Study: Job Hunting Icks - What puts job hunters off?

We are 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, we surveyed 1,092 people about the biggest red flags they consider when job hunting.

Key Findings

Minimum annual leave allowance is the biggest job advert ick in the study (65.5% find this off-putting).
The next most common job advert icks were pressure to engage with company social media content (64.6%) and omission of salary details (63.8%).
A smelly interviewer (76.8%), a group interview (70.2%) or being called the wrong name (68.1%) in an interview are the biggest job hunting icks according to job applicants.
“winners mindset” (36.7%), “hustle” (36.3%), and “work hard, play hard” (35.4%), were found to be the most off-putting phrases in a job advertisement or interview.
Virtual faux-pas: The interviewer speaking to someone else off camera (50.7%), not having their camera on (48.1%), or their family appearing in the background (43.3%) are the most common video interview icks.
Time wasters: half of applicants (53.2%) would retract their application after three (30.2%) or four interview rounds (23.0%).

The most common job advert icks

Besides interview faux pas, what other aspects of the application process put off potential applicants?

The amount of annual leave employees are legally entitled to varies across the globe. In the U.K. the minimum holiday entitlement is 28 days whereas in the U.S. 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 – the most common red flag on job adverts for applicants.

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.

Including a salary range on applications promotes fairness and helps to narrow pay gaps – but sometimes hiring managers exclude this information from advertisements as to not deter potential applicants and leave room for negotiation later.

But excluding important salary information can come back to bite you. Over half of the applicants (63.8%) say they would be less inclined to apply for a role without salary information.

Rank	Application red flags	Percentage of respondents
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 (i.e. on Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)?	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%
6	Cash-in-hand pay	62.4%
7	Pay isn’t monthly	61.7%
8	Received an email from them out of hours	57.7%

What job seekers want to see in a job advert

But what do people want to see in a job advert? Knowing if you are not suitable for the job (and whether it’s worth your time applying) is one of the first things applicants check out. Qualification requirements are the most sought-after information (61.7%) on a job advert according to those surveyed.

Most important information on a job advert

The next most looked-for piece of information is working hours (60.5%). A study in Forbes found that 83% of respondents considered flexible working hours to be important, so making sure the job fits to your availability is a crucial next step.

Job benefits (56.1%) round off the top three in the study and job title (52.1%) and experience required (45.7%) conclude the top five.

Rank	Requirement	Percentage of respondents
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 you think.

Job adverts asking for a “winner’s mindset” potentially lose out on a third of applicants. 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” and “work hard play hard”.

Rank	Phrase	Percentage of respondents
1	Winner’s mindset	36.7%
2	Hustle	36.3%
3	Work hard, play hard	35.4%
4	Wear many hats	31.6%
5	Fast-paced environment	30.2%
6	Entrepreneurial spirit	28.5%
7	Self-starter	16.9%
8	Team player	12.3%
9	Proactive	5.6%
9	Proactive	5.6%

The most common in-person interview icks

The average UK or Irish company interviews six candidates per role, and in the U.S. 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 odor 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.

Rank	Offence	Percentage of respondents who agreed
1	The interviewer smelt unpleasant	76.8%
2	A group interview (multiple candidates)	70.2%
3	Interviewer misnames you	68.1%
4	Interviewer shortened your name without asking	63.3%
5	If a job advert or interviewer said “we’re like a family”	62.5%
6	The interviewer made a joke or tried to banter with you	49.1%
7	The company didn’t offer you a drink	44.1%

The most common video interview icks

Increasingly, your interview may not happen in person but online. Roughly one in four (28%) interviews are now online. Interviewing online is often more convenient, but if the interviewer treats the call too informally it may make the opportunity unattractive to potential candidates.

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%).

Rank	Behaviour	Percentage of respondents
1	Interviewer speaking to someone else during the interview	50.7%
2	Interviewer having the camera switched off	48.1%
3	Interviewer’s family in the background	43.3%
4	Interviewer joining the call late	42.1%
5	Interviewer not dressed appropriately	41.0%
6	Interviewer jumping in when you’re answering a question	36.1%
7	Interviewer not in an office	18.3%

How many job interview rounds are too many?

The screening process for a job role is becoming increasingly protracted with interviewers taking their time – especially when hiring for more senior roles. In fact, around 60% of job seekers have rejected a job application due to its length and complexity. But how many rounds of interviews is too far? The most common answer was three rounds (30.2%) followed by four rounds at (23%).

Number of interview stages	Percentage of respondents
1	3.0%
2	14.8%
3	30.2%
4	23.0%
5	11.9%
6	5.3%
7	5.3%
8	4.7%
9	0.9%
10+	0.9%

Methodology

We surveyed 1,092 adults in October 2024. The survey was designed to find out what job applicants find most off-putting when applying for a role. This included job adverts, in-person interviews, and virtual interviews.

Gender

Male 47.6%
Female 51.3%
Non-binary 0.9%

Age

18-27 11.1%
28-43 69.0%
44-59 15.6%
60-69 3.2%
70+ 1.2%

Job Hunting Icks | Study