Two ADP Research Institute® Studies Reveal Gaps Between Expectations of Job Seekers and Job Recruiters Even as Technology Proliferates

Job Recruiters are More Likely to Think Things are Going Well than Job Seekers, Who Say They are Looking for Increased Communication, Transparency and Consumerism in the Hiring Process

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Jun 03, 2014, 09:00 ET

ROSELAND, N.J., June 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Job seekers and job recruiters appear to be worlds apart as new technologies and differing expectations continue to revolutionize the way jobs are advertised and filled and how people manage their careers. In fact, two recent ADP Research Institute^® studies -- which surveyed more than 3,000 adults in midsized and large U.S. enterprises -- show that it's more likely for recruiters to be positive about the hiring process than job seekers, who crave more frequent, prompt and transparent communication from companies in which they are interested.

The findings showed that while technology and social media are routinely bringing together people from around the world, there is a chasm between recruiters and job-seekers. Consider:

46 percent of recruiters think that job-applicant tracking "works well," while only 16 percent of job seekers feel the same way.
58 percent of job seekers believe that a reasonable time between an initial interview and job offer is one to two weeks. But, according to The New York Times^®, many employers are using "longer and more thorough rounds of personality screening tests and interviews."
60 percent of job seekers are frustrated over the lack of quality positions, while 52 percent of recruiters have similar complaints about the quality of applicants they see.

The findings also showed that a candidate is more likely to regard a particular job opportunity as favorable "if one company seems more decisive and organized than its competitors."

"Clearly, there is an opportunity for talent acquisition tools and services to evolve to bring together recruiters and job seekers, since each requires the other for success," said Terry Terhark, President of Talent Acquisition Solutions at ADP. "As expectations continue to change and talent shortages rise, it will be critical to find common ground between these two groups to enable companies to attract and retain top talent and drive competitive advantage."

ADP Research Institute shared three recommendations employers can adopt today to improve the recruiting experience they offer job seekers, based on survey findings:

Enhance Your Employer Brand. Strong employer brands are built on high-quality communications and activities during the recruiting process. That includes ensuring clarity for job seekers on opportunities that exist, company culture, and brand differentiators. Employer brands also can be enhanced by an ongoing commitment to social and mobile recruitment tools.
Use the Right Metrics. Top employers will continue to succeed if they shed light on the candidate's experience and do all they can to improve it. This could include providing mobile capabilities to career web sites; monitoring time from interview to offer; providing frequent outreach and communications after an initial interview, and tracking candidate satisfaction with the process.
Invest in Talent Communities and Broadcast Effective Communications. Integrated communications strategies can help to improve the hiring process and strengthen an employer brand. Talent communities are an essential strategic investment for creating online communities for candidates with targeted skill sets, allowing for customized communications. They also enable recruiters to nurture prospects by sharing company updates, status changes in positions, and creating an ongoing dialogue with high-potential candidates.

Terhark also pointed out the disparity revealed in the surveys in how recruiters and job seekers view social media sites like LinkedIn^® and Facebook^®.

For instance, some 44 percent of recruiters listed LinkedIn as extremely or very useful in their pursuit of new talent. But only 19 percent of job seekers felt the same way during their pursuit of a new job.
The ADP Research Institute studies found that salaried workers are almost twice as likely to list LinkedIn as having a significant to moderate impact in their job-search efforts.
On the other hand, the studies found that Facebook is almost three times as likely to be used as a job search resource by those under age 30 compared to those over age 45.

"We found that younger workers were almost twice as likely to describe Facebook, Twitter^® and Google+℠ as having significant or moderate impact on their job searches when compared to workers over age 45," said Tony Marzulli, ADP's Vice President of Product Management for Talent Solutions. "It's critical to address the social media usage patterns of younger workers to tap into the vast talent they will bring to the workforce of tomorrow."

Among recruiters surveyed, only 30 percent rated their current recruitment solution as "excellent" or even "very good" in providing an end-to-end process for acquiring talent.

"Creating a unified recruiting solution to bring together people, technology and the recruiting process would help recruiters to be more effective at finding the best available talent while increasing their own satisfaction and that of job seekers," said Marzulli.

ADP said that employers can increase their brand strength with job seekers – and attract top talent – by adopting consumerism recruiting tools that make the online job-application process easier for job seekers.

Marzulli said that developing methods for candidates interested in a particular employer is critical to attracting top talent and helping to enable business success. He said that using social media, talent communities and mobile recruiting can be a central part of that process.

Unfortunately, many corporate career sites on the Internet are not mobile-enabled, which means the searches candidates want to perform are frequently delivered via a clumsy user experience designed for a different device, such as a PC.

"The responsibility is clearly on both sides: Individuals need to update and improve their online profiles on social media platforms to tell their story," said Marzulli. "At the same time, employers need to understand that their recruiting methodologies contribute to their brand perception. Even in tight job markets, candidates are going to select those employers whose brands align most with the experiences they have come to expect as good online consumers."

The ADP Research Institute whitepaper may be downloaded at this link.

About ADP Research Institute
The ADP Research Institute provides insights to leaders in both the private and public sectors around issues in human capital management, employment trends, and workforce strategy.

About ADP
With more than $11 billion in revenues and more than 60 years of experience, ADP® (NASDAQ: ADP) serves approximately 620,000 clients in more than 125 countries. As one of the world's largest providers of business outsourcing and Human Capital Management solutions, ADP offers a wide range of human resource, payroll, talent management, tax and benefits administration solutions from a single source, and helps clients comply with regulatory and legislative changes, such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). ADP's easy-to-use solutions for employers provide superior value to companies of all types and sizes. ADP is also a leading provider of integrated computing solutions to auto, truck, motorcycle, marine, recreational vehicle, and heavy equipment dealers throughout the world. For more information about ADP, visit the company's Web site at www.adp.com.

Media Contact:
Steve Cross, ADP
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SOURCE ADP