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- What puts off job seekers from applying for a certain role? A lot, it turns out.New Adobe Acrobat data points to unlimited PTO, mandatory cover letters, and words like "rockstar."Business Insider wants to hear your biggest gripes with the job application process. Tell us below.
If you're hiring for a customer-obsessed rockstar who wears many hats, you might be hearing crickets.
New data from Adobe Acrobat highlights some of job seekers' biggest red flags in a job listing. It shows that some of the most popular phrases in a job description are also some of the most hated.
Adobe surveyed 1,060 people in May, including 807 job seekers and 253 hiring decision-makers.
The job seekers reported some of the phrases that most deter them from applying to a position are "customer-obsessed" and "wear many hats," with 33% each, closely followed by "rockstar." Other standouts include "fast-paced environment" and "family," likely a reference to listings that say a team or workplace feels like a family.
But language wasn't the only problem.
Nearly one in 10 of the applicants surveyed said they wouldn't apply for a role offering unlimited paid time off. Some research has shown that workers with unlimited PTO actually end up taking less time off than their peers with a set number of vacation days.
More than half of job seekers surveyed say they'd pass on a job listing that didn't specify a pay range. Some cities and states have enacted pay transparency laws.
Besides job listings, job seekers reported pain points with the job application process itself. One in four said they wouldn't apply for a role requiring a cover letter, and nearly one in five said they couldn't be bothered if there wasn't an easy-apply option.
Now, we want to hear from you! Tell us your biggest issues with the job search and application process by filling out this survey below:
