How
do jobseekers use the web to find a job?
A survey on four Fortune 500 companies' websites asked
a number of candidates and then compared its findings with common perceptions.
Are you ready for a few surprises?
The report 'Perception v Reality:
Jobseeker Behaviour Online' compares common conceptions about corporate
website recruitment with what is actually happening in practice. Findings
are based on a survey that appeared on the career websites of four Fortune
500 companies, and was completed by 1,543 individuals.
What is the demographic profile of the corporate career website user?
Online origins
- Perception: job boards are the main source or driver
of traffic to corporate career websites
- Reality: only one in eight corporate career website
visitors comes from job boards
Employment status
- Perception: unemployed or underemployed visitors
go to corporate career websites
- Reality: most corporate career website visitors are
employed, many happily so
Education level
- Perception: only college graduates are online
- Reality: candidates with all educational backgrounds
are online
Experience level
- Perception: experienced candidates are not seeking
jobs online
- Reality: almost half of career website visitors are
seeking mid- to senior-level positions
What matters most to corporate career website visitors?
College sections
- Perception: one career section satisfies all visitors
- Reality: three quarters of the college audience value
separate college/entry-level careers sections
Application details
- Perception: jobseekers know how to apply online
- Reality: jobseekers appreciate details on how to
apply online
Response
- Perception:
acknowledgement of online job application is not expected by jobseekers
- Reality: 99% of jobseekers expect an acknowledgement
after applying online
Anonymity
- Perception:
online candidates do not care about anonymity
- Reality: anonymity is important, especially for experienced
candidates
Corporate culture
- Perception:
a depiction of corporate culture is not an essential ingredient for
corporate carer website visitors
- Reality: information on company culture is fundamental
for career website visitors
Employee benefits
- Perception: online
jobseekers do not care about employee benefits information
- Reality: employee benefits information is the mot
valued information for corporate career website visitors
Salary range data
- Perception: salary-range
information is not important to online jobseekers
- Reality: three quarters of corporate career website
visitors want salary-range information
How do candidates behave when they visit corporate websites?
Profile information
- Perception:
candidates will provide no more than their CV online
- Reality: candidates are ready to complement their
CV with additional profile information
Search methods
- Perception: keyword
search is the best way to search online job postings
- Reality: candidates favour job-category and location-search
facilities
Skills based questions
- Perception: online
candidates will not answer skills-based questions
- Reality: online candidates welcome questions about
their skills
Time allotment
- Perception: candidates
will not spend more than five minutes on online job applications
- Reality: candidates will spend the time necessary
to apply online to a job of interest
Source: 'Perception v Reality:
Jobseeker Behaviour Online', iLogos Research, a division of Recruitsoft.
For more information, email:
info@ilogos.com.
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