Mapping the candidate journey means listing each stage and every touchpoint within it from the candidate's side: where they first see the role, what the application asks, how long they wait, which messages they receive and who they speak to. A journey map for a retail role might reveal that applicants wait several days between applying and first contact, with no message in between.
Looking from the outside highlights delays and gaps that internal stage reports miss. Teams can measure conversion and time spent at each step to find where people drop out. Good journeys keep candidates informed at every transition, ask for information only when it is needed and make the steps feel connected rather than like a series of separate systems.