Uh-oh! Candidates are angry. Really angry. They’re done with quiet quitting, sticking with
rntheir job but doing the bare minimum because their heart’s just not in it. This time they’ve
rnhad enough. They’re off. And they’re furiously – literally furiously – applying for new jobs

Yep, ‘rage-applying’ is the latest trend to hit recruitment.

Research by international recruitment company Robert Walters found that 60% of
professional workers had rage-applied for a new job.  Hacked off with their company, employees were so fed up and angry they’d applied for multiple roles to get away.

The number one reason for their discontent? They were sick of working in a toxic workplace culture . 

Now when we say toxic, we’re not just talking bullying, harassment or being unappreciated
– though obviously they’re all darned good reasons for wanting to quit. No, there’s something else at play here, too.

Since covid, employees have come to want more out of their employers. Obviously, they still expect a decent salary. And some nice perks like free gym membership wouldn’t go amiss. But what they really want is to feel aligned with the company they work for. Maybe they want to be part of an organisation that puts sustainability before profit. Or gives back to the local community. Or champions diversity, equity and inclusion.

See, for employees it’s no longer just about the job. It’s about being part of a purpose-driven organisation that cares about the things they care about. And without that, it’s frankly a toxic turn-off.

EVP equals aligned employees

So how can organisations stop staff getting ticked off and rage-applying for other jobs?

Well, a good place to start is their Employee Value Proposition (EVP).

This is how companies communicate their employer brand – who they are, what they stand for and why an employee would be proud to work with them. It’s the message that relays their values and beliefs to candidates.

And the good news is organisations have multiple ways of showcasing their EVP throughout the recruitment journey.

Take attraction. When we worked with Circle Health Group on their vacancy page, our brief was to reflect their people-focused values. So we made things personal by including a link to the TA’s LinkedIn profile, complete with an email contact and a welcome video. And, of course, there’s no reason why a job ad can’t also feature employee stories and testimonials to highlight EVP.

Social media is made for sharing Employee Value Proposition and attracting talent. This strategy can be a long game, mind – but regular, consistent posting will keep prospective candidates nice and warm. 

Check out our Top 5 tips on social recruiting

Spreading the EVP message shouldn’t stop once a candidate’s been through the interview process. In fact, recruiters may need to ramp it up given that 65% of candidates have terminated the hiring process because of an unattractive EVP . We love that HARBOUR’S Hiring Manager Portal means managers can communicate with candidates all the way through to onboarding.

Speaking of onboarding , now’s not the time to drop the ball. Think of all the heart-warming, brand-defining content hirers can put out to reassure candidates they’ve picked the right company. A video messages from the CEO, employee stories, a Twitter feed – anything and everything you can think of to reinforce your organisation’s purpose, mission and values.

Discover how we helped Suez with their onboarding

Recruiters have a tough enough time getting candidate bums on seats. The last thing they need is to secure a hire – only for the new employee to discover they’re the wrong fit for the organisation and start rage-applying for other jobs.

An EVP lets a candidate know what kind of organisation they’re getting into. It attracts like-minded employees who feel aligned with their employer – and have every intention of sticking around. (But, still, that free gym membership might be worth mentioning?)

* Want to know how recruitment tech keeps candidates happy? Get in touch with us now