transparency are now table stakes.

• 88% of candidates rated their voice agent interview as as good as or better than speaking with a person, signaling growing comfort with AI-driven screening.

• Overall candidate satisfaction declined across every stage of the recruitment process in the past year, with speed and responsiveness dropping by 20%.

• Candidates want instant acknowledgment—most expect confirmation within minutes and status updates within one week, mirroring Amazon-style service expectations.

[00:45] – Introducing the Grid 2025 Talent Trends Report
[03:20] – Why Gen Z is least satisfied with recruiters
[06:30] – Setting higher expectations in a digital-native world
[10:25] – The power of intergenerational mentorship in recruiting
[13:40] – Can AI fix the application black hole?
[17:10] – What candidates really mean by “speed and communication”
[20:15] – Remembering the human impact behind every resume
[24:00] – Using AI to give feedback to the “silver medalists”
[28:15] – 88% of candidates rate voice agents as good as people
[33:20] – Why candidate satisfaction is declining—and how to fix it
[37:45] – Secret shopping your own candidate experience
[46:20] – Specialization as the new superpower for staffing firms

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 200,000 downloads.

Take the Stage is presented by Haley Marketing. The old way of selling staffing is dead. Let’s fix it—with smarter strategies and HUGE DISCOUNTS on modern lead-gen tools: https://bit.ly/Bialy20

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