Job applications longer than 15 minutes lose candidate interest, survey finds

Dive Brief:

Job applications that take longer than 15 minutes to complete would not receive a response from more than 70% of job seekers and employees, according to survey results from hiring software company Greenhouse sent to HR Dive in an email.
Turnaround time can be just as key, with more than half of the U.S., U.K., Ireland and Germany respondents saying they expected to hear back from companies in one week or less. More than three-quarters of respondents said they had been ghosted after an interview.
Most respondents also sought feedback after their interviews, according to Greenhouse, and more than 60% said receiving feedback during the interview process would make them more likely to apply for jobs at a company, even if they did not receive an offer.

Dive Insight:

Employers have embraced faster, tech-driven recruiting experiences in recent years.

An analysis of 2020 job applications by recruiting technology firm Appcast found that mobile applications made up some 61% of applications that year. Video interviews, job simulations and virtual interviews are just a few examples of formats that have taken off since the beginning of the pandemic, made popular in part due to the increased presence of remote work.

But the addition of such processes has not necessarily translated to better candidate experiences, even at top companies. A Jobvite analysis last year of postings at Fortune 500 firms found 83% required candidates to register on their career sites before they could apply to a role, which Jobvite said "presents an unnecessary obstacle" for candidates.

Postings for some occupations fall wide of the time ranges indicated by Greenhouse. A 2020 HackerRank report found that time-to-hire for some technology industry roles could be as long as 45 days. Jobs in engineering, research and project management constitute some of the longest hiring timelines, adding up to between 47 and 49 days, according to 2021 data from LinkedIn.

Greenhouse's findings about feedback echo previous findings. In 2019, Talent Board found that candidates who received positive feedback on the same day as their interview were 52% more likely to increase their relationship with a prospective employer.