7 key stats for 2024 hiring

Our latest Candidate Insights Market Report includes fascinating and unique insights from an extensive survey of over 7,000 candidates. The goal of the report was to understand the current candidate landscape and find out what they're looking for in the UK job market.

Download the market report

But just in case you don't have time to digest all the revelations, here are our top 10 stats to review with your morning (or afternoon) coffee!

Generation "Boomer" aren't interested in career progression

When given the statement: "I am interested in 'climbing the
career ladder' in my given profession" the responses were as follows:

- Generation "Boomer" (1946-1965): 19% Strongly Agree
- Generation X: (1966-1976): 28% Strongly Agree
- Generation Y: (1977-1994): 56% Strongly Agree
- Generation Z: (1995-2012): 48% Strongly Agree

The key thing to remember here is that older generations likely fall into two camps. Someone born in 1965 will be approaching retirement age, meaning they may have already achieved high-level promotions that they're comfortable in or they may have already retired!

For Generation X, the same mentality still stands, but interestingly, 88% of respondents stated that they only have one job, with younger generations particularly favouring multiple jobs. Perhaps the older generations are simply more comfortable with where they are in their working life and are now looking toward retirement.

Attrition is a major factor in movement

When hiring managers were asked for the reason why they were recruiting for a new role, 69% of respondents said replacement, resignation or attrition. 27% said a new position or growth. 4% said "other".

But for candidates, the reasons behind seeking new work were different. "Career change" was 15% and has continued to diminish as a reason since it peaked as a primary driver in 2021 during the pandemic era, but it is still a common reason for older workers. "Career progression" was the answer for 42% of candidates mainly coming from younger generations.

What influences candidates to apply?

Here's what candidates told us:

- Recommendation from a friend or peer: 10%
- The description in the job advert: 37%
- The description of the salary and/or benefits in the advert: 11%
- The organisation's Glassdoor rating: 21%
- The flexible working offered: 17%
- The organisation's website or careers site: 3%

There are some really interesting takeaways here. 51% of these answers go back to some aspect of your job advert. So be sure to keep reviewing your EVP and how you present that to potential candidates! It's not just how this information looks it's what it tells your future hires. For example, 91% of candidates believe a clear ED&I policy is an influence when applying.

Where do applications come from?

Indeed is still the single largest source of applications at 43%, but it is by no means the dominator. 30% of candidates applied for work via the company website (so again, making sure your candidate experience is pristine is key!), 14% applied via LinkedIn and 3% came from Totaljobs!

This is the part where we remind our regular readers that we have a Job Board Marketplace built into our applicant tracking system. It has access to over 5,000 recruiting channels with just a couple of clicks and has no hidden fees.

Don't forget accessibility

16% of candidates used accessibility tools to help apply for a job. That might seem like a surprisingly low number - but that's over 1100 of the 7000 candidates surveyed. That's a lot of candidates that might become your next superstar!

If you don't use an accessibility toolbar like ReciteMe, now might be the time to invest. Up to 10% of UK adults have some form of dyslexia. If you're not considering this audience, you'll be losing out on some potentially brilliant hires!

Work/life balance is king

This is an interesting one when it comes to generational gaps.

Out of all candidates surveyed, a whopping 79% said they prioritised a job advert that emphasised a work/life balance rather than salary (although over 80% of candidates still said they wouldn't apply for a job if there was no salary advertised!)

82% of respondents in Generations "Boomer" "X" and "Y" focussed on work/life balance, which is shockingly consistent. The exception is Generation Z with 73%.

That's still a large number of applicants saying salary is secondary, so when you're putting together your job adverts, be sure to emphasise the work/life balance. Especially if you're somewhere that offers remote/flexible working, this is still a priority for candidates, so it should be front and centre.

Chatbots aren't the future

With the "Age of AI" upon us, it's becoming more and more attractive to outsource aspects of a business to machines, but that could be a hindrance rather than a help when hiring.

74% of candidates said that they would not like to apply using a chatbot, with 22% saying it would turn them off completely! Imagine if you lost a fifth of applications for every role!

We've consistently argued that Generative AI is not going to solve all of your problems (and in the case of AI Interviewing, it might actually make them worse!) But we've also advocated for customer service roles to stay 100% human. It's why our Helpdesk team - which helps our clients use our applicant tracking system and candidates who might be struggling - is fully staffed by a human UK support team.

If any of what you've seen has whet your appetite, be sure to download the full, free market report here. This blog has just touched the surface, there are full sector breakdowns so you can get to the heart of what's happening in your industry.

Join our webinar

I'm also hosting a webinar to talk through the findings and answer any questions you might have. Register for it here.