What Makes or Breaks the Candidate Experience? New Data Reveals the Best and Worst Interview Processes

Bad interviews don’t just frustrate candidates. They also hurt employer brands and result in lost talent. With over a third of jobseekers rejecting offers after poor interview experiences, businesses have more reason than ever to improve how they hire.

New research from digital PR agency Reboot Online analysed over 300,000 Glassdoor reviews for the world’s top 100 employers. The study reveals which companies offer the best and worst interview experiences, as well as the hardest processes to navigate. The data provides a unique look at how candidate experience varies across sectors and highlights just how costly it can be to get it wrong.

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Worst Interview Experiences: High-profile companies leave candidates unimpressed

Spotify tops the list for negative interview feedback, with 37% of candidates reporting a poor experience. Common issues include recruiter ghosting, late interviewers, and vague rejection emails.

Indeed, the world’s largest job board, surprisingly ranks second, with 29% of candidates reporting a negative experience. PayPal, Shopify, and Netflix follow closely behind, each with 28%.

IT companies make up four of the top ten worst performers, suggesting a broader industry challenge around process consistency and candidate care.

Top 5 worst-rated companies for interviews:

Rank	Company	Industry	% Negative Interviews
1	Spotify	IT Software & Services	37%
2	Indeed	IT Software & Services	29%
=3	PayPal	Banking and Financial Services	28%
=3	Shopify	IT Software & Services	28%
=3	Netflix	Media & Advertising	28%

Across all companies, the average rate of negative interview experiences sits at 15%.

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Hardest Interviews: Rigour without resentment

Google ranks first for interview difficulty, with an average score of 3.4 out of 5. Despite this, most candidates still viewed the process positively. This trend appears across several companies with challenging processes but high satisfaction levels, including NVIDIA, Rolls-Royce, and Salesforce.

Top 5 hardest companies to interview with:

Rank	Company	Industry	Difficulty (/5)
1	Google	IT Software & Services	3.4
=2	NVIDIA	Semiconductors & Electronics	3.2
=2	Rolls-Royce	Aerospace & Defence	3.2
=2	Salesforce	IT Software & Services	3.2
=2	Meta	IT Software & Services	3.2

This reinforces an important point for employers: candidates are willing to accept difficult interviews, as long as the process is structured, respectful, and transparent.

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Why interview experience matters more than ever

In an era of employer reviews and social transparency, how a company treats its candidates speaks volumes. Interview experiences shape perceptions of culture and leadership. They can also determine whether high-potential candidates walk away or sign on.

For HR leaders and hiring managers, improving interviews is a strategic investment. That means streamlining the process, training interviewers, setting clear expectations, and giving timely feedback. The cost of poor interview experience is real, but the opportunity to stand out is equally powerful.