How Your Company’s Recruitment Practices Might Be Driving Candidates Away

Time is crucial in recruiting. For instance, when it comes to client service hires, successful insurance agencies fill Customer Service Representative (CSR) and Account Manager job openings within 30 days. How does your timeline compare–are you on par, or is it much longer?

If your hiring process stretches out, you may also face other challenges, like difficulty finding qualified applicants, candidates ghosting you, or losing talent to competitors with more appealing offers.

Every stage of hiring engages or deters candidates, so it’s essential to identify where you may be discouraging applicants.

Early in the Process

Poor Job Ads. Confusing and lengthy content is an issue; people prefer short, concise job descriptions. Avoid paragraphs and excessive scrolling to ensure a high application rate.

Extensive Job Applications. I’ve seen agencies ask for personal details in online applications like driver’s license numbers, references, and salary history. Asking for personal information or requiring too many steps to submit a resume leads to dropouts.

Bait and Switch. Job boards struggle to accurately represent hybrid and remote roles. If crucial details–such as hours, location, work schedule, compensation, benefits, and experience requirements–are buried in the fine print, candidates feel confused and lose interest.

Mid-Part of the Process

Hiring Manager Bias. Do you dismiss candidates based on job movement, such as short tenure, layoffs, or terminations? Relying on stereotypes leads to overlooking valuable talent. Always err on the side of speaking with candidates; often how they come across and share their story will dispel bias and exceed your expectations, which leads to surprising hires.

Lackluster Initial Interviews. Poorly informed recruiters leave a bad impression. It’s crucial hiring managers conduct the first interview with seasoned insurance professionals.

Lack of Urgency. What is your average time frame for reviewing applications? If you bank resumes for one, two, or three weeks–which is common–candidates lose interest and are likely to have already moved forward with other opportunities. Make 24-48 hours your standard turnaround to review applications and resumes, schedule interviews, and provide critical feedback.

At the End of the Process

Inconsistent Details. Candidates don’t mind if you offer a higher position than what they originally applied for, but confusion over job specifics late in the process (including job duties, compensation, travel, hours) diminishes their interest.

Unexpected Due Diligence. Where do profile testing, references, non-compete reviews, drug screenings, compensation verification, and background checks fit into your process? These should occur before making an offer. I’ve seen situations where candidates expect a formal offer shortly after negotiating salary, only to face a barrage of due diligence. This creates frustration and a fast track to declining an offer.

Indecisiveness. A long interview process creates candidate fatigue. Don’t allow hiring managers to fall in love with the process. For most positions, two to three interviews are sufficient. Additionally, no matter your decision, always close the process with a personal message. I’ve witnessed many candidates reach the finalist stage only to never hear back from the company, even after being informed that someone else was hired.

Recruiting is an intricate and resource-intensive endeavor, requiring significant manpower and financial investment to attract talented individuals. Ultimately, it’s vital to examine your process to ensure that none of your hiring practices prolong the process or drive away applicants you’ve invested so much in to attract.

Topics Personal Auto