If you’re in the process of hiring new employees, be wary of your ghost candidates.
Conference Board survey more than 1,100 workers to consider their job search preferences, hiring practices, and interviewing process.
According to the survey, 18% of candidates who did not receive a response from the company they interviewed “have acted negatively towards the company”.
That means they refused to recommend the company to others or leave a negative review. And only 7% applied for another position at the same company in the future.
Businesses that don’t respond to job seekers risk reputational damage, the report said, which could “lose future talent who read a negative reviews, hearing unfavorable opinions about the company, or people feeling mistreated in a previous interview. experience with them.”
Rebecca Ray, executive vice president of human resources at The Conference Board, said to avoid these negative actions from happening, “hiring managers should make sure to communicate with all candidates in a timely manner. Timely and respectfully, regardless of the outcome of the hiring process. .”
Because “even if a candidate isn’t selected for a current role, they could still be a valuable colleague, client, or client in the future,” she adds. “By treating all candidates fairly and professionally, hiring managers can help shape how they think about the company, even if they’re not the right fit for the role.”
Job seekers also get annoyed with the rounds of interviews they have to go through.
The survey found that candidates and employers believe that just two rounds of interviews are “necessary”. But nearly a quarter of applicants said they had gone through four or more rounds of interviews.
Virtual interviews are also becoming more popular: 60% of respondents said they had a virtual interview with the company they are applying for, compared with 44% having an in-person interview.
Virtual interviews are more popular among younger cohorts: 70% of millennials conduct virtual interviews, compared with 53% of baby boomers.
And older groups like Gen X and baby boomers are also less likely to ask about remote, hybrid or in-person work arrangements.
Some job seekers also waited a while before they received a response from the company they applied to.
The survey said 14% of companies took four weeks or more to respond to candidates about next steps, while 56% took less than two weeks.
Candidates and hiring managers also agree that formal education is not as important as work experience, the report said, but “many companies still consider formal education a difficult requirement when hiring. use”.
