Recruitment firm Robert Half conducted a survey on 1,000 jobseekers in Australia, and found one third of respondents made a decision about accepting a job offer within the first five minutes of communications.
Furthermore, 51% decided whether they would accept a position or not straight after the initial meeting; 14% knew if they were interested in a job after the first communication (a call or an email); 21% typically decided within the first five minutes of the interview; 9% waited until they completed subsequent interviews; and 5% decided during contractual negotiations.
David Jones, Senior Managing Director of Robert Half Asia Pacific, said that with job candidates receiving multiple job offers, companies must have a host of criteria during the recruitment phase that goes beyond basic remuneration.
“Companies need to sell the job, the company culture, benefits and reasons why they are a great place to work to prospective employees,” he said.
“While candidates need to put their best foot forward, so do hiring managers. Recruitment is a two-way street. It starts with providing candidates an efficient and timely recruitment experience and extends throughout the onboarding process to ensure new hires are motivated, engaged and quickly contributing to the business.”
Once candidates accept a certain role, the study further highlighted 88% would consider leaving a job within the first month and 90% during the probation period.
David suggested that companies think of their attraction, recruitment and retention practices holistically to ensure they retain new employees.
“Long drawn out recruitment processes magnify the opportunity for a candidate to change their mind – which in turn costs the company time and money,” he said. “Businesses that are serious about finding the best talent need to commit to providing an efficient and engaging experience at every stage – from initial contact through onboarding and beyond.”
Here are the top reasons why jobseekers leave a job during their first month:
- 55% Poor management
- 48% Discrepancy between the job in practice and how it was advertised
- 35% Mismatch with corporate culture
- 32% Lack of proper onboarding
- 27% Received a more attractive job offer
