A new survey report examines what technology capabilities job candidates expect from a prospective employer’s career site. The iCIMS survey, The Modern Job Seeker, conducted among 500 full-time employed U.S. adults, also includes information on how job seekers are researching companies before applying for a job, as well as the importance of social media and peer referrals to their job search.
The survey report underscored the impact of online employer reviews: These were cited as the most important content by 37% of job seekers when researching a prospective employer. Furthermore, 1 in 3 of the respondents reported that they had declined a job offer primarily because the company had negative employer reviews.
On a related note, workers surveyed definitely believed in the power of peer referrals, with 86% reporting that they would expect to be happier at a job they were referred for.
The report indicates that an employer’s social media pages matter when it comes to the modern candidate—or candidates are at the very least interested to see what these pages look like—as a whopping 94% of respondent said they would visit a company’s social media page when searching for a job.
In terms of direct interaction with a prospective employer’s site, 66% of survey respondents—and 82% of Millennials, in particular—said they expect every company to have a mobile-friendly career site and job application process.
The report also found that job seekers expect the same ease of use and functionality they see in apps and websites they use every day when searching and applying for a job. A majority of survey respondents expect that a job search site will allow them to instantly mark jobs of interest (54%); receive recommendations based on job preferences and resume (53%); and input salary requirements and enable employers to reach out directly (53%), according to the survey. The above indicates that it may be a good time to review your own career page or site as well as the job search sites on which you post your current openings.
“Recruiting has a direct impact on a company’s corporate brand and revenue,” said Susan Vitale, chief marketing officer at iCIMS, a provider of cloud-based talent acquisition solutions, in a press release announcing the survey results. “Candidates who have a negative recruitment experience are less likely to purchase products from the hiring company and are more likely to share negative feedback with their network. Without the right hires found on pace with the business needs, corporate performance is at risk.”
“Recruiting is no longer just a concern for the HR department; it needs to be top of mind for senior executives in all areas of the business,” Vitale explained.
