Sova 2026:2: Better Candidate Experience, Stronger Oversight, Faster Administration

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The 2026:2 release focuses on three things: giving candidates a better experience, giving assessors stronger oversight tools, and making administration faster to navigate. The changes are designed to reduce manual effort for hiring teams, raise the quality of assessment data, and ensure the platform meets the highest accessibility standards out of the box.

Platform Enhancements

Candidate Feedback Survey

A standardised, three-question CSAT survey that appears after candidates complete assessments or exercises in a phase. Anonymous, translated into all supported Sova languages, and on by default for all Modern Projects.

• Hiring teams get consistent candidate satisfaction data across all candidate experiences without custom setup
• Results, free-text comments, and the phase at which feedback was given are all downloadable via a new extract in Admin UI
• The survey can be dismissed and will reappear after the next phase. Once a candidate submits at least one response, they will not be shown it again
• Candidates are informed that responses are anonymous, supporting honest feedback

Accessibility Toolbar New Options

New controls added to the accessibility toolbar: spacing adjustments (letter, word, line, paragraph), reduce motion, and highlighted links. The toolbar now meets WCAG 2.2 AA criteria.

• Candidates can adjust letter, word, line, and paragraph spacing to suit their reading preferences
• Reduce motion limits animated or moving elements on screen
• Highlighted links make hyperlinks more visually distinct
• No action required. Available across all Modern Projects

Moderation in Virtual Assessment Centre 2.0 (Premium)

A new moderation role allows an independent reviewer to score exercises alongside assessors and compare ratings once both parties have submitted.

• Moderators can attend any event within a session alongside assigned assessors and score all exercises independently
• Once both the moderator and at least one assessor have scored an exercise, moderators can review scores side by side alongside assessors' exercise summary notes
• Moderators can add a review summary note and receive the Assessor Schedule Summary email when sessions are confirmed
• Moderator scores and comments can be included in dynamic extracts
• Contact your Sova account team to enable

Admin UI Redesign

A fully updated administration portal with a new homepage, unified search across all projects and accounts, and redesigned project cards surfacing key stats at a glance.

• A new homepage shows recently viewed projects on sign-in, with a search bar covering all projects, accounts, and clients you have access to from one place
• Project cards display candidate count, completion count, and activity count at a glance. Clicking the card opens results, the person icon navigates to the candidates page, and the pin saves the project for quick access
• Client cards follow the same pattern, showing total accounts, projects, and candidates at a glance
• Navigation between levels, project to account to client, is now more intuitive
• The sidebar is visible at all times, collapses on smaller screens, and includes a direct link to the Sova Help Centre
• The homepage is customisable with a banner image and shortcut links to your ATS or internal guidance

Activity Reset: Reason Now Required

When resetting a candidate's activity, admins are prompted to log a short reason. Applies across all activities and project types.

• Cleaner audit trails and clearer records when reviewing candidate history

These updates reflect feedback from our clients and a continued commitment to building a platform that works for everyone. Accessibility is not an optional extra, and meeting WCAG 2.2 AA across the toolbar is a step we are proud to have delivered.

If you have questions about any of the changes, speak to your Customer Success Manager.