Recruiters are often one of the first human connections a candidate makes with an organization. The way they communicate, listen and build trust are the first steps in the candidate experience and can shape how a candidate views the employer long before their first day on the job.

That idea was at the center of the Recruitment Marketing campaign submitted by Stephanie Everson, Senior Recruiter & DEI Specialist at TriWest Healthcare Alliance, in the 2026 Rally Awards program.

This campaign provides valuable lessons that Recruitment Marketers and Talent Acquisition teams can apply to their own work. Stephanie designed and executed an initiative focused on bringing greater belonging, clarity and trust into the recruiting experience. Rather than treating employer brand as something that lives primarily in external marketing, she focused on equipping recruiters to deliver that brand through their everyday interactions with candidates.

Her work included recruiter education, standardized messaging, leadership content and ongoing guidance focused on areas including empathy, bias awareness, belonging and respectful candidate engagement.

I spoke with Stephanie about what inspired the initiative, what she learned about creating behavior change and how her colleagues are putting the human back in Human Resources.

Helping Recruiters Deliver a Better Candidate Experience

Lori: What made you realize there was an opportunity to approach the candidate experience differently?

Stephanie: One of the things that I was seeing was a lack of empathy. As recruiters, we already have the job. The person on the other side might be employed and looking for their next career move or they could be unemployed. We never know who we’re meeting aside from a name on a resume. We don’t know what they’re bringing with them.

I felt that if I could start with recruiters and teach them about belonging, connectedness and empathy for our job seekers, we could have a better experience. We’re not just filling a seat to close out the requisition. We’re getting more personable, connecting with applicants and getting to know them.

They may not be right for this role, but there may be another role in the next couple of months or another department they never thought of applying to.

‍

Read full article here