Avoidably Losing Strong Candidates

It’s not new news that employers of graduates and interns discovered Gen Z approach the recruitment process with a different take to their predecessors.

It’s centred around them, with an emphasis on the value of their time. At each stage of the application and assessment process, they’re deciding, is it worth my time?

In the past, recruiters justified losing candidates who dropped out due to the recruitment process as “if they’re not prepared to put in the effort, we don’t want them”.

An example of that recently resurfaced in worldwide media. A Gen Z candidate applying for a funds management Investment Analyst role, baulked when they learnt part of their assessment was to perform a 90 minute Excel modelling analysis. It was reported their response was “that’s a lot of work”. The hiring manager was not impressed and ended the recruitment process.

But this Gen Z behaviour is not an isolated case. Employers with high volume graduate and intern recruitment programs have seen push back from applicants refusing to complete time-consuming assessments.

The most dramatic example is when an employer requires them to undergo psychometric tests as the first step after the online application. Typically, they need to be completed in a single setting taking up to 90 minutes.

Large employers have reported between 25% to 40% of their applicants simply refuse. They just dropped out of the process. Because they decided their time and the effort wasn’t worth it. Just like the Gen Z Investment Analyst.

Were the candidates who dropped out genuinely interested in the first place? Well, they had already invested time in researching those organisations and their career opportunities. Then spent time completing an online application. Most would agree that indicates genuine interest.

Gen Z put a high value on their time. Employers with high volume student programs understand Gen Z. They interact with them all the time. They know their time is important.

But the issue is employers who haven’t adjusted their recruitment process to respect the time of their applicants. They are the ones who are avoidably losing strong candidates.

How are other employers responding? They're embracing technology. Specifically, AI and automations which help to streamline the employer’s assessment process and improve the applicant experience.

Here’s an example.

GradSift , an AI-assisted shortlisting platform for early careers, enables applicants to complete an online application and multi-criteria assessment in just 15 minutes. That includes a self-recorded video. It’s a single step for the applicant and in line with Gen Z’s time expectations.

Beyond that, automations alert the applicant if they haven’t completed all the required information. And if the applicant still didn’t complete every step? The data captured by GradSift is reformatted for hiring managers to evaluate for interview. Automations avoid losing strong candidates including those who didn't complete every step.

The end result is a larger pool of applicants available for hiring managers to consider, with candidates enjoying a time-efficient recruitment experience and recruiters reducing their time-to-hire.

One more benefit? The recruiter not needing to explain to management why they lost 40% of the candidates who were interested in a career with the organisation.

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