News

Posted On: 09/15/2010

Examining the disconnect between job-seeker and employer expectations

TalentDrive

TalentDrive, an online resume aggregation search engine, released the results from its Job Market Perceptions survey. The findings uncover a widening gap between current employers' expectations and job seekers' actual skill sets. The survey was conducted to get a better understanding of current job seekers' perceptions of their own skill sets compared to expectations held by hiring managers. Are candidates' skills and employer requirements aligned? Results uncover key skill gaps between the two groups.

79,000 job seekers (86% considered to be actively seeking employment) were asked to assess their personal skill sets and attitudes toward the current job market. The results:

• 71% were pessimistic about their career search, feeling they possessed the required skill set but were not getting hired
• 37% were extremely frustrated, with no hope for improvement in sight
• 34% unhappy with the environment, but starting to see signs of improvement

Employers were then asked if they had noticed a change in the quality of candidates since the recessions start. The results:

• 42% of employers indicated that the recession had not only increased the quantity of candidates, but, in fact, they are finding more qualified candidates than in years past.

The second section of the survey drilled down to see how employers were finding candidates. Were candidates putting themselves in the right places for employers to find them and vice versa?

Online sources led the pack for both job seekers and employers:

• 74% of job seekers said the most beneficial job search method was posting a resume on job boards
• 27% believe that utilizing social media is best, surpassing more traditional methods including classified ads, professional recruiters and networking events
• 27% of employers agree, with the highest response for most effective search method being social networks, followed by resume sourcing technologies.

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