Have you ever wondered what exactly stops a candidate from applying for a role with your company? Attracting and retaining the best, most capable professionals within your field gives you a clear competitive advantage. However, it isn’t always that simple.
Today’s job seekers are keenly aware of what they can bring to the table. Younger generations tend to be more socially minded than their predecessors, and we’re all much more mindful of the need to have a sensible work-life balance. Increasingly, we all want more from our roles, too. Many of us want to feel that we’re making a difference. Two-thirds of us want an employer that shares our own values.
A firm’s track record on diversity and inclusion could be a factor. Having a nice, modern workplace, the chance to upskill and earn new qualifications, prospects for advancement … the list goes on and on. However, not all those things are created equal. Some factors simply matter more to candidates than others when deciding whether or not a role appeals to them.
We set out to get to the bottom of what truly deters a candidate from applying for your role. We wanted to identify which factors were non-negotiable. The results might surprise you.
Asking the big question
Knowing what candidates look for when searching for a new role – and what puts them off when they see a job ad – is a critical piece of insight. It helps you to tailor your job descriptions to ensure that you’re ticking all the right boxes, and avoiding the common pitfalls that shrink your pool of candidates without you even realising.
Our research revealed one clear error that employers make. This major mistake prevents candidates from applying for a job that otherwise looks like it would be a good fit. That mistake? Omitting salary details from your job advert. 70% of candidates say they wouldn’t apply for a role that didn’t disclose the salary range, even if the job was otherwise a good fit.
While it’s often regarded as a nice to have, just 22% said that a lack of a flexible working policy would put them off submitting their CV. Surprisingly, only 5% of candidates would carry on scrolling if your job advert suggested a lack of employee benefits.
- No salary stated: 70%
- No flexible working: 22%
- Lack of benefits: 5%
- Other: 3%
Overcoming the stated salary conundrum
There are a multitude of reasons why you might opt to publish a job advert without a stated salary. It could be that you don’t want to be committed to offering a certain salary in case some candidates fall above or below your expectations. You may worry that competitors could see your advert and tempt staff away by offering more. By the same token, you may be concerned that it could prompt existing staff to make unfavourable comparisons or create feelings of resentment.
However, our research underlines that most candidates need to see a salary attached to a post in order to know it’s worthwhile proceeding with an application. One way to approach this is to offer a salary band rather than a fixed amount. That provides a benchmark for applicants to determine if the role fulfils their financial needs, without giving an exact amount away to current team members or rivals.
