More than eight in 10 jobseekers in the Midlands expect to hear back from employers within a week of applying for a role, according to new research.<\/p>\n
A survey of temporary workers by recruitment specialist Gi Group found that 83% of candidates expect contact within seven days of submitting an application.<\/p>\n
The findings come as competition for jobs intensifies. Latest estimates show 16.5% of 16 to 24-year-olds in the East Midlands were not in education, employment or training (NEET) between October and December 2025, while UK job vacancies have fallen to their lowest level since 2021.<\/p>\n
Gi Group surveyed more than 1,000 temporary jobseekers across the UK as part of its State of the Nation research.<\/p>\n
Andy Carpenter, managing director of Gi Group UK and Ireland, said delays in responding to applicants could affect future recruitment efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur data shows there are abundant and strongly held pre-set expectations about what a job application response time from a professional company looks like amongst jobseekers today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe data is surprising as it shows that waiting 10 days to reply to an applicant doesn\u2019t only delay the process, it also puts them off applying for roles with your business in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
The survey also found younger workers were not necessarily the most demanding when it came to response times. Nationally, 9% of 18 to 24-year-olds expected an immediate response, compared with more than 14% of those aged between 45 and 54.<\/p>\n
Carpenter said: \u201cThe best candidates, regardless of their age, are often off the market within days, rather than weeks. Delayed responses can damage employer brand, sometimes more than an instant rejection.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cSpeed is now a competitive advantage in hiring but professionalism remains a non-negotiable element. Ensuring clear, honest and realistic communication can not only build trust, but it can build loyalty.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Most Midlands jobseekers expect rapid feedback despite cooling vacancies market<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":2053561,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[127684],"coauthors":[95],"class_list":["post-2111971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recruitment","tag-east-midlands"],"yoast_head":"\n