More UK businesses look to Internet to recruit

Jobcentre Plus employer survey confirms sustained buoyancy in recruitment market

As the number of employers looking to recruit increases, more and more are turning to the Internet to advertise jobs according to a new report from Jobcentre Plus.

The annual survey of over 4,500 employers indicates that over a quarter of British businesses (604,000) were on the look out to hire new staff last year. The survey indicates that in 2006, 27% of businesses were actively recruiting new staff with 25% of all filled job vacancies advertised online. The proportion of overall vacancies now being advertised through the Internet has increased to 16% from 12% in 2004, with one in every eight employers surveyed confirming they had used Internet websites to advertise a vacancy in the last 12 months.

This online trend is also being reflected by jobseekers themselves. In a single week in June, the Jobcentre Plus website (www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk) experienced a record 6.6 million job searches conducted by nearly 2.2 million online jobseekers.

Caroline Flint, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, said:

ìEmployment in the UK continues to show sustained growth. However, if we are to meet our aim of achieving 80% employment we need to work harder still to support more people back into work. Yesterday we published our green paper on In Work, Better Off which sets out the steps to achieving full employment. That included our commitment to new Local Employment Partnerships through which major employers across all key sectors have pledged to create 250,000 jobs to support some of the hardest to help into work.

ìJobcentre Plus plays a crucial role working with employers to fill vacancies by identifying the right people with the right skills.î

Overall, the results of the survey show that the UK recruitment market continues to maintain momentum. Last year 3.39 million vacancies were successfully filled. Small and medium-sized organisations (10-249 employees) were the most proactive recruiters, accounting for almost two thirds of successfully filled vacancies. They were closely followed by larger establishments in particular the businesses employing over 250 people.

Regionally, the South East and London maintained the trend for accounting for the highest proportion of filled vacancies and were also the regions most likely to refer to internet or web-based recruitment.

Employers continue to use Jobcentre Plus as a service for advertising jobs. Of the 3.97 million vacancies advertised externally over the last 12 months, over a third were advertised with Jobcentre Plus. 41% of employers questioned confirmed they had used Jobcentre Plus within the last 12 months, with those in Scotland (56%), and the North West (54%) making particular use of the organisation to advertise their vacancies. Larger, multi-sited employers were significantly more likely to use Jobcentre Plus, as were those with strong relationships in place.

Lesley Strathie, Chief Executive, Jobcentre Plus said:

ìThis survey demonstrates the continued strength and development of the UK recruitment market. It is encouraging to see employers using services such as our website and the Employer Direct Online service, which gives employers complete control of the recruitment process from advertising to appointment. That is growing at a rapid pace and we expect that trend to continue. Alongside that the new Local Employment Partnerships give us a framework for close work with employers committed to recruiting a more diverse work force including lone parents and others who have been out of the jobs marketî



Overall those employers using Jobcentre Plus to advertise vacancies found the service very acceptable, with 55% confirming that they were satisfied with the quality of candidates provided, up from 47% in 2004. 69% confirmed that Jobcentre Plus had a good knowledge of the candidate skills and business requirements needed for the vacancy and 78% commented positively on the speed at which candidates were supplied. Jobcentre Plus accounts for over a third of all vacancies advertised last year. Usage is highest in the manufacturing (48%), hospitality (48%), and logistics sectors (45%) whilst employers in the construction sector were most likely to be satisfied with the service they received.

Andrew Shenton, Group Sourcing and Attractions Manager from the Royal Bank of Scotland said: ìWe use Jobcentre Plus services repeatedly as we always get a good response and the right calibre of candidates to suit our needs. The combination of face to face support with easy online accessibility makes it an excellent resource for any UK employer looking to fill vacancies.î