Inside the Mind of Today's Job Seekers

Introduction

Job seekers today are operating in an era of unprecedented transparency, where detailed information on nearly every organisation is available right at their fingertips. Informed candidates know this, and use it to their advantage. That’s why they turn to websites like Glassdoor to evaluate companies, researching things like compensation, benefits, company reputation, career opportunities and more.

By knowing which destinations job seekers visit most for this information, you can better determine where to post your listings and company information. And understanding what type of information job seekers want most can help you communicate with candidates more strategically.

Glassdoor, in conjunction with The Harris Poll, surveyed more than 700 UK adults in 2018 who are either currently employed or not employed, but looking for work.

This survey revealed essential information about job seekers’ 4-step journey, including:

1. Where job seekers look for jobs
2. Where job seekers look for company information
3. What information job seekers want most
4. Factors that entice job seekers to apply

The survey also uncovered:

1. Biggest frustrations for UK workers and job seekers during the hiring process
2. What makes candidates pull out of the recruitment process
3. What constitutes a positive candidate experience
4. Gender differences in how men and women look for jobs

STEP 1: Where Job Seekers Look for Jobs

Our survey found that the majority of UK job seekers are taking control of their own destiny by accessing unbiased information to find the right job and employer.

In fact, roughly half of employees (52%) report that their preferred source for finding a relevant new job opportunity is an online job site, such as Glassdoor. In comparison, only 35% of job seekers reference a company’s careers site.

Other preferred sources for finding a new job include:

• Job recommendations from friends (32%)
• Having a recruiter or hiring manager proactively reach out (31%)
• Recruitment agency (24%)

STEP 2: Where Job Seekers Look for Company Info

The best candidates will take the time to research your organisation to determine compatibility. Knowing where they seek information will help you decide where to post information about your company and jobs.

Our data found that the majority of job seekers prefer to find company information in the same place they sought job listings, rather than company career pages.

Candidates also referenced the following for company information:

• Job search websites (48%)
• Word of mouth (41%)
• Professional networking sites/social media (31%)
• Personal networking (29%)
• Company careers pages (28%)

STEP 3: Information Job Seekers Want the Most

Now that you have insight into where job seekers look for information, it’s equally important to understand what type of information candidates hone in on when researching jobs.

Our survey uncovered key pieces of information job seekers want about potential roles. Be sure to include the following in your job postings:

Boost your brand on Glassdoor by providing candidates with company background and an accurate, compelling depiction of your employer brand. Insert photos, videos and company updates to create an emotional connection that will inspire them to apply.

STEP 4: Factors that Entice Job Seekers to Apply

Once candidates have gathered enough information about your company, what makes them hit the apply button?

Our data found the following factors are most likely to get them to complete your application process:

• Convenient, easy commute (48%)
• Good work-life balance (47%)
• Company culture (35%)
• Healthy company financial performance (25%)
• Familiarity with the brand (24%)

What are workers and job seekers’ biggest frustrations during the hiring process?

Throughout the UK, demand for talent remains strong and shows few signs of slowing. It’s more vital than ever to remove all obstacles from your hiring process and to start listening to candidates in order to improve the candidate experience. Job seekers’ biggest frustrations include:

What makes candidates pull out of the recruitment process?

Our survey found that the top factor that makes candidates pull out of the recruitment process is the employer announcing redundancies (40%). Other factors include:

What creates a positive candidate experience?

When asked what constitutes a positive candidate experience, more than half (53%) of UK workers and job seekers said that getting feedback from the company, even if they were not successful, is what they really want. Other factors include:

How do male and female job seekers differ?

Our data revealed that men and women differ in how they research jobs and what is most important to them when considering a new opportunity. For added perspective, Glassdoor has nearly 57 million unique users each month: women make up 51% and men 49%.

Work-Life Balance:

A higher number of women, compared to men indicated that a company’s reputation for offering a good work-life balance would make them more likely apply to a job.

Employee Reviews:

In comparison to men, we found that a larger portion of women consider employee reviews a key piece of information when researching companies.

Preferred Source for Finding a New Job:

Women, preferred to find a job via an online job site. Similarly, more women, compared to men would prefer to find out about a job opportunity through a friend.

Survey Method

This survey was conducted online within the UK by The Harris Poll on behalf of Glassdoor between May 7-9, 2018 among 715 UK adults ages 18+ who are employed full-time/part-time/self-employed, or not employed but looking for work. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Joe Wiggins.