The latest JobSeeker Nation report—built on a nationwide survey of over 1,500 U.S. adults—reveals a major shift in candidate behavior. Job seekers are hitting pause and stepping back from the job market altogether.
To break down why this is happening and what it means for HR leaders, the RecTech podcast sat down with Stephanie Manzelli, Chief People Officer at Employ (the parent company behind JazzHR, Lever, and Jobvite).
Here are the key takeaways from their conversation on trust, the impact of AI, and how companies can better connect with today’s talent.
The Trust Gap: Why Candidates are Stepping Back
According to Manzelli, the biggest challenge facing people leaders today isn’t just attracting talent—it’s establishing and maintaining trust. A glaring disconnect between what is promised during the interview process and what is actually delivered is fueling early turnover.
-
The 90-Day Reality Check: The report highlights that 46% of people who left a job within their first 90 days did so because the actual role did not align with what was communicated during the hiring process.
-
The Rise of Hiring Scams: Trust is further eroded by a spike in fraudulent listings. 53% of job seekers report encountering job postings they believed were scams, flagging roles that look “too good to be true” or demand sensitive personal identity information too early.
-
The Ghosting Epidemic: Recruiter and hiring manager ghosting is on the rise, with 32% of candidates experiencing it this year.
How Employ Tackles Ghosting: Manzelli notes that Employ prevents ghosting by refusing to leave job listings open indefinitely just to gather thousands of applications. Instead, they intentionally close posts down early to ensure the talent acquisition team can maintain meaningful follow-through with every applicant.
The Gen Z & Millennial AI Paradox
The report reveals a fascinating generational divide regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence in recruitment. While younger generations are highly comfortable using AI, they are also the most skeptical of its ethics.
-
AI Concern by Generation: When asked about companies relying too heavily on AI, 60% of Baby Boomers expressed concern, compared to 49% of Gen Z. Interestingly, concern dropped even lower among Millennials (40%) and younger Gen Z brackets (39%).
-
The Rejection Dichotomy: Despite being more tech-native, younger candidates are far more likely to believe they have been unfairly and automatically rejected by an AI algorithm. They expect companies to use advanced tech, but they are highly sensitive to its potential bias if left unchecked.
Human-in-the-Loop: Striking the Right Balance
With 40% of candidates stating they would feel more comfortable if a human reviewed AI-driven recommendations, Manzieli emphasizes that AI should remain a supportive tool, not a replacement for human judgment.
-
What AI is good for: Generating consistent, unbiased interview questions based on job descriptions, streamlining application workflows, and scheduling.
-
What requires a human: Understanding an organization’s unique context, evaluating candidate personas, and making the final hiring decision. Manzieli firmly stands against auto-rejections, advocating instead for using AI purely to surface matches for human evaluation.
Actionable Advice for Employers
To turn passive candidate interest into new hires during “The Great Pause,” employers must transition from theoretical storytelling to tangible proof.
-
Make Growth Tangible: Don’t speak in abstract terms about career progression. Outline transparent progression paths, clear timelines, and upward opportunities up front.
-
Close the Reality Gap: Give candidates a real look at how your teams operate day-to-day. Show them actual meeting structures, communication expectations, and leadership styles during the interview process.
-
Treat Flexibility as a Core Offer: Treat flexibility as a standard part of the job structure, not a perk. Clearly define whether a role is remote, hybrid, or open-scheduled so candidates can accurately assess alignment.
-
Don’t Wait for Exit Interviews: Take a human-centered design approach to your workforce. Frequently pressure-test your employee experience using onboarding insights and new-hire check-ins to spot and fix misalignments instantly.
The full 2026 Job Seeker Nation Report is available on Employ Inc’s website and their respective product channels.
