Home » Blog » Is your recruitment process driving candidates away?

If you’re struggling to find the right talent, the problem might not be your candidates but your recruitment process.

Many businesses use the same outdated, time-consuming tests that frustrate applicants and lead to high drop-out rates. This isn’t just a corporate issue; small businesses feel the impact too.

When hiring takes longer and candidates disengage, you miss out on top talent and waste valuable time.

What happens when assessments are too long or not engaging?

Even big names like Rolls-Royce faced this issue. Their assessment process was causing candidate dropouts, meaning they were losing great applicants before they even got to the interview stage.

In the end, they created a shorter, more engaging assessment which, in turn, increased their completion rate from 74% to 96% for business roles and 81% to 95% for engineering roles.

What can small businesses learn from this?

You don’t need a huge budget to improve your assessment process, just a smarter approach.

Here’s how:

• Keep it relevant Only test for the skills that truly matter in the role. Avoid unnecessary hurdles.
• Make it engaging Boring, repetitive tests lead to disengagement. Use realistic tasks or interactive assessments.
• Cut the length The longer the process, the more dropouts you’ll have. Keep assessments short and efficient.
• Give clear instructions Confusing or vague assessments create frustration. Ensure that candidates know exactly what to expect.
• Test for potential, not perfection Focus on a candidate’s ability to learn and adapt, rather than just past experience.

Better assessments = better hires

If you’ve ever lost a great candidate mid-process, it might be time to rethink how you assess talent. A streamlined, engaging approach doesn’t just improve the candidate experience – it helps you to attract, assess and hire the best people faster.

Not sure where to start? Let’s have a conversation about how to make your hiring process work for you.

Other Articles

Labour’s New Employment Rights Bill Is your recruitment process driving candidates away? Can you predict who will quit?