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Survey: Majority of jobseekers would turn down job offer after bad recruitment experience

3 Feb 2023

A negative recruitment experience could range from discriminatory questions to inefficiency or lack of chemistry with an interviewer, according to a study co-authored by IrishJobs.ie

Research published today (3 February) by IrishJobs.ie indicates that many Irish workers are becoming disenchanted by inefficient recruitment processes.

According to a survey which informed the research, 59pc of Irish jobseekers would turn down a job offer due to a negative experience during the recruitment process. This is slightly higher than the global average of 52pc. A negative experience could include discriminatory questions or bad chemistry with the interviewers.

The Irish survey was part of a global Future of Recruitment survey of more than 90,000 workers. IrishJobs.ie carried out the research in partnership with Boston Consulting Group and The Network in August and September 2022.

Among the 955 Irish respondents, 41pc said they would refuse a job offer due to an unprofessional selection process. This could include an overly lengthy recruitment journey, a disorganised experience or outdated recruitment tools.

There are ways recruiters can make a good impression, however. Just over two-thirds (67pc) of respondents in Ireland said that an employer could motivate them to take a job offer by being open to negotiation.

And 52pc said they could be persuaded to take an offer by being offered a tour of the workplace. The same percentage said they could be persuaded by being given the space and time to decide.

“Amidst a context of near full employment, today’s Future of Recruitment research offers much-needed global and local data-driven insights for employers into the talent attraction process,” said Sam McIlveen, GM of IrishJobs.ie. IrishJobs.ie is part of StepStone, an international online recruitment platform.

“From outdated hiring tools to lengthy delays, it’s clear that workers face many frustrations throughout the talent recruitment process,” McIlveen warned.

“It’s important, therefore, for Irish employers to get it right because a negative experience for jobseekers during the recruitment process is a major reason for Irish professionals to refuse an otherwise attractive job offer, something which will have a knock-on impact on an employer’s talent attraction and acquisition goals.”

The survey also indicated a preference among Irish professionals to work fully on-site, with 29pc saying this would be their preference. Just 16pc of respondents said they would prefer to be fully remote.

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Blathnaid O’Dea
By Blathnaid O’Dea

Blathnaid O’Dea joined Silicon Republic in 2021 as Careers reporter, coming from a background in the Humanities. She likes people, pranking, pictures of puffins – and apparently alliteration.

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