Top 6 candidate complaints about your hiring process

Companies have never done as much hiring as they do today. They've never spent so much on it before. And no one has ever done a poorer job.

"Worker shortages are largely the fault of HR departments, The Great Resignation is just exacerbating existing disfunction"- read a Reddit post with over 5000 upvotes.

There are candidate complaints in the hiring process claiming that the online applications are riddled with bugs and ask for much too much personal information. Companies, with only a few rare exceptions, do not bother to contact candidates who apply to their job openings. All this to only leave candidates with the impression that their résumés and personal data have vanished forever into a corporate black hole.
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Top 6 candidate complaints about your hiring process

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1. The never-ending wait to land the job

The candidate who goes by the name “U/CSPANSPAM” shares a recent incident on how it took him forever to get through the recruitment process.

“...it took an entire month for HR to post a job, two weeks to gather applications, two weeks to filter resumes to their standards, and then another two weeks for them to contact the applicants.”

The nightmare of lengthy hiring process didn’t get over and that of onboarding started. The candidate adds, “My current job has stretched out to about a month for each step, plus another three weeks for "pre-onboarding" and hiring.”

“It can conceivably take six months to just get somebody in the door let alone working, it's insanity.”
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2. Filling out the resume info again

Candidate complaints while applying for a job are such that they complain about spending hours writing a strong CV and cover letter, only to have to re-enter all of their information in the job application, again.

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WaxFaster: “Step 3: they read neither”

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3. Not mentioning the salary in a job description

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madallop: “I fall for this regularly. Get a call for an interview, show up to said interview, ace the interview, and the manager goes, "This job is 20% less than what you currently make and we think you'd be a great fit!"

Ops. Back to the drawing board.”
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4. Unrealistic expectations about the ‘perfect candidate’

“Companies fear missing out on the perfect unicorn candidate, and are happy to convince their current staff to work double time until the unicorn is found. As a result, they often reject everyone from a pool of applicants...”- SantyClaw5

Another candidate added on how an organisation might never find their ‘unicorn.' And after enough time has passed by, the managers start assuming that their current employees can ‘handle’ the workload.

"It all falls apart when the burnt-out employees quit, at which point management complains about a "worker shortage," as they continue to decline to hire qualified candidates.” - YankeeScourge

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5. Not being followed up, or worse, being ghosted

Even after attending multiple interviews, job seekers are ghosted. They don't hear back from the company. Emails and phone calls go unanswered and the candidate is just forgotten.

“I applied for a job at the beginning of March. They just opened my CV and messaged me about being interested” read another Reddit post. A

Candidate who we believe had a similar experience was not having it and replied,

Your_Data_Talking: “Tell them you appreciate the quick response and they should expect to hear from you within three to four months.”

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6. The loaded-truck of unnecessary assessments

The thread discussion on “Workers shortages..” diverted towards the candidates complaints about employers assigning lengthy tasks and screening rounds that stand in the way of qualified candidates using a recruitment management system.

Imnotsureimright: “They (employers) do their 6+ different interviews and technical evaluations that take hours and hours. By the time they actually get through the entire ridiculous process, the actual superstars (qualified candidates) turn them down. So they end up with the people who either aren’t good enough to get a job at a company (where such a process is actually warranted) or aren’t smart enough to realize the stupidity of the process. In the end their hiring process actually decreases the quality of the people they hire.”

We’re sure he’s right.

WitBeer: “I recently interviewed at a company that wanted 5 hours of technical assessments. They even had the nerve to ask, "if you don't take the assessment, how do we know if you're lying?" Oh, I don't know, maybe resume, references, and a couple questions?”

Our WitBeer then gives us a real-life instance.  

“When you hire a plumber, do you ask him to install a toilet for free before signing up for a full bathroom remodel? Or do you check reviews and references from previous customer?”
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Conclusion

Candidate complaints in hiring process have increased as the job market has heated up. There are recurring themes in the remarks. They include outrage about being forced to participate in three to ten interviews over the course of six months or more. Some people are required to take tests, complete projects, or undergo intrusive psychometric testing. There is a lack of feedback and communication for long periods of time. Applicants receive no compensation for their time. It's all too common to be treated rudely and dismissively. They complain about being ghosted after all of the meetings.

To improve your candidate experience, reach out to us to see how we can help. Either book a free demo of our recruitment management system or get in touch with us to know more!

Also read: Hiring Employees: A complete guide to hire right