Job seekers say feeling valued and respected by potential employers has the greatest influence during the hiring process, followed by how quickly a company follows up, according to the 2023 Hiring Experience Survey.

The survey, which was conducted on behalf of MSH by Directions Research, found that 37 percent of Americans say that feeling valued and respected has the greatest impact on their hiring experience, while 30 percent believe how quickly a company follows up is the most important factor. The length of the interview process ranked the least important among survey respondents.

“Hiring experience is one of the most overlooked factors when it comes to a company’s ability to recruit high-quality candidates,” said Oz Rashid, founder and CEO of MSH, a global tech and talent solutions company based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “A stellar hiring experience has significant implications for the long-term performance of a company.

“Companies that focus on hiring experience will greatly improve their ability to attract top talent, in addition to instilling positive values when onboarding and creating a work environment conducive to retaining the best employees,” Oz said.

The Hiring Experience Survey results, which reflect sentiment among U.S. adults aged 18 years and older, arrive at time when unemployment rates are maintaining historic lows, making it harder for companies to stand out and attract the attention of top talent. Other factors that are motivating more employers to focus on hiring experience include:

• The demand for skilled workers is high, but there is a shortage of workers with the necessary skills to fill these positions;  
   
• Employer reputation is more important than ever, with digital media and online employee review platforms often influencing job candidate’s initial perception. Companies with a poor reputation for employee satisfaction, work-life balance, or diversity and inclusion may struggle to attract top talent;  
   
• The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in remote and hybrid work, which has opened up new opportunities for job seekers. This has also led to a more competitive job market.

By the Numbers

Following is a look at other key datapoints from the Hiring Experience Survey:

• The following is in descending order of importance when it comes to hiring experience: feeling respected (37 percent), follow-up from company (30 percent), tone and word choice in a job description (26 percent), aligning personal goals with a company’s mission (25 percent), helpful feedback on an application (24 percent), a company’s public image (20 percent), the difficulty of an interview (17 percent), and the length of an interview (16 percent).  
   
• More men (44 percent) than women (38 percent) say they are “very satisfied” with their most recent hiring experience.  
   
• Younger generations (29 percent of Gen Z) care more than older generations (20 percent of Baby Boomers) about how closely a company’s mission aligns with personal goals.  
   
• More than a third of Americans say a company’s public image is a “very influential” factor when considering a new job.  
   
• Americans living in the Northeast (30 percent) say general tone and job description is more important than aligning personal goals with a company’s mission (23 percent) when it comes to factors that influence them during the hiring process.

Hiring Experience Survey Methodology

The Hiring Experience Survey was conducted in March 2023 among a nationally representative sample of 1,053 U.S. adults 18+ who were screened to yield 568 employed respondents, providing a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percent. The survey was commissioned by MSH and fielded by Directions Research.