Indeed found that 40% of job seekers feel unprepared to manage today's job hunt. The conclusion comes from a survey of 1,501 people who were actively either applying for jobs or casually looking. So, how many potential applicants decide the process is not worth starting?

A confusing job market

Applicants face a job market that often requires them to invest time without knowing whether a role is actively being filled or when a decision may come, according to Indeed. That experience can determine whether they apply at all. "In other words, hiring is limited, and it's straining workers," wrote the researchers.

A person who has recently searched for a job may know how to craft an ATS-ready resume or decipher job posts to see which are the most active, but someone returning to the workforce after a few years may have less recent experience with those expectations. The same may be true for an employed professional who would consider a move but has limited time to complete a lengthy application with uncertain odds.

"Finding a job in today's market is no easy task, and it looks like a much different process than it did five or 10 years ago," wrote the researchers. "Many job seekers feel fatigued from sending out dozens of applications with no response."

Give candidates more information

The researchers suggest that employers may expect candidates to understand internal hiring levers that are not clear to them. A lengthy application or an assessment may be appropriate for a role, but the value depends on whether the step produces information that will help orgs select the right person.

"What people seem most unprepared for is how long it is taking to land a new job," says Jennifer Herrity, a career coach at Indeed. "For example, Indeed just interviewed a group of job seekers across generations and heard about the different ways they got their first jobs. Leah, a Gen-Z job seeker, applied to over 90 jobs before she got an offer.

Read the full article here: