Agoda interview questions

I reached my penultimate interview, it was with the Sr Director of TA (Talent Acquisition). In my 2nd interview with him, he asked how can one improve conversion rate, to which i said, one key area to dive deeper is Candidate Experience. He spent the next many minutes debating, saying it has nothing to with conversion on various stages of application/interviews. I didn't get the role, of course. In case someone from the company is reading this, here's a recap + additional data. ALL THE BEST! 1. Direct Impact on Conversion - Poor candidate experience can lead to drop-offs at various stages - Candidates may withdraw from lengthy, unclear processes - No response/feedback can lead to ghosting by candidates - Long wait times between stages can cause loss of interested candidates to other opportunities 2. Long-term Business Impact - Candidates are often potential customers/users - Virgin Media famously calculated they were losing $5M annually due to poor candidate experience (rejected candidates canceling their services) - Negative experiences get shared on platforms like Glassdoor, LinkedIn - Can affect future talent pool (people may not apply based on others' experiences) 3. Market Dynamics - In competitive markets (like tech), candidates often have multiple options - Good talent can afford to be selective - Candidate experience can be a differentiator between similar opportunities 4. Specific Stage Impacts: - Application: Complex/broken application systems lead to abandonment - Assessment: Unclear instructions or poor communication lead to no-shows - Interview: Unprepared interviewers or lack of respect for candidate's time affect acceptance rates - Offer: Slow or poorly communicated offers can lead to candidate loss The stance that candidate experience doesn't affect conversion rates seems to ignore both empirical evidence and basic human psychology. It might suggest: - Limited understanding of recruitment metrics - Focus on short-term filling of positions rather than building sustainable talent pipelines - Lack of exposure to competitive hiring markets