Current research shows that job searching behavior has many similarities to general consumer behavior. What this really means is that potential candidates will use various different online resources prior to signing on the dotted line for a new employer, while at the same time, are in a state of continual searching for something new. The following is our take on CareerBuilder’s 2012 Candidate Behavior Study, which looks at many of these recruitment issues.
Technology has changed the ways in which individuals study and make purchases; this of course includes research and ultimately the “purchase” of a new job. With this in mind, it’s now likely that a person will have spent time checking out different opportunities and employers before going ahead with any of them. Hopefully this will help them avoid any “buyer’s remorse” once they make their “purchase,” as most people will have engaged with their potential new employer in some shape or form, often via social networking such as Facebook and Twitter. Not only this, but they’ll also be continually searching for the next best thing!
Passive Job Hunting Is over
Many well informed resources are claiming that the days of the passive job hunter are over. This can be backed up by the following statistics:
- Around a third of all individuals say that job searching is a weekly activity.
- 74 percent of people are open to the thought of a new opportunity, or are actively searching.
- Over two-thirds of people say that searching for new opportunities is just part of their regular routine.
Further to these figures, a mind-blowing 35 percent of people are thought to begin searching for a new job within two weeks of starting one.
Generation Plays Its Part in Recruitment
As you would expect, there is a differential between the age groups of the Millennials and Boomers. It is widely accepted that technology has a role to play in the activities and considerations of these sets of people. Millennials were lucky to have been born into the digital age, whereas Boomers have had to learn new things as the technology evolved during their lifetimes.
This can be better explained in the following information:
- 79 percent of Millennials are actively searching a new job at any given time, this compares with the 67 percent of Boomers that are either actively searching or are open to a new position.
- A Millennial will spend an average of three years in one job, which is significantly less than the Boomers average of eleven years.
- Just over eight out of ten Millennials would be happy to relocate for the right opportunity; this compares to just under six out of ten for the Boomers.
- Around a third of Millennials felt that their current job search is more complex than that of previous ones — this compares to nearly half of all Boomers.
The Recommendations
The digital age is here to stay, so it’s vital that employers understand the part that they can play in this. Some of the recommendations include:
- Brand ambassadors: Only 33 percent of people had thought about the exploration of opportunities in their own organizations. The development of internal brand ambassadors or similar will help to raise the profile of internal positions.
- Employment branding: More than six out of ten people will view some kind of rating site relating to the potential company’s brand. The findings play a significant part on whether or not the individual will apply for a position. Remember that engagement continues well after the initial application stage. Feedback, especially that of the negative type is likely to be left when these individuals share their experience on the various social networks.
- Long job cycle search: On average it can run for six months. This makes it vital for an organization to have an effective presence on the platforms that people use to conduct their research.
The Wrap up
The figures above really do suggest the demise of the passive job hunter, with as much as seven out of ten people currently actively looking for a new position or at least open to the idea of one.
It’s important for employers to understand that the average individual will use up to fifteen different resources to research job opportunities. With this in mind, it’s vital that these employers have a positive presence on the social networking sites. The ways that individuals research things has been turned on its head by changes in their digital behavior.
Employers will also do very well to remember that the age of a person plays an important role in the way that they will search for a new position. Those that were born into the new digital age have a distinct advantage compared with the previous generations.
The Boomers will often tend to stay with their employer for considerably longer than the Millennials, who tend to job-hop much more, especially in their early career stages.
For more details and the full interactive survey, have a look at CareerBuilder’s 2012 Candidate Behavior Study.
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