A recruitment nightmare plagues Australia's hiring processes
Australian employers are struggling with slow, admin-heavy recruitment processes that are costing them candidates, according to new research, as jobseekers report being ghosted and left without feedback.
A survey of 1,518 Australian workers, commissioned by employment platform Employment Hero, found that 59% of hirers agreed there was too much manual administration in recruitment.
Another 55% said they were frustrated by the time spent reviewing applications and coordinating interviews.
Those delays come at a cost: 51% of hirers said they had lost good candidates because their recruitment process was too slow.
The findings come as jobseekers report being left in the dark.
According to the report, receiving little or no feedback after missing out on a role was the most common negative recruitment experience, reported by 41% of respondents.
Younger workers were hit hardest, with 32% of under-35s saying they had been ghosted during recruitment, compared with 20% of those aged 35 and over.
David Holland, Managing Director of Talent Solutions at Employment Hero, said breakdowns in recruitment hurt both sides.
"Behind every ghosted application is a person trying to get a job and behind every slow process is a business trying to grow. When recruitment breaks down, nobody wins: jobseekers miss out on work they'd thrive in, and businesses lose the people they need," Hollan said.
Ghosting cuts both ways
Employers are also worried about being on the receiving end, with 24% of hirers saying they feared being ghosted by their preferred candidate.
Slow processes also risk driving candidates away before an offer is made. According to the survey, 22% of respondents had lost interest in a role while waiting for a response, and 20% had abandoned an application midway through because the process took too long.
Hirers turn to technology
Hirers indicated they want technology to ease the burden.
The findings revealed that 60% want it to help identify candidates who are a good fit, 59% want it to simplify screening and shortlisting, and 54% want it to reduce time to hire.
Forty-four per cent of hirers said AI was helping their organisation make better hiring decisions, while 35% were unsure of its impact or were not using AI at all.
"Technology should never be the thing that decides who gets a chance. Used well, it takes the admin off hiring teams' plates so they can do the human part properly: respond to every candidate, give real feedback and make the call," Holland said.
Kim Seeling Smith, AI and business futurist, added that AI could improve recruitment but should be used with care.
"AI has the potential to turn this around by making recruitment more efficient and freeing people up to focus on what matters most. But it needs to be used thoughtfully, to enhance the human experience rather than replace it," Smith said.
