Hiring Taboos: The red flags in recruitment

When looking for a new job, it can be helpful to have an idea of what hiring managers are looking for. For example, the most important things to recruiters are good communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

But what are the things that are most likely to put recruiters off? Surveying 500 hiring managers across America, we’ve been able to determine the most common taboos and things to avoid when applying for your next job.

According to our research, the biggest turn off for recruiters is a visible lack of interest and passion for the company, with 43.6% listing this as a reason not to give a candidate the job. Following closely, 42.4% consider a candidate turning up late enough to disqualify them from the interview process, while 38.8% would turn someone down after a bad reference from a previous employer, and 32% look for clean social media profiles.

Staggeringly, over one-in-ten hiring managers (12.2%) would discount a pregnant woman from an open position, and a further 10% would pass on someone who has just given birth. Meanwhile, despite the pandemic costing countless Americans consistent work for months at a time, a quarter of recruiters (25.8%) are put off by gaps in a candidate’s employment history, as well as a further 26.3% expecting interviewees to live in the local area and 19% being opposed to remote working.Finally, recruiters are also likely to discriminate against candidates with tattoos (15.4%), heavy makeup (14.6%), piercings (12.8%), brightly colored hair (12.2%), and strong dialects (12.2%).

Finding a new job can be difficult at the best of times, let alone when you have to consider the various hiring taboos that recruiters use to filter candidates. But which industries have the strictest hiring managers?

The legal sector is the most ageist

Of all industries, the legal sector is the strictest when it comes to candidate appearance; 60% of recruiters would turn somebody down for having tattoos, having eccentric hair, or turning up to interview in casualwear. But it’s also the sector that is the most ageist.Astonishingly, despite only 20% of legal recruiters claiming to have turned someone down for lack of experience, 60% would discriminate against interviewees for being too young and 40% would discount recent graduates. Additionally, four-in-five hiring managers (80%) would disregard a candidate for being too old and 40% are guilty of holding prejudices against new parents.

Which jobs are the hardest to land?

How many times have you, friends, or family members been turned down for a position because of a lack of experience? This problem is particularly prevalent in IT and telecoms, with three quarters of recruiters (72.88%) likely to pass on a candidate for being underqualified. Meanwhile, not only will 71.43% of hiring managers in the arts and culture sector overlook underqualified candidates, but 57.14% would also pass on an overqualified interviewee.

Which industries demand the most enthusiasm?

When attending an interview, it’s generally a prerequisite to demonstrate a passion for the company and job role you’re applying for. However, no industry recruiters are stricter than those in architecture, engineering, and building for demanding enthusiasm. In fact, 78.26% of hiring managers have previously turned candidates down for their lack of excitement about the job.Efficient timekeeping and punctuality are also essential skills to exceed in various job roles, especially in healthcare where you might be responsible for a patient’s welfare. As a result, nine-in-ten medical recruiters (87.18%) would discount a candidate for turning up late to an interview.Analyzing regional responses, it’s clear that hiring managers in Phoenix are among the toughest in the US. This comes as nine-in-ten recruiters have discarded candidates for either unprofessional email etiquette (88.89%) or wearing casual clothing to an interview (88.9%), as well as three quarters turning someone down for arriving late to interview (77.78%) or being too old (77.78%). Meanwhile, over half of Phoenix-based recruiters (55.56%) would overlook somebody simply for being pregnant.But Phoenix isn’t the only city with tough-to-please recruiters; 18.85% of Indianapolis-based hiring managers would turn someone down for brightly colored hair, 21% in Memphis would be put off by a strong accent, 20% in Boston are against piercings, and 22.22% in Austin are opposed to heavy makeup.Commenting on the research, Joanna Swash, Group CEO of Moneypenny said

At Moneypenny we want happy, smiley people to come and work with us and we find an initial telephone discussion is the best way to assess suitability for the role. It is only after this call when we both agree that they would enjoy working at Moneypenny that we then ask for a resume. At Moneypenny we have no set expectations of experience or background and are looking for people with a ‘can do attitude’ and who like to talk!

Finding a new job isn’t always easy, but hopefully you’ll now be able to hurdle some of the most common recruiter requirements. Check out our blog for even more expert insight, including the most common resume exaggerations

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