Dive Brief:

• The latest Candidate Behavior Study from CareerBuilder indicates that job seekers are using 16 resources in job searches, as compared to 15 used by recruiters and hiring managers. Transparency of corporate cultures, employee ratings, and the candidate experience has become paramount to recruitment success.

• The CareerBuilder survey also revealed that, “Job seekers say 4 out of 10 (38%) of their applications never receive a response or any type of communication.” This is not OK, Amy McDonnell, The Hiring Site contributor writes. Just because the research phase is complete and the applications start to roll in doesn’t mean that recruiters should go silent when it comes to building relationships with candidates.

• An increasing need to maintain an open-door policy when it comes to recruitment has challenged many companies to think differently about their processes. 

Dive Insight:

In the Candidate Behavior Study for 2016, over 5,000 US and Canadian candidates and 1,500 recruiters were asked about the state of the job market, including current recruitment practices.

Amy McDonnell, writer for The Hiring Site, talks about the importance of transparency in recruitment, and how critical it is for companies to be open and approachable at all stages of the hiring process. It’s one thing to be appealing to candidates before they apply, but it’s another to remain friendly and in contact with candidates after they take the time to apply. McDonnell warns, “Opening the door for them [candidates] – and then closing it just as quickly – will likely shut you out of meeting a lot of great candidates (and it’s not so hot for your reputation, either).”

Companies must make a concerted effort to have open door policies that keep candidates abreast of what’s happening at every turn. Their career websites should speak to an authentic corporate culture, and they should be mindful of maintaining positive relationships with candidates to avoid getting negative reviews on company review sites.