The recruitment market – like any other – is constantly evolving, as employees’ objectives and priorities change, and employers develop their product and service offering to meet their own clients’ needs. At OSA, we are committed to understanding these market changes to ensure we offer the best possible services to both job seekers and employers.
Our latest survey, carried out earlier this year, focuses on the experiences of job seekers in Guernsey. Its findings give us valuable insight into the evolving local recruitment landscape allowing us to tailor our services to provide the best possible outcomes for all parties, support job seekers on their career journey and help clients find the ideal candidates for their organisation.
Here are some of the key findings.
SEARCHING FOR JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Recruitment agencies were revealed to be the number one source of job searches, with 68% of respondents saying they would use them to identify potential roles. Unsurprisingly, social media platforms also scored highly with 66% claiming to use them to search for jobs, followed closely by online job boards at over 63%. Interestingly, other media such as print (at 15%), and networking events (at 7%) continue to play a role in the job seeking process. Overall, these figures underline the diverse range of more traditional as well as newer digital platforms that job seekers use in identifying opportunities.
Of those using social media platforms, LinkedIn emerged as the most favoured platform, with 46% of respondents using it. This indicates its growing significance in the job market landscape. 39% of participants named Facebook and 11% Instagram. Given LinkedIn’s professional focus and its own marketing efforts to promote itself as an effective recruitment platform, it’s unsurprising that it has come out on top.
When it came to online job boards LinkedIn again was first choice with 34% of respondents acknowledging its efficacy in facilitating professional connections and job opportunities. jobs.gg (26%) was the next highest followed by (a significant jump) Facebook (8%).
FACTORS CONSIDERED WHEN SEEKING A JOB
Respondents were asked to prioritise their key decision-making factors when considering job opportunities. Salary and benefits were by far the highest scoring factor with 86% selecting them as a key consideration. Flexible working came in second at 60.5% which clearly demonstrates its growing importance for potential employees. The growing appeal of flexible working is possibly the largest shift in the market in recent years, driven initially by the COVID pandemic and now having become part of the ‘norm’. This result underpins the results of our previous survey which specifically looked at home working/hybrid working and its increasing importance in the job market. You can read the full results of that survey here.
Company culture also scored highly (57%) indicating job seekers value a supportive and inclusive workplace environment. Career growth opportunities was important for 32% of respondents, indicating a desire for professional development and the need for longer-term career advancement within their roles.
COMMUNICATION WITH RECRUITERS
When asked about their preferred communication method, a resounding 92.5% indicated they prefer email, allowing them to review and respond to messages at their leisure. 23% listed text messaging as their preference and 23% of respondents favoured LinkedIn messaging. Only around 16% of respondents selected telephone as their preferred means of communication indicative of the ongoing growth in preference for digital channels.
Looking specifically at LinkedIn communication there was a more even spread of responses across the options offered to respondents. 41% of them said they were open to being contacted on the platform, 41% were neutral saying that it would depend on the nature and relevance of the communication. 18% expressed a preference not to be contacted via LinkedIn for job opportunities. We believe that this reluctance may stem from concerns about privacy and confidentiality of unsolicited messages.
FRUSTRATIONS WHEN JOB HUNTING
We asked respondents to tell us about any frustrations they felt when looking for jobs locally. Experiences varied but included:
- Navigating job search platforms or encountering technical glitches.
- A lack of job opportunities in their desired field or location.
- A competitive job market, meaning it’s a challenge to stand out in a large pool of applicants.
- Challenges with finding positions that match specific skills, qualifications, and career aspirations.
- Delays in response or lack of feedback.
- Uncertainties about job requirements, and limitations imposed by personal circumstances.
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE JOB SEARCH PROCESS
When asked for suggestions, respondents gave us a variety of responses. They included:
- The importance of transparency in job advertisements, particularly regarding salary, benefits, and job expectations.
- The need for better communication throughout the recruitment process, including providing timely feedback on applications and interviews and keeping candidates informed about the status of their applications.
- More options for remote working, offering part-time or flexible working arrangements, and making job applications easier to navigate, especially for older or less tech-savvy individuals, would be a benefit.
LEVELS OF SATISFACTION WITH THE JOB SEARCH EXPERIENCE
Respondents were asked to rate their individual experience on a scale of one to 10. While there were a small number who rated their experience at the lower end of the scale, the majority rated their experience in the moderate to high levels of satisfaction. 56% selected scores of 5 – 7, 28% selecting either 8 or 9 and 6% chose the highest level at 10. This indicates that while there is room for improvement, there is general satisfaction with the process overall.
The survey has given us valuable insight into the job seeking landscape, highlighting preferences, areas for improvements and changing priorities of job candidates. Using the data from the survey we can adjust our own services to ensure that we are delivering exactly what job seekers and local businesses need, to enhance the job searching experience for all parties and facilitate the ideal matches between clients and candidates.
