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Irish Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Lack of skills, badly formatted applications: survey reveals why job candidates are rejected
More than two-thirds of job applications are rejected by employers because they lack the relevant skills for the role, new research has found, with others binned because applications are badly formatted or due to unexplained gaps in employment. The survey, which was carried out for hiring platform IrishJobs, found that 78 per cent of employers are dissatisfied with the quality of job applications received, making it slower and more resource-intensive for employers. Meanwhile, 77 per cent of jobseekers say job adverts do not clearly outline expectations for roles. The IrishJobs Recruiter & Jobseeker survey spoke to 553 recruiters and 738 jobseekers in Ireland. READ MORE It found only 25 per cent of candidates make it to the interview stage, with the risk of strong candidates being missed due to the manual screening process. 'Against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, we can expect a slower pace of employment growth in Ireland over the coming months. Despite this evolving environment, the rate of unemployment in Ireland remains close to historic lows, with many employers still struggling to navigate a highly competitive market for talent and attract the high-calibre talent needed to unlock future growth,' said Sam Dooley, country director of the Stepstone Group Ireland with responsibility for IrishJobs. 'It's clear from the findings of the IrishJobs Recruiter & Jobseeker survey that the quality of job applications received by employers in Ireland is having a direct impact on recruitment. A high volume of applications from candidates without the relevant skills for roles is creating challenges for many employers, resulting in a slower pace of hiring and the need for additional resources to manage the hiring process.' [ How AI is generating a 'sea of sameness' in job applications Opens in new window ] From a jobseeker perspective, their last jobs search revealed a lack of certainty from adverts, with expectations and responsibilities of open roles not clearly outlined. Twenty per cent said they would decline a job offer after an interview if expectations differed significantly. Half of candidates said they were less likely to apply for jobs that failed to include a salary range, while 44 per cent were deterred by unclear job titles. A rising number of jobseekers are using AI to improve their applications, with 35 per cent using it to polish the formatting and language quality of their documents. That means employers should adjust their hiring processes to ensure a more holistic approach. 'Developing clearer and more detailed job advertisements is one of the steps employers should consider in addressing these challenges and enhancing the quality of job applications,' said Mr Dooley. 'From salary and benefits to flexible working arrangements, jobseeker expectations are evolving at pace and leading to a growing disconnect between employers and candidates. Addressing these shifting preferences and providing a clear breakdown around the requirements and responsibilities of open roles can help to enhance the efficiency of the recruitment process and support employers to better secure the high-calibre talent that meets their future needs.'
Irish Independent
25-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Science and IT sectors'cautious' about hiring amidst trade threats despite a rise in jobs
According to hiring website IrishJobs's Jobs Index released today, vacancies have gone up by 5pc but the 'cracks are beginning to show' as a result of the US's tariff threats. The IT and Science sector which includes multinational businesses in Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences, that are likely to be most exposed to the tariffs, showed a more cautious hiring sentiment. The report found that the sectors adopted a 'wait and see' approach to hiring: 'The uncertainty created by this shifting trading environment is already starting to impact hiring sentiment in some internationally traded sectors.' Julius Probst, European Labour Market Economist at IrishJobs and investment firm Stepstone Group said cracks were beginning to show in the labour market. 'The Irish labour market continues to perform well, with an exceptionally low unemployment rate of 4pc paired with employment gains of about 70,000 throughout 2024,' he said 'However, beneath the surface some cracks are starting to appear. As a small and open economy, Ireland is particularly exposed to global economic conditions. While interest rates are finally coming down, this is mostly due to weak demand in the Eurozone. 'As global economic uncertainty is reaching a record-high due to the US trade war, international companies are becoming more cautious in their hiring approach.' The report found 'close to record low levels of unemployment and moderate domestic growth' with more consumer-driven sectors in the domestic economy like retail, sport and fitness, and sales had seen significant growth. The construction sector (5pc) accounted for marginally more vacancies than the IT sector (4.9pc) during the quarter. The highest number of vacancies were seen in the catering sector (11pc), followed by health and sales. The period also saw hybrid jobs increase to 11pc out of all vacancies even as major companies push for staff to return to the office. However, Fully remote jobs only saw a slight increase – their availability remained down 80.6pc from the Covid-related peak recorded in 2021. Large Irish cities saw a larger flux of job vacancies with Galway (22pc) and Waterford (13pc) standing at the top, followed by Dublin (3pc). Staff nurses, production operators and engineers, and customer and sales assistants were some of the most in-demand roles over the quarter in Galway, while Waterford saw the hiring of more engineers and technicians.
