Monthly Archives: September 2008

Today’s applicants, fresh from the Facebook, MySpace, and incessant texting world of Gen Y, are scoring few points with recruiters from earlier generations, according to a recent survey. However, the applicants say that recruiters are guilty of etiquette breaches, also.

The survey, conducted by Vault, a career information website, showcased some fascinating statistics about interviewee behavior, but it also turned the tables and asked related questions about interviewer behavior. Here are some of the highlights:

Promptness for the Interview

Question for Recruiters: How late to the interview would a job candidate have to be for you to disqualify him or her from contention?
Survey respondents (105 hiring managers) answered:
5 minutes    12%
10 minutes    19%
15 minutes    30%
20 minutes    13%
30 minutes    17%
1 hour plus    9%

Question for Applicants: Have you ever been late to a job interview? If so, how late?
Of surveyed applicants (1,647 employees) 76% report that they have never been late, and another 18% were up to 15 minutes late, and 6%admitted to being 20 or more minutes late.

Behavior During the Interview

Question for Recruiters: Has a job candidate ever answered a call on his or her cell phone during an interview with you?
Yes, responded 26% of participants in the survey.

Would you disqualify the candidate from contention for taking a cell phone call during the interview?
A whopping 68% of respondents said yes.

Questions for Applicants: Have you ever taken a cell phone call while in a job interview?
Yes, admitted 5%.

Has the person interviewing you ever taken a call during the interview?
Yes, say 56 percent of applicants!

Questions for Recruiters: Has a job candidate ever brought a child to the interview?
Yes, say 19%.
Has a job candidate ever dressed inappropriately for an interview?
Yes, say a surprising 87% of respondents.
Has a job candidate ever used profanity during an interview?
Yes, say 43%.

Thank-You Notes

Questions for Recruiters: How important is it for a job candidate to send a thank-you note after the interview?
Not important at all    20%
Somewhat important    41%
Extremely important    39%

How often do you receive thank-you notes?
Hardly ever    3%
Rarely    32%
About half the time    33%
Most of the time    23%
Almost all of the time    9%

Would you reject a candidate for not sending a thank-you note?
Only 5% say yes, they would reject a candidate who did not send a note.

Question for Applicants: How often do you send thank-you notes after job interviews?
Hardly ever    11%
Rarely    8%
About half the time    9%
Most of the time    17%
Almost all of the time    55%

Question for Recruiters: Is it acceptable to send a thank you note via e-mail?
Interestingly, 98% say yes, e-mail is the norm these days.

Question for Applicants: Do you send thank you notes via e-mail?
No, I send a snail mail note, say 24% or respondents, while 76% say yes, e-mail is the norm.

Original Source: HR Daily Advisor