By Peter Weddle
What works best when sourcing top candidates? That’s the key question, isn’t it? Sure, it’s interesting to explore new ideas and techniques. But, at the end of the day, job one is to recruit talent in the most efficient way possible for the openings you have right now. So, what techniques do recruiters find most effective today? That’s what WEDDLE’s annual Source of Employment (SOE) survey reveals.
Begun in 1999, the SOE survey is one of the longest running employment-related polls on the Web. The survey is also unique because it tracks the opinions and behaviors of BOTH recruiters and job seekers. That stereoscopic approach provides a much larger sample size and a more comprehensive picture than other surveys that focus on just one cohort or the other. The end result is an accurate picture of what’s happening in the job market and what is working best there.
This year’s survey was open to the public at www.weddles.com from January 1-December 31, 2011. Over 2,500 unique respondents shared their views. They were a representative cross-section of both job seekers and recruiters.
Among job seekers, 29.1 percent were mid-level professionals, 14.6 percent were managers, 13.5 percent were senior level professionals, 9.8 percent were entry-level professionals, 6.4 percent were skilled trade persons and 5.5 percent were administrative workers. Almost half (49.9 percent) were employed and either thinking about or actively looking for a job. Their median age was 45 years old.
Among recruiters, 54 percent were male; 45 percent were female. Their median age was also 45 years old. It is interesting to note, however, that when asked how old they were, almost six out of ten (59.8 percent) of the recruiters opted not to respond.
The two survey instruments each included a dozen questions. A sample of the key findings for 2012 follows.
What Jobs Seekers Told Us
When we asked job seekers, How did you find your last job?, the top three responses were:
• Responding to an ad or posting a resume on a job board, selected by 31.4 percent of the population. In 2011, this was also the #1 response with 32.3 percent of the responses.
• A tip from a friend, selected by 11.3 percent of the population.
• Referral by an employee of the company, selected by 9.2 percent of the population.
When we asked job seekers, How do you expect to find your next job?, the top three responses were:
• Responding to an ad or posting a resume on a job board, selected by an astonishing 80.4 percent of the population. This response was also #1 in 2011, but it was selected by fewer than half (48.2 percent) of the population.
• Sending a resume into the company the old fashioned way, selected by 13.5 percent of the population.
• A call from a headhunter, selected by 8.9 percent of the population.
What Recruiters Told Us
When we asked recruiters, Which sourcing strategy provides the best quality applicants?, the top three responses were:
• Posting jobs on a commercial job board, selected by 43.0 percent of the population. This response was also #1 in 2011 with 43.9 percent of the responses.
• Posting jobs on their own Web-site, selected by 17.4 percent of the population.
• Their employee referral program, selected by 8.1 percent of the population.
When we asked recruiters, Of the openings posted online, where were the majority posted?, the top three responses were:
• On multiple job boards, selected by 28.7 percent of the population. In 2011, the #1 response was On their own Web-site and multiple job boards, selected by 24.2 percent of the population.
• On their own Web-site and multiple job boards , selected by 22.7 percent of the population.
• On their own Web-site, one or more job boards and one or more social media sites, selected by 13.5 percent of the population.
So, what works best when sourcing top candidates? No single tactic is sufficient, but the results of our SOE survey make clear that job boards should play a prominent role in the mix. Indeed, those who declare such sites obsolete in order to promote another recruiting technique do a disservice to the recruiting community. Job boards continue to hold the allegiance of both passive and active job seekers, and the best recruiters use that fact to their advantage.
Thanks for reading,
Peter
Visit me at Weddles.com
Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including WEDDLE’s 2011/12 Guide to Employment Sites on the Internet, The Career Activist Republic, Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System and Recognizing Richard Rabbit. Get them at Amazon.com and www.Weddles.com today.
© Copyright 2012 WEDDLE’s LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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