5 Ways You’re Scaring Away Top Candidates Without Realizing It

You might feel confident that your hiring process is smooth and inviting, but even minor frustrations can push top candidates away before they even begin an application. Simple issues—like unclear instructions or slow response times—can create enough friction for someone to lose interest and move on to another opportunity.

Creating a seamless and engaging experience isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential for attracting and keeping the best talent in your talent pool. The competition for skilled professionals is fierce, candidates have plenty of choices, and a hiring process that feels frustrating or unnecessarily complicated can quickly send them in a different direction.

Here are five surprisingly common mistakes that could be sending your ideal candidates running to the competition.

1. Your Application Process Is Scaring Talent Away

A long, complicated application process leads to high abandonment rates. According to a recent Indeed Workforce Insights Report, 49% of job seekers say most job application processes are too long and complicated. And a clumsy or difficult application could cost you top hires—33% of workers said they’d abandon the process if it wasn’t easy to complete.

How to Fix It:

• Keep applications short and simple (aim for 5-10 minutes max).
• Allow LinkedIn resume uploads to reduce manual data entry.
• Use one-way video interviews with an application page and auto-invite functionality for quick, simple, and remote screening.

2. You’re Taking Too Long to Respond

Delays in scheduling, ghosting candidates, or drawn-out hiring processes make candidates lose interest. The average interview process takes about 23 days from start to finish, yet top candidates are available for around 10 days before getting scooped up by competitors.

How to Fix It:

• Implement calendar-synced interview scheduling to reduce back-and-forth emails and speed up the interview scheduling process.
• Use AI-generated interview summaries to speed up hiring decisions on screening and mid-round interviews.
• Communicate timelines clearly and keep candidates updated throughout the process.

3. Your Interview Process Feels Like an Interrogation

Interviews should be a conversation, not an interrogation. When candidates feel like they’re being put through a rigid, overly scripted, or high-pressure process, it creates a negative experience that can drive them away. In fact, Forbes and SHL say that 42% of candidates decline job offers because of a poor interview experience. An engaging and well-structured interview makes candidates feel valued and excited about the opportunity.

How to Fix It:

• Train interviewers to follow a structured interview process, while keeping things conversational.
• Use video interviews to create a more flexible and comfortable environment for the candidate.
• Provide regular communication with candidates to keep them engaged in the process and in the loop.

4. Your Employer Brand Is Turning Candidates Away

Negative Glassdoor reviews, outdated career pages, or unclear job descriptions raise red flags. According to Forbes, 75% of job seekers research a company’s reputation before applying, and 50% won’t work for a company with a bad reputation—even if offered higher pay.

How to Fix It:

• Refresh your employer branding with updated career pages and job descriptions.
• Showcase employee testimonials and positive workplace culture.
• Be transparent about your hiring process and expectations.
• Use technology to provide a modern hiring experience.

5. You’re Not Offering Flexibility—And Candidates Expect It

Rigid schedules, mandatory in-person interviews, or a lack of remote options drive candidates away. A study by iCIMS found that 83% of job seekers perceive employers who use video interviews as more innovative and flexible. Additionally, 80% of candidates complete video interviews during working hours when they have the flexibility to do so.

How to Fix It:

• Offer on demand video interviews so candidates can record responses on their own time.
• Provide flexible scheduling options for live interviews.
• Emphasize your company’s commitment to work-life balance in job descriptions.

Fix Your Candidate Experience Today

By making small but impactful changes to your candidate experience, you can create a smoother, more engaging hiring process that attracts the best candidates—all while taking advantage of the efficiency and effectiveness available in today’s interviewing tech!

Want to create a faster, candidate-friendly hiring process? Try interviewstream to improve interviews, streamline scheduling, and keep candidates engaged from start to finish!

About The Author

Drew Whitehurst is the Director of Marketing, RevOps, and Product Strategy at interviewstream. He's been with the company since 2014 working in client services and marketing. He is an analytical thinker, coffee enthusiast, and hobbyist at heart.