Six in 10 Irish professionals would refuse a job offer following a negative experience during the recruitment process, according to new research from IrishJobs.ie.

The Future of Recruitment survey, conducted by the jobs site with Boston Consulting Group and The Network, shows 59% of the 955 respondents in Ireland would turn down a good job due issues such as discriminatory questions or bad chemistry with interviewers, which is higher than the global average of 52%.

A further 41% of Irish respondents would refuse an offer due to an unprofessional selection process, ie one that is overlong, disorganised or uses outdated recruitment tools, and 41% would refuse if the employer was inflexible to matching their needs.

However, two-thirds (67%) said an employer could motivate them by being open to negotiation, and half could be persuaded by being offered a tour of the workplace (52%) or by being given the space and time to decide (52%).

“Amidst a context of near full employment, today’s Future of Recruitment research offers much-needed global and local data-driven insights for employers into the talent attraction process," said Sam McIlveen, general manager of IrishJobs.ie

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"From outdated hiring tools to lengthy delays, it’s clear that workers face many frustrations throughout the talent recruitment process. 

"It's important, therefore, for Irish employers to get it right because a negative experience for jobseekers during the recruitment process is a major reason for Irish professionals to refuse an otherwise attractive job offer, something which will have a knock-on impact on an employer’s talent attraction and acquisition goals.”

The results of the survey, which was taken by 90,000 people worldwide, show that work-life balance is the most important factor for 31% of Irish professionals. Globally, financial compensation is the top deal-breaker, ahead of work-life balance.

For Irish respondents, financial compensation comes in second place (26%), followed by flexible work location and/or work schedule (22%).

The results align with what most Irish professionals would consider their ideal career path, with almost three-quarters (74%) of respondents saying they wish for a stable career with a good work-life balance.

Almost half (45%) of respondents say they look at salary or financial compensation first in a job ad, followed by location (36%) and then whether the role offers remote work (27%).

Over half of respondents (54%) also say that indicating a salary range is what matters most in a good job ad.

In terms of motivations for Irish professionals actively seeking a new role, nearly a third (31%) are looking for a more interesting position or higher seniority, while almost a quarter (24%) say they want to explore a different occupation.

Of those respondents who are not actively looking but would consider an offer if it came along, 67% said a higher salary or better benefits at a new job would raise their interest.

Meanwhile, almost four in 10 (37%) said they would consider an offer if it presented better opportunities for upward career progress, while the same percentage would be attracted by a better work-life balance.

“The research shows that, increasingly, people work to live, not live to work, and, while a negative recruitment experience can dissuade a lot of people from accepting a job offer, work-life balance is still the number one deal-breaker for Irish professionals," said McIlveen.

"Therefore, employers need to ensure that corporate culture is up to the expectations of modern jobseekers. Increased salary and higher seniority may be enough to attract candidates – but what they look for in the longer term is good work-life balance and flexibility."

Some 55% of respondents say they would prefer to work under a hybrid model, but a greater percentage (29%) of respondents would prefer to work fully on-site compared to just 16% of respondents who say they would prefer to be fully remote.

(Pic: Getty Images)