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Tag: Hiring Process

Survey reveals key hiring pitfalls that demotivate candidates

57% of candidates said no feedback from interview was their greatest demotivator

SRG, a UK scientific recruitment organisation surveyed 754 candidates on their biggest blockers to motivation in their job-search. 

According to the survey results, over half (57%) of candidates cited no feedback from a job interview as their biggest blocker. 24% of candidates cited burnout and 10% said staying on top of managing job applications was their biggest blocker as a candidate. Meanwhile 9% said not knowing where to find jobs posed the greatest challenge to maintaining motivation. 

Hannah Mason, Principal Resourcer at Search by SRG said: “In this candidate driven market, businesses often forget the ‘two-way street’ and their interview processes are like interrogations. It is key that businesses are selling themselves to candidates throughout the process as well as highlighting their Employee Value Proposition and culture accurately. Senior and executive candidates are more selective than ever in the opportunities they pursue, and the current model of one-way interviews seldom meets the expectations of high-level candidates.” 

As economic uncertainty in the UK continues, access to best-in-industry talent is more critical than ever to maintain business continuity and futureproof organisational success. 

However, 70% of senior leaders report a lack of confidence in their organisational agility, and just 29% have enough employees to meet current performance requirements. As digitalisation continues to impact industries across STEM and beyond, skills gaps are widening, heightening the competition for talent. 7 in 10 leaders are experiencing major staff shortages and finding recruitment challenging. 

In this climate of scarcity and competitivity, a strong talent attraction strategy is vital. 

Alison Jones, Operations Director at SRG also commented: “Businesses need to hire people, not CVs. Companies need to move beyond approaching CV screening with a tick-box to strategically assessing capability. If a person’s CV meets most of the technical remit, interviewing that individual will extend and improve your talent base. I’ve lost count of the number of applicants rejected on something innocuous, who our consultants have persuaded the client to reconsider, only to go on to be successful for the very role they were rejected for. Our talent pool is diverse; therefore, CVs will be.” 

SRG is the UK’s leading scientific recruitment organisation. SRG provides market-leading services

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71% of candidates drop out of recruitment experience

Firms with slow hiring processes are losing out

According to the latest data from the ONS, the UK is still in the midst of a skills shortage, with vacancy numbers still historically high, despite signs of slowing month-on-month. However, according to a study by background screening and identity services firm, Sterling, slow hiring processes are adding to these recruitment challenges.

The data, which comes from a global survey of more than 1,200 HR professionals and perspectives from more than 3,700 recent job seekers, suggests that half of the UK’s employers can’t find enough qualified candidates for the roles they have, with almost a third (29%) revealing that their direct competitors are beating them in the race for top talent. 

The study also revealed that a significant proportion of employers are losing out to the competition due to slow hiring processes. Of the jobseekers surveyed, 71% revealed that they had either dropped out or considered dropping out of their most recent recruitment experience. The top three reasons cited for this were; the process was taking too long, it was too complicated or there were too many touchpoints. 

Steve Smith, President International at Sterling commented: “While 2022 was a year of record-breaking vacancy numbers across the UK, the war for talent is still raging on. The UK still has a low level of unemployment despite the increase noted at the end of last year and skills shortages are being reported across a range of sectors and disciplines. In this environment, employers continue to report difficulties with recruiting the right people. But our data suggests that this issue is being exacerbated by lengthy and complex hiring processes.

“A well-thought-out candidate experience is crucial at all times, though the impact is certainly more noticeable when competition for talent is rife. A robust hiring process shouldn’t create barriers for applicants. It’s crucial that employers optimise the process to streamline everything from communication requirements and screening through to on-boarding. Technology does have a role to play in achieving this. The right tech helps to automate elements of the process and speed everything up. However, for those firms turning to tech to improve efficiencies, the candidate must be front of mind. How they interact with the technology has a direct impact on their view of your employer brand. If the software being used isn’t built with the applicant in mind, candidate dropout rates will likely remain high.”

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UPS to hire 100,000 seasonal workers

Hiring process down to 25 minutes

Package delivery service UPS plans to hire more than 100,000 seasonal employees ahead of the year-end holiday rush. The company made the announcement last week.

UPS noted it has streamlined its hiring process, and it now takes 25 minutes for most people to go from filling out an online application to receiving a job offer. The company said nearly 80% of seasonal positions do not require an interview.

The company is filling full- and part-time seasonal positions, primarily seasonal delivery and commercial drivers license drivers, package handlers and driver helpers. Permanent positions are also available in some areas for those who apply early.

UPS also reported that nearly 35,000 seasonal employees earned permanent positions following the 2021 holidays. A full-time UPS package delivery driver makes an average of $95,000 per year plus an additional $50,000 in contributions to health, wellness and pension benefits.

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Vacancies down, but hiring process still needs work

Skills crisis not yet over, experts warn

The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data has revealed that UK vacancy rates declined between May and July 2022. But even with the decline, background screening and identity services firm, Sterling, has cautioned firms not to neglect hiring efforts with skills still in short supply. Data shows that neglect may be detrimental to organisations’ long-term hiring strategies.

According to Sterling, even though vacancies are down, the hiring market in the UK is still candidate-led, and the country remains critically short of top talent. In light of this, businesses need to rethink their hiring process to better match the job seeker’s needs.

Based on a global survey of more than 1,200 HR professionals and more than 3,700 recent job seekers, Sterling’s research revealed that 78% of job seekers are dropping out or considering dropping out of the recruitment process due to long, complex screening requirements. A third of the respondents who dropped out said the hiring process was too complicated, while 22% had concerns about the background screening process.

Steve Smith, President of International at Sterling, commented: “With so much uncertainty and with skills still in short supply across most of Europe, this is the time to ensure that you have the right processes in place to secure the talent that you need to continue successfully operating your business. Particularly in a competitive recruitment environment, ensuring applicants have the best possible experience with a brand remains of paramount importance and will be for the foreseeable future.

“When it comes to candidates dropping out of the hiring process, there’s been a wealth of speculation that individuals are getting counter-offers and they are pursuing opportunities elsewhere. While this may be the case for some, the insight we’ve gained from applicants themselves suggests there’s more to this issue that needs to be addressed swiftly. In the current economy, it’s simply not a viable option to overlook how important it is to provide an efficient and engaging experience for candidates throughout the entire hiring process.”

ONS labour response: Decline in jobs doesn’t mean the skills crisis is over

Tania Bowers, Global Public Policy Director at the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) commented: “The post-pandemic hiring spike we experienced was bound to come to a halt at some time, but with recession fears looming and on-going Government uncertainty amidst a leadership contest, this drop is a concern for the country’s economy.

“Our own data supports the idea that permanent recruitment is slowing as the impact of the skills shortages over the last few years plays out. However, what our statistics are also indicating is that more businesses are turning to contract professionals as they struggle to fill resourcing needs. The data – provided by the global leader in software for the staffing industry, Bullhorn – revealed that the number of contract roles in the UK grew by 13% in July 2022 when compared to pre-pandemic figures (July 2019). In comparison, the number of permanent jobs dropped by 23% in the same period.”

“This reliance on the non-employed segment of the workforce simply isn’t sustainable at a time when the UK’s attractiveness as a destination to work for international contractors is dwindling post-Brexit. And with the impact of Off Payroll still being felt in the temporary recruitment market, the longer-term availability of these resources and ability to tap into skills in a cost-effective manner is at risk. We urgently need some stability from the Government and a clearer direction on the regulation of the employment market to ensure that the UK can manage through the difficult times ahead.”

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The UK hiring process is too lengthy

More than a third of job seekers drop out of recruitment procedure

According to research published by Sterling, the majority (78%) of job seekers are dropping out or considering dropping out of the recruitment procedure due to lengthy and complex processes, exacerbating the skills crisis.

The data, which comes from a global survey of more than 1,200 HR professionals and perspectives from more than 3,700 recent job seekers, revealed that a third of those that dropped out said the hiring process was too complicated and 22% expressed an issue with the background screening process.

There is clearly a disconnect between employers and candidates as the research found that just 9% of HR professionals believed that candidates would find their hiring process complicated, despite a third of candidates exiting the process for this very reason.

According to Sterling, these results should be cause for concern at a time when skills are in increasingly short supply, with almost half of HR professionals surveyed revealing that they are unable to find enough candidates to fill roles.

Steve Smith, President International at Sterling, commented: “With skills in short supply across most of Europe, ensuring applicants have the best possible experience with a brand is of significant importance. However, this latest data indicates that a significant proportion of the candidate community is dropping out of hiring processes due to the complexity of requirements, suggesting the experience for the end-user isn’t as positive as it could be. There’s been a wealth of speculation that individuals are getting counter-offers which is leading to them dropping out of the hiring process due to opportunities elsewhere. While this may be the case, the insight from applicants themselves suggests there’s more to this issue that needs to be addressed swiftly. In the current economy, it’s simply not a viable option to overlook how important it is to provide an efficient and engaging hiring process for candidates.”

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