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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

More than two-thirds of Brits on the lookout for new employment, but finding the right roles remains a struggle

Just one in five said they have found job hunting easier over the past year

Sixty-nine percent of Brits will look for a new job within the next two years, according to a new survey of 1,025 employees conducted by Bullhorn, the cloud computing company that helps staffing and recruiting organisations transform their businesses.

Within this group of jobseekers, 45 percent said they would seek new employment within the next year, 13 percent want a new role within the next two years, and 11 percent are already actively job hunting.

When asked which work perks are most essential when choosing a new job, those with direct financial benefits proved to be most popular, with 79 percent citing the need for a pay increase and 37 percent keen to receive a ‘signing bonus’. This was followed by the option to work completely remotely (35 percent) or more flexibly (33 percent).

The survey also indicates that despite ONS data showing record-breaking numbers of job vacancies, many candidates still struggle to connect with the right opportunities. Bullhorn’s survey reveals that just 19 percent have found it easier to discover new, relevant jobs in the last 12 months, compared to 81 percent who have found it either harder or the same as before the pandemic.

More than half (55 percent) highlighted the impact of COVID-19 restrictions as a reason why it has been harder to find new work, while 35 percent claimed there are fewer job opportunities in their specific industry or field, and 21 percent said they feel less confident that they will secure a job they want.

Andy Ingham, Senior Vice President, EMEA and APAC, Bullhorn commented:

“An interesting situation has emerged. Both job vacancies and the number of people actively seeking new employment are on the rise, but this doesn’t necessarily mean candidates are completely confident that they will find great job opportunities. Businesses should therefore be proactive in putting the right opportunities in front of the right candidates as quickly as possible. At the same time, they should place a strong emphasis on the perks that are most important to today’s workforce”.

“We can also expect to see businesses, especially those with acute skills shortages, becoming increasingly reliant on recruitment experts who can help them source and place new talent at pace”.

The survey shows that nearly half (45 percent) of employees have had a career-related interaction with a recruiter this year, with a similar number (47 percent) agreeing that working with a recruitment agency speeds up the process of finding quality job opportunities.

This survey was conducted in August 2021 by Bullhorn.