Malpractices During Online Assessments Biggest Fear Of Recruiters

In today's fiercely competitive talent landscape, the ability to attract and secure the right candidates is paramount for organisations seeking to build high-performing teams. A recent survey by HirePro, an AI-powered recruitment automation firm, has uncovered the deep-seated fears and anxieties that plague recruitment and talent acquisition professionals in the hiring process. This detailed survey exposes the emotional overloads, apprehensions and significant challenges faced by recruiters, right from the recruitment planning phase to the selection phase.

The survey was conducted among 837 recruiters, talent acquisition specialists, and HR professionals. The data reveals that malpractices by candidates during online assessments has emerged as the biggest fear of the participants (39%), followed by the anxiety over finding the right candidate for a role (37%).

The survey result indicates that in the recruitment planning phase, the anxiety of finding the right candidate for a role (37%) is the biggest concern for recruiters and talent acquisition specialists, followed by the uncertainty of meeting hiring targets (32%), in case it concerns planning for high-volume hiring and hiring for specific skill sets.

In the candidate engagement phase, the survey found that the inability to ascertain whether candidates are exploring multiple job offers (29%) and the anxiety surrounding offer rejections or candidate no-shows (28%) are top ranked fears. This is followed by the stress of losing candidates due to budget constraints (25%).

Candidate assessments have traditionally been challenging in the recruitment process. In this phase, malpractices by candidates during online assessments has emerged as the biggest fear, with 39 per cent of respondents identifying with it. The lack of effective tools to gauge specific skills has emerged as the next significant worry among 26 per cent of recruiters.

During the interviewing phase, the management of candidates’ and hiring managers’ availability is a concurring challenge. The responses from recruiters revealed that candidates not showing up for interviews (30.5%) is ranked as the top most fear. Candidate impersonation (27.5%) and delayed feedback from hiring managers (27%) add to the stress.

Notably, the survey highlights lack of employer brand awareness (23%) as the biggest fear while sourcing candidates. This is followed by the anxiety arising out of large-scale hiring mandates (19%) and unclear job requirements (18%) make it difficult and time consuming to close positions within the expected time frames.

When it comes to college hiring, the report highlights that the absence of automation or the dependency on manual processes (23%) is the most significant challenge. This is closely followed by the stress arising from high volume hiring (19%).

Commenting on the findings, S. Pasupathi, Chief Operating Officer of HirePro, shared, “The findings from this survey act as a mirror, reflecting the unfiltered emotional challenges and apprehensions faced by recruitment teams every day. The anxieties are real, be it fraudulent practices of candidates in assessments, finding genuine talent, overcoming offer rejections, or combating candidate impersonation. We surely can’t ignore these issues. Many organisations complain about the lack of talent in the market, but the challenges behind go unattended. Leveraging automation and adopting advanced assessment and video-interviewing platforms will make the process of recruitment more efficient thereby making recruiters and TA professionals fearless".