Employers could be losing business and damaging brand due to ‘CV Black Hole’

Businesses could be inadvertently alienating thousands of customers through poor recruitment practices, according to a survey by Monster.co.uk. Of those 5,300 jobseekers surveyed, a staggering 84 per cent said that the job application process often or sometimes negatively impacts their view of the company. Of those affected by poor recruitment, 82 per cent of respondents felt this way because they had not received a response to their application and 68 per cent because they had not received constructive feedback.

The so-called ‘CV black hole’ could be having very real consequences for UK PLC, with 63 per cent of those affected by bad recruitment practices stating that it would make them less likely to use the company’s products and services in future. More than two thirds (68 per cent) of those also said they would let friends and family know about their negative experiences, which also include poorly written job adverts (37 per cent), a lack of information about the company (34 per cent) and unfriendly or unhelpful staff (26 per cent). A fifth 20 per cent) said they would share their gripes through social media.

However, the findings aren’t all bad for employers with almost two thirds (62 per cent) of all respondents agreeing that they sometimes or often come away from a recruitment process with a more positive view of the brand. Following positive recruitment experiences, 65 per cent of those affected said they would tell friends and family about their experiences and 51 per cent would be more likely to use a company’s products or services.

Amongst those respondents affected positively by recruitment, jobseekers are most impressed by: a timely response to their application (68 per cent); receiving constructive feedback (56 per cent); the ability to apply online (56 per cent) and well written job adverts (54 per cent).

Sinead Bunting, Head of Marketing at Monster comments, “It is worrying that so many employers still don’t realise the potential impact of a poor recruitment process on their brand. Job seekers are also consumers and by failing to respond, acknowledge or engage with them, employers could be losing out on valuable custom. Many companies are inundated with CVs but with the technology available today, it should be possible to ensure all applicants at least receive a friendly response.”