Majority of Workers Have Had Bad Applicant Experience

02.25.2013
HR & Safety

Seventy-five percent of workers who applied for jobs using various resources last year say they never heard back from the employer, according to a CareerBuilder survey of 3,900 workers nationwide.

While this speaks to the challenges of finding employment in a competitive market, it also brings to light negative implications for today’s employers. Nearly one-third of workers would be less likely to apply for employment in the future or purchase goods or services from a company that didn’t respond to an application, and more likely to discourage friends and family from doing so.

Twenty-six percent of workers say they have had a bad interview experience in the past, citing lack of follow through, inconsistencies from the employer or poor presentation of the company’s brand:

  • Employer never bothered letting me know the decision after the interview – 60%
  • Found out during the interview that the job didn’t match what was written in the job ad – 43%
  • Company representative didn’t present a positive work experience30%
  • Company representative didn’t seem to be knowledgeable29%

A bad interview experience can also impact negatively on the employer, with these workers reporting that they would never seek employment with the company again (42%), and would tell others not to work there (22%) and not to purchase products or services from the company (9%).

From the second job seekers are viewing your job ad and applying to your company, CareerBuilder tells organizations, they are forming an opinion of who you are as an employer. It is critical that your employment brand effectively carries through at every touch point with candidates.

The study found that a good applicant experience can have positive long-term effects for an employer, even if the candidate is not hired. If candidates are happy with the way they are treated when applying for a job, they are likely to seek employment with the company again (56%), tell others to seek employment there (37%), and purchase products or services from the company (23%).

In a separate 2012 study, CareerBuilder tracked the opinions of more than 1 million job candidates who applied for positions in more than 1,000 companies, looking to identify best practices in engaging and interacting with job candidates. Companies were evaluated based on timeliness of response to applications and follow through, candidate’s assessment of how knowledgeable the company’s recruiters are and how well they represented their company brand, whether candidates would recommend the company or apply again, and other factors. Organizations found to provide exceptional candidate experiences include Shell Oil Company, MB Financial Bank, Pinstripe, and Baptist Memorial Health Care.

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