Dive Brief:
- Nearly three-quarters (71%) of more than 1,500 U.S. adults who responded to a recent survey expect the application process to take less than 30 minutes, and 35% said they’d quit an application if it took too long, according to an April 29 report by hiring technology firm Employ, Inc.
- Candidates have mixed feelings about AI, the report found. Among those who interacted with a chatbot during recruitment, 66% said it improved their experience, and 61% see potential for AI to reduce bias. However, 58% said they trust HR pros more than AI to guide them through the hiring process.
- Transparency is also important: 36% of respondents said they left a job in the first 90 days due to a “mismatch in the hiring process,” or a disconnect between what they were told during the interview process and the reality of the role once they were on the job, Employ said.
Dive Insight:
With recruiting managers having navigated a gamut of challenges, from mass layoffs to widespread burnout, it’s become clear that “understanding what candidates expect and value is essential to building resilient, high-performing teams,” Stephanie Manzelli, Employ’s CHRO, stated in a media release.
Among those participating in Employ’s survey, 43% – the top response – said having an easy application experience made the greatest impact on their impression of a company during the interview process, according to the report.
How the hiring process is conducted does make a difference, an October 2024 report from Gallup emphasized.
Two out of 3 employees hired last year told Gallup they had an “exceptional” or “very good” candidate experience with their current employer, and 44% of those surveyed said the interviews they had with the people who hired them had the most influence on their decision to take the job.
When it comes to transparency, candidates don’t just want accurate information about the job, as Employ found. According to a March report from ServiceNow, 90% of job seekers said they want companies to be upfront about how AI is used in recruiting and hiring.
In particular, job seekers feel uncomfortable about AI being used to screen resumes and for decision-making tasks, such as ranking applicants and predictive analysis, but they generally accept the use of automation to schedule interviews and to reach out to potential candidates, ServiceNow found.
Candidates also want roles that provide a pathway for growing their careers, the Employ survey indicated. Nearly 40% of those who declined a job offer in the last 12 months cited limited career advancement or poor location or geography, Employ said.
Career development opportunities can be key to employee engagement and retention, and employers are taking notice, according to a September 2024 report from insurance and risk management consulting firm Gallagher.
In Gallagher’s survey of U.S. organizations across 22 industries, respondents acknowledged that career development, growth and mobility continue to be top drivers of engagement and retention, and 43% said they support their workers in developing and pursuing a career path.
