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Findings from a new report by Robert Walters, a specialist professional recruitment consultancy, show that lengthy recruitment processes evoke a negative perception of an employer among job seekers.   

The report, tagged: The whitepaper, Managing Your Brand Throughout the Recruitment Process, is the seventh edition of the Robert Walters Insight Series, a range of whitepapers aimed at assisting employers in their recruitment strategies and helping them to address key talent management issues. The findings are based on a survey of 1,306 job seekers and 250 hiring managers conducted by Robert Walters in May 2016.

According to a statement released by the South Africa-based Robert Walters, the research highlights that 57% of the professionals surveyed expect a response within four days of applying for a job, while 80% of respondents said they expect a response within six days.

Furthermore, 72% of job seekers surveyed said a lengthy recruitment process puts them off. 78% said they expect a full recruitment process, from the application to job offer, to take four weeks or less. The research also found that 67% of professionals expect a job offer after two interviews or less. However, 74% of employers who were surveyed said the recruitment process takes longer than four weeks.  

“Our findings clearly indicate a number of key job seeker preferences when applying for new roles,” said Nic Sephton-Poultney, Country Manager at Robert Walters South Africa. “In particular, they don’t want to be kept waiting too long and they like to be updated at all stages. Employers unable to comply with these wishes risk alienating applicants and ultimately missing out on the best talent.”

Robert Walters has a global presence in 25 countries and it recruits across accountancy and finance, banking and financial services, HR, legal and IT disciplines. The firm’s recruitment services focus on placing high-calibre professionals into permanent, contract and temporary positions at different executive levels.

“To ensure a positive job seeker experience, employers should feedback to applicants and/or recruiters promptly at all stages of the process and provide updates when delays are unavoidable. Unsuccessful applicants should also be contacted at all stages and provided with reasons why they will not be progressing. Individuals who do not receive this feedback generally develop feelings of frustration, which – as our survey proves – they are likely discuss with friends and colleagues. Conversely, employers that take the time to explain a rejection provide job seekers with a far more positive representation of their brand,” Sephton-Poultney added.

Despite these findings, 75% of organisations say they use the recruitment process as a channel to promote their employer brand. Meanwhile, only 31% of employers say they measure the external perception of their employer brand, according Robert Walters.