- Latest research by UCL has found gut instinct is perceived as the most cost efficient and third most effective recruitment tool
- Unstructured interviews have become just as popular as structured interviews, with virtual (video) interviews also gaining popularity
- Seven percent of respondents said they hire people without any form of face-to-face interview
Monster.co.uk has today published The Recruitment Reality Check: Lifting the Lid on the UK’s Changing Practices, in which the report that reveals gut instinct is perceived as the most cost efficient and third most effective recruitment tool.
The report is the result of a unique research project collaboration with Monster.co.uk and University College London’s (UCL) Business Psychology MSc programme to compare differences between recruitment theory and real practice in order to identify the most common tools HR practitioners use and why, which practices they value, and what influences their decision making process.
Commenting on the report findings, UCL researcher Felipe Cuadra said: “While gut instinct is perceived to be one of the most effective recruitment tools, an over reliance on certain methods such as this could result in a less diverse workforce and missing out on relevant candidate pools.
The research also reveals that unstructured and informal interviews have become almost as popular as structured interviews with just a five per cent gap between the use of the two types (73 per cent unstructured compared to 78 per cent structured). In addition, seven per cent say they do not use any form of face-to-face interview.
Mr Cuadra added: “Though traditional interviews usually get a better reaction from applicants, they have been shown to be more prone to discrimination and yield lower degrees of validity. It’s also rather concerning that a minority of recruiters are prepared to hire someone without meeting them in person.”
Andrew Sumner, Managing Director of Monster.co.uk in the UK & Ireland, said: “This research shows that while the technology we develop continually puts us at the forefront of the business of matching the right person to the right job, the fundamental principles are still just as important as they were years ago.
The report has uncovered the challenges and issues that HR and recruitment professionals are now facing with these insights into the most and least effective tools to manage the process. We hope this report will start a conversation about current recruitment practices and help businesses face up to the challenge of an ever changing recruitment landscape.”
The research was conducted with over 300 UK recruitment professionals from Monster’s employer database. Respondents were asked to complete an online survey. The results of the survey were then compared to findings from 10* separate UK research sources.
Other key findings
- Almost half (48%) of respondents now use virtual (video) interviews for selecting candidates
- 85% reported a greater trust in referrals from employees over reading through CVs
- Passive recruitment relied upon by many and thought to be a low cost recruitment method
- Psychometric and personality testing was thought to be inefficient and too expensive for many HR professionals
