•    67% of jobseekers globally have accepted a second-choice job offer because their preferred employer took too long to make hiring decision
•    31% have waited six weeks or more to hear back from a potential employer after an interview
•    88% believe it is reasonable to wait up to one month – from initial application to getting a final offer

London, UK – 10 May 2018 – Long, complex recruitment processes are harming businesses’ chances of securing top talent, according to independent research commissioned by Robert Half UK. According to the survey of 9,000 jobseekers in 11 countries across four continents, more than two-thirds (67%) of candidates globally have taken a second-choice job offer because their preferred employer took too long to give them an answer.
 
With almost seven in 10 (68%) jobseekers globally saying they lose interest in the role if the hiring process takes too long, the research has found that hiring managers are taking their time to get back to jobseekers. More than half (55%) of candidates have waited longer than a month to hear back about a role for which they have interviewed, while 31% have waited longer than six weeks – and 22% over two months. Just 8% got feedback on the same day.

This contrasts sharply with candidates’ expectations of the hiring process. The overall majority (88%) believe it is reasonable to wait up to one month – from initial application to getting a final offer. Only 12% think it’s acceptable to wait for over a month.
 
“Employers are in a fiercely competitive battle to find the right skills and talent to take their businesses forward, and they cannot afford to alienate potential workers with long drawn-out hiring processes,” said Matt Weston, Managing Director at Robert Half UK. 

“Candidates know that their skills are in demand, which makes it all the more worrying that so many are turning down their dream job because they’ve been left waiting for so long.”

“While it can take time to narrow down a large field of candidates and to conduct thorough interviews, companies that fail to adapt their recruitment process to the expectations of today’s candidates will increase their risk of losing out on the best talent on the market,” continued Weston. “Businesses need to conduct a thorough review of their entire interview process from initial outreach to final job offer, to ensure that they are striking the right balance for today’s candidates.”

Robert Half has provided a list of recommendations for hiring managers to streamline the hiring process. To find out more, visit Time to Hire

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About the research
The study was developed by Robert Half and conducted in December 2017 - January 2018 by an independent research company among 9,000 jobseekers in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

About Robert Half

Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialised recruitment consultancy and member of the S&P 500. We have once again been named to FORTUNE’s “World’s Most Admired Companies®” list and remains the top-ranked staffing firm (2022). Founded in 1948, the company has over 300 offices worldwide providing temporary, interim and permanent recruitment solutions for accounting and finance, financial services, technology, legal and administrative professionals. Robert Half offers workplace and jobseeker resources at roberthalf.co.uk and twitter.com/roberthalfuk.