UK recruitment systems are “driving talent away,” new data shows

Finding a new job is being made even more stressful by the arduous processes that businesses are using to sift out good candidates, new research suggests.  

The data from Omni RMS reveals that nearly one in two applicants reports finding the application process difficult. 49% say that long application forms have put them off, while 46% listed poor communication as the most frustrating part of the recruitment process. A further 30% lambasted prospective employers for a lack of feedback during the process.

Crucially for businesses, the application processes seem to be driving away good talent before they have even had the opportunity to be considered for roles. 

Bad first impressions lead to lost talent

If you ask anyone you know who’s recently got themselves a new job, odds are they had to fire off hundreds of applications before they heard anything back. One of the things contributing to the arduous and tedious process is the fact that businesses are struggling to manage their recruiting processes. 

Louise Shaw, Managing Director of Omni RMS, shares in the introduction to Omni’s report that “rising candidate volumes, driven by the labour market and AI, are putting strain on organisations’ ability to manage, assess and convert talent at scale.”

She adds that this first experience of a business is when a candidate will form their initial impressions, and if negative, it could be enough for them to walk away. She adds: “Hiring is one of the most visible ways an organisation shows who it is. For many candidates, it is their first real insight into how it operates.”

For example, 49% of interviewees said that they will simply walk away if the process is taking too long.

Businesses need to rethink the process

Shaw states that businesses must streamline processes to give candidates the best impression of how they work. She targets long application processes as “a sign that hiring journeys have evolved over time without being deliberately designed for candidate experience”. 

Instead, businesses should simplify their application stages, starting by publishing clear job descriptions. More than a third of the young people interviewed (17-25 year olds) shared that finding a relevant role to them was the most frustrating aspect of job searching, and this is where clarity would play a huge role. 

Shaw also states that companies should use assessments that deliver proper insight into abilities. This will also help to differentiate among candidates when an increasing number of people are using AI to help write their applications. This study, in fact, reveals that it is as many as 47%. 

This has been a well-known and growing trend, with studies as early as 2023 revealing the impact that tools, including ChatGPT, were already having on how people apply for jobs. Three years later, you’ll be hard pushed to find any job seekers who aren’t using AI to craft their applications. What this has meant is that CVs and cover letters are not the indicators of ability that they used to be, and recruiters must adapt accordingly. 

Better recruitment might also require some internal changes, Shaw suggests, especially when it comes to communications. She argues that businesses must treat recruitment “…as an end-to-end process rather than a series of disconnected steps”. This requires better communications between teams, which will then have a positive impact on team members’ abilities to communicate effectively with candidates. 

The AI conundrum

AI tools can play a part here in streamlining the process for businesses, but Kerri O’Neill, Chief People Officer for UK & Ireland at Ipsos UK, reveals in the report that there are caveats. 

In particular, problems abound when businesses are not open about how they are using AI. She writes: “When candidates are unsure if they are interacting with a machine or a human, it creates anxiety and can damage the employer brand.”

Instead, businesses should use technology to improve the recruitment process and ensure they keep candidates interested, but also keep human interactions front and centre. As O’Neill states succinctly: “The secret [to effective recruitment] is putting AI where it improves effectiveness, and people where they can  be more meaningful.”