What Job Seekers Want, According to New Global Workforce Study from Appcast, The Network, and Boston Consulting Group

A global survey of more than 90,000 workforce respondents in 160 countries reveals that 72% of U.S. workers are approached with job offers multiple times a year

LEBANON, N.H., Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Appcast, the global leader in programmatic recruitment advertising technology and services, today announced findings from the 2023 "What Job Seekers Wish Employers Knew" report, the world's largest survey dedicated to exploring job seekers' recruitment preferences, compiled by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Appcast and The Network. The report reinforces that it is clearly a job seekers' market, with a pool of workers that not only understand their strong bargaining power but field numerous job offers even if they are not actively looking for a new position. The data also indicates that a positive recruiting process is essential to an organization's ability to attract and retain top talent.

Candidates Know Their Worth

Many job seekers are playing the field, and are aware of their bargaining power as 72% of U.S. employees are approached regularly about new job opportunities—and 46% of those are approached on a monthly and weekly basis. Additionally, 63% feel they have strong negotiating power when looking for a job, and only 14% said employers have the upperhand in offer negotiations. According to the report, while only 25% of U.S. workers are actively looking for a job, 42% are planning to change jobs in the near future. When those surveyed begin to seek out new jobs, data shows their number one priority will be to find a stable job with a positive work-life balance.

What will it take to attract these job seekers? Of those not currently in the market for a new job, 52% could be wooed to make a change by a higher salary and better benefits, and 54% would switch jobs for more seniority (28%) or upward career mobility (26%).

Loud and Clear: The Recruitment Journey Matters

Just because the job offer hits all the high notes doesn't mean candidates will accept it. In fact, 40% of respondents in the U.S. indicated they would refuse an otherwise attractive job offer if they had a negative experience during the hiring process. Additionally, 34% would walk away if they experienced an unprofessional selection process, while doubts on the prospective company's culture and values would cause 25% to decline a strong job offer. It's clear it will take more than an enticing offer to attract top talent, and a positive recruitment experience is essential.

Starting the Recruitment Journey on the Right Foot

According to data in the report, the first piece of information U.S. job seekers look for in a job ad is financial compensation and salary (29%). The information that respondents deemed the most essential for an attractive job ad were: salary range (38%), clear description on job duties (34%), easy to read and short in length (30%), describes flexible work options (30%), and application process is explained upfront (29%).

"While recruiters and hiring managers have their work cut out for them, there are still many ways to attract talent. This report drives home the importance of the recruitment experience and all the factors that influence the decision-making process for candidates, including pay, work-life balance, flexibility and more," said Heather Salerno, chief marketing officer of Appcast. "The labor market continues to be exceptionally competitive, and the right incentives and a positive candidate experience need to be in place to attract and retain talent."

To learn more about the findings from the 2023 "What Job Seekers Wish Employers Knew" report, visit this link.

Methodology

The 2023 "What Job Seekers Wish Employers Knew" report was conducted by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and The Network between August and September 2022. Feedback was obtained from 90,547 workforce respondents in 160 countries with 3,168 U.S. respondents. Data on U.S. workers was obtained by Appcast, The Network's exclusive U.S. partner.

About Appcast

Appcast is the global leader in programmatic recruitment advertising technology and services. With advanced technology, unmatched market data and a team of the industry's best recruitment marketers, Appcast's technology and services manage job advertising annually on behalf of more than 1,500 clients. Headquartered in Lebanon, N.H. with offices in Boston, Mass. and New Brunswick, Canada, Appcast is a subsidiary of StepStone, a leading digital recruitment platform that connects companies with the right talent and helps people find the right job. To learn more, visit http://www.appcast.io and follow on Twitter @appcast_io.

About Boston Consulting Group

Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders—empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

About The Network

The Network is a global alliance of more than 60 leading recruitment websites, committed to finding the best talent in over 140 countries. Founded in 2002, The Network has become the global leader in online recruitment, serving more than 2,000 global corporations. We offer these corporations a single point of contact in their home countries and allow them to work in a single currency and with a single contract— while giving them access to a global workforce. The recruitment websites in The Network attract almost 200 million unique visitors each month. For more information, please visit http://www.the-network.com.

Media Contact

Elizabeth Buccianti, Gabriel Marketing Group (for Appcast), (407) 463-8865, [email protected]

SOURCE Appcast