WHAT WORKERS WANT
WHEN APPLYING FOR JOBS

Applicants don’t just want to see the job description when searching for jobs. Visibility of development opportunities, information about the workplace culture and assurances around diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are just some of the other aspects professionals look for when researching an organisation and determining whether or not to apply for a job.

The importance of these aspects often differs depending on the individual’s age. For example, evidence of investment in personal development is more important to workers under the age of 30, while those over 40 want to better understand an organisation’s products and services.

A clear employee value proposition, or EVP, is also vital. Your EVP gives applicants an insight into what it’s like to work for your organisation and the unique experience that you offer to staff. 61% of professionals are using EVPs to determine whether to apply to an organisation compared to just 51% in 2018.

Employers and employees are not necessarily aligned when it comes to the most effective ways of assessing competencies during the interview stage, such as the most effective ways of screening candidates or preferred styles of interview question.

Poor interview experiences are shown to negatively influence nearly two thirds of applicants from continuing with the application process. Reasons for being put off a role are varied, but most are solvable by employers. If you decide to take the opportunity to show an applicant the workplace environment during the interview, make sure you’re prepared – nearly half (48%) of applicants say a bad first impression when visiting an office or site for the first time has caused them to halt their application, or nearly do so.

Compliance processes are also an issue for some applicants – overly long compliance checks, poor communication and too many requirements in the compliance and referencing process has deterred almost a third of professionals from accepting a role. This is especially true for younger generations, who are digital natives and expect seamless experiences and convenience.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is nothing new. But in recent months it has become much more well-known and accessible to the masses. Currently, only 4% of employers say their organisation uses AI tools to evaluate job applications, such as scanning CVs or scoring candidates. The use of AI tools in the recruitment process looks set to grow in the future with 16% of employers predicting this will be the case – however, 70% are unsure if this will happen.

Less than one in five applicants have used AI tools when completing a job application – for example – to help them to write their CV, and a fifth plan to use AI to help with future job applications.

As more and more organisations focus on their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) strategies, building a diverse and inclusive workforce from the point of recruitment is growing. That's why understanding the diversity of the applicants is an important starting point. However, only around half of employers say their organisation requests diversity data from job applicants.