If you have been operating within the hiring market in the last 2 years or so, you will know that- across all sectors- the market is being led by candidates.
Driven by the shortage of qualified workers, the climate of hiring is tipped towards those who are seeking jobs rather than those who are seeking to employ, with candidates able to obtain higher salaries, better benefits and greater flexibility than ever before.
But, with all of this being said, it’s clear that interviews are still a significant stepping point for both candidates and employers when securing the right role, or the right candidate to fill a role. In fact, interviews have increasingly become a stumbling block for the unprepared and uninformed, so it’s crucial to prepare for interviews effectively. To that end, we have created an infographic that highlights relevant interview statistics for the hiring market.
For interviewers, it is becoming increasingly essential to take into account the changes of the previous 2 years with regard to remote, digital and virtual interview processes: for example, one of the statistics we have highlighted shows that the use of video interviews has seen an increase of 57% in the period 2019-2022. Employers who fail to embrace new processes with regard to interviewing will fall behind other businesses and likely lose out on candidates to employers who have modernized and streamlined this process. Moreover, employers should consider reducing the number of interview stages they require a candidate to partake in before making an offer of employment: research has shown that the average interview process now consists of 2 stages. However, we have increasingly seen this condensed to just 1 stage due to the highly competitive nature of the current hiring market. Employers must consider their processes carefully and, if at all possible, simplify and modernize their procedures.
For interviewees, it is still as important as ever to remember the basics. While modern technology may have moved on leaps and bounds in recent years, and attitudes towards working practices have relaxed in some industries and sectors, it is still crucial to impress your interviewer and remember interview etiquette and best practice. For example, our statistics for 2022 have highlighted that 84% of interviewers regard lateness as the worst possible interview offence, and 4 in 10 employers would reject a candidate if they showed no enthusiasm. Moreover, while the market is currently in favour of candidates, who have many job opportunities available to them, interviews remain a highly competitive process, with only 2% of applicants who apply being selected for an interview when they apply via a job board (versus 33% with a recruiter) and over 50% of applicants being rejected at the first stage. Candidates need to remain conscious of these facts and ensure they do not become complacent at the interview stage.
When it comes to streamlining interview processes, the utilization of an external recruitment agency will have a significant impact on both employer and candidate: employers can ensure that all the candidates that are put forward for their roles have been pre-vetted, qualified and prepped for interview. According to our data, 78% of candidates said they find it difficult to find information about companies when applying through job boards; when utilising a recruiter, employers can be sure that interviewees will be provided with the relevant information. Equally, candidates can be safe in the knowledge that they are being guided, prepped and consulted by a specialist expert who can advise them on how best to present themselves at the interview and will negotiate the best offer on their behalf. For both parties, time, energy and stress are significantly reduced and the likelihood of a positive outcome is greatly increased.
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