iCIMS Releases "Insight into the Mind of Today's Job Seeker" eBook

MATAWAN, N.J., March 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- iCIMS, Inc., a leading provider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) talent acquisition software solutions for growing businesses, introduces the first in a quarterly series of research eBooks designed to provide dynamic data insights on both employers and job seekers, reflecting both perspectives on today's talent marketplace. The first research eBook in the series, "Insight into the Mind of Today's Job Seeker" is now available for complimentary download on the company's thought leadership site, the Hire Expectations Institute™.

According to a recent Kiplinger economic forecast, nearly 2.3 million jobs will be added in 2014, and a recent report from Gallup uncovered that 51% of workers will be looking to make their next career move this year. These positive economic growth indicators are leading to one of the most competitive job markets that HR professionals and hiring managers have experienced in several years. As such, employers are competing for the best talent by deploying job seeker-centric recruitment strategies. In order to refine these strategies to attract top talent, employers must first understand the motivations of job seekers, how they use technology for their job searches, and what factors influence them to apply for positions. To that end, iCIMS conducted extensive research including an audit of more than 60,000 jobs posted in 2013 and surveyed more than 700 job seekers to help employers better understand today's job seekers.

"With the economy bouncing back, active job seekers have more career options than they have had in recent years. Hiring companies need to adjust their recruiting strategies to address the expectations of today's job seekers, or they're going to miss out on top talent," said iCIMS Chief Marketing Officer, Susan Vitale. "Now more than ever, organizations need to deploy targeted talent acquisition strategy, and with the right technology tools in place even small and medium-sized companies can more effectively attract, source, hire, and retain the right talent."

According to iCIMS' research eBook findings, 62% of people (employed and unemployed) are actively looking for, or open to new job opportunities. This study takes an inside look at the behaviors, influencers, attitudes, and turn-offs of today's job seeker.

Below are a few excerpts from the "Insight into the Mind of Today's Job Seeker" eBook:

• Behaviors of Today's Job Seekers – When it comes to searching for a new job, 49% of people prefer a web search. Broken down by generation: the majority of Baby Boomers (people ages 46-64) look to social media for jobs, while Generation X-ers (people ages 30-45) look to job boards, and Millennials (people ages 18-29) prefer a web search to find their next job opportunity.

HR professionals' take-away: Design a recruitment strategy including search engine optimization for the hardest to fill positions, social media recruitment advertising, and automated job board posting.

• Influencers of Today's Job Seekers – Job seekers prefer applying online with 42% of people favoring an online application process through a company's career portal. Also, the perceived professionalism of a company's employment brand has an impact on conversions to applications. Almost 80% of job seekers reported that the look and feel of a company's career portal is a moderately to highly important factor when considering to apply to an organization.

HR professionals' take-away: Make jobs easily accessible through a mobile-optimized career portal that is seamlessly linked to your corporate website and make sure your career portal displays your company brand to attract to the right candidates.

• Attitudes of Today's Job Seekers – Much like employers, today's job seekers are looking for an edge over the competition during the recruitment process, and they're embracing video technology to get noticed. Over 40% of active job seekers believe video technology is a valuable way to stand out among applicants, and 25% report that it saves them time and money during the recruitment process. Active job seekers are familiar with video and comfortable using it. Of those polled, 56% reported that they have used real-time video when applying for a job, and about 30% have used recorded video resumes or cover letters.

HR professionals' take-away: Leverage modern technology like video screening tools to expedite your search for the right candidates. Pre-recorded video cover letters give you a sneak peek at talent without spending time and money on phone screens and interviews, and job seekers gain an enhanced way to represent their skills, drive, and passion.

"We're excited to bring the human aspect back into hiring with the iCIMS research eBook series. The studies will provide insight that will enable companies to be more efficient in their recruiting efforts, and also feature beneficial information for job seekers," said Vitale. "In addition to this research, we are committed to providing candidate-friendly tools, such as mobile-optimized, branded career portals, video screening technology, and progressive social recruiting tools to help employers attract and engage top talent. The combination of valuable knowledge about the behaviors of today's job seekers, and modern recruiting technology tools will put our customers in the best position to attain the best-fit hires for their organizations," Vitale concluded.

Earlier this quarter, iCIMS re-staged its thought leadership site, the Hire Expectations Institute (HEI) where the iCIMS research eBook series will be featured and available for complimentary download. The redesigned online environment offers the latest information about industry trends and best practices for both employers along with related content specific to job seekers.

To view the full "Insight into the Mind of Today's Job Seeker" eBook on iCIMS Hire Expectations Institute visit: http://ow.ly/ueQxJ

About iCIMS, Inc.:

iCIMS, a leading provider of innovative Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) talent acquisition solutions, is an Inc. 500 and Software Satisfaction honoree focused on solving corporate business issues through the implementation of easy-to-use, scalable solutions that are backed by award-winning customer service. iCIMS' Talent Platform, the industry's premier candidate management solution, enables organizations to manage their entire talent acquisition lifecycle from sourcing, to recruiting, to onboarding all within a single web-based application. With more than 2,000 clients worldwide, iCIMS is one of the largest and fastest-growing talent acquisition system providers with offices in North America, UK, and China. To learn more about how iCIMS can help your organization, visit http://www.icims.com or view a free online demo of the iCIMS Talent Platform.

Trademarks and registered trademarks contained herein remain the property of their respective owners.

Media Contact:
Michele McKenna
iCIMS, Inc.
800-889-4422
[email protected]

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SOURCE iCIMS, Inc.