Employers leaving a bad impression on those seeking Rhode Island jobs?
Posted on May 25, 2015
The candidate experience may be dampening an employer’s reputation when it comes to those seeking Rhode Island jobs, according to a recent Careerbuilder study.
The 2015 Candidate Behavior study, conducted by Inavero on behalf of CareerBuilder of more than 5,013 workers ages 18 and over and 2,002 hiring decision makers between February 3 and February 18, 2015, sheds light on the differences between what candidates expect from potential employers during the job application process and what employers actually deliver.
The six facts every employer should know about the candidate experience include:
Fact: Candidate Experience Matters (More Than You Know)
According to the study, 82 percent of employers think there’s little to no negative impact on the company when a candidate has a bad experience during the hiring process. The reality, however, is that the majority of candidates do not take poor treatment lying down: 58 percent are less likely to buy from a company to which they’ve applied if they don’t get a response to their application; 69 percent are less likely if they have a bad experience in the interview; and the same is true of 65 percent if they didn’t hear back after an interview.
Conversely, a good candidate experience can have the reverse effect: 69 percent of candidates are more likely to buy from a company to which they’ve applied if they’re treated with respect throughout the application process, and 67 percent are likely to do the same if they receive consistent updates throughout the recruitment process.
Fact: Employers May Be Missing Opportunities to Connect with Candidates
Job seekers may be searching for jobs in a lot of places where employers don’t have a presence. Candidates consult up to 18 resources throughout their job search – including job boards, social networking sites, search engines and online referrals – but the majority of employers (58 percent) don’t use tracking or coding technology to learn where candidates are coming from and ensure they are making efficient use of their recruitment marketing efforts. Without any data on where their candidates are coming from, employers may be missing opportunities to connect with candidates where they are actually searching.
Fact: Candidates Expect More Than You’re Giving Them
For some candidates, the myth of the infamous application “black hole” is all too real. More than half of employers (52 percent) respond to less than half of the candidates who apply. What these employers may not realize, however, is that not only do most candidates expect an automated reply that acknowledges their application, the majority (84 percent) also expect a personal email response, and 52 percent anticipate a phone call. Even when the news isn’t what they hope to receive, candidates expect a response: 1 in 4 candidates (25 percent) expect to hear if the employer will not be bringing them in for an interview.
Fact: Ongoing Communication is Critical for Candidates
When it comes to candidate communication, employers seem to be falling short of candidates’ expectations. Thirty-six percent of candidates expect to be updated throughout the application process, and 41 percent expect to be notified if they weren’t chosen after they interviewed with the company. Yet only 26 percent of employers proactively communicate with candidates what stage of the hiring process they’re in. Even when they’ve made it as far into the process as an interview, many candidates are still left in the dark: Nearly three in four (73 percent) candidates who interviewed with companies said they were never given an explanation for why they didn’t get the job.
