Greenhouse Study Shows Job Seekers Face Lengthy Applications, Slow Recruiter Response Times, Ghosting, Unprepared And Late Interviewers – Forbes
Female candidate feeling worried while waiting for human resource’s decision on a job interview in … [+]
Recruiting for over twenty five years, and never seen a wild job market like this. There were always ups and downs, but this time it’s different. Battle-hardened and scarred from the effects of the virus outbreak— people realized that life is short and shouldn’t be wasted on working at a job that isn’t the right fit.
Over four million people have been quitting their jobs each month. There are more than 11 million jobs open and available. Businesses are having an exceedingly difficult time finding, hiring and keeping workers.
To gain a read on what is happening, we turned to a survey from Greenhouse, the software tech company behind a lot of the job postings you see online. The Greenhouse Candidate Experience Report polled over 1,500 employees and job seekers, and discovered that 84% of respondents are looking for, or are open to, a new job in the next six months.
The report found that more than 60% of job seekers are “unimpressed by time-consuming recruitment processes and are demanding companies create a more modern recruiting experience.” Curiously, although it’s a blazing hot job market, it seems that companies haven’t improved the manner in which they interview and onboard new employees.
Job hunters are still forced to deal with “lengthy initial applications, slow recruiter response times and follow-ups,” and they are met with “unprepared and late interviewers, inconsistent feedback, and ghosting.” Due to the rude mistreatment, applicants are “quick to move on and companies will suffer as a result.”
Here are some other highlights of the survey:
What diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) candidates look for:
A large number of organizations are lacking in offering a “positive and inclusive interview experience.” For example, around 43% of candidates have had their name mispronounced in a job interview. “Pronouncing every candidate’s name correctly is not just common courtesy, it’s a crucial behavior for achieving true workplace inclusivity and creating a culture of belonging.”
Daniel Chait, CEO and Co-founder of Greenhouse, said about the findings, “The results of our latest survey are a call to action for all companies. We’re in the midst of a real role reversal, and the talent pool has never been more selective and vocal about what they want from an employer.”
Chait pointed out that it’s now the job hunters who have the upper hand, saying, “Whereas employers previously ruled out candidates for trivial issues like spelling errors on their resume, now it’s the candidates who are rejecting employers. Companies who are too slow in responding, are careless with how they treat candidates, or who don’t show their commitment to DE&I are losing out on talent.”
The major takeaway from the survey is that corporate leadership needs to acknowledge that the winds have shifted and there isn’t a never ending parade of applicants at their beckoning. The January jobs report was very strong with a surprisingly high number of new roles created. This was at a time that Omicron was raging across the country, showing promising signs of future job growth.
The companies that are complacent will lose out in the war for talent. They’ll suffer a brain drain as the best and brightest get recruited away or quit to find a better job. The winners in this new era will be the organizations that understand job seekers and employees want a work and life balance. They desire flexibility and autonomy over their workday. They want to work for empathetic leaders who motivate and appreciate them. It’s important to have choices as some people prefer remote, others may choose to come into an office or travel the world as a digital nomad.
The data from Greenhouse shows that there continues to be more job openings posted with fewer people applying. People now know that they have many options and don’t have to settle. If the application process is overly burdensome, and the treatment during the interview process is uncomfortable, there is no reason to continue. They’ll ghost the rude recruiters and move on to another opportunity.
