iHire Unveils State of Online Recruiting 2019 Report & Survey Results

Frederick, Maryland – April 8, 2019 – iHire announces its inaugural State of Online Recruiting report, highlighting the results of a survey of more than 1,650 U.S. employers and job seekers across more than 50 industries. As employers and job seekers struggle to find the right talent and the right careers, respectively, this report identifies the challenges and opportunities for bridging the gap between these two groups. The report is now available for download here.

The top survey findings detailed in iHire’s State of Online Recruiting 2019 report include:

1. The quest for qualified talent is heating up: 53.5% of employers are not receiving applicants who meet their needs. When asked to cite their No. 1 challenge when recruiting through an online job board, website, or community, employers’ top two responses included: “I receive too many irrelevant applicants” (30.9%) and “I receive too many underqualified applicants” (22.6%). Although these responses support claims of a widening skills gap, they also suggest that employers should revisit their recruiting toolkits, strategies, and expectations. 

2. Stronger two-way communication is needed between employers and candidates: 26.4% of job seekers said their top online job search challenge was not hearing back from employers after applying and/or interviewing. This phenomenon has become known as “ghosting,” where one party suddenly ceases all contact with the other. However, ghosting in the hiring process goes both ways: 5.8% of employers surveyed said “being ghosted by candidates” was their top challenge, while 4.6% cited “reaching out to applicants and not hearing back.”

3. Job seekers and employers aren’t aligned on the importance of company culture: 62.6% of job seekers said they are more likely to apply to an ad if it includes company culture information, yet less than half of employers (46.1%) said they include this information in their ads. To attract top talent and stand out from the competition, employers should highlight what it’s like to work for their company in their job ad and other recruitment marketing materials.

4. General job boards cast a wide net but aren’t necessarily the most efficient tool: 53.7% of employers who cited receiving too many irrelevant or underqualified applicants as their top online recruiting challenge prioritize using a general job board. In contrast, just 14.7% of those employers prioritize an industry-specific job board. Similarly, 45.6% of job seekers who have been searching for a job for more than 12 months listed general job boards as their go-to resource.

5. Employees are keeping their options open: Of job seekers surveyed, 43.1% said they were employed (full-time, part-time, contract/temp) and actively searching for a new job. These findings underscore a candidate-centric market where employees have more flexibility in choosing where they work. Unfortunately for employers, this leads to poor employee retention rates and costly turnover.

“Despite the rise of online recruiting technologies, hiring hasn’t become much easier – especially given today’s low unemployment rates and widening skills gap,” said Steve Flook, President and CEO, iHire. “Our survey findings confirmed many of the concerns we are hearing from each group, such as employers’ struggle to find qualified candidates and candidates’ frustration with a lack of communication from employers. To connect companies and candidates more efficiently, both sides must prioritize the right blend of tools and tactics while taking the time to better understand each other’s needs.”

A total of 576 employers and 1,077 job seekers responded to iHire’s survey in February 2019. Surveys for each group were shared with its database of members and non-members across more than 50 industries, with varying company sizes and candidate age groups.

Click here to download The State of Online Recruiting 2019.

Learn more about iHire’s solutions for employers and job seekers at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Talent Conference & Exposition, April 8-10, 2019. Stop by booth #1003 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville for a spin on the iHire slot machine for a chance to win great prizes and giveaways. 

About iHire

iHire is a leading career-oriented platform that brings candidates and employers together in 56 industry-focused communities. We believe that by narrowing job seekers’ and employers’ searches within a specific industry, we can connect high-quality talent with the right opportunities faster, easier, and more effectively than a general job board. Everyone deserves to find work that is fulfilling, inspiring, and meaningful. Since 1999, we’ve combined cutting-edge technology with our expertise in the recruitment space and the invaluable insights of our members to achieve just that. Visit www.ihire.com for more information.