Decoding tech job search trends in 2021

In CWJobs’ recent webinar, Commercial Director, Dominic Harvey, was joined by an expert panel to discuss the latest job search trends, how companies can attract more candidates, and improve engagement. Sharing their unique insights were Tina Akinmade, Senior UX Researcher at StepStone, and Stephen Kalli, Sales Manager at CWJobs.

Here are some of the key highlights from the webinar:

The jobseeker journey

Tina began by explaining how the jobseeker journey looks different for every candidate. She said:

“Although the journey is presented as something linear, that isn’t always the case. There are a number of activities that candidates are doing. And when we couple that with the number of applications that a candidate might submit in a given time, we then understand why jobseekers describe the experience as overwhelming, or exhausting. As recruiters, we want to ensure that we’re doing what we can to ease that process for them.”

She went on to outline what a typical jobseeker journey might look like:

• Status quo – building a support network/ finding a mentor, looking for training courses.
• Orientation – planning long-term career goals, browsing jobs online, looking for salary information.
• The search – creating/updating CVs, finding matching jobs.
• Applying – understanding their worth, applying for jobs, understanding their failings.
• Interviews – preparing for interview(s), waiting to hear back, bouncing back from rejections.
• Hiring – understanding the terms of new job offer, responding to a job offer, resigning from current job.

Typical jobseeker behaviour

Tina explained that candidates usually search by job title first, as they realise that having tech expertise in a particular field is crucial for success in the industry. Tech candidates often spend time updating their training in their given specialism and see the scope of a potential role as highly relevant.

Tina also shared that jobseekers have a low tolerance for noise when it comes to ‘suggested’ jobs, and prefer to have the option to specify the exact requirements for a role. They also appreciate being provided with insights into the team and the nature of the work they’ll be doing as these could be deciding factors when comparing roles.

Likewise, including company news, values, and reviews are welcome additions in job information packs.

What has changed in the job search?

Stephen went to share some highlights from our CWJobs’ Candidate Survey 2021, where insights were gathered from over 800 CWJobs registered candidates. He explained that candidates are ready for their next move and that 62% have their profile open to recruiters on social media. He revealed that 51% keep their profiles updated on job boards, and 45% who aren’t actively job seeking are still registered to job boards.

He explained that the way candidates search for jobs has changed. They are now more focused on what they want from a job. Only 29% of candidates search for a number of job titles at a time, compared to 45% in 2020. Similarly, only 33% searched by location in 2021, which was a 15% decrease from 2020. There has also been a 61% decrease year-on-year in the number of respondents searching by hours/contract type.

However, the most frustrating aspects of job searching remain unchanged. Missing salary information is frustrating to 50% of respondents, 40% say unclear job titles are the most frustrating aspect of job searching, and 34% say missing, or late feedback. This tells us that many recruiters are still neglecting to listen to what candidates want to see in the job application process.

How companies can engage with more tech candidates

When discussing how employers can make the most of their communication with jobseekers, Dominic explained that candidates are looking for specific and clear information. He shared that 35% of candidates would only apply for a role if they had at least 75% of the requirements, and that 39% would only apply to roles that fully met their requirements.

He shared that ‘qualifications required’ is the top reason for not applying to a role, followed by technical skills and previous experience. Discussing this further, Dominic said:

“Soft skills rank quite low as a turn off on an advert, along with psychometric test requirements and technical test requirements. Candidates are almost expecting to be tested on their technical skills. For employers, it’s almost worth highlighting the fact that there will be a test, and being less focused on the specificity of the actual skills because candidates can come in and prove that.”

When discussing the benefits that companies should highlight to engage tech candidates, Dominic revealed that 84% of tech professionals would find it valuable to select their own employee benefits. The top preferred benefits are pension, annual bonus, flexible working, private healthcare, and learning and development.

The importance of job adverts and brand communication

Stephen went on to explain how to companies can make their job adverts engaging. He revealed that salary and location are the most important pieces of information that tech candidates want to see in a job ad, followed by benefits, and career development. When asked about the key elements of a job advert, 25% of candidates said information on flexible working is important.

In regards to how candidates like to communicate, emails and phone calls are the top two preferred ways of contact. Stephen said:

“COVID-19 has changed the way companies communicate with candidates. It’s no surprise that emails and phone calls are the preferred ways to reach out to respondents. Face-to-face meetings used to be the third favourite, but now there are video calls. At CWJobs, we recognised this quite early on in the pandemic and launched a service called Cameo, which is a fit-for-purpose recruitment platform, and GDPR-compliant. It’s a great tool for recruiters who want to reach out and engage with more candidates.”

Actionable advice to boost tech candidate attraction

As the webinar came to a close, Dominic provided some key summary points to help employers attract more candidates:

• Invest in up-to-date training to upskill workers and communicate your training offering to attract a new pool of talent.
• Always provide feedback to help maintain a positive reputation and ensure candidates will apply for roles in the future.
• Focus on employer branding and communicate why your company is a great place to work.
• Adjust your benefits to the type of candidates applying for roles. Go beyond the standards perks and let employees choose.
• Be clear and precise in job adverts and highlight flexible, remote, and hybrid working opportunities.
• Embrace flexibility in the interview process and provide candidates with various options such as video calls.