Candidates demand respect from recruiters
Despite the fact that Australia is enjoying the lowest rate of unemployment for 34 years, candidates throughout the land are saying that they are being treated poorly by recruiters and are not being shown the respect they deserve.
According to a survey of 1,768 Australian employees by Australia’s leading online career network, Linkme.com.au., communication in the recruitment process is reaching a critical point with a third of Australian employers and recruiters failing to acknowledge receipt of applications from potential candidates and 47.4% not calling back on enquiry.
For potential candidates this can be extremely frustrating with just over a third (36.4%) saying they have received multiple rejections without receiving any feedback at all as to why their application failed. Genuine interest in the candidate and what they want to do with their career was cited by 35.3% of respondents as extremely low and 37.1% said that despite being on recruiters’ databases they are still not actively called.
“In a candidate market that continues to be so tight, treating all candidates with respect and courtesy is essential,” said Campbell Sallabank, CEO of LinkMe.com.au.
However, it is not all bad news for recruiters – there are some that are doing a great job. Candidates say the solution is simple, with 47.9% saying what they have most appreciated in dealings with recruiters is being called back on application. A further 47.6% said being treated with respect has made them appreciative of the role recruiters can play, 38.1% say that they have highly valued a relationship with a recruiter when the recruiter has taken the time to understand their needs.
Julie Mills, CEO of the RCSA (Recruitment & Consulting Services Association) comments “Professional candidate care is paramount and recruiters that embrace this will be best positioned to build strong businesses into the future. The RCSA is committed to building professionalism in the industry and candidate care is at the heart of our challenge.”
Despite increasing market pressures, recruiters must not forget the interests of candidates if they are to maintain their market perception, ability to attract candidates and ultimately, protect their brand.
Top 6 actions candidates most appreciate about recruiters;
- Treated me with respect 47.9%
- Called me back 47.6%
- Taken the time to understand my needs 38.1%
- Did what they said they would do 36.3%
- Got me a job 35.6%
- Followed up and helped me even though I didn’t get the job 34.3%
Top 6 things that annoy candidates most about recruiters;
- They don’t call me back 47.4%
- No notice if I’m not successful 43.9%
- Don’t name employer in job advertisements 37.8%
- Never get called from their database 37.1%
- Don’t acknowledge receiving my application 35.3%
- Not really interested in what I want to do 35.3%
