Data insights

New LinkedIn Report Reveals the Latest Job Seeking Trends

In one of the the largest surveys of professionals globally, we asked 33,000 LinkedIn members how they look for a job and what it takes to make the jump from one company to another.

The results are in: almost everyone is open to hearing about a new job opportunity. And the top roadblock for people trying to change jobs is one that companies can overcome with a solid employer branding strategy.

In the infographic below, you can see an overview of the findings, and you can download the Talent Trends 2016 report here for the full story:

Almost everyone wants to hear from you

When asked how interested they are in hearing about new job opportunities, an overwhelming 90% of global professionals said they are open. This is great news for recruiters and hiring managers and means that virtually no candidate is too passive to resist the right career move.

Digging even deeper, we discovered that the percentage of professionals actively searching for new opportunities has grown over the past 3 years from 25% in 2013 to 36% in 2016. This means that the boundary between active and passive candidates is becoming more and more blurred and companies should evolve their recruiting strategies accordingly.

But candidates face one major roadblock when changing jobs

The number one obstacle faced by people who recently changed jobs was not knowing enough about what it was really like to work for a company. The second biggest challenge? Not understanding what was expected of the person in that role.  

It's shocking to think that even in today’s information age, candidates do not to know enough about your company or jobs. Does this mean your messages are not targeted to the right audience or maybe you are not sharing the information the candidates need?

It turns out that candidates are looking for some very specific information when it comes to what it's like to be at your company...

Craft messages that grab the candidates' attention

We asked professionals what they wanted to know about a company that would help them decide whether or not to work there. The top three things they wanted to know about were 1. The company’s culture 2. Its perks; and 3. Its mission.

Seems simple, but many companies don’t share these things in a direct or easy-to-discover way. Many of the professionals we surveyed explained that while there are plenty of company culture videos floating around, often time the information doesn't seem authentic and feels like marketing glitz.

To provide prospects with information they need, you aim to describe your culture, mission and perks in a relatable, authentic, and attention-grabbing way across all employer branding materials. This will pay off big time.

Invest in the channels where candidates successfully find and land new jobs

Candidates around the world reported that the top ways they first discovered a new job were through 1. Someone they knew at the company; 2. An online job board or 3. A staffing or head hunting firm. These are the best channels for generating initial awareness of your open roles.

After people first discover a new job, they don’t apply right away. Instead, they do a whole bunch of research. The top 3 things they do are 1. Look up the company’s website; 2. Update their resume and 3. Read online articles about the company.

This means that you should make sure all your candidate touch points are impeccable. Ask yourself --  how is your careers website these days? Does it describe your culture and mission in a clear and enticing way? Does it say what you do in plain language that would get someone excited to work for you?

Finally, we asked people who recently switched companies which channels helped them successfully land their new job. The number one channel for getting a new job was employee referrals. 

Recruit those who will stay

In our research, we dug into how much longer people see themselves at their current company, and what makes those who want to stay longer different from everyone else. It turns out that 41% of global professionals see themselves at their current company for less than 2 more years. Only 37% see themselves staying long-term, for 3 or more years.

When we looked into what makes these two groups distinct, we discovered that there was one major difference. The professionals who could see themselves at their current company for 3 or more years were purpose-oriented.

In other words, their primary motivation is using their work to advance a greater good, a higher cause, a mission they deemed worthy of working toward. In contrast, other professionals are motivated mainly by status — career advancement, prestige, and working for a hot brand. Finally, there’s third category of people who are motivated by money — they see their work as a means to getting a paycheck that will fund their enjoyment and purpose elsewhere in life.

Purpose-oriented professionals not only stick around longer, they are happier with their jobs.

Parting thoughts

To dive into the trends and grab some useful screenshots to share with executives, download our 2016 Talent Trends report. And happy recruiting.

To receive blog posts like this one straight in your inbox, subscribe to the blog newsletter.

Have blog stories delivered to your inbox