Recruitment Insights - What your target audience really want in 10!

In-House Recruitment Live Manchester earlier this month, Reed.co.uk shared recruitment research that gave an insight into what your target audience really wants - a key topic of interest as the main stage was fully subscribed.

Before we delve into our highlights, it is worth noting that Reed reported there has been a 10% increase in the number of vacancies being posted, yet people out of work are at an all-time low. We can assume from this that candidate scarcity will remain a challenge for recruiters – some industries being more competitive for talent than others - and anything we can do to attract the right talent could help.

What your target audience really want in 10!

1. Motivators for a new role

From the 4000 responses of 18-24 year olds, the top motivations in looking for a new role are salary (41%) and looking for a fresh start (31%).

2. Channels used to search for roles

When asked what channels were used to search for a new role

• 43% said Job Boards
• 29% said Search Engine
• 24% said Company Website
• 23% said Recruitment Agencies

You can look at further research on sourcing channels in this free report that breaks down channel usage and quantity and quality of candidates generated, broken down by industry sector and company size.

3. Career Influencers

When asked what or who influenced chosen career choices, 45% of respondents said parents did. Which poses the question, as an organisation or brand are you engaging with the parent generation to connect with the younger audience?

4. Mobile Responsiveness

56% of respondents apply for jobs on a mobile device rather than a desktop/laptop. If we assume that this percentage will continue to increase, mobile responsiveness becomes ever more important to deliver a much-improved candidate experience. Making sure your careers site is designed to adapt to candidate preferences is a must.

Here is a great example of a fully integrated careers site powered by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that uses fresh and dynamic content to attract and engage talent.

5. Candidates are customers too!

• 73% agree a negative recruitment experience does impact how they then engage with a brand.
• 38% share a negative experience with family & friends, and 33% of those won’t use services/products again

6. The Recruitment Process Application

• 75% of applicants expect a confirmation of application
• 39% expect a confirmation within 24 hours
• 78% expect to be informed of an unsuccessful application
• If there is no contact within 5 days, 25% assume they are unsuccessful. Timeliness of engagement is key
• 73% of candidates expect to be interviewed within 2 weeks
• 91% expect to be offered a job within 3 weeks!

How do you compare to these expectations? Do you know what your recruitment performance is against your measures of success?

What these responses show is that there are candidates have high expectations stemming from their day-to-day online interactions with consumer brands and ecommerce. In the world of recruitment, we can look to learn from peak-performing careers sites – those which attract the highest numbers of quality candidates. As this free report shows (see page 61 onwards) having an FAQ’s area, Career Pathway guide and details about how the recruitment process works are often found on peak-performing employer’s careers sites.

7. Reseach

When candidates research an organisation, a third of Reed survey respondents said they consider organisational health and success. 39% of candidates associate recognised brands with job security.

8. People Success Priorities – the top success priorities were

• Company Culture
• Career Development
• Learning Opportunities

9. People love perks, but what were the top perks listed?

• Work/Life Balance
• Healthcare & Pensions
• Happiness & Well Being

10. The best office amenities

The best office amenities should come as no surprise, but a couple may do

• Free Fruit
• Birthday off
• Free Tea/Coffee
• Gym Pass
• Quiet Workspace
• Duvet days
• Sleep pods

Knowing your target audience and how best to reach them will help to address current labour market challenges. You can read more on how some organisations are winning with recruitment and candidate attraction.