Long-winded recruitment process is not only time-consuming for both employers and potential talents, but also harmful for businesses as they might lose the chances of securing top talents. Recent study conducted by Robert Half revealed that most jobseekers in Singapore would prefer accepting second-choice job offers rather than waiting in uncertainty for their dream employers.

According to the independent research involving 500 Singaporean jobseekers, majority respondents (74 percent) said they have taken a second-choice job offer because their preferred employer took too long to make the hiring decision. The study also noted that 7 in 10 respondents (73 percent) would lose interest in the role if the hiring process takes too long.

Commenting on the finding, Matthieu Imbert-Bouchard, Managing Director of Robert Singapore said that in Singapore’s ongoing war for talent, companies are competing against one another to find the right skills and talent to take their business forward. Amidst the growing talent crunch, employers cannot afford to alienate potential workers with long drawn-out hiring processes.

“Jobseekers with specialised skills are acutely aware of their position in the employment market, so it’s concerning that so many of Singapore’s jobseekers are turning down their dream job because they’ve been left waiting for to hear back about their progress during the recruitment process,” he said.

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Unfortunately, long and complex recruitment process seems to be a common practice in Singapore as the research found that hiring managers are taking their time to get back to jobseekers. Nearly two-third (64 percent) respondents said they have waited longer than a month to hear back about a role for which they have interviewed, while 37 percent have waited for over than six weeks. Another 26 percent even need longer than two months only to get notified by employers. Merely 1 percent received feedback on the same day.

The staggering findings contrast sharply with candidate’s general expectations of the hiring process. The overall majority (90 percent) believe it is reasonable to only wait up to one month from initial application to getting a final job offer. Meanwhile, only 10 percent think it is acceptable to wait for more than a month.

“It can be time-consuming for hiring managers to narrow down the list of their preferred candidates. Yet employers will need to adjust their recruitment process to the expectations of today’s candidates if they want to avoid the risk of losing out on top professionals,” said Matthieu Imbert-Bouchard in a press release on July 11.

“Singaporean businesses need to conduct an in-depth review and streamline their entire interview process from initial outreach to final job offer to strike the right balance for today’s candidates.”

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