April 13, 2016
Newly released figures have revealed a bizarre job-seeking culture emerging in the UK, where people are regularly searching and applying for jobs despite being in full-time employment; what’s more, they seem to be doing this during their working day.
According to a new report by Jobsite, which conducted a survey of more than 11,000 users of the site, more than half (58%) of permanent employees were applying for at least one new job a week, with 70% of that number applying for up to five new roles per week.
The survey also found that 41% of users confessed to searching for jobs on a daily basis, and a further 40% said that they enjoyed the job-hunting process.
Interestingly, job-hunting activity reached its peak around 11am on a weekday, being the most active time for candidates to apply for jobs. This raises some important questions about the motivation levels of these employees; if they are searching for jobs on company time, there are clearly some engagement issues their employers need to address.
As Jobsite’s head of user experience, Sean Phelan, noted, the fact that more candidates are looking for roles while already in employment is blurring the lines between active and passive job-seekers.
“This suggests developments which streamline the job-hunting process are resulting in it no longer being the arduous task it used to be, making it easier for users to find their ideal roles,” he added.
It’s great that candidates are finding it easier to search for jobs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s an endless pool of candidates out there all ready and willing to work, or that they’re searching for the right jobs for their experience and skillset.
The fact that people are researching jobs while already at work could also suggest they aren’t considering the job in question that seriously; or that they’re simply doing so to pass the time while being unsatisfied or disengaged in their current role.
It also means that as candidates spend more and more time looking for jobs, employers will be under extra pressure to stand out from the crowd. As Phelan notes: “It’s more important than ever for adverts to leave a great first impression for maximum impact.”
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