RECRUITMENT - 30.11.2023

How long will applicants wait for an offer?

Recruitment findings? In November 2023 the results of a poll of 1,035 job hunters revealed that 48% would be prepared to attend more than two interviews with the majority (52%) indicating that a lengthy recruitment process would put them off working for a prospective employer. Additionally, 24% of those polled indicated that they would think twice about working for an employer if it was evident that the interviewer hadn’t read their CV and 64% would think twice about pursuing employment if they were asked questions that were “too personal”.

Losing patience. Interestingly, the poll also revealed that a lengthy recruitment process can lead to a candidate looking elsewhere for employment and potentially accepting a job offer from another employer. The average job hunter is prepared to wait at least nine days following the final interviews to find out if they’ve got the job, but those aged over 45 “lose patience” after eight days. One of the main reasons given for losing patience was not being kept up to date with the progress of the recruitment process , e.g. if an unexpected delay had arisen.

Making a decision. With this in mind, where you’ve not been able to make a recruitment decision within one week of the final interviews, it’s worth giving candidates an update and an indication as to when they can expect a decision from you. At the same time, you can ask them if they are still interested in the job role. This will help avoid wasting everybody’s time.

Tip. Once you’ve made a job offer and your selected candidate has accepted, notify all unsuccessful applicants soon as possible (see The next step ). At this point, you can also ask them if they consent to you retaining their details in case any future suitable vacancies arise. Without this consent, you can’t contact them about other job opportunities.

For a rejection of candidate after interview letter, visit https://www.tips-and-advice.co.uk , Download Zone, year 25, issue 22.