June 2018
Kiwi jobseekers becoming more impatient during recruitment process
• 82% of New Zealand CFOs say candidates have become less willing to wait to find out if they got the job compared to 12
months ago.
• Top reasons why finance candidates are more impatient during the hiring process: Number of interview rounds has
increased (63%), change in candidate attitude (61%) and increase in counteroffers (52%).
Auckland, 28 June 2018 – New Zealand’s financial jobseekers are becoming increasingly impatient during the recruitment process. According to new
independent research commissioned by specialised recruiter Robert Half, 82% of New Zealand CFOs say candidates have become more unwilling to wait to find out if they got the job compared to
12 months ago.
What is causing candidate impatience?
In a skills-short market where 93% of New Zealand CFOs say it is challenging to find qualified finance staff, top
candidates are in a more favourable position during the recruitment process. However, rather than speeding up the time
it takes to hire high-calibre professionals and to prevent them from going to the competition, the main reason why
candidates are losing patience during the recruitment process is that the number of interview rounds has increased –
this is according to almost two in three (63%) finance employers. The next reason, according to 61% of CFOs, is
candidates’ attitudes have changed – which is a wider reflection of the power balance shift towards candidates in a
market characterised by an ongoing war for talent.
Other reasons why finance candidates have become more impatient during the hiring process include an increase in
counteroffers (52%), an increase in jobs available for finance candidates (43%), and an increase in the total duration
of the hiring process (9%) – which are all firm indicators that New Zealand employers need to streamline their hiring
process and make a decision fast once they have found a suitable candidate in order to secure the best talent for the
role.
Megan Alexander, General Manager of Robert Half New Zealand said: “Because companies want to make sure they’re choosing the right person for the job, they tend to extend the duration of
the hiring process. However, as jobseekers are confronted with longer hiring processes, they are less likely to wait
around if they haven’t received a timely response before accepting an offer elsewhere.”
“In order to secure the best talent for the role, hiring managers need to act fast, streamline their hiring practices
and extend the offer to the candidate once they have found a match – or else risk losing their preferred candidate to
the competition.”
Jobseekers understand they might have to wait longer than expected to receive a job offer. But that doesn’t mean there’s
nothing jobseekers can do to accelerate the hiring process. Here are three ways how candidates can potentially help the
employer to come to a decision more quickly:
1. Don’t leave the interview without knowing next steps
Job applicants should not leave the interview with the hiring manager until they have confirmation the hiring manager
has all the information he/she needs, as well as sufficient information about the next steps in the hiring process.
“Making sure the hiring managers have all the information they need allows job applicants to address any concerns the
employer may have about them before they have a chance to make their decision. Asking for confirmation on next steps can
also set a clear timeframe for when they can expect to hear an update on their application,” added Megan Alexander.
2. Follow up
The best way for job applicants to remain top of mind with the hiring manager is by following up with a thank-you note
within 48 hours of the first interview – it’s a nice touch and can help applicants stand out and reaffirms their
interest in the position.
“Communication goes both ways, so if a jobseeker hasn’t heard back from the hiring manager after a week, they should
pick up the phone and call them. If the employer has no update, they can ask when they can expect to hear back and again
stress their interest in the role.”
3. Make it clear that your search is moving forward
One additional way for jobseekers to potentially speed up the hiring process is to remind the hiring manager that they
are still job hunting. Candidates should inform the hiring manager they have received interest from and have been
interviewing with other companies (only if this if the case, of course).
“Setting clear expectations to the hiring manager helps to send a clear signal that candidates are not sitting idly and
waiting by the phone forever — and it lets the employer in question know they’re not the only business competing for
their talents.”
“It’s important to remain patient during the recruitment process and remember that companies only want the best person
for the job. Yet jobseekers should not slow down their job hunting efforts until they have an offer in hand,” concluded Megan Alexander.
ends