What are Abandonment Rates?

A measurement of the number of job applicants that start but do not finish completing a job application on a company’s ATS (applicant tracking system). When job-seekers start the process and then drop out, that’s a failure for the employer.

This is often caused when the recruiting process is long and arduous - causing a negative candidate experience. The number of abandoned applications will be higher when the hiring process is confusing or requires greater effort than the applicant feels the job is worth.

When the process of applying for a company is straightforward and fair, this presents a good representation of the organization. Many applicants will use the hiring process to understand how the processes of the company might work.

Applicants must be treated like customers, given an adequate amount of support and positive reinforcement to complete their application. Just as when the checkout process is too slow in a shop causing customer dissatisfaction, the customer service of an organization's career site must be encouraging.