97% of Top 100 European Companies Lag in Using AI and Automation for Job Seeker Engagement
Phenom’s fourth annual European Edition of the State of Candidate Experience: 2025 Benchmarks Report reveals that most leading European companies are missing the mark on delivering personalized candidate experiences. Despite the availability of AI and automation tools, 97% of these companies fall short in optimizing their career sites to attract and engage job seekers effectively.
Based on an analysis of the top 100 European companies, the report shows many organizations still rely on generic recruitment approaches, failing to provide the intuitive, multilingual, and consumer-grade career site experiences that candidates expect today.
Where Companies Are Falling Short
- 97% scored poorly in using AI and automation to personalize career site experiences
- 97% did not recommend related job openings based on candidates’ current job titles or skills
- 96% lacked chatbots that offer job recommendations on career sites
- 94% did not detect candidate locations to suggest nearby job opportunities
- 93% failed to display recently viewed jobs
- 69% did not provide a passwordless job cart or favorites function for saving job searches
- 59% did not feature quality content that clearly conveys the employer brand
- 51% did not clearly communicate their employer value proposition on career sites
This signals a widespread gap between what candidates expect and what companies deliver. Without personalized and automated experiences, organizations risk losing top talent to competitors who offer smoother, more relevant application processes.
Areas Where Companies Perform Well
There are some bright spots in the candidate experience landscape. Many companies are improving the basics such as job descriptions and website performance:
- 95% have clear job descriptions listing at least three responsibilities and qualifications
- 95% offer an easy mobile apply process, including resume and cover letter uploads
- 84% provide content in multiple languages tailored to specific locations
- 60% have enhanced type-ahead search functionality on career site pages
- 45% improved search suggestions based on keywords
Practical Steps to Improve Candidate Experiences Using AI and Automation
Companies aiming to stand out in talent acquisition should consider these key strategies:
- Personalize industry- and job-specific experiences. Avoid generic career sites. Serve candidates content and job opportunities that match their preferences and experience to speed up discovery and applications.
- Build a skills-forward career site. Allow candidates to find roles based on transferable skills, not just job titles, and highlight the skills and competencies required for success.
- Invest in conversational AI and automation. Use AI-powered chatbots to provide 24/7 support—answering questions, recommending jobs, screening candidates, and scheduling interviews.
- Design for multilingual and multicultural engagement. Adapt content and interactions based on regional languages and cultural norms, ensuring compliance with local regulations such as GDPR and accessibility for diverse talent.
The Impact of Specialized AI Agents on Recruiting
AI Agents tailored to specific industries and roles can transform how companies attract and engage candidates by:
- Accelerating hiring for both specialized and high-volume roles through personalized and automated candidate engagement
- Cutting talent acquisition workloads by increasing efficiency with AI-driven automation
- Simplifying content creation with generative AI and no-code tools for branded, personalized candidate experiences
- Enhancing collaboration between HR teams and AI to meet hiring goals effectively
Shifting recruitment from transactional to relationship-focused processes, while keeping data privacy and ethical AI practices front and center, positions companies to build diverse talent pools and improve conversion rates across Europe’s varied markets.
For HR professionals looking to deepen their AI skills and implement automation effectively, exploring specialized courses can provide the practical knowledge needed to drive these improvements. Check out Complete AI Training’s courses for HR professionals to get started.
Investing in AI and automation is no longer optional for companies that want to stay competitive in attracting talent. The data is clear: personalized, AI-supported candidate experiences directly impact recruitment success and employer brand strength.
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