Why You're Losing Talented Job Candidates

It's a competitive world out there in today's business. Successful companies understand that recruiting top talent is the key to growth and long-term sustainability, which is why so many businesses invest massive amounts of time and resources in finding and hiring talented staff. But are your efforts paying off?

You might be losing talented candidates for a number of reasons. Maybe they don't feel they're the right fit for your workplace culture, or they've gotten a better offer from another company. They may be employed elsewhere and only considering a move, or not even ready to enter (or re-enter) the workforce yet.

However, the most common reason for losing job candidates is something that's simple and within your control. Your lack of timely responses to candidates--and your company's reputation for responding poorly--could be damaging your ability to recruit top talent.

How candidates feel about the hiring process

Overall, many of today's job seekers aren't happy with the current hiring climate. Several studies have confirmed this growing dissatisfaction:

• A survey found that 47 percent of job candidates did not apply at all to a particular company because they were so frustrated by the company's hiring process. Vague job descriptions discouraged a further 44 percent from applying, and one-third of candidates declined to apply because it was too hard to find information about the company.
• In a recent study on college graduates, 45 percent reported that they were not satisfied with recruitment experiences, and 11 percent said the experience was "so negative that they would be unlikely to use the prospective employer's products or services in the future." The issues most commonly cited were misleading job descriptions, a "long, drawn-out selection process," lack of feedback, and rude or condescending interviewers.
• On the employer side, the Applicant Experience study reported that 56 percent of employers who sought to recruit talent over the past few years had their offers rejected by at least one candidate, most often because of a negative experience during the hiring process--with the largest percentage citing lack of recruiter enthusiasm as a primary reason for turning the offer down.

In the hiring process, silence is not golden

Failing to respond to candidates during the hiring process can not only cost you talent--it can also hurt your company's reputation, and make you lose out on more talent down the road.

A nationwide survey found that 75 percent, or 3 out of 4, job candidates "never heard back from the employer" after submitting a resume or application. In the same study, 42 percent of those candidates with negative experiences said they would not apply to that company again--and 22 percent said they would tell other people not to work for that company.

In some cases, the number of people who would spread negative feedback about your business is estimated even higher.

With so much of the world online today, negative word of mouth about your hiring process can spread quickly. Discussions on business-focused social media sites like LinkedIn and reviews on employment sites like Glassdoor can discourage the best talent from ever trying to apply at your company.

Communication is the key

The best thing your business can do to avoid losing talented candidates is to stay in touch with applicants throughout the process. A simple acknowledgement that a resume or application packet was received can go a long way toward reassuring job seekers that they're under consideration--and that your company is interested in learning more about them.

Be sure to keep to any agreed schedules for interviews, and notify candidates promptly if you have to reschedule. Check your recruiting strategies from a candidate's point of view, and eliminate any unnecessary hoops you have in place for the screening process.

With common courtesy and prompt responsiveness, you can find, recruit, and retain top talent for your business--even in a competitive market. If you are looking for recruiting agencies in Houston TX, contact our team today/

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