Posted on May 10, 2024

British job seekers don’t hear back from more than half (55%) of the jobs they apply for, according to new research from global matching and hiring platform Indeed. 

According to ONS data, there are 916,000 job vacancies in the UK, but with frustrations around the hiring process, these aren’t set to be filled quickly or effectively. The survey of 1,000 working people and 1,000 hiring professionals in the UK shows that the hiring process is inefficient for both job seekers and businesses, delaying the right candidate being matched with the right role. 

Not hearing back hurts job seeker confidence 

Silence is harder than rejection for job seekers, as 86% would rather hear back and get a no, rather than not hear anything at all. In fact, 41% saying not hearing back from employers significantly impacts confidence in their job search. Half (52%) also say when they don’t hear back from a job it makes them wonder if they should be searching for new work at all, meaning staff are sticking in roles they are unhappy and less productive in. 

This may be because waiting to hear back from employers takes up significant mental energy, with 3 in 4 (74%) workers saying if they got a response, even to receive a no, they would waste less time thinking about it, while 71% said it would reduce their stress. 

Brits demoralised by job hunt

Not hearing back from employees is only one grievance job seekers have with the hiring process, with 79% saying it’s a job in itself to find roles they want to apply for. In fact, 63% of workers lament that the hiring process in the UK is inefficient and slow. 

As a result, more than half (51%) of Brits have given up on finding a job that’s right for them as the process has been too difficult, demoralising or time-consuming. The top three emotions job seekers feel when job hunting is frustrated (45%), demoralised (27%) and burned out (25%), while only 9% feel empowered to find new work. 

Almost a quarter (23%) of job seekers say their last job search took 6 months or longer. Given the length of time, it’s no surprise that job hunters start to lower their standards, with 27% caring less about the jobs they applied for, and almost a quarter (23%) applying for jobs they knew they weren’t suited for. Meanwhile, 63% apply for multiple jobs because they don’t expect to hear back from employers. 

Job seekers lowering their criteria for a new job is having an impact on businesses, as hiring professionals say that almost a quarter (22%) of candidates who apply for a role are a poor match.

Businesses equally frustrated with hiring process 

The hiring process is no easier for businesses than it is for job hunters, as 61% of hiring professionals say they’ve wasted time with inefficient or lengthy hiring processes. A contributing factor is that almost a third (32%) of candidates they’ve reached out to are unsuitable due to avoidable reasons such as location, qualifications, or lack of interest in new opportunities. 

Making hiring faster by matching and connecting people with relevant jobs

To address these inefficiencies Indeed has introduced several new AI-powered products and features to make the hiring process faster, simpler and more accurate for both employers and job seekers. Indeed’s latest roll-out means job seekers may finally hear back from jobs they apply for – as new processes make responding to candidates effortless.

For employers, Indeed has unveiled Smart Sourcing, an AI-powered tool that enables them to source an active talent pool of nearly 300 million workers, based on profiles and resumes shared on Indeed. Indeed’s AI-powered matching engine instantly recommends the best candidates for a job based on an individual’s skills, experiences and qualifications. Employers can then quickly review matched candidates, directly connect with them, and ultimately hire faster. 

Today, Indeed announced at their ‘FutureWorks’ event in London that the Indeed Connect for Employers app is now available in the UK for iOS and Android users. The Employer app is designed as a companion to the desktop experience, to keep employers engaged, connected, and responsive no matter where they are. With a subscription to Smart Sourcing, employers can leverage AI to source, manage all job messages in a single place, and interact with candidates – all on the go. Employers who use the Indeed Connect mobile app report 41% more hires and hear back from job seekers 61% faster. 

In addition, the updated Indeed Profile simplifies the process for millions of people to showcase their work experiences, skills and preferences. This helps them receive personalised job recommendations and get contacted by employers for relevant jobs. People can share more than 40,000 different types of skills on their Profile, and an average of 3.2 million new skills are added by job seekers to Indeed Profiles each day. With the help of AI, Indeed also offers suggestions to help people build out their Profile to best meet the types of jobs they are looking for. The more information people share, the more personalised their Profile experience on Indeed becomes. This includes tailored job recommendations that help people find the right job for them, faster.

Together, the launch of Smart Sourcing, Indeed Profile help people get matched to more relevant job opportunities and help employers quickly and easily source talent with the right skills and qualifications they need.

Speaking at FutureWorks London, Danny Stacy, Head of Talent Intelligence, UK at Indeed, said: “The hiring process is broken for both job seekers and businesses. This is especially true when it comes to finding and sourcing the right people for the right jobs, as our research shows that while hiring managers are receiving an influx of applications that aren’t a match for the role, workers are similarly contacted for positions that simply aren’t right for them. With Indeed’s AI-powered technology, we continue to transform job matching and hiring and make the experience simpler and faster for employers and job seekers.

“Our latest tech innovations not only can instigate quality matches between employers and job seekers but also change real bugbears with the hiring process. Small things, like making responding to applicants a 10-second job, can have a gargantuan effect on what can be a demoralising process for many job seekers. We’re proud that our latest iterations will, yes, impact efficiencies, but also have the capabilities to revolutionise how people feel about the hiring process – and as the number 1 job site in the world we can make meaningful change here.”