The “Time for recruitment” survey from Robert Half reveals what candidates expect and what makes them lose interest in a job: waiting.
Knowing that poor hiring can be very expensive, especially for a key position in the organization, it is not surprising that employers want to take their time and carefully consider all options before making a decision. However, this prudence risks losing the best candidates. This is what is revealed by the Robert Half survey of 400 Canadian workers.
Waiting, a lot of frustration
Waiting for a response, positive or negative, after an interview is the most frustrating part of a job search according to 64% of respondents. But above all, 47% of those interviewed lose all interest in the company if they have no news one or two weeks after the initial interview, and 24% if they do not have news within the following week! According to 32% of Canadians, a process that takes 15 to 21 days is too long, and for 29% it is too long after 7 days.
Doubts about the ability to make decisions
One of the reasons put forward, aside from the fact that candidates in sectors that are struggling to hire often have the choice between several offers and prefer to turn to the employer who responds faster, is that these delays lead them to question the company’s decision-making process in other strategic areas. It is an element that disturbs 39% of survey respondents. As a result, faced with response times that are too long, 46% of Canadian workers decide to continue their search elsewhere, while 16% end up staying at their existing jobs rather than seeking a new one.
5 steps to accelerate the process
The study doesn’t only reveal the problem; it also proposes solutions. Thus, to reduce hiring delays, the process should be divided into five steps. It is necessary first of all to determine the need, by deciding in particular on the type of contract and by examining the obstacles to hiring. Then, stakeholders must meet and be informed of the priority nature of the hiring. This is also the time to create a schedule for receiving candidates and to decide on the criteria for which you can afford to be less demanding.
Interviews take third place, with preselection via Skype if possible and, for face to face meetings, appointments with the finalists arranged on a single day to save time. Then comes the time to inform candidates and let them know how long it will take for you to get back to them. If you are unable to respect this time for one reason or another, tell the candidates. There should be no question of playing dead, since silence might encourage them to look elsewhere. Finally, all that’s left is to make an offer and decide when the contract will officially begin. Note that you must be ready to negotiate salary and benefits, since candidates won’t hesitate!