Internet Savvy Set Job-Seeking Trend

Almost half of UK job seekers will turn to the Internet when applying for positions, according to a new survey from Taleo, the leading provider of on demand talent management solutions.

The survey, conducted by Taleo Research, showed that 43% of workers used online tools, such as applying online or sending a CV by email, to apply for their most recent job. Described by Taleo as ìInternet Identifiers,î the survey found this group leading the way in how todayís workers prefer to apply for jobs.

According to the study, job seekers can be broken down into three main groups, based on how they apply for jobs:

Internet Identifiers (43%) ñ Internet savvy job-seekers who actively hunt for jobs by applying online, sending their CV via email to prospects or signing up to an online job board or business networking website

Hands Off Hunters (38%) ñ traditional job seekers who rely on head hunters, recruitment agencies and personal contacts to find new jobs

Traditional Targeters (19%) ñ more traditional job seekers, who prefer to actively apply for jobs through the post

The Taleo study interviewed 120 employees of working age from a range of sectors including business, public services, sales and marketing, media, retail, tourism, IT and skilled trades people, asking them about their job application habits. Other key findings indicate:

Speed is key ñ Over half (53%) of respondents who applied for their current or most recent job using online facilities preferred these methods due to the fast response time. Other important factors favouring online job searching included it being less time consuming (24%) and the ability to apply for many jobs at one time (13%).

Word of mouth ñ Word of mouth is still the most common means for hearing about jobs with nearly a third (27%) hearing about their current or most recent job through ìthe grapevine.î Using recruitment agencies was also a common method, with 19% of employers hearing about their jobs via an agency.

Online hunting ñ Almost half (48%) of generation ëYí (16-30 year olds) were classed as ìInternet Identifiersî when applying for positions.

Call a friend ñ Experienced job-seekers (46-65 year olds) were the most significant users of personal contacts and referrals in order to get jobs, with 11% using this method.

ìOnline search and application techniques are now the most prevalent methods with both active and passive candidates, which suggests that candidates are proactively taking charge of their search for employment,î said Neil Hudspith, SVP, International, for Taleo. ìIncreasingly we are seeing more candidates applying for positions through company websites. This also has the benefit of enabling candidates to become part of a companyís ongoing searchable talent pool, even if their initial application is not successful.î

Hudspith continued, ìWith the recent popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook, and the increased growth of business social networking sites such as Jobster or LinkedIn, this dynamic is set to change even further. Business networking sites will become a valuable way of sourcing passive candidates that companies find difficult to reach today.î

Online recruitment allows organisations to manage their talent pools and recruitment process more effectively. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), 71% of companies using the Internet to recruit do so to reduce recruitment costs, while 41% use it to increase the speed of hiring (CIPD 2007).

However, a recent white paper by Taleo Research, ëCareer Site Recruiting in the FTSE 100 Companies: A Missed Opportunityí, showed that just under half (49 per cent) of FTSE 100 companies still rely on emailed or physical CVís as the basis of their process.

ìThe prevalence of online recruitment shows that there is now little competitive edge in merely having a career section on your website,î said Hudspith. ìCompanies need a fast, candidate-friendly online hiring process to gain an advantage over competitors. Clearly, this is still an area of improvement for many companies.î

How to minimise costs in recruitment during a downturn
Attend the Online Recruitment Conference & Exhibition on 3rd June 2008
www.onrec.com/june