Dive Brief:
- A perfect storm of factors — new generations of workers, technological advancements like artificial intelligence (AI), and reassessment of what constitutes a "qualified" candidate — have transformed the hiring process from linear to a continuous cycle of engagement, according to a new Jobvite study. Most employees in the study say they're satisfied with their jobs, but 82% are continuously looking for opportunities elsewhere, and 40% expect to have four to six jobs in their work life.
- A third of the study's 1,500 job seekers left a job within 90 days: 43% of that contingent said their day-to-day role wasn't what they thought it would be; 34% said they were driven away by a bad experience or incident; 32% cited company culture; and 11% said they signed onto a new job but later changed their minds (60% of this 11% had received a better job offer afterward).
- While 88% of respondents said culture is at least relatively important, roughly one third (32%) would take a 10% pay cut for a job they're more interested or passionate about. More than half (59%) of job seekers in the study said they investigated employers' websites, while 34% conduct social media "stalking" when researching employers.
Dive Insight:
The relatively high departure rate for new hires within a few months on the job demonstrates the need for engagement to begin at the start of the hiring process and continue throughout an employee's entire time on staff. Showing candidates how valued and respected they are, while performing all the necessary assessments and background checks and keeping the hiring process short, can create a more positive experience.
Job seekers have complained about recruiters not following up on applications, and eight in 10 respondents in a recent survey felt they were submitting resumes to a "black box." To get around the sometimes robotic nature of evaluating applicants, companies have turned to more personal recruiting forms like video chat, quizzes and even texting.
Employers may also want to re-evaluate whether their job descriptions are actually conveying the skills and experience desired for an opening. This saves time for both parties: applicants have a better idea of whether they're a good fit, and employers (ideally) receive better candidates in the long run. New technological solutions may even aim to move beyond resumes in order to make the process fairer for candidates and more demonstrative of their skills.
Company reputations don't go unnoticed by today's job seekers, thanks to online sites, such as Glassdoor, Fairygodboss and Indeed, that post employer reviews. Job seekers routinely bypass companies with poor ratings. Therefore, maintaining a positive culture, or rebuilding a damaged one, is essential to attracting talent and protecting a company's brand.
