I agree with the other answers and just wanted to add that if the company is recruiting for an engineering position where a technical interview is involved: coding questions should closely simulate problems one would actually encounter on the job for that role. Arbitrary algorithms are not and have never been an accurate representation of an engineer's ability to solve real problems on the job.

From a candidate perspective, we always expect that the recruiter talking to us is interested in us as candidates and not considering us only some KPI number they must achieve. The more experienced you get in your career, the more you understand that the recruiter is just the first line of conversation and most of the time he is not the one who can hire you directly but he usually is the person who can help you to get there. So, to me as a recruiter, that is the most important part of the candidate experience: show yourself as someone who is there to help. Build trust and empathy. Be truly interested in what your candidate can offer and let them see that you are trying to help them even when they are not looking for any help. People like good people. Be good.

From a candidate perspective, I expect a recruiter and a company to provide a transparent, efficient and respectful selection process. The process should include timely communication and updates about the status of my application, clear and comprehensive job descriptions, and a clear timeline for the process. I also expect recruiters to be knowledgeable about the company and the position, and to be able to answer any questions I have. Lastly, I expect recruiters to be respectful and courteous throughout the process, and to provide feedback on my application in a timely manner. All of these expectations combined create a positive candidate experience, which is the key to making a selection process the best it can be.