placeholder
Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

Companies left red-faced by two-timing candidates

  • 55% of candidates attend interviews while waiting for a formal contract offer
  • 88% of HR Directors expect candidates to continue interviewing, even when offers have been made
  • 41% of HR Directors either don’t feel their current onboarding process is sufficient, or have one is place at all

Over 55% of candidates have attended interviews while waiting for a formal contract offer from another company, according to research by HR and payroll solutions expert NGA Human Resources. The survey of individuals in full-time employment and HR professionals also revealed that 88% of HR Directors are aware of the issue.

In a competitive job climate where supply significantly outweighs demand, the research highlights the importance of an efficient recruitment and onboarding process. Almost half (48%) of candidates believe a job offer should be received ‘within a week’ and 45% state that it should be even sooner. Simply put: the longer organisations take to make a job offer, the more likely they are to miss out on their preferred candidate.

For HR Directors, decisive decision making clearly matters; and yet many are struggling to keep pace. HR Directors cited a variety of issues that delay making an offer, with the most common (41%) being ‘cumbersome internal processes’.

Once a job offer is received and accepted, organisations still can’t afford to be complacent. Nearly 70% of candidates stated that they had realised that a job wasn’t right for them within the first year. A formal onboarding process can help to improve staff retention. However, over 41% of HR Directors either felt that their onboarding process could be improved upon, or didn’t have one in place at all.

“In the current employment market candidates hold all the cards,” said Anna Dickson, Talent Management Specialist at NGA Human Resources. ‘They demand an efficient recruitment process and a thorough onboarding process. Without both in place, companies will miss out on top talent and their business will suffer as a consequence. Companies must look at how technology can get employees integrated and up to speed quickly. This leads to greater levels of happiness and satisfaction, which ultimately improves employee retention.”

Methodology

The survey, conducted by 3Gem on behalf of NGA HR, questioned 2,000 working professionals who have moved job in the last three years in November 2017.

About NGA Human Resources

NGA HR is a leading provider of HR and Payroll software and services in the UK and Ireland. We help organisations align their people strategy to their business strategy, by understanding the role of HR and Payroll within business. It is this understanding, combined with our technological expertise and superior service delivery that ensure we deliver the greatest impact for our customers – something we have been doing for over 40 years.

www.ngahr.co.uk