What are we trying to find out?
What do employers want? What are they looking for? How are they making their decisions? What can I do differently to get their attention?
These are the types of questions that job-seekers are asking on a day to day basis, the survey sets out to discover hiring trends amongst employers. This information can then be used by those individuals searching for employment in order to improve their chances.
This is the first of these surveys, which will be repeated annually in order to establish how these trends differ as technology/society advances.
Methodology
73 individuals who were responsible for making hiring decisions answered questions about their hiring process and how they choose successful candidates. Reported results are a percentage of the 73 respondees.
The employers
The majority of employers were based in the UK (93%), there was a relatively even spilt of smaller, mid-size and larger organizations. The survey achieved a fair representation of employers from different industries, with the top four represented industries being Computer Software, Education, IT and Retail.
In which country did you carry out your recruitment?
73 out of 73 people answered this question
Where are jobs being advertised
Unsurprisingly, the majority of jobs are still advertising using online job sites - however it was interesting to see that social media was a very close second. Notably, not every participant who responded with social media, recruitment agency, newspaper/magazine/journal, shop window or other reported that they also advertise on online job sites. This suggests that though this is the most popular method, it is not the only method.
Have you ever advertised a vacany in any of these ways? You can choose more than one answer
73 out of 73 people answered this question
It would be easy to assume we should all jump online and never leave our computer in our plight for employment, however the response to the next question was very telling. Just over half of employers reported that even when they didn’t have a job advertised, if someone contacted them proactively about a job then they interviewed and/or employed them regardless.
Have you ever interviewed or employed someone who contacted you proactively about a job, even when you didn't have one advertised?
73 out of 73 people answered this question
Very importantly, employers overwhelmingly reported (90%) that they had interviewed or employed someone who was recommended to them. This show’s that we cannot underestimate the importance of building a strong professional network and asking for their support where appropriate.
Have you ever interviewed or employed someone who was recommended to you?
73 out of 73 people answered this question
Social media
Overwhelmingly, 78% of employers reported that they had used the internet to search for information about a candidate.
Have you ever used the internet to research a candidate before interviewing or employing them? This could include using a search engine or looking on social media
73 out of 73 people answered this question
Attention spans
The reported time an employer spends looking at a CV during the first sift varied slightly, with the majority of employers reporting between one and two minutes. Commonly it is reported in the media that employers often only take thirty seconds, so it is reassuring to see that the time is slightly beyond expectations.
When you see a candidates CV for the first time, typically how long do you look at it before making a decision?
73 out of 73 people answered this question
What can candidates learn from this survey?