Any employer or hiring manager has probably experienced being “ghosted” by one or two potential hires before. This refers to when the candidate simply drops out of the hiring process, no longer responding to further contact.
This is not only a frustrating experience, it also costs a company time and resources that were wasted on a candidate that eventually pulled a no-show.
In the current environment, hiring is at an all-time high and many jobseekers are on the search. So if you are still getting “ghosted” often, it may be time to examine your hiring process for the following:
- Is the hiring process too long and troublesome?
We are in the time of the “one-click apply”, and research shows most job seekers are not interested in spending more than 10 minutes on one job application. They also tend to apply to multiple jobs with a single application, and hence have little patience for a repetitive application process.
If you notice that many of your candidates are leaving with their application forms half-filled, a revamp may be in order. Try to simplify your hiring process by making use of pre-populating or autofill technology to save candidates’ time and yours, and keep detailed questions for the interview rather than the form.
- Is the mobile application experience difficult and/or different?
Jobseekers are going increasingly mobile like everybody else. Hence, if they need to get to the nearest desktop computer to finish a job application, they are likely to find it not worth their time.
Research has found that 8 in 10 people stop engaging with websites that aren’t optimised for mobile devices, and 53% of people abandon mobile sites that take more than three seconds to load. Therefore, investing in a mobile-user friendly application process is the first step to successful recruitment strategy.
- Is the candidate left out of the loop?
Feedback on the job application status goes two ways. Just as you require prompt responses from potential hires, they also require information from you. This includes status updates about their application and what further steps they ought to take.
If you have too many applications to respond to each one individually, invest in automatic mailing services that send the essential notices to candidates. These include emails letting them know their applications have been accepted, or relevant contact information should they have questions.
- Is the background check taking too long?
A background check is an important part of the screening process, and candidates understand that. However, it would be unwise to simply go silent on potential hires while you perform the necessary checks. CareerBuilder USA found that 66% of job seekers did not even wait two weeks to hear back from a company before they moved on to another opportunity.
Our advice is to make sure you’re not only working with a trusted, accredited employment screening vendor that can deliver accurate results in 24 to 72 hours on average, and communicate with your candidates throughout.
CareerBuilder is proud to present a suite of hiring solutions that promises to cover all bases and give your company an updated, competitive advantage in the talent acquisition sphere. Email us at [email protected] for a demo, or contact your CareerBuilder rep to learn more.
