Midasin Asks HR Professionals About the Causes of Recruitment Bottlenecks... What's the Top Reason?

by Lee Sanghyun

Published 02 Apr.2026 16:40(KST)

On average, it takes companies more than 20 days to hire a single employee. This is because the recruitment process involves posting job openings, reviewing hundreds of documents, conducting multiple screening rounds, and compiling results to make hiring decisions-all of which require extensive operational work and collaboration among several people. In many companies, delays and extended timelines occur repeatedly at various stages of the process. In fact, many recruiters report experiencing similar bottlenecks during each hiring cycle.

2026 H.Dot Recruitment Bottleneck Diagnosis Report (Photo by Midasin)

To diagnose this reality with data, Midasin (the HR specialist affiliate of the Midas Group) released the "2026 H.Dot Recruitment Bottleneck Diagnosis Report," based on a survey of 211 HR professionals using the H.Dot HR integrated platform. According to the findings, 89.1% of respondents experienced significant or minor bottlenecks in their recruitment process over the past year, and 64.9% said this issue recurs annually. The report draws attention for its detailed diagnosis of the stages and causes of recruitment bottlenecks based on company size, and for proposing AI-based solutions.

The bottlenecks were most concentrated in the initial operational stages of recruitment. The most problematic step was "document review" (21.7%), followed by "applicant management and communication" (19.6%), and "writing job postings" (16.9%). The primary cause of these bottlenecks was "unclear criteria for evaluating applicants" (31.3%). While it is commonly assumed that recruiter work overload is the main factor, in reality, it accounted for only about half as much (15.2%).

Unclear evaluation criteria also create issues in the post-hiring phase. The most significant inefficiency cited by respondents was "early resignation of new hires" (30.3%). The report points out that if evaluation standards for job and organizational fit are established and a verification system is in place during the recruitment stage, such issues can be prevented in advance.

The top cause of bottlenecks was identified as the "absence of recruitment systems and tools" (63%), followed by "slow decision-making within the organization" (48.3%). Both the lack of clear evaluation standards and repeated early resignations ultimately stem from a structural issue: the absence of systems to support the overall recruitment operation.

So what solutions do HR professionals want? Respondents most frequently cited "streamlining and automating applicant management" (54.5%) as the most needed measure to resolve recruitment bottlenecks, followed by "ensuring consistency in evaluation criteria" (49.3%), "data-driven recruitment decisions" (45%), and "shortening recruitment lead time" (39.8%). This indicates that there is greater demand for improving and streamlining operational structures than for simply accelerating the recruitment process.

An H.Dot representative commented, "It is noteworthy that the absence of recruitment systems and tools was identified as the core cause of recruitment bottlenecks in this survey," adding, "Since overall operational structures, including process efficiency and applicant management, create bottlenecks, introducing AI-based systems that can automate these processes will be key to improving recruitment efficiency."

As a solution to recruitment bottlenecks, H.Dot introduced the "H.Dot Recruitment Agent." This agent offers five key functions: "automated application screening" for managing large volumes of applicants, "AI interview guide" to help apply consistent evaluation standards, "data-driven recruitment" for accumulating and utilizing recruitment data, "recruitment performance reports" to analyze performance indicators and suggest strategies, and "automated recruitment process design" to reduce lead time. By integrating the features HR professionals deemed necessary into a single solution, it enables them to focus on strategic work rather than repetitive operational tasks.

The full report-including details on bottlenecks at each recruitment stage, analysis of the structure causing bottlenecks, directions for improving recruitment operations, and specific needs-can be found on the official H.Dot website. Detailed data on where bottlenecks are concentrated, the patterns of their occurrence, and the necessity for AI solutions are also available.

Meanwhile, Midasin, which operates H.Dot, provides HR solutions such as AI competency assessments, recruitment solutions (ATS), performance evaluations, and performance management to over 2,100 companies and institutions. Midas Group is a global software company with affiliates including Midas IT, the world’s No. 1 in construction engineering solutions; Midasin, the domestic leader in HR solutions; and Zain Research Institute, a human management research organization.