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What The Traitors Final Tells Us About Communicating Candidate Experience in Today’s Job Market
Spoilers ahead
The finale of the last series of The Traitors drew over 9.5 million viewers and delivered one of the most talked-about outcomes in the show’s history: two traitors winning together. For a show built on deception, suspicion and uncertainty, this outcome raises interesting questions: Was it all chance? Or can a relationship based on clear communication and support be the foundation to outthinking everyone else? What can that teach us about candidate loyalty in today’s job market?
As any fan will know, in The Traitors, participants are isolated in a castle where a small number are secretly “traitors” whose goal is to eliminate everyone else, and everyone else (the “faithfuls”) tries to identify them and win a shared prize of £90,000.
That is, if they don’t get murdered or banished first.
And if one traitor is left? Well… they take all the money.
It’s a world where trust is scarce, but that presents opportunity. In this case, Rachel and Stephen forged a pact and then communicated with precision about their strategy. Their willingness to share what came next gave them a clear path forward and, ultimately, a shared victory.
Going into the final, Rachel was at risk. To ensure the pact stuck, she shared her plan, telling Stephen the exact order of who she was going to vote off at the round table. If he followed, they would both win and split the money.
With all the heat on Rachel, Stephen could have easily voted her out, securing himself the full prize money. Instead, in an environment where you can trust no-one – he chose loyalty, and they both outthought the faithfuls. Something the show has never seen before.
It was some great telly, but what an earth has this got to do with recruitment?
Uncertainty in the Job Market Mirrors the Castle
Like the castle, the job market currently paints an uncertain landscape. Recent trends show a surge in applications alongside slower job growth – meaning recruiters are sifting through far more candidates than two years ago. Alongside the current labour market (which holds the highest unemployment rate in 4 years and a 1.8% decrease in job growth) employers are sifting through a record-breaking number of applications. And while greater supply means visibility, it also heightens competition for attention and engagement. In that context, transparency becomes a differentiator.
Confidence Drives Loyalty
While this ensures that roles get applications, we want to make sure you find the very best fit candidates. This relies on a strong candidate experience. A well-communicated candidate experience will not only improve the quality of applications but begin to build that relationship of trust in an ever-changing job market. It ensures you and the candidates are playing the same game.
Just as Rachel shared her voting plan with Stephen before the final, excellent candidate experience requires you to define what comes next. Leading candidates want to prepare, with 50% expecting an outlined recruitment process. Top talent will want to know your expectations – not just to reach them but surpass them.
This has direct implications for how you, as an organisation, communicate:
Transparent process outlines reduce uncertainty. Candidates know when to prepare, when to follow up, and how decisions are made.
Stage-specific guidance improves performance and perception. When candidates know how they’ll be assessed or what success looks like, they can show up more confidently.
Feedback loops, even brief ones, help sustain engagement.
Ultimately, this will make interviewing feel less like a round table and more like a conversation.
In a tense environment, whether that be the traitors’ castle or the job market, these nuggets of support don’t go unnoticed. Candidates who feel informed and valued are more likely to speak positively about your brand, even if they don’t get an offer. And if they’re considering multiple opportunities? They just might remember the guidance you’ve offered them along the way – which can tip the scales.
That’s how you go from filling roles to creating faithful candidates.
