Branded for life

Itís official - companies who fail to treat jobseekers as potential customers during the recruitment process are significantly damaging their bottom line. Almost two-thirds of jobseekers are more likely to shun offending companiesí products and services after a negative recruitment experience, according to research released today by totaljobs.com, one of the UKís leading recruitment websites.

Fifty nine per cent of jobseekers claim to have encountered a negative experience when looking for a new job. Surprisingly, the major gripe is one that could be most easily avoided - more than half of candidates have taken the time to attend an interview and then never heard back from the company. A further 41 per cent have felt totally misled by the job description.

Jobseekers exercising their dissatisfaction through switching brand loyalty has a dramatic effect on business - a satellite TV provider recently worked out that if an individual were to cancel a subscription following a negative experience, it could lose around 30,000 from that individual over the course of their lifetime.

IT, financial, media and professional services scored particularly badly, with 71 per cent of jobseekers in these sectors likely to hold a grudge. Other industries, such as FMCGs, who rely heavily on external brand appeal, are also particularly at risk.

Furthermore, careless recruitment policies incur extra financial cost to businesses. Rejecting large numbers of candidates in an unprofessional manner can be counter-productive to the huge marketing budgets spent on communicating a companyís values externally.

Those in their late thirties are most likely to articulate their dissatisfaction with their wallets. Under 18ís are least affected by recruitment practice, with 34 per cent saying theyíre less likely to buy from the offending brand. Regionally, those in Cambridge feel most strongly on the matter, with 63 per cent opting to spend elsewhere.

Keith Robinson, chief operations officer for totaljobs.com, commented: Companies need to wise up to the fact that their donít call us, weíll call you policy is detrimental to both their reputation and their bottom line. Going for a job is one of the most sophisticated interactions with a brand that a person can make, and carries high emotional charge. Given the millions of pounds that companies spend on communicating their brand values externally, itís interesting to see how this can be undermined through simple lack of courtesy in the recruitment process.

In an age where the internet dictates the way we look and apply for both jobs and candidates, thereís no excuse for not sending a simple email, or leaving a voicemail message, to let jobseekers know where they stand. I would urge all businesses to view these survey findings as a wake-up call - they may have the last word on the job, but en masse, itís candidates who have the final say on the company.