Experienced jobseekers getting the silent treatment from employers

According to a recent report, jobseekers with over five years of experience are getting the silent treatment from employers.

WordPro’s recent report on the challenges faced by jobseekers featured claims that “silence is the default” when it comes to the hiring process throughout Australia.

“Feedback is rare, even for experienced and local candidates,” said the report that surveyed 2,000 jobseekers, which also found that for both long-term migrants (37.3 per cent) and Australian-born candidates (41.5 per cent), the application process lacks clarity and feedback.

According to Tania Evans, chief executive of WorkPro: “Australia is home to thousands of highly capable jobseekers, many of whom bring decades of experience, leadership, and adaptability. Yet they’re routinely filtered out of the hiring process.”

The report claimed that a number of organisations are failing on the communication front by not closing the loop with candidates submitting applications and not receiving any form of acknowledgment.

For an organisation, this silence towards applicants can cause numerous reputational issues, eroding trust among candidates and dissuading reapplication efforts that could impact recruitment down the line.

The impact on candidates especially is discouraging, according to the report, as being left in limbo often “prevents candidates from improving their applications, recalibrating their strategy, or feeling any sense of progress”.

“And when silence becomes the norm, trust in the system breaks down,” said the report.

Data from the report shows that for Australian-born candidates, 44.1 per cent said they received little to no feedback, and 32.6 per cent of those living in Australia for five-plus years said the same.

“Hiring practices that favour access over potential are limiting the diversity, adaptability, and reach of the talent pool. Making space for transferable experience, recognising potential over pedigree, and being willing to train and invest in new hires are steps toward a more effective and inclusive hiring approach,” said the report.

WorkPro offered some simple fixes for employers to avoid the pitfalls that a lack of communication with jobseekers can present.

“Implement light-touch feedback protocols. Even automated responses with brief context are better than silence. And for candidates who make it to interview, a few minutes of thoughtful feedback goes a long way.

“Go beyond the known. Use inclusive job boards, remove internal-only sourcing for general roles, and make sure your hiring isn’t anchored around who’s already ‘in the circle’,” it said,