What Candidates Want From Recruiters

We’re still experiencing a candidate-driven market. In the UK now there are 54% more vacancies than there were in early 2020, before the pandemic.

Candidates can afford to be picky about the jobs they apply for, and we’re seeing this in our own data. For example, jobs on our website that require candidates to spend extra time completing an application form are getting only a third of the applications of jobs that require a CV.

It’s never been more important for recruiters to go the extra mile to improve the application experience for candidates. To help you do this, we asked what candidates want from recruiters.

Candidate advice to recruiters

In October 2022 we surveyed 497 candidates registered on our website and asked them for the advice they’d give to recruiters to improve their application experience.

The guidance they gave is timeless, but it’s especially relevant in the current market. Here are six things that candidates want from recruiters:

6 pieces of advice

1. Be clear

This applies to job requirements, job level, salary, benefits, flexible working, remote or hybrid working arrangements, location of the job and the application process. What candidates want from recruiters is more clarity on exactly what they’re applying for. The good news is, including this information clearly in your ad and job description is an easy fix.

Example responses:

• Be as transparent as possible. There’s no point in carrying somebody through the application process only to reveal something about the salary/working pattern that’ll put them off—it wastes everyone’s time. 
• Jobs in charity often have unclear titles, so make the purpose, seniority and content of the job the first thing in the advert.
• Clarity, clarity, clarity—give a clear job title, a clear job description and give a personnel/job specification also.

2. Stop using long application forms

Candidates don’t want to invest their time completing long application forms. It’s demoralising and unfair, especially if they don’t get a response to their application.

As an alternative, recruiters should use Quick Apply with CVs, cover letters or screening questions. Some of our candidates expressed a clear preference for recruitment using CVs. You should also consider what information is really necessary for initial shortlisting, and what could be asked at a later stage of the application process.

Example responses:

• Please don’t ask for unreasonably long applications upfront. We’re likely applying for more than one job, just as companies will interview more than one candidate, and it can be off-putting.
• Let my CV speak for itself and call me to chat if you are interested and would like more information.
• If you do have an application form please don’t make us repeat everything that is already on our CV. It’s a waste of time when the CV is adequate.
• Please, stop asking people to fill in application forms… It’s extremely time-consuming, irritating and unnecessary… Some companies even have more than one form to fill in—absolutely ridiculous as they might not even get to your application if they had too many applicants… A total waste of time and I think it’s the most hated thing of every professional that I know.

3. Give candidates feedback – and, at the very least, always let them know if they’re unsuccessful

We all know how disappointing it is to put in a lot of effort applying for a job then to not hear anything back.

Even worse, 75% of jobseekers haven’t received any feedback from a recruiter after a job interview.

Many recruiters don’t acknowledge the negative repercussions this can have on your charity. Research has found that 31% of workers are unlikely to apply to an organisation again after a negative application experience, and 23% base their perceptions of an organisation on their experience with the recruiter.

Recruiters on CharityJob can use Applicant Manager to easily manage candidates and quickly send bulk messages or customised feedback, all from one place.

Example responses:

• Please make the effort to send a personal reply as the job seeker has put in the effort to apply for the role.
• I think it is poor show not to let applicants know if they are not successful. If someone has taken the time and effort to put in an application, a stock email takes no time at all. From someone who has recruited numerous times I know it is possible.   
• To encourage recruiters to follow up on providing interview feedback. I’ve been interviewed and shortlisted many times but no feedback provided on interview after rejection.

4. Reduce the number of requirements and make sure that the salary is appropriate

Many of our candidates told us that the jobs they see advertised on CharityJob are all encompassing, with a ton of requirements and responsibilities but without a salary to match. Recruiters need to be realistic about what they’re asking for.

Example responses:

• It seems to me that, understandably, charities tend to look for ‘all-rounders’—people who can take on a collection of responsibilities, but perhaps they could look to sharpening their requirements and expectations.
• Be realistic in your person spec, especially if you’re not paying much.
•  Stop demanding so much of your employees when you offer nothing in return. Legal requirements such as annual leave are not benefits.
• Have less requirements. Downloading a pdf of pages of ‘essential’, ‘nice to have’ etc. is demotivating. I’ll fixate on the one point I don’t fulfil and leave the application. List only the main things an employee needs to get the job done. Anything that can be taught on the job etc should be excluded…

5. Be open to older candidates and applicants from other sectors or roles

Some of our candidates felt that the charity sector needs to be more open. Particularly, to those who are older or have come from other sectors and/or job roles.

This is very important if you want to hire in the current market. We know that two thirds of CharityJob candidates are from another sector. We also know that almost 500,000 older workers left the labour market during the pandemic.

Charities must welcome older workers and candidates from other sectors if they want to fill recruitment gaps. To make it clear that you’re open to these groups, you can mention it in your advert and/or job description.

Example responses:

• Be open to candidates who maybe don’t have the exact experience you’re looking for but who can demonstrate an interest in the area and a willingness and ability to learn quickly.
• Reassurance that all age groups will be considered for the job in question.
• Take on people who haven’t got charity experience.

6. Let candidates know if the closing date may change

The last theme commonly mentioned by our candidates was to make it clear if the closing date of a job may change.

When posting a job on CharityJob, you can add a badge to let candidates know if you’re interviewing as applications come in. You may also want to mention this in the job description.

Example responses:

• If you are going to close applications prior to the date, please, please state this clearly (i.e. that it is a rolling recruitment or you may close this before the given date if sufficient no. of applications are received) as it is very disappointing to candidates who are keen and start to complete a considered application but then find they have missed out 
• State in the advert whether the vacancy may be closed ahead of the deadline if there’s a large number of applications.

So, with just a few tweaks to your advert, job description and recruitment process, you can give candidates what they want from recruiters, and watch those extra applications come flooding in.

Ready to take your candidates’ advice on board and hire? Post a job today.