A startling 24 percent of UK businesses dedicate up to 10 hours per week exclusively to scheduling interviews, according to new research by global matching and hiring platform Indeed.
In a landscape with 934,000 job vacancies, the study sheds light on the considerable time and resources wasted on inefficient processes, positioning the scheduling of interviews as a major bottleneck in the hiring pipeline.
The survey, which analysed the hiring challenges faced by businesses in the UK, highlighted that the second most significant hurdle, just behind talent shortages, is the ‘time-consuming’ nature of the hiring process.
Indeed’s findings underscore the pressing need for streamlining these processes to meet the demands of a competitive job market.
Administrative Tasks Consume Hiring Budgets
On average, businesses allocate a third (33%) of their hiring budget to administrative tasks, with hiring decision-makers spending over six hours per week on tasks such as CV screening (56%), candidate assessment (55%), and candidate sourcing (55%). This extensive time commitment, reflected at the organisational level, sees businesses investing 37% of their total time in hiring-related activities, emphasising the urgent need for efficiency improvements.
Employers cited administrative tasks like candidate sourcing (29%), candidate assessment (23%), resume screening (22%), and background checks (21%) as the most challenging aspects of hiring, further emphasising the need for innovative solutions to streamline these processes.
AI Adoption Lagging Despite Potential
Despite the opportunity for automation to address these challenges, a substantial 42 percent of businesses have yet to incorporate AI into their hiring processes. Notably, 86 percent of those who have adopted AI report positive impacts on their hiring efficiency. More than half of businesses recognise efficiency (53%) and time savings (51%) as the primary advantages of AI implementation, highlighting the untapped potential for AI to revolutionise recruitment practices.
Specifically, employers identified interview scheduling (45%), CV screening (41%), background checks (34%), and candidate sourcing (30%) as areas that would benefit most from AI integration. By leveraging AI in these areas, businesses could significantly reduce the time invested in routine tasks and allow decision-makers to focus on more strategic aspects of hiring.
Indeed Launches Automated Hiring Tools
In response to these challenges, Indeed has unveiled its latest automated hiring tools designed to enhance the efficiency of recruitment processes. The features aim to accelerate hiring through increased reach, efficiency, and control:
- Direct to Interview: Enables fast-track hiring by connecting employers with matched candidates for initial conversations. Jobs using Direct to Interview schedule interviews 10.5 times more frequently on Indeed, completing successful interviews 33 percent faster than other jobs.
- Direct to Message: Allows employers to automatically initiate conversations with qualified candidates, streamlining the screening process and facilitating efficient communication.
- Hiring Events: An all-in-one solution automating tasks such as interview scheduling and candidate messaging, running virtual and in-person hiring events efficiently and cost-effectively. Employers gain more control over automating functionalities to save screening time.
Raj Mukherjee, EVP, and General Manager at Indeed, commented, “Our new hiring tools eliminate manual tasks, allowing employers to focus on what matters most – human connection. Indeed is uniquely positioned as an end-to-end hiring platform to help businesses address their hiring pain points.”
As businesses seek simplified and efficient ways to hire, Indeed’s latest offerings underscore its commitment to providing solutions that enhance the hiring experience and drive unparalleled access to the most qualified candidates.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
