Understanding the preferences and experiences of job seekers is paramount to the staffing industry. In 2021, the United States labor market saw huge challenges, with almost 10 million unemployed and an unemployment rate of 6.2%. The drastic changes one year later are what everyone in staffing should be aware of and use to their advantage. 

Employ, the new parent company of Jobvite, JazzHR, and NXTThing RPO, shares that “with millions of available jobs in the U.S. and talent who seek roles that better align with their requirements, workers are making it clear they want more from employers — and they feel empowered to ask for it. Today’s job seekers are leveraging their upper hand to secure new jobs, higher wages, and better benefits. “

Having access to Employ’s survey of U.S. workers for their annual Job Seeker report will offer an inside look at workers’ thoughts and actions and give your staffing agency a heads up on where to focus your attention. 

If you want a summary, here are 8 key takeaways from the Annual Job Seeker report:

1. Worker confidence is at an all-time high, with 35% 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.
2. Close to half of all surveyed workers are actively looking for a new job or planning to within the next year. Money is on their minds with half believing they could make more right now simply by switching jobs. 
3. Engaging top talent requires delivering high-quality candidate experiences, yet recruiters still engage in practices that are frustrating to job seekers, including promoting too low-paying jobs, not being responsive to prospective candidates, and posting deceiving job descriptions.
4. With only 37% of workers feeling like they are paid fairly, employers who fall short on compensation expectations may see an increase in turnover as it was the most significant factor among workers who left a job in the past year. 
5. A good employee onboarding experience is critical as one in every three new hires today will leave a job in the first 90 days. 
6. Internal mobility lacks emphasis, as 54% of workers who are actively looking for a job have not looked at their current company for a new position. 
7. As more companies determine their return to workplace plans, nearly half of all workers are willing to accept a lower salary to work remotely and 30% say their ideal work situation/set up is 100% remote. 
8. As 40% of workers report high employee turnover at their organization and an increase in their workloads, they are feeling increased stress levels and burnout. However, the number of employers offering mental health benefits and resources is at the lowest level in the past three years. 

Staffing agency owners should ensure workplaces align with their job candidates’ preferences and, at the same time, use all the right software, systems, tools, and platforms to effectively run their business. 

COATS Staffing Software offers the perfect all-in-one software to manage employees and clients, allowing you time to focus on recruiting employees and marketing to clients—the core of your business.