Delayed or non-existent responses, overly complicated application procedures, or excessive requirements from HR departments—errors in internal processes often make it difficult to fill vacancies quickly. The problems are well known, but are rarely actively addressed.
Given the shortage of skilled workers, which is already reaching considerable proportions in some occupational groups, one would assume that companies would pull out all the stops to fill critical positions as quickly as possible. But in many cases, the word "actually" is also the key term that describes the failure of these efforts. "We should coordinate much more closely with the specialist department," "The candidate should receive our contract offer as soon as possible," "We should build up a pool of applicants." Every experienced HR manager knows how important internal processes are for successful recruiting, but in practice, these internal processes are not handled as they should be.
Lack of feedback is the biggest criticism
According to a reader survey conducted by the job and application portal Karrierebibel.de*, applicants are particularly annoyed when they receive no response or only a very late response to their application or interview. Almost 23 percent of participants stated that they never heard back from the company after applying. 13.5 percent of those surveyed did not receive any feedback after the interview.
Other points of criticism include a lack of transparency regarding why the application was unsuccessful (18 percent) and the fact that the position in question is advertised again after the rejection (just under 10 percent). All of this shows a lack of appreciation for the applicants and ultimately damages both the image and the recruiting efforts of the company seeking to fill the position.
Threat to new hires
A recent study by recruitment agency Robert Half** also confirms that recruitment processes take too long, resulting in the loss of applicants. The reasons for this lie partly in the overly extensive processes, but also in the increased demands of applicants. More than half of the CFOs surveyed in the study (55 percent) agree that applicants have become more impatient. This is because most candidates have several options available to them through multiple applications and therefore have a choice.
"The consequence: lengthy application processes jeopardize the quality of new hires," the study states. In plain language, this means that if companies waiting to make a decision wait too long, the good candidates will have jumped ship in the meantime and, in the worst case, the search will have to start all over again.
About the author
After completing his studies in automotive engineering and industrial engineering, he began his professional career in the automotive industry in the areas of sales, development, and marketing, and also spent a year in Japan with one of the largest automotive suppliers.
He then moved to a world-renowned premium car manufacturer, where he was responsible for product marketing for Japan and South America as well as marketing strategy for North and South America.
In 1994, he decided to become self-employed and founded a personnel consulting firm in Munich, where he has been driving development and expansion for over 20 years. As managing director, his industry focus is naturally on the automotive world as well as mechanical and plant engineering.
His doctorate in the field of aptitude diagnostics ideally complements his areas of expertise, particularly in relation to human resources and management consulting. His dissertation deals with the identification and verification of typical personality traits of engineers and the definition of areas of development for a successful career.
These are scientifically derived and presented in the book "Eignungsdiagnostik im Praxiseinsatz" (Aptitude Diagnostics in Practical Use).
At the same time, he focuses on establishing networks and cooperation models as well as the continuous development of systems and processes in HR consulting.
Over the past 20 years in HR consulting, he has developed several brands that continue to operate successfully on the market today.
