Professional Service Agreement

Recruiting Myths

Despite high unemployment rates, more than half (56 percent) of employers who recruited new employees in the last year reported that a candidate rejected their job offer. The experience a candidate has with an employer from the start plays a critical role in whether that candidate will ultimately accept a position. One-in-seven job seekers (15 percent) reported having a worse opinion of the employer after they were contacted for an interview.

A new study from CareerBuilder shows how employers may be losing out on talent — and business — if someone has a bad experience applying for a job with their company. The research was designed to dispel popular myths around recruitment and help keep candidates better engaged.

Myth: The failure to acknowledge a job application won't impact the company.
Fact: Forty four percent of workers who didn't hear back from an employer when they applied for a job said they have a worse opinion of that employer. In a separate study, nearly one-third of job seekers (32 percent) reported they are less likely to purchase a product from a company who didn't respond to their job application.

Myth: What happens in the recruitment process stays in the recruitment process.
Fact: Bad experiences can go viral or at least spread throughout someone's personal network. Three-in-four workers — 78 percent — said they would talk about a bad experience they had with a potential employer with friends and family. Seventeen percent said they would post something about their negative experience on social media and six percent said they would blog about it.


Myth: The top reason why workers apply to a job is salary.
Fact: What will initially pique the candidate's interest in applying is often tied to proximity, perception of the company and industry, and growth opportunities. Location was the number one reason candidates submitted an application (45 percent), followed by desirable industry (33 percent), reputation of the company (25 percent), interesting assignments (23 percent) and advancement opportunities (22 percent). While competitive compensation is important, it ranked sixth for why candidates said they applied to a job.

Sanja Licina, Ph.D. and senior director of talent intelligence at CareerBuilder stated, "first and foremost, it's important to acknowledge candidates and keep them informed. Make sure that the dynamic work experience you describe in your job posting is further supported in phone or face-to-face conversations. In addition, continually ask for feedback to see where your applicant process shines or where there are opportunities to improve."

SESCO Management Consultants is available to assist with your human resource issues. You may contact us by phone at 423-764-4127 or by email at sesco@sescomgt.com.