A recent study by Forrester Research has found that, whilst the web is a valuable source of information for job seekers, most are merely browsing and will use conventional media when actually applying for positions.
“Nearly two-thirds (61%) of UK Internet users who work full time and plan to look for a new job in the next six months will use career Web sites as part of their job-hunting,” said William Reeve, Forrester’s group director of European Data Products. “Importantly, for many UK Internet users career Web sites are becoming a favoured means of job-hunting in preference to more traditional methods of search. Overall, 14% use daily newspapers less often and 9% use the trade press less often when looking for job information.”
As internet use in the UK grows, more career-oriented sites are developing – particularly amongst non-traditional sectors for this market, ie IT recruitment. Workers in industries such as the public sector and manufacturing are increasingly willing to use career websites in their search for employment.
“But this does not guarantee long-term success for online recruitment firms,” Reeve added. “Our research shows that most visitors to these sites just visit and show little willingness to interact once there. Sixty-nine percent of users of career Web sites currently just browse and only 10% have applied for a job through these sites. For these sites to encourage more interactivity from users, they must better understand and react to their candidates’ needs.”
“Three fundamental criteria appeal to the candidate when hunting for jobs online: locality; industry specialisation; and personalisation. The addition of searchable databases in a secure environment is also key to encouraging user confidence and greater interactivity in the short term. To succeed, UK online recruitment sites must evolve from the “one-stop shops” of today and become either industry specialists or appeal to a very particular type of candidate.”
