New Data Reveals 84% of Talent is Job Hunting, Yet 60% Believe Companies are Failing to Get Hiring Right

New Greenhouse Candidate Experience Report uncovers major gaps in hiring processes and poor candidate experiences in the tight labor market companies are facing

News provided by

Greenhouse Software, Inc.

Feb 03, 2022, 08:00 ET

NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Greenhouse Candidate Experience Report, a new survey of over 1,500 employees and job seekers, discovered that 84% of respondents are looking for, or are open to, a new job in the next six months. The report found that over 60% of job seekers are unimpressed by time-consuming recruitment processes and are demanding companies create a more modern recruiting experience. Candidates who face lengthy initial applications, slow recruiter response times and follow-ups, unprepared and late interviewers, inconsistent feedback, and ghosting will be quick to move on and companies will suffer as a result.

Key findings of the survey showed consistent themes around candidate experience, recruiter responsiveness, and the importance of DE&I for job seekers, including:

More than 70% of job seekers said they will not submit a job application if it takes longer than 15 minutes to complete.
Almost 58% of candidates expect to hear back from companies in one week or less regarding their initial application.
Over 70% of job seekers want feedback on an interview. More than 60% said that receiving feedback during the interview process, even if they do not receive a job offer, would make them more inclined to apply to future jobs at that company.
More than 75% of job seekers have been ghosted after an interview.
The most important DE&I investments candidates evaluate when considering a company are:

a.    employee benefits such as coverage for remote and flexible work arrangements and gender affirmation paid leave (49%)
b.    employee reviews on platforms like Glassdoor on progress and opportunities (47%)
c.    diverse leadership team or board (34%)
d.    promoting affinity/employee resource groups on the careers page (34%)

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) remains critical for job seekers of all ages when applying for a role, with a large majority (86%) of candidates considering a company's investment in DE&I during the process. The survey results found that many companies are failing to create a positive and inclusive interview experience. Almost 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.

"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," said Daniel Chait, CEO and Co-founder, Greenhouse. "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."

As companies continue to face a tight labor market and demand for talent intensifies, companies need to make the hiring process as seamless as possible for prospective employees. In 2021, the average Greenhouse customer created 46% more job listings than in 2020, meaning that job seekers have more options in open roles available. During this same timeframe, the data shows the volume of applications per job has decreased by 21%, showing that candidates are becoming more selective on how they spend their time searching for jobs.

"In 2019, just before the start of the pandemic we had historic low unemployment and just had hit the plateau of more jobs than those on unemployment," said Tim Sackett, TA & HR Expert and President at HRU Technical Resources. "We should have predicted The Great Reshuffling, which is about opportunity. Opportunity for candidates who have been stuck in a job and company they didn't like. Because now, it's companies who are being interviewed by candidates. From the job application to your website and every communication touchpoint, candidates are making decisions on who they want to work for and companies need to up their game. Companies who deliver a great candidate experience and a great employee experience will reap the benefits of this great reshuffling."

For access to the full results from the Greenhouse Candidate Experience Report visit our blog.

Survey Method
Greenhouse, the hiring software company, surveyed over 1,500 respondents, of which 1,305 were employed, with the remaining 195 respondents currently seeking employment. The respondents were located in the US, the UK, Ireland and Germany.

About Greenhouse
Greenhouse is the hiring software company. We help businesses become great at hiring through our powerful hiring approach, complete suite of software and services, Hiring Maturity™ methodology and large partner ecosystem – so businesses can hire for what's next.

Based in New York City with offices in San Francisco, Denver and Dublin, Greenhouse Software has over 6,000 customers. Some of the smartest and most successful companies like HubSpot, Buzzfeed, J.D. Power, Booking.com, Scout24 and The Knot Worldwide use the Greenhouse hiring software platform to improve all aspects of hiring, helping them to attract top talent.

SOURCE Greenhouse Software, Inc.