A comprehensive study from Omni offers an in-depth look at the modern candidate journey and how employers can improve their recruiting strategies. Drawing on survey responses from over 900 job seekers across the UK, the research highlights candidate priorities, pain points, and motivations. For talent acquisition teams, the findings provide a roadmap to evaluating and optimising your candidate experience. Here are the top five takeaways:
The number one complaint from respondents was insufficient communication and feedback from employers throughout the hiring process. Over half said they typically wait three months or more for any response to a job application. An astounding 78% reported never being asked by recruiters for any feedback on their experience. This lack of communication has consequences – 59% said they would likely withdraw their application altogether if faced with poor communication or receiving no feedback.
A suggested solution is to build a structured communication strategy that promptly addresses candidate questions, provides status updates during screening and interview stages, requests feedback, and informs applicants of final hiring decisions in a timely manner. Dedicated and responsive communication shows candidates they are valued. It keeps them engaged versus feeling frustrated when left in limbo.
In today’s competitive hiring market, 56% of respondents cited a lengthy application process as a factor that would cause them to abandon or withdraw their job application. Lengthy lag times between application, screening, interviews, and decisions increasingly lead candidates to pursue options with other organisations.
Being able to identify and eliminate bottlenecks that slow down hiring is key. Leveraging chatbots for basic enquiries, digitising paperwork, limiting repeat data entry, and using scheduling tools for interviews can optimise your team’s efficiency. However, resist the urge to over-abbreviate processes to the point of sacrificing candidate experience – quickness must be balanced with care and attention to detail. Discuss, agree, and define reasonable targets for applicant response and decision times and share these with your candidates to set the right expectations.
One of the top reasons candidates declined job offers was a perceived discrepancy between how the role was initially advertised and the actual details of the offer. Make sure your teams are delivering transparency around job requirements, responsibilities, and compensation. If you’re finding that job specifications often get modified or change during the recruiting process, then make sure these are updated and are accurate right at the start of the candidate journey.
Likewise, the details of interviews and assessments should be consistent – requiring an unexpected presentation without prior notice, for example, frustrates candidates. Above all, the job offer must align with what was promised in the ad. Transparency and consistency from the initial outreach through the final offer helps to cultivate trust with candidates.
What motivates a candidate to apply and accept an offer varies widely based on demographics. For instance, flexibility and work-life balance tend to resonate more with some groups, while others are laser-focused on compensation. Every role also attracts applicants with different priorities based on industry, seniority level, and function.
Organisations that understand these motivations and customise their outreach and employer branding accordingly will see an improvement in the number of applicants and quality of candidates. Highlight the priorities that matter most to each talent pool – whether it’s career development programmes, remote work options, culture and values alignment, or competitive salaries. Tailored messaging makes prospective applicants feel understood.
Today’s recruiting landscape is shifting rapidly, with candidate expectations and motivations constantly evolving. What works one quarter may fall flat the next. That’s why regularly monitoring metrics and gathering candidate feedback is critical for understanding pain points and enhancing programmes over time.
Survey candidates at each recruitment stage to measure satisfaction in your processes. Track application drop-off rates to identify process breakdowns. Monitor offer acceptance/refusal reasons. Use insights to address weak spots, capitalise on strengths, and keep up with applicant needs.
Our Omni research highlights areas you can focus on for improvement. Take steps to strengthen your communication, efficiency, transparency, personalisation, and monitoring to make candidates feel more valued and engaged. We hope you find these findings an inspiration for evaluating and elevating your own programmes to attract the talent you’re looking for.
You can access the full survey, findings and recommendations in our Omni Modern Candidate Experience Report 2023
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