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THE CHANGING FACE OF RECRUITMENT

Typically, job seekers don't get much to say once the hiring process is completed.  However this study sought to tap into those thoughts, in order to build a picture of how the typical employee or candidate goes about the task of finding a job.Certainly changing technology is shaping the way that people look for work and how they disseminate information to prospective employers.

There are also revealing findings on how people go about marketing themselves, how they perform in the crucial assessment exercises and how they deal with the different elements of the hiring process.

This study has examined a wide range of issues surrounding the recruitment process from the candidate's perspective in an effort to gain a better understanding of the motivation and desires of those seeking work in a range of industries worldwide.

The findings are the result of an extensive global survey conducted by Kelly Services. The Kelly Global Workforce Survey sought the views of approximately 115,000 people in 33 countries covering Europe, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

The main findings of the survey are:

  • On average across the 33 countries in the survey, more people found their most recent job through an online advertisement than from any other method.  An average of 30% found their job online compared with 19% through 'word of mouth', 17% as a result of a direct call from an employer or recruiter, 14% through 'other' means, 12% as a result of a direct approach to an employer, and 9% from a newspaper advertisement.
  • A majority of respondents (55%) nominate 'waiting for a response' as the worst part of the recruitment process.
  • On average across the 33 countries, 76% of people have posted their CV to an online database yet just 50% of those were satisfied with the response.
  • The vast majority (73%) says that they find applying for jobs online either very effective or quite effective. This compares with 53% for the use of traditional written and posted applications.
  • An average of 78% of respondents say that they are 'always' or 'mostly' treated fairly by employers in the interview process.  A further 21% say they are treated fairly 'sometimes' and 2% 'never'.
  • Slightly more than half (56%) say they are confident that their CV presents them in the best possible way. Some 14% say it does not and 30% are not sure.
  • An average of 12% of respondents admit to being untruthful on their CV or in an interview. The most common untruths are inflating salaries in previous jobs, omitting negative details from the past and claiming to have experience that does not exist.
  • When asked to nominate the single attribute they consider the most accurate indicator of a person's job suitability, two factors dominate - work experience, and attitude/personality, each cited by 40%. Other factors such as interview performance, reference checks, level of education and psychological test results all rate low.
  • An average 71% of respondents say they feel that they perform well during face-to-face job interviews while 10% say they do not and 19% are not sure.