Each year, WEDDLE’s analyzes the data supplied by visitors to its Web-site who answer a questionnaire that explores both their online and real world experience either in recruiting talent or finding a new or better job. We question recruiters to determine which sourcing techniques work best, and we question job seekers to determine how they found their last job and expect to find their next one. The results of the latter questionnaire provide what we call our annual Source of Employment Survey.
Unlike traditional “source of hire” polls, the WEDDLE’s Source of Employment Survey collects data from individuals who are actually in the workforce and actively or passively looking for an alternative employment opportunity. It has the following advantages:
WEDDLE’s 2008 Source of Employment Survey ran from March 2007 to March 2008 and generated responses from over 15,600 individuals. The respondents were 65% male, 35% female; they had a median age of 40-45, and they described their workplace experience level as follows:
When asked to describe their employment situation,
Where Did Survey Respondents Find Their Last Job
When asked to identify where they found their last job, the respondents listed the following sources as their top ten (not all sources are listed so the percentages will not total to 100%):
How do these findings compare to those of a year ago? An ad posted on an Internet job board was the highest ranked source last year, as well, but the percentage of respondents citing this source has almost doubled; it was 7.6% in 2007 compared to 13.3% in 2008. A tip from a friend was the second most cited source in 2007, as it was this year, but the third and fourth most cited sources in 2007-career fairs and a call from a headhunter-both dropped a bit in the rankings. Newspapers, on the other hand, gained a notch ,moving from the fifth most cited source in 2007 to the fourth most cited source in 2008, and the percentage of respondents citing newspapers went up , as well (from 5.7% in 2007 to 6.3% in 2008).
What else did the survey uncover? Respondents gave a thumbs-down to two sources of employment that have generally been viewed more favorably by recruiters. Just 3.9% of the individuals in the poll said they found their last job:
or
Traditionally, associations have charged a premium fee for recruitment ads in their publications, and these findings, at least, suggest that those fees may not be completely justified. And, all of the brouhaha of late about the recruiting power of Facebook, Friendster, Xanga and other social networking sites appears to be more sound than fury, at least if the measure of merit is the number of jobs they actually help to fill.
Where Will Survey Respondents Look for Their Next Job
When asked to indicate where they expect to find their next job, the respondents cited the following top five sources (not all sources are listed so the percentages will not total to 100%):
The top five sources in 2007 were:
So, what does all of this mean? First, there is no silver bullet for sourcing top talent. Online resources are clearly effective, but they must be integrated with a range of other approaches to produce a truly effective recruitment strategy. And second, beware conventional wisdom. Not only do newspapers continue to offer effective connections to talent-despite much media blather to the contrary-but association publications and social networking sites are much less effective than other talent acquisition methods, despite all of the support they have had in the past and present. Anyway, that’s my take.
Thanks for reading,
Peter
P.S. Please tell your friends and colleagues about the WEDDLE’s newsletter. As you know, we don’t follow the herd or the latest fad here. Instead, we deliver sound research, reliable information and savvy analysis. For free. And right to your e-mailbox. So please … share the experience.
P.S.S. Don’t forget to send us your new e-mail address if you move. Lots of people are changing jobs these days and if you’re one of them, we want to be sure you still have the information in WEDDLE’s to help you perform at your peak. All you have to do to keep your WEDDLE’s newsletter coming is send your change of address to [email protected].
This Issue’s Sponsor: WEDDLE’s Training Programs
This issue of WEDDLE’s newsletter is brought to you through the generous support of WEDDLE’s 2008 Spring/Summer Training Programs.
The most successful recruiters are always adding new skills and refreshing their expertise with old ones. In short, they see themselves as a work-in-progress and are forever getting better at what they do. If that’s your approach, WEDDLE’s 2008 Spring-Summer Training Series is just what you need.
The WEDDLE’s Training Series provides a full curriculum of training programs that are delivered by toll-free teleconference. You get the PowerPoint slides for each program in advance, and on the day of the training, you simply call a toll-free number and have the presentation delivered right to you.
All of the programs are presented by WEDDLE’s Publisher, Peter Weddle, and draw on WEDDLE’s 10+ years of research into the Best Practices for online sourcing and recruiting. The 2008 Spring-Summer series is sponsored by Bernard Hodes Group. It includes:
These are great learning opportunities presented by one of our industry’s most highly rated speakers. In addition, you can’t beat the price; it’s hundreds, even thousands, of dollars less than comparable programs elsewhere.
Registrations are limited, so reserve your seats now. To sign up, please call WEDDLE’s at 317.598.9768.
Section Two: Site News You Can Use
Best Life published an article on salary negotiation by Deepak Malhotra, author of Negotiation Genius. While it’s certainly a topic of interest for job seekers, we recruiters might find the advice useful, as well. On top of all of the salary discussions we have with candidates, we have to negotiate our own salary increases and bonuses each year. So, what does the author suggest? First, speak up. According to Malhotra, we often accept whatever bonus or salary increase the organization proposes for us, rather than responding with a counter offer. To speak up on your own behalf, however, you have to do your homework first and know what figure is fair and appropriate for a person of your skills and contribution. Second, the author says, it’s important to have a backup. Make sure you document all of your accomplishments and provide that record “as a reminder” to your boss before you get together for a meeting. And third, have a fall back plan. If your boss says the money just isn’t there to give you the raise or bonus you deserve, be prepared to ask for other recognition, such as additional vacation days or a trip to a recruitment conference.
Human Relations printed an article by Timothy Golden, a professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, that explores the negative organizational impacts of telecommuting. By analyzing the experience of a large high tech firm, Golden found that the greater the use of telecommuting in a company, the lower the job satisfaction of those who remain in the office and, therefore, the higher their attrition. The finding is especially important because the number of telecommuters in the U.S. almost doubled between 2004 and 2006. According to a report by WorldatWork, 12.4 million Americans were telecommuting to work in 2006. Can anything be done to ameliorate the damage? I think so. Golden speculates that the reason for the downturn in job satisfaction among workers in the office is the difficulty of “building and maintaining effective and rewarding co-worker relationships.” If that’s so, then social networking techniques might provide a solution to the problem. Transform an internal area of your corporate site or your intranet into a “community center” for your employees. Encourage them to develop work unit and team forums to stay in touch with one another and to communicate not only about what’s happening at work, but also about the company softball team, Toastmasters group and other corporate activities. You should, of course, establish some standards for what’s acceptable and what’s not in the messaging, but with a little, light-handed guidance, the feature can significantly diminish the sense of separation and disaffection that telecommuting can generate.
ScientificMatch.com launched its site in what is, I suppose, the inevitable evolution of technology and Web-based social interactions. The premise is simple but oh so state-of-the-art: the best way to find just the right person for you is chemistry, specifically your DNA. ScientificMatch.com analyzes a subset of your immune system genes to find others who are chemically most suitable for you. While the site focuses on finding you a date, think how useful this method could be in finding that perfect new hire. All we would have to do is swab the mouths of our top performers and look for others with DNA just like them. Forget about interviewing and all of those other time-consuming and messy selection methods. Now, we can use the power of science to transform recruiting into an endless supply chain of carbon-compatible widgets. It’s enough to give the Purchasing Department goose bumps.
WEDDLE’s publications are the references of choice for recruiters seeking to maximize their return on the Internet and win the War for the Best Talent. They include:
So make sure you’re at the top of your game, get your WEDDLE’s books today. Click on the link to your left or call WEDDLE’s at 317.598.9768.
Section Three: Site Profiles
Site Spotlite … from the pages of WEDDLE’s 2007/8 Guides and Directories
There are 40,000 job boards now in operation in North America and an equal number operating elsewhere around the world. The key to recruiting top talent online, therefore, is knowing where to find and how to select the best sites for each of your requirements. WEDDLE’s 2007/8 Guide identifies 350 of the top sites worldwide and provides the information you need to determine which job boards will deliver the optimum yield for you. For example:
SnagAJob.com
Post full time jobs: Yes
Post part time, contract or consulting jobs: Yes-All
Distribution of jobs: National-USA
Fee to post a job: $129/posting
Posting period: 30 days
Can posting be linked to your site: Yes
Resume database: Yes-Profiles
Number of resumes: 2.8 million
Source of resumes: Direct from individual
Top occupations among visitors: Hourly positions: administrative, retail, food service
Other services for employers: Assessment instruments, Automated resume agent, Banner advertising, Status report on advertising.
Member, International Association of Employment Web Sites: Yes
Please Support Our Sponsor: WEDDLE’s Training
This issue of WEDDLE’s newsletter is brought to you through the generous support of WEDDLE’s 2008 Spring/Summer Training Programs.
The most successful recruiters are always adding new skills and refreshing their expertise with old ones. In short, they see themselves as a work-in-progress and are forever getting better at what they do. If that’s your approach, WEDDLE’s 2008 Spring-Summer Training Series is just what you need.
The WEDDLE’s Training Series provides a full curriculum of training programs that are delivered by toll-free teleconference. You get the PowerPoint slides for each program in advance, and on the day of the training, you simply call a toll-free number and have the presentation delivered right to you.
All of the programs are presented by WEDDLE’s Publisher, Peter Weddle, and draw on WEDDLE’s 10+ years of research into the Best Practices for online sourcing and recruiting. The 2008 Spring-Summer series is sponsored by Bernard Hodes Group. It includes:
These are great learning opportunities presented by one of our industry’s most highly rated speakers. In addition, you can’t beat the price; it’s hundreds, even thousands, of dollars less than comparable programs elsewhere.
Registrations are limited, so reserve your seats now. To sign up, please call WEDDLE’s at 317.598.9768.