Candidates want agencies to find them job opportunities, research finds

RA Now

Recruitment agencies come top of the list of candidates’ preferred job hunting methods, a survey of the market has found.

More than one third (38%) of the candidates surveyed by Advanced Resource Managers for its Permanent hiring simplicity report 2014, voted agencies as the number one method for finding out about jobs. Second (29%) came job boards and third (13%) was directly via employers. Just 12% of respondents voted for social media as the top way to find out about jobs.

“This suggests that, no matter how user friendly or innovative a digital platform may be, candidates still want to meet or speak with their consultant before embarking on the life-changing experience of finding a new job,” the report stated.

Newspapers and industry magazines were voted least effective, with just 8% of job hunters voting them the most useful.

ARM’s research also found that the majority of candidates (55%) want to see more than five CVs. The survey took a random sample from a pool of existing and potential ARM employer companies and candidates, with the aim of collecting data to help enhance customer experience and quality of service. The report explores the relationship and role of recruitment agencies as intermediaries between employers and candidates.

The report found that the vast majority of employers (80%) have three or more recruitment agencies. Over a quarter of employers stated that they used recruitment companies to fulfil up to 20% of their vacancies. One fifth use recruitment companies to fill nearly all of their vacancies.

“We’ve captured the preferences and behaviours over five fundamental topics for job hunters and employers in the permanent recruitment space,” said John Dunaway, director of Permanent Recruitment at ARM.