by John Zappe

The candidate-driven market is here to stay and the pace at which candidates are rejecting offers is quickening.

MRINetwork's most recent Recruiter Sentiment Study says 83% of the 333 responding recruiters describe the current employment market as candidate-driven. In three years, the percentage of recruiters who say candidates are in the driver's seat has risen 29 points.

"It is definitely and without a doubt a candidate-driven market, however many employers are still laboring under the same processes as they did when it was an employer-driven market," the twice yearly survey report notes, quoting one of the participating recruiters.

It takes the typical candidate more than three weeks to get an offer, with 41% of recruiters saying it takes even longer, up to nine or more weeks for an offer to be made. One in five candidates has to endure four or more interviews to get that offer.