New research[1] released today by Glassdoor, a jobs and careers community, reveals that despite the average full time UK employee spending 1,680 hours[2] a year at work, they invest a paltry four hours researching potential employers. In stark contrast, people spend six times this amount of time (24 hours) researching their annual holiday, which seems like a misplaced priority on a far less important life decision[3]. Overall, UK adults spend 1,100 hours a year on the internet but very little of this is spent researching employers[4].
The research also showed that more than one in three (35 percent)[1] UK employees admit they didn’t invest any time researching their new employer before accepting a job offer. The excuses are rife as more than one in five (22 percent) employees claim they did not have enough information to make an informed decision about whether or not they should accept the job, rising to 39 percent of those that have been in their job less than six months.
Career research resources are also under-utilised as 55 percent of employees didn’t look at the employers website, 78 percent failed to check if the business was making a profit and 80 percent didn’t explore company reviews shared by employees. It’s hardly surprising that less than six months into the honeymoon period of a new role, 31 percent of UK employees admit they are disappointed.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing as nearly a quarter (23 percent) of employees wish they had asked more questions during the interview process, a figure that rises to 32 percent of those that have been in their job for less than six months. One in five (20 percent) wish they had insights from existing employees at their current organisation. It’s promising to see that 20 percent of 16-24 year olds regret not reading online company reviews and ratings of their current employer but this figure more than halves to just 9 percent amongst all employees.
Jon Ingham, Glassdoor career and workplace expert comments: “The Glassdoor research highlights an essential shift in how job seekers should approach their search for new opportunities. With a clearer understanding of what a job entails and how a company operates, we will inevitably see greater employee satisfaction and lower turnover that will help us collectively make strides in improving the state of our economy. Looking for employment isn’t just about finding a job; it’s about finding the right environment for individuals to reach their full potential.”
www.glassdoor.co.uk
For the purposes of this study “employees” were defined as GB adults, aged 16-64, employed full time and/or part time unless otherwise indicated.
1. The survey was carried out in two phases.
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• 1,031 GB adults were surveyed online within Harris Interactive (GB) on behalf of Glassdoor from 29 July – 4 August, 2014.
• Two further questions were carried out surveying 1,019 GB adults within Harris Interactive (GB) on behalf of Glassdoor from 2-8th September 2014.
• For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact pr@glassdoor.com.
2. 1,680 a year at work is calculated as follows;
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• 8 hours a day – 1 hour for lunch
• Five days a week = 35 hours
• 35 x 48 working weeks = 1,680
• On average consumer have four weeks annual leave each year, based on the average working week this totals 140 hours.