Job Candidates Are Often Kept in the Dark
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Job Candidates Are Often Kept in the Dark
By Dennis McCafferty -
Personal Touch
84% of surveyed job candidates expect to receive a personal email response when they apply, and 52% anticipate a phone call. -
Bad News Bearings
25% expect to hear from an employer even if they won't be brought in for an interview. -
‘Don't Call Us’
52% of employers respond to less than half of applicants. -
Blind Search
58% of employers don't use tracking or coding technology to learn where candidates are coming from to ensure they are making efficient use of their recruitment marketing efforts. -
In the Loop
36% of candidates expect to be updated throughout the application process. -
Missing the Cut
41% expect to be notified if they weren't chosen after they interviewed with the company. -
Closed Process
Only 26% of hirers proactively communicate with candidates about what stage of the recruitment cycle they're in. -
Feedback Needed
73% of those who interview with companies are never given an explanation for why they didn't get the job. -
Increasingly Onerous
40% of job seekers said the application process has become more difficult in the last five years. -
Top Difficulties with Job Application Process
It's too automated and lacks personalization: 57%, Candidates have no idea where they are in the process: 51%. There are many more steps to take than in the past: 50% -
Acceptable Tradeoff
More than three-quarters of applicants are willing to accept a salary offer that is 5% lower than the anticipated offer if the employer created a great impression during the hiring process.
The majority of job seekers expect to hear back from employers after they apply-but most employers typically don't respond to candidates' applications, according to a recent survey from CareerBuilder. The findings reveal a significant gap between what potential recruits expect from a company, and what hirers are actually willing to do. As a result, talented applicants are walking away from these experiences with negative impressions of the targeted organization. And that often leads to long-term, reputational issues for that company. "Today's candidates expect ongoing communications from companies during the application process, and when companies fail to meet this expectation, it can be bad for business," said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer of CareerBuilder. "Candidates remember when companies don't respond to them, fail to update them on the status of their application or don't follow up after an interview." More than 5,000 workers and 2,000 hiring managers took part in the research, which was conducted in partnership with Inavero.