7 myths are derailing your recruitment program

The world is flat. Bats are blind. The Great Wall of China can be seen from outer space. Myths have been around for as long as there have been people to create them. And while most are harmless, one place where myths can really wreak havoc is your company’s recruitment program. Outdated information, word of mouth or simple gut-based intuition have given birth to some of the most popular misconceptions in recruitment – and are causing major roadblocks to getting great talent in the door. New nationwide research from CareerBuilder unveiled seven popular myths that every recruiter should be aware of.

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Myth No. 1: Screener questions only screen out unqualified candidates.

Reality:Making candidates jump through extra hoops – especially those with in-demand skills – can results in significant drop-off rates. A company that has no screeners in its application process can expect about 64 percent of job seekers on desktop computers and 22 percent on mobile devices to make it through to the finish line. Adding in just two pages of screener questions will significantly lower the success rate to only 48 percent on desktop and 19 percent on mobile. Less is more in this regard.

Myth No. 2: The hype around mobile recruitment is just that: hype.

Reality:Tell that to the one in 10 millennials who said they wouldn’t even consider a company if they can’t apply on a mobile device. Or tell that to hard-to-find talent like nurses and truck drivers who tend to be searching for jobs on the go. Thirty-seven percent of employer career sites offer a mobile application process today. While that is a 10 percent increase from 2015, it still shows that 63 percent of employers don’t offer job seekers an option to easily apply from their smartphones or tablets – which means they’re likely missing out on candidates they need.

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Myth No. 3: Job seekers are concentrated in certain high-traffic areas.

Reality:Consumer audiences are very fragmented, with multiple pieces of content competing for their attention from all different directions. Job seekers use up to 16 sources in their job search, so it’s important to use strategies and technologies that enable you to be everywhere they are.

Myth No. 4: Most recruiters today are well-versed in Boolean search.

Reality:Constructing Boolean search strings can shave precious time off of hunting for candidates, but only 36 percent of HR managers rate their recruiters as “good” or “great” in this area. More than 1 in 4 (28 percent) rated their recruiters’ expertise in Boolean search as “poor” or “fair,” while a surprising 36 percent were unsure of the skill level altogether.

Myth No. 5: HR managers know how well all of their recruitment sources are performing.

Reality:Not knowing definitively where applicants and hires for specific roles are coming from – and the corresponding cost -- can lead to significant overspending and inefficient tactics. Yet, nearly three quarters of all HR managers (74 percent) don’t calculate ROI from their specific vendors, often due to a lack of time or money or the inability to make sense of data from disparate systems. Of those who track their return, 69 percent look at the cost per candidate while a little more than half (54 percent) calculate the quality of the applicants.

Myth No. 6: Posting a job provides enough of an online presence in the eyes of candidates.

Reality:Sixty-four percent of candidates said after reading a job posting, they will spend time researching before applying. If they can’t find the info they need on the company, 37 percent of all candidates will just move on to the next company or job listing. A company’s career site and social presence must be easy-to-find, enticing and feel authentic.

Myth No. 7: Job seekers prefer to search-click-apply vs. viewing automated job recommendations.

Reality:Whether it’s through a candidate re-engagement system, a “you like this, so you may like this” suggestions from a job board or other connection point, candidates respond well to having opportunities served up to them. For example, around 70 percent of applications on CareerBuilder’s job board come from recommendation technology that suggests jobs on the home page, via email, or after an application has been submitted. Look for ways to get in front of candidates several times throughout their search experience.