A new study from global jobsite Indeed reveals that two thirds (65%) of employed adults look for their next job in the first three months of joining a company, while 50% of those earning £60,000-£70,000 start researching the job market within just 28 days - below the average UK probation period .
The ‘Talent Attraction Study’ identifies the factors that lead workers to keep a constant lookout for new roles and reveals the measures employers and recruiters can take to ensure these active jobseekers are placed into roles that are the right fit for them.
The era of the active job seeker
The rise of on-demand job search and digital recruitment means that workers are looking for jobs more frequently than ever before. The majority (68%) of UK employed adults believe it is important for them to be aware of the jobs currently on the market, regardless of whether they are employed or not. The report also reveals that 63% actively search for jobs at least monthly, while 16% search daily for new jobs. Many keep a constant eye on job opportunities, with almost half (48%) of UK adults subscribing to regular job alerts.
With employees engaging in active searches for alternative job opportunities, companies risk experiencing a dent in their productivity and profitability as they struggle to find replacements for empty roles. A previous study from Indeed showed that almost half of UK positions take over a month to fill – costing the UK economy £18 billion every year.
“Employers who fear the loss of valuable employees within just one month of going through the costly hiring procedure should pay attention to the key reasons employed adults give for leaving an existing role”, cautions Gerard Murnaghan, VP EMEA at Indeed.
What motivates employees to look for new roles?
The research shows that dissatisfaction with their current job was the most common reason for considering a job change, with a quarter (25%) of respondents citing this. Feeling discouraged or insecure in their current job situation also ranked amongst the most popular complaints at 19%, alongside failure to receive recognition for a specific accomplishment at work (14%).
As jobseekers take more control of searching for and securing their own jobs, the study revealed that 70% of employed adults in the UK feel more confident that a job is the right fit for them if they pick it themselves, than if it is sent to them by a recruiter. In order to support recruiters to effectively match candidates with the roles that are right for them, the report identifies the key priorities that would-be candidates look out for when searching for a new job.
The study found that 89% of candidates would consider joining a new company, regardless of whether they are happy in their current position, if offered the right incentives. Of those incentives, good pay, desirable location and the offer of flexible work hours stood out as the top three priorities. This was closely followed by the offer of “meaningful work”, which was revealed as a key motivator for a third (33%) of UK job seekers.
Murnaghan concludes: “As the UK employment landscape continues to pick up, power is shifting away from the employer and into the hands of the employee for the first time in several years. Today’s most valuable employees are taking an active approach to seeking out new career opportunities. This savvy workforce keeping a constant eye on the increasingly competitive job market to ensure they are getting the best deal.
“It is more important than ever that employers and recruiters are in-tune with the motivations, priorities and expectations of UK jobseekers. Being content in the workplace is not just a matter of having a good salary; staff want to feel that they are appreciated and wish to work within a supportive and motivating environment.
“Finding the right candidate for each role not only helps keep repeat recruitment costs to a minimum, but helps ensure that new employees are fulfilled from the critical stage of the first three months of employment.”
About Indeed
More people find jobs on Indeed than anywhere else. Indeed is the #1 job site in the world and allows job seekers to search millions of jobs on the web or mobile in over 50 countries and 28 languages. More than 150 million people each month search for jobs, post resumes, and research companies on Indeed, and Indeed is the #1 source of external hires for thousands of companies (sources: SilkRoad & iCIMS). For more information, visit indeed.com.