How Employers Can Stay Competitive in Recruiting

The 2022 Job Seeker Nation Report gathered responses from more than 1,500 individuals, with data revealing that the priorities and expectations of job seekers have drastically shifted over the past year and illustrates how this shift has left organizations struggling to engage and retain top talent. The report aims to help job seekers, employers, and recruiting decision-makers understand how to adapt to the current talent acquisition landscape to remain competitive in today's employee-driven job market.

Key findings from the report highlight how today’s job seekers are leveraging their upper hand to secure new jobs, higher wages, and better benefits. Worker confidence is at an all-time high, with a majority of job seekers believing it’s easier to find a job this year than the previous year and one-third feeling comfortable quitting a job without having another lined up.

Survey data further shows that nearly half of workers are actively looking for a new job or plan to within the next year, and the same number believe they can make more money by simply switching jobs.

“In this employee-driven market, recruiters and employers must quickly adapt to the current reality of talent acquisition to remain competitive in today’s labor market,” said Pete Lamson, CEO of Employ. “This includes creating workplaces that align with job seekers’ needs, while also leveraging the right systems, tools, skills, and channels to effectively grow their organizations.”

Conclusions from the report include insights into the recruiter-candidate experience, the impact of organizational turnover on workers, the importance of chatbots and artificial intelligence in talent acquisition, and the influence of remote work, among other findings, including:

• The changing reality of the job market during the past year
• Top influences in accepting or rejecting a job offer
• The effect of the current job market on salary and negotiations
• The essential role of company culture, remote work, and professional development

Additional key findings from the report include:

State of the job market

• 62% are satisfied with their jobs, yet close to half are open to other job opportunities
• 30% have left a job within the first 90 days of starting
• 23% have changed industries since the onset of the pandemic

Money and compensation

• 71% are comfortable negotiating salaries in the current job market
• 67% want higher compensation from their employer today
• 35% of workers who were denied their raise request left the job because of it

Remote work

• 52% believe that company culture is just as important as ever in an increasingly remote work environment
• 40% would be willing to accept a lower salary to work remotely
• 30% said their ideal work situation/setup is 100% remote

The 2022 Job Seeker Nation Report was conducted by Zogby Analytics in Q1 2022 and examines the views and behaviors of 1,514 adults (ages 18+) in the U.S. who were working full time, part-time, or were looking for work during Q1 2022.

To read more about the evolving expectations of today’s workforce, download Employ’s 2022 Job Seeker Nation Report in its entirety.