Candidates turning down jobs after waiting too long for news form employers

By Alan Jones11th May 2018Career AdviceCareer Advice, Careers, Interviews, Recruitment / Retention, Workforce

Three out of five people have taken a second-choice job offer because their preferred employer took too long to give them an answer, according to a new study.

Research by recruiters Robert Half also found that almost a third of candidates who attended a job interview waited more than six weeks for a reply.

A survey of 1,000 adults showed most lose interest in a vacancy if the hiring process takes too long

Over a third said they wanted an answer within two weeks of being interviewed.

“Employers are in a fiercely competitive battle to find the right skills and talent to take their businesses forward, and they cannot afford to alienate potential workers with long drawn-out hiring processes,” said Matt Weston, managing director of Robert Half UK.

“Candidates know that their skills are in demand, which makes it all the more worrying that so many are turning down their dream job because they’ve been left waiting for so long.

“While it can take time to narrow down a large field of candidates and to conduct thorough interviews, companies that fail to adapt their recruitment process to the expectations of today’s candidates will increase their risk of losing out on the best talent on the market.

“Businesses need to conduct a thorough review of their entire interview process from initial outreach to final job offer, to ensure that they are striking the right balance for today’s candidates.”