15.01.2025

Study uncovers the biggest job hunting icks

A new survey from careers experts StandOut CV has uncovered what job applicants find most off-putting when applying for a role.

What puts applicants off a job vacancy? We’re all well aware of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to job hunting: do turn up to an interview on time, don’t have spelling errors in your resume, dress smartly, and so on. But shifting the focus, what are hiring managers doing to drive away talent?

From endless application stages to late-night email requests, a new survey of 1,092 adults from StandOut CV has uncovered the biggest red flags they consider when job hunting.

The most common job advert icks

The amount of annual leave employees are legally entitled to varies across the globe. In the UK the minimum holiday entitlement is 28 days whereas in the US it’s up to the discretion of the employer to decide how much leave their employees get. But wherever you are, employers who are stingy with annual leave might risk driving away talent.

Jobs that only offer the minimum amount of annual leave allowance put off 65.5% of applicants surveyed – the most common red flag on job adverts for applicants.

The most common red flags for job applicants:

1. Job offers the minimum amount of annual leave allowance - 65.5%
2. Required or heavily encouraged applicants to like other employees' social media content - 64.6%
3. No salary information available - 63.8%
4. About us' page or company's board lacks diversity - 62.7%
5. If a job advert or interviewer said "we're like a family" - 62.5%

The second most common ick found on job adverts is being required to engage on LinkedIn or other social networking platforms to promote the company, 64.6% said they would find this off-putting.

Over half of the applicants (63.8%) say they would be less inclined to apply for a role without salary information.

What job seekers want to see in a job advert

So what do people want to see in a job advert? Qualification requirements are the most sought-after information (61.7%) on a job advert according to those surveyed.

The next most looked-for piece of information is working hours (60.5%). Job benefits (56.1%) round off the top three in the study.

Most sought-after job advert requirements:

1. Qualification requirements - 61.7%
2. Working hours - 60.5%
3. Benefits - 56.1%
4. Job title - 52.1%
5. Experience required (if any) - 45.7%
6. Annual leave allowance - 35.7%

Most off-putting job advert buzzwords

Including phrases associated with “hustle culture” and fast-paced corporate culture might not be as motivational and inspiring as people think.

Job adverts asking for a “winner’s mindset” potentially lose out on a third of applicants. In fact, 36.7% of respondents said they would find this phrase off-putting in a job advert, making it the most ick-inducing job advert phrase, followed by “hustle” (36.3%) and “work hard play hard” (35.4%).

The most common in-person interview icks

The average UK or Irish company interviews six candidates per role, and in the US the average is seven. But what are interviewers doing to put off potential candidates?

Having pre-interview jitters can make anyone sweat, but what if the interviewer is the one with the body odour issue? Three-quarters of respondents said that this would be enough to put them off the job, and is the biggest interview ick in the study.

The second most off-putting interview experience is being called in for a group interview – where multiple applicants are assessed at once. This puts off a vast majority (70.2%) of respondents. The next most common interview icks are name-related, with being called the wrong name (68.1%) or your name being shortened (63.3%) being the next most annoying interview experiences.

The most common video interview icks

An interviewer speaking to someone else off-camera during the interview irritates half of all respondents (50.7%) and is the greatest video interview offence.

The next most irritating video-interview faux pas are the interviewer having their camera switched off (48.1%) and the interviewer’s family in the background (43.3%).

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