CareerBuilder’s
2016 Candidate Behavior Study, a survey of over 5,000 workers and 1,500 hiring decision makers in the US and Canada has come up with seven key take-aways for HR departments looking to create a more efficient hiring program.
“It’s important to remember that the candidate experience starts from the very first click and can impact how effectively a company is able to recruit quality candidates, the popularity of its employer brand, the strength and quality of its referrals, and even its bottom line,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources for CareerBuilder.
1. Candidates want a fast application process
With the market becoming more employee-focused, candidates are more likely to lose patience and stop the application if the process is too complicated.
The study found that 20% of candidates won’t finish an application that takes more than 20 minutes to complete while 76% wanted to know the length of time required prior to starting.
2. Candidates won’t wait around
A long, drawn-out hiring process will put a damper on any firm’s recruitment efforts, the survey found. In fact, 66% of candidates won’t even wait two weeks to hear back before giving up and moving onto the next job offer.
3. Online visibility is crucial
With the survey finding that 64% of job applicants spend time researching a firm before applying for a job, it is essential for employers to become more visible online.
For firms without a strong social media presence or informative career site, 37% of candidates will just move on to the next job listing without applying for that open position.
4. Candidates want more job details
Within the job listing, HR will need to include much more than just a description of the firm and the job. In order of preference, the top five details most wanted by candidates were salary, total benefits package, employee ratings, hiring manager’s contact details, and work from home options.
5. Mobile will help attract Millennials
For the Millennial generation, 10% of candidates would ignore a job listing if making the application was impossible through a mobile device. This means more than just having a mobile-friendly career page however – employers will also have to ensure loading times are fast and that the navigation is user friendly, the study found.
6. Employers need to widen their nets
The survey found that potential applicants can use up to 16 sources, such as different webpages and social media sites, in their job searches. Employers need to cover all bases and put job ads in as many places as possible online.
7. Few employers have experienced their hiring process
Only 31% of surveyed employers have claimed to try applying to one of their own positions, the study found. This means the majority of HR departments never experience how efficient or inefficient the current hiring process actually is. By physically going through the job application, an employer can spot weaknesses and make improvements as required.
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