EMPLOYERS in Northern Ireland should 'tell it how it is' when people come looking for a job, a study says.
For it's those who present their organisations in the best possible way during interviews are most successful at hiring talent, according to a new report by recruiting expert Hays.
The 'What Workers Want 2018' study examines the steps taken by candidates from the early stages of job-hunting to accepting a new role and joining an organisation.
The report, based on a survey of nearly 800 professionals and employers, shows that first impressions really do matter, with 48 per cent of applicants admitting that a bad initial look at the company has stopped them pursuing a role.
The findings also reveal that 59 per cent of applicants have been put off an employer by a negative experience at the interview stage.
According to 38 per cent, the process took too long, 43 per cent complained that either the interview process or the interviewers were poorly prepared and 37 per cent said they found the role to be substantially different to the job advertised.
In the north, 63 per cent of applicants said that they have been deterred by a first visit to an unwelcoming office environment and 39 per cent have been put off by unwelcoming staff.
The report shows that almost half of employees (47 per cent) have left a new job within the first 12 months because it didn’t meet expectations set during the application process.
Data reveals that employers have to move fast to recruit the best people as 65 per cent of those surveyed said they are only willing to wait a week after a verbal offer to receive a written one before they look elsewhere, and 25 per cent said they will only wait 24 hours for a written offer before accepting another opportunity.
Hays managing director John Moore said: “In today’s intensely competitive market, the challenge isn’t just finding prospective candidates, it’s keeping them engaged throughout the entire application process to the point of hire and beyond.
“Our findings show that many organisations are letting future talent slip through their fingers as applicants experience frustrations and delays throughout the process, or leave the role early in their employment.
“The feedback from applicants is that employers need to be authentic, telling candidates what the organisation is like now, not how they aspire to be in future, in order to avoid a mismatch.”
