Jobseekers Expect Next-Generation Recruitment Efforts from Companies

The digital-age is upon us and jobseekers are making their voices heard. When it comes to the recruiting process, candidates prefer a digital approach and if your company isn’t on board with this trend, you run the risk of missing out on top talent.

Low unemployment and high demand for talent are feeding a recruiting environment where jobseekers and new employees are in control. According to new survey findings released by CareerBuilder and SilkRoad, candidates today have higher expectations for communication, logistics, and new hire onboarding during their job search process—68% of employees believe their experience as a job candidate reflects how the company treats its people.
Prospects today are evaluating a future employer from the first page of the job application. These findings suggest that jobseekers are accustomed to the environment they experience as consumers online, where everything is at their fingertips with a digital, mobile-friendly, and engaging process.
The national online survey was conducted from June 21 to July 16, 2018, and included a representative sample of 1,114 full-time employees and 1,138 employers across industries and company sizes who were asked about expectations in the hiring process, frequency of communication, online application preferences, and importance of the onboarding process, once hired.

Jobseekers Hold the Power

Not only has power shifted to the jobseeker but the current employee as well—newly hired or tenured. When jobseekers test the waters simultaneously, 51% report they’ve looked for other jobs even when an offer has been extended and the background check is in process—a tech-enabled offer and signature process that can happen fast is pivotal.
Approximately 67% of employers report almost a quarter of new hires not showing up after accepting a position. Convenience and speed of the organization in confirming a new hire could impact how many show up on the first day.
“Technology is playing an increasingly critical role in enabling touchpoints along the recruitment and new hire journey to facilitate human interactions. Keeping prospects and new hires engaged over what can often be a multi-week or multi-month process is paramount. We see Strategic Onboarding as a vehicle for continuous engagement, retention and talent transitions over an employee’s entire career,” said Robert Dvorak, CEO of SilkRoad, global leader in strategic enterprise onboarding and talent activation. “We realize the customer’s journey doesn’t end with a purchase, nor does the employee’s end with an offer. By using technology throughout the entire employment journey, employers can intentionally onboard candidates and employees, keeping them engaged at key points over time.”

Candidates Hold Higher Expectations

When both candidates and newly hired employees have higher expectations for how they’re being treated by employers, that experience can make or break a company’s ability to attract and keep top talent. Candidates, as well as employees, are consumers and they expect to have a seamless, clear, and mutually beneficial type of experience with employers.
The employer enjoys the benefit in the long-run—a strong pipeline of candidates, filled positions, and an engaged workforce that leads to lower turnover. As well, positive experiences in recruiting and onboarding enhances the ability to gain referrals from satisfied and engaged new hires, which can lower recruiting costs.
Additional key findings from the survey include:

• Employers are feeling the impact of the tight labor market. According to the survey, 60% of employers across industries see positions becoming longer to fill in the last year due directly to a tough hiring environment.
  • Nearly a fourth of employers (23%) have seen delays in filled positions up to 3 weeks or more.
• Candidates expect proactive, transparent, and frequent communications from employers. Given the current hiring environment, 43% of employees say they have higher expectations for how employers will treat them as a candidate.
  • 36% of employees expect to speak to a recruiter at a company they are interested in before they even apply to a job.
  • 31% expect customized messages from employers who reach out to them with job opportunities. They expect employers to come to them and they don’t want spam.
  • 82% of employees expect employers to provide a clear timeline for the hiring process and keep them updated throughout the process when they apply for a job.
• The candidate experience speaks volumes about the employee experience. 68% of employees believe their experience as a candidate reflects how the company treats its people.
• Candidates are not willing to wait. When applying to a job, more than half of employees (55%) will give up and move on if they haven’t heard from an employer within 2 weeks of applying.
• Candidates expect a fast and easy application experience. Jobseekers today are not willing to fill out multiple application pages, especially on a mobile device. If they do start one, they may not return on their desktop and won’t likely get past three to five pages.
  • One-in-five candidates give less than 10 minutes to a job application (20%), or two to three pages on a mobile device (21%), otherwise they drop off.
  • Approximately 43% of employees have applied for a position via a mobile device.
• Candidates keep looking for other jobs even when they accept an offer. 51% of employees continue looking for other jobs when an offer has been extended and they’re going through the background check process.
  • Employers say, on average, one in seven candidates (14%) walk away after they accepted the offer.
• Successful onboarding for a new hire is critical for their long-term vision of culture and career potential at the new company. 93% of employers agree a good onboarding experience is critical to influence a new hire’s decision in staying with the organization, yet 29% of employees don’t think their organization did the right things in onboarding to help them prepare and begin their new role.
• Onboarding can help or hurt: Nearly one in 10 employees (9%) have left a company because of a poor onboarding experience, and 37% of employees didn’t think their manager played a critical role in supporting their onboarding experience.
  • Nearly one in five employees (19%) want to receive feedback on their performance once a month or more often. And, when asked about the onboarding experience they had at the first 60 days of their company, 72% say they are likely to refer a friend to the same organization.
  • 51% of employees expect HR to check in with them regularly throughout their first year of employment.
  • On a scale of one to 10, 27% rated their most recent onboarding experience a five or worse. The same percentage said the same for picking out benefits.