Hourglass

A Quarter of Job Applicants Receive No Response

New research commissioned by Reed.co.uk, one of the UK’s leading jobs and careers sites, has found that almost a quarter (24%) of workers that have applied for jobs since the start of the pandemic have had no response to their application.

Of those that did receive a response and moved through the hiring process, long wait times were reported, with over a quarter (17%) of workers made to wait more than two weeks between interviews.  In addition, more than one in ten (13%) workers have been contacted by companies where they previously applied for a role, about an alternative job opening at a later date.

The research also looks at the potential repercussions for businesses:

  • 31% of workers are unlikely to apply to a company again after a negative application experience;
  • 30% of workers are unlikely to recommend a company to a friend after a negative application experience;
  • 23% of workers make perceptions of the company based on their experience with the recruiter.

Employers could improve candidate experience by streamlining the hiring process as 31% of workers are put off by the complexity of an application and interview process.  Businesses used to deliberately make the process cumbersome in order to ensure they only received applicants from people who really wanted the job, but that outdated rationale has backfired now.

Commenting on the research, Simon Wingate, Managing Director of Reed.co.uk, said:

“The labour market has drastically changed since the start of the pandemic, with the shift in power transferring from employers to workers due to the sheer volume of job opportunities available. It’s therefore a concern that candidates are reporting negative experiences during the hiring process, especially for those businesses for which candidates are also potential customers.

“Our research shows how recruitment practices can have a significant impact on both hiring and business performance, with people unlikely to recommend the company to others after a negative experience. To combat this, businesses must focus on improving how they hire and not just who they hire, with time of the essence.”

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