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The water and wastewater industry is facing one of the tightest talent markets in recent memory. Between an aging workforce, increased regulatory demands, and growing infrastructure investments, there’s more pressure than ever to identify, attract, and retain qualified professionals. And yet, one of the most overlooked factors in successful hiring today is the candidate experience.
While most organizations spend time refining interview questions or rewriting job descriptions, few stop to ask: What does it feel like to go through our hiring process?
At Hunter Crown, we believe that delivering a top-tier candidate experience isn’t just a “nice to have”. It's a strategic advantage.
What Is Candidate Experience, Really?
Candidate experience refers to every interaction a potential hire has with your organization, from the moment they read your job posting to the day they accept (or decline) your offer. This includes your communication cadence, the transparency of your process, how prepared your interviewers are, and even the speed at which you move.
In water and wastewater recruiting, where skilled professionals are often passive (not actively job-hunting), candidate experience can make or break your ability to hire the best.
Why It Matters More Than Ever
1. There Are More Jobs Than Qualified People
Experienced operators, engineers, project managers, and compliance professionals are in short supply. If you’re lucky enough to get their attention, you can’t afford to lose them due to slow response times or poor engagement. In a competitive landscape, how you treat candidates is often the deciding factor.
2. Your Reputation Travels Fast
Word-of-mouth carries serious weight in this industry. Candidates talk and not just on Glassdoor. A bad experience doesn’t just lose you one hire; it may cost you referrals for years to come. A streamlined, respectful, and professional process signals that your organization values its people.
3. Top Talent Has Options
Skilled professionals in this sector often have multiple opportunities on the table. If your process is disorganized or lacks communication, candidates will disengage and they won’t always tell you why. The best candidates rarely wait around.
What a Great Candidate Experience Looks Like
Timely Communication: Even if there’s no update, let them know. Silence creates doubt.
Clear Process: Tell candidates what to expect and when. Surprises are for birthdays, not interviews.
Prepared Interviewers: Nothing turns a candidate off faster than a hiring manager who hasn’t read their resume.
Human Touch: Candidates aren’t resumes, they’re people. Acknowledge their effort. Thank them for their time.
Respect for Their Time: If you say it’s a 30-minute call, keep it to 30 minutes. Run interviews on schedule. Avoid unnecessary hoops.
The Bottom Line
A strong candidate experience doesn’t require big budgets or fancy software. It requires intention.
In the water and wastewater space, the war for talent isn’t won through job ads. It's won through relationships. If your hiring process feels cold, inconsistent, or transactional, you’ll lose out on the very people you’re trying to attract.
At Hunter Crown, we specialize in helping organizations build hiring processes that reflect the professionalism, purpose, and people-first values of our industry. Because when you put the candidate first, the right talent follows.
Written by: Ron Dermady, Vice President of Operations at Hunter Crown
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