Candidate experience is often discussed from the employer’s perspective. Hiring teams look at response times, recruiter capacity, completion rates and the number of candidates progressing through each stage. These measures are useful, but they do not fully explain how the process feels to the people completing it.

To understand that side of the experience, Zeenna asked candidates directly about chat interviews. The Candidate Experience Survey was based on a modelled projection for Q1 2026 and covered approximately 33,000 candidates. 

The findings show that candidates value more than speed. They also care about flexibility, reduced pressure and the ability to participate in recruitment without reorganising their entire day. Most importantly, the results suggest that a well-designed first step can influence whether candidates remain interested in continuing to the next stage.

65% say chat interviews save them time

Almost two-thirds of candidates surveyed said that chat interviews saved them time. 

A traditional screening call requires coordination between two people. The recruiter needs an available slot, the candidate needs to be free at the same time, and both sides may need to rearrange the conversation when plans change. Even a relatively short call can involve several emails or messages before it takes place.

A chat interview removes much of that coordination. Candidates can begin when they have time and respond without waiting for a recruiter to become available. For someone applying while employed, studying, caring for children or managing several job applications, that flexibility can make the first stage easier to fit into daily life.

The time saving is not necessarily about completing every question as quickly as possible. It also comes from reducing the work around the screening itself. There is no need to find a shared appointment, wait for a call or start the process again because the original time no longer works.

This is an important distinction for hiring teams. A process can be short in duration while still taking a long time to arrange. Chat reduces both the screening time and the coordination surrounding it.

88% find chat interviews less stressful than phone calls

The strongest result in the survey relates to stress. Eighty-eight per cent of candidates said they found chat interviews less stressful than a phone call. 

A phone screening asks candidates to respond immediately. They need to understand the question, organise their thoughts and give an answer while another person is waiting. They may also be taking the call from an inconvenient place or trying to sound composed while feeling unprepared.

Chat changes the pace of the interaction. Candidates can read the question, consider what is relevant and then write their answer. They still need to explain their experience clearly, but they are not under the same pressure to respond within a few seconds.

This does not mean that phone conversations should disappear from recruitment. Speaking directly with a recruiter remains valuable, particularly once both sides need to discuss the role in greater depth. The survey result instead suggests that a phone call may not always be the best way to collect basic information at the beginning of the process.

When the first stage focuses mainly on availability, motivation, practical requirements and relevant experience, candidates may not need a live conversation to provide useful answers. A lower-pressure format can collect that information before recruiter time is invested in a call.

85% highly value being able to complete the interview from anywhere

Flexibility was another clear priority. Eighty-five per cent of candidates said they highly valued being able to complete the chat interview from anywhere. 

“Anywhere” does not simply mean that the technology works outside an office. It means candidates are not tied to a fixed location or appointment. They can complete the screening at home, during a break or at another moment when they have enough time to focus.

This matters because people rarely apply for jobs under identical circumstances. Some candidates may have a laptop and a quiet home office, while others rely mainly on a mobile phone. Some can speak freely during the day, while others need to keep their job search private from a current employer.

A chat-based process can accommodate more of those situations because it does not require candidates to speak aloud or appear on camera. The format still needs to work well across devices and provide clear instructions, but it places fewer requirements on the candidate’s surroundings.

For hiring teams, flexibility can also widen the hours in which screening takes place. Candidates do not have to wait for the recruiter’s working day to begin before they can respond, and the recruiter does not need to be present while the screening is completed.

Calm was the most commonly reported emotion

When candidates were asked how they felt during a chat interview, “calm” was the most common response, reported by 68%. 

That result adds useful context to the finding about reduced stress. Candidates were not simply saying that chat felt slightly less uncomfortable than a phone call. A clear majority described their experience using a positive emotional state.

Calm does not mean that candidates are disengaged or that the process lacks importance. It may instead indicate that they feel able to focus on the questions without managing the additional pressure of a live interaction.

This matters because early screening is meant to help candidates provide useful information. A format that allows them to think before answering may give recruiters a clearer view of their experience, motivation and practical fit.

The result should still be interpreted carefully. The survey reports how candidates described their experience with chat interviews; it does not prove that calm candidates always provide better answers or make better hires. What it does show is that the format was commonly experienced without the level of pressure often associated with an unexpected or scheduled screening call.

71% felt more motivated to attend the in-person stage

Perhaps the most important result for hiring teams is what happened after the chat interview. Seventy-one per cent of candidates said the experience made them more motivated to attend the in-person round. 

This finding moves the conversation beyond convenience. A first-stage screening does not only collect information; it also forms part of the candidate’s early relationship with the employer.

When candidates progress to an interview, employers want them to remain interested, prepared and willing to attend. A screening process that feels overly demanding or impersonal may complete its administrative function without strengthening that interest.

The survey suggests that chat can have the opposite effect when the experience is designed well. Instead of becoming another obstacle between the application and the recruiter, it can provide a manageable introduction to the process.

There are several possible reasons candidates may feel more motivated afterwards. They may understand the role better, feel that the process respects their time or appreciate having an opportunity to explain themselves before meeting the employer. The survey does not separate these possible explanations, so they should not be presented as proven causes. What it does establish is that most respondents associated the chat interview with greater motivation to continue.

Candidate experience is more than a completion rate

Completion rate is an important measure because an assessment cannot support hiring when candidates do not finish it. However, completion alone does not show what condition candidates are in when they reach the next stage.

A candidate may complete a process while feeling frustrated, confused or less interested in the role. From an operational perspective, the screening is finished. From a recruitment perspective, the experience may still have weakened engagement.

The Zeenna survey adds another layer to the usual performance metrics. It shows how candidates described the process in terms of time, stress, flexibility, emotion and willingness to continue.

The results suggest that a useful screening experience should achieve more than collecting completed answers. It should make it easier for candidates to participate without creating unnecessary pressure or disruption.

As the final page of the survey summary puts it, a higher completion rate is useful, but what matters is whether candidates reach the next stage calmer, better informed and still willing to continue. 

What the findings mean for hiring teams

The results do not mean that every recruitment process should consist only of chat. Different stages require different types of interaction, and candidates still need opportunities to speak with recruiters, ask questions and understand the employer.

They do suggest that hiring teams should think carefully about what the first stage needs to achieve. When the purpose is to collect practical information and understand basic suitability, a scheduled phone call may create more coordination and pressure than the decision requires.

Chat can offer an alternative that candidates complete in their own time while still giving recruiters structured information to review. The survey findings indicate that this flexibility is not only technically convenient; it is something candidates actively value.

Hiring teams considering chat screening should therefore look beyond whether the tool can ask the right questions. They should also examine whether the experience:

  • takes a reasonable amount of time;

  • works well on the devices candidates use;

  • allows candidates to respond when convenient;

  • explains what happens after completion;

  • prepares candidates for the next stage;

  • leaves space for later human conversation.

The quality of the questions still matters. A chat interview can become long, confusing or repetitive when it is poorly designed. The format does not automatically create a good candidate experience, but it can support one when the process respects the candidate’s time and gives them a clear path forward.

A better first step can support the rest of the process

The first stage of recruitment does not need to reproduce an interview before the interview. Its purpose is usually more limited: to gather relevant information, identify candidates who may be suitable and prepare the next conversation.

Zeenna’s Candidate Experience Survey suggests that chat interviews can perform that role without asking candidates to wait for a call slot or respond under the pressure of a live conversation. Sixty-five per cent said the format saved time, 88% found it less stressful than a phone call, and 85% valued being able to complete it from anywhere. Calm was the most common emotion, while 71% said the experience increased their motivation to attend the in-person stage. 

Taken together, those results point to a straightforward lesson. Candidates do not only evaluate what an employer asks them; they also experience how they are asked.

A good first step should not feel like another barrier to overcome. It should give candidates a practical, manageable way to enter the hiring process and enough reason to remain interested in what comes next.