The Candidate Journey Deserves the Same Attention as the Patient Journey: Insights from My Conversation with Cynthia Newton

Healthcare marketers know the language of the patient journey. From first impressions online to booking an appointment, every touchpoint is optimized to reduce friction and build trust. But when it comes to attracting staff, most health systems don’t apply the same rigor.

That’s why I sat down with Cynthia Newton, Principal & Founder of Cynthia Newton Consulting, for a recent podcast conversation. With over 25 years in healthcare marketing and experience helping more than 2,000 health systems improve both reputation and recruitment, Cynthia is a leading voice calling for one thing:

Treat the candidate journey with the same discipline as the patient journey. 

If you already know how to design the user experience for patients, you can design it for candidates. And it starts with reviews, transparency, and frictionless design.

Reviews Are the New Word of Mouth for Patients and Employees

Healthcare marketers have long understood the power of reviews in patient acquisition. Provider star ratings and patient testimonials are more persuasive than your hospital’s own messaging. For candidates, the same dynamic plays out. Glassdoor reviews and employee stories on social media shape the first impression of your employer brand — often before a potential applicant ever sees your careers page.

“The health of your employer brand is only as strong as your willingness to face the truth behind your employee feedback.” 
- Cynthia Newton

The problem is that most organizations leave these reviews unmanaged, or worse, assume candidates won’t notice. Negative review bias means the loudest voices are often the unhappy ones. Unless you actively invite feedback, the picture online will be skewed.

Cynthia shared an example from a Florida health system where she implemented a simple strategy: asking employees with three or more years of tenure to share their experiences. Within nine months, their Glassdoor rating jumped from 3.7 to 4.1. The impact was immediate: improved click-through rates on job ads and even recognition on Glassdoor’s Top 100 Employers list.

For healthcare marketers, the takeaway is straightforward: treat employee reviews with the same urgency as patient reviews. Monitor them, respond to them, and integrate them directly into your careers hub. Just as provider ratings build patient trust, employee ratings build candidate trust.

Reducing Friction: From Appointment to Application

Too often, healthcare websites treat recruitment as an afterthought. Click “Careers” and you’re dumped into an ATS feed: clunky on mobile, lots of forms to fill, and silent after you submit. It’s like being told to enter through a service door when you were expecting a welcome center. 

“It’s almost like hospitals are actively trying to add friction to the application process, when what candidates need is the exact opposite.” 
- Brad Muncs

The fix? A careers hub: a branded section of the site that orients candidates before they apply. Done right, it signals that the organization respects people’s time and attention.

At Symetris, we’ve seen the strongest career hubs succeed because they combine several elements:

• Segmentation by role: physicians, nurses, and support staff each deserve content tailored to their specific needs.
• Culture and testimonials: authentic employee voices, short videos, and day-in-the-life snapshots help candidates imagine themselves in the role.
• Community and location context: especially for systems with multiple locations, pages that highlight the neighborhood, amenities, or relocation support help candidates picture the bigger move.
• Mobile-first, low-friction UX: clean navigation, obvious CTAs, and forms designed for speed on any device.
• ATS integration: seamless display of open roles while staying on-brand and minimizing jarring “hand-off” moments.

And here’s the hidden problem: legacy CMS platforms and clunky ATS tools often become silent blockers; technical debt that quietly erodes your employer brand. If the careers experience doesn’t reflect the quality of your consumer experience, candidates will notice.

“When candidates hit a careers page and it’s just a clunky ATS, that first impression tells them everything they need to know about how much the organization values people.” 
- Cynthia Newton

For those who want to dig deeper, we explored additional career page best practices in an earlier piece on recruitment strategy. In a nutshell: your career hub isn’t just a job board. It’s a candidate’s first encounter with your brand — and often the deciding factor in whether they choose to apply.

Transparency as a Trust Signal

Health systems often publish patient feedback like CAHPS survey results (the standardized patient experience surveys converted into five-star ratings) on provider profiles and service line pages. It’s a way to show patients real, unfiltered experiences with doctors and hospitals.

Cynthia argues that it’s time to apply the same principle to the employee side. 

“We need to be offering transparency on our employer brand; converting employee engagement survey results into a five-star format and publishing them on careers pages. The good, the bad, and the concerning.” 
- Cynthia Newton

This level of openness does two things:

1. Builds trust by showing you’re not hiding imperfections
2. Differentiates your brand in a crowded labor market where candidates are skeptical of glossy recruitment videos and generic “culture” pages

Authenticity is the new currency of trust—and healthcare organizations that lean into it will stand out.

Your Career Page Is Your Employer Brand

At the end of the day, your careers hub is more than a job board. It’s the front door of your employer brand, and it deserves the same care you give to patient-facing digital experiences. 

“Even adding one well-designed careers page is a meaningful step. It’s a quick win that reduces friction for candidates and shows your organization is serious about recruitment.” 
- Brad Muncs

If you’re not sure where to start, Cynthia and I recommend focusing on four immediate wins:

• Audit your Glassdoor and Indeed profiles. Invite reviews, and respond publicly.
• Build a branded careers hub —not just a link to your ATS, but a real experience.
• Check your tech stack. Ensure your CMS and ATS aren’t silently sabotaging your first impression.
• Surface real employee voices —testimonials, videos, and unfiltered feedback.

The candidate journey is here to stay. And for marketers, it’s not just about filling roles—it’s about protecting and growing your brand in a market where patients and employees are equally evaluating your reputation.

If your organization is ready to bring the same level of rigor to recruitment that you already bring to patient engagement, Symetris can help. We’ve partnered with health systems like Covenant Health to transform their digital experiences and strengthen their employer brands. Reach out to start a conversation about how we can help you design a candidate journey that attracts the talent you need.