Survey: How hiring processes impact job seekers and managers

Job seeking in the social media era

Half of all job seekers surveyed have been searching for over six months, and the top reasons for looking are the desire for higher pay (29%), better work-life balance (29%), and recovery from a layoff (23%). As social media’s role in job seeking grows, TikTok has become a surprising leader in career advice for many job seekers, especially among younger generations.

With over one in 10 job seekers using TikTok to find career advice and 41% securing interviews from it, the platform has become a notable career resource. 

Younger generations are shifting away from traditional advice sources for the more informal, peer-driven insights on TikTok. For Gen Z especially, TikTok’s short-form videos and interactive advice are accessible and tailored to specific job market challenges.

Within the tech sector, employees are primarily interested in career advice on job search strategies (51%), interview preparation (50%), and resume writing (50%). Interestingly, job seekers report a 10% higher interview success rate when following advice from TikTok than from LinkedIn. 

However, the data also underscores the need for reliable, structured support, as more than one in 10 sought a new job due to disorganized work processes. Project management tools and templates can provide consistency and collaboration to balance these unstructured influences.

How interview practices impact candidate wellbeing

According to our research, the interview process is taking a toll on job seekers’ mental health, and a lack of transparency from hiring teams is a significant contributor.

Transparency and trust

Finding the right fit is as much about the candidate as the hiring team. We found that 68% of job seekers consider it a red flag when interviewers fail to explain internal workflows — a sign that transparency in operations matters for applicants. 

At the same time, 62% of candidates reported they had experienced ghosting after interviews. This experience impacted their mental health and confidence moving forward.

This emphasis on transparency and trust highlights the importance of clear, organized workflows within hiring teams, which can also impact retention and morale. Wrike’s solutions provide hiring managers with tools to establish openness and consistency in processes, fostering a supportive hiring experience that respects candidates’ time and effort.

Topics discussed in interviews

Respondents to the survey also highlighted vital topics they were most likely to inquire about during interviews, with some noticeable differences across genders and generations. 

For example, Gen Z candidates prioritizing personal wellbeing are 16% more likely than older generations to ask about work-life balance. In contrast, baby boomers were 22% less likely to focus on performance expectations, possibly assuming these details will emerge later in the onboarding process. 

Gender also plays a role in candidate inquiries, as women are most likely to ask about growth opportunities (51%) and performance expectations (48%). Meanwhile, men are most likely to ask about benefits (52%) and compensation (52%). Women are 28% more likely than men to ask about training initiatives in interviews, reflecting a focus on long-term development. 

These varied interests underline the need for hiring teams to prepare to address a range of inquiries and use business process management tools to provide a comprehensive, inclusive interview experience.

Challenges facing today’s hiring managers

The hiring market’s pressures aren’t only felt by job seekers — hiring managers are experiencing increased stress, with 48% reporting heightened anxiety due to competitive hiring demands.

In a tight job market, where 34% of hiring managers feel overwhelmed and burnt out, decision makers need efficient systems that streamline hiring and reduce unnecessary delays.

A look inside the hiring process

Hiring decision makers prioritize efficiency in their selection process, with one in five spending 30 seconds or less on resume reviews and 73% reading cover letters to assess candidates quickly. 73% of those surveyed say relevant experience is the #1 key factor in deciding who to interview. 

However, over one in four hiring managers have ghosted candidates post-interview, often due to the candidate displaying unprofessional behavior (48%) or due to finding a better-qualified applicant (40%). This reflects the pressures hiring teams face in balancing thoroughness with time constraints in a competitive market, where task management solutions can be essential for keeping processes organized and timely.

To streamline your recruitment process from candidate sourcing to onboarding and beyond, you need a work management platform that keeps everything in one place. Wrike’s template for onboarding and offboarding is the ideal solution.