The Biggest Frustration for Job Seekers Is…

With more than 6.6 million open jobs in the U.S. today, demand for talent remains strong and shows few signs of slowing. It's more vital than ever to remove all obstacles in your hiring process and to start listening to candidates in order to improve the candidate experience. Luckily, we're here to help.

A new survey (1) from Glassdoor reveals that a lack of information about a job’s total compensation package, including pay and benefits, is among the biggest frustrations for U.S. workers and job seekers during the interview process. People applying to your open jobs want salary transparency and to understand the total compensation package. And in this tough job market, the old school HR recruiter's trick of being cagey or withholding information can cost you a perfect candidate.

The online survey, conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Glassdoor in May 2018 among over 1,100 U.S. adults who are either currently employed or not employed but looking for work, revealed that while 50 percent of people surveyed were most frustrated by a lack of salary transparency, they were also frustrated by potential employers canceling or postponing interviews. Ghosting is an absolute no-no in this day and age.  “Recruiters have a challenging task of coordinating multiple interviews in addition to ensuring each candidate receives the necessary information to evaluate an opportunity. Job seekers clearly feel that understanding the total compensation package, including pay and benefits, is absolutely essential to fully evaluate a job opportunity,” said Julie Coucoules, Glassdoor’s Global Head of Talent Acquisition. Glassdoor's survey also dug into what would make candidates pull out of the recruiting process. The results? Here's what would make your candidates drop out of the process:

• Employer announcing layoffs (44 percent)
• A poor first interaction with a recruiter or hiring manager (40 percent)
• Reading negative reviews from employees (35 percent)
• Hearing about employee or leadership scandals (33 percent)
• Reading negative news coverage about the company (32 percent) 

Alas, the survey did not reveal all doom and gloom for recruiters. “The good news is that this and the top five frustrations that job seekers have with the recruitment process can all be improved by any employer of any size," says Coucoules. "Recruiters that want to create an informative and organized process can use this feedback to make their interview process more effective and positive.” How Can Employers Turn Candidates Into Advocates? While finding qualified job candidates for hard-to-fill positions is no easy task, staying aware of how candidates perceive your business and the hiring process will help you stay ahead of the game and lock in the talented hires you are pursuing. In addition to having an active employer brand on Glassdoor, there are a few free resources we suggest  to help recruiters create a positive interview experience:

How to Create a Great Candidate Experience

Glassdoor’s Interview Trends Report

How to Communicate With Your Candidates

 

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How Small- to Medium-Sized Businesses Use Glassdoor to Recruit

Methodology

1. This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Glassdoor between May 7-9, 2018 among 1,151 US adults ages 18+ who are employed full-time/part-time/self-employed (n=1,015), or not employed but looking for work (n=136). This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For more on methodology, visit Glassdoor.com/press