53% of UK employees prefer flexible working hours

How do job seekers feel about recruitment processes in the UK? To find out, GetApp surveyed employees to gauge their sentiments regarding the various elements and steps involved in the process. Read along to learn more about our findings in this second part of a two-part series.

Employees’ expectations from their employers may be changing. What was acceptable among job seekers a few years ago may not be very well received by the same workforce in today’s times. Employees anticipate lasting changes to their working environment along with the renewed focus on workplace health and safety as a result of an increase in hybrid working alternatives, according to a report by Acas. In such a scenario, employers also have the chance to adapt to this change by implementing new, more dynamic worker welfare policies and more effective office setups.

In the first part, we looked at how companies addressed labour shortages and faced the implications of the same. We also learnt about the role of technology in automating and simplifying recruitment processes. To learn more about employee expectations and experiences, we surveyed full-time and part-time employees from different parts of the UK. To do that, we collected responses from 829 respondents above the age of 18 and below the age of 65 between 25th August and 15th September 2022. For the full methodology, scroll to the bottom of this article.

44% have applied for 2-4 jobs within the last year

Three-quarters of Brits are actively looking for a new job, according to a report by Business Insider. When we asked our survey-takers how many jobs they have applied for in the past one year, 44% stated they have undergone between 2-4 recruitment processes.

78% of those who applied for one job got and accepted the role

Of those who said that they have been through one recruitment process in the last year, 78% got a job during that process and accepted it, while 11% got the offer and didn’t accept it. Additionally, a further 11% of the respondents stated that they did not get a offer from that one job application.

Salary is the main reason for accepting a job offer

When we asked candidates who have been through one recruitment process in the last year and accepted their job offer the question “What was the main reason for accepting the offer?”, salary stood at the top choice at 35%. This is followed by factors such as the position itself (16%), flexible working hours (15%), and provision for remote/hybrid work (10%), among other options.

88% applied for more than one job and got one or more job offers

Of those who said that they have undergone more than one recruitment process in the last year, a combined total of 88% of respondents said that they received one offer (47%) or more than one offer (40%). On the other hand, 12% of them said that they did not get any offer.

It is also interesting to note that 71% of respondents who have undergone more than one recruitment process in the last year and got one or more job offers have accepted their offers. 30% said that they did not accept such job offers.

Which factors are significant while applying for a job?

As we have seen and continue to see through our data, candidates are looking at various facets of job roles and companies when looking for a job. We asked survey takers which are the main elements they would take into consideration while applying for a job, and the majority said that they prefer flexible working hours (53%).

How long do respondents think the recruitment process takes?

The duration of a particular recruitment process can vary from company to company. When we asked employee respondents, “Based on your experience, on average, how long does a recruitment process take from the first interview until you receive an offer?”, 27% said that it takes between 1 week to less than 2 weeks, followed by 2 weeks to less than 3 weeks (25%), and 3 weeks to less than 4 weeks (20%), among other responses.

Majority of respondents use Indeed for job searches

Are the platforms used by recruiters to look for a candidate the same as the platforms used by job seekers to hunt for a job? The answer is no! Our data from the first part of the series shows that LinkedIn is the most preferred platform for recruitment among surveyed recruiters.

When we posed the same question to our employee respondents, as many as 67% have said that they usually look for a job through Indeed. LinkedIn comes in at second place at 38%, followed by social media (27%). 25% state they applied for a job through someone they know, and 23% said they applied through Reed.

How comfortable are respondents with hiring practices?

Are job seekers comfortable with all the elements involved in a recruitment process? We tried to gauge the comfort level of surveyed employees with respect to various hiring practices and the following answers were recorded:

How much time are job seekers willing to spend on a test?

When we asked surveyed employees how much time they are willing to spend on a test if they are interested in a position, the majority said they are willing to spend 1-2 days (54%), followed by 3-4 days (29%), and 5-6 days (11%), among other responses.

Majority never faced discrimination during recruitment

The UK government laid out guidelines with respect to discrimination during recruitment. These guidelines also have rules regarding questions which cannot be asked during recruitment and guidance on not favouring any one or more sections of society. When we asked employees if they have ever experienced discrimination during a recruitment process, 77% said that they have never experienced it, followed by 23% who said that they have, in fact, faced it.

Age and gender discrimination top the list

Of those respondents who said they have faced discrimination during recruitment, a proportion said they have experienced age and gender discrimination (31% each) followed by discrimination on the basis of ethnicity (23%), disability (19%), appearance (19%), parent status (13%), sexual orientation (12%), and religious affiliation (11%), among other responses.

What actions have employees taken for discrimination?

When we tried to know about the actions taken by those employees who said that they have faced discrimination, 29% stated that they alerted people in that company about what happened, followed by those who withdrew from the recruitment process (29%), and 29% were those who shared it on their social networks and/or specialized sites (for instance Glassdoor and LinkedIn). This is followed by 23% of respondents saying that they shared their experience with their personal network outside of the company.

Which factors help in ensuring a smooth recruitment process?

When we asked employees to select the top three factors they think account for a smooth and easy recruitment process, 48% said that they would prefer feedback after every stage of the recruitment.

Study highlights

• 44% of surveyed employees have applied for 2-4 jobs within the last year while 36% have applied for one job in the last year
• Of those who said that they have been through one recruitment process in the last year, 78% got a job in that process and accepted it, while 11% got the offer and didn’t accept it 
• Of those candidates who have been through one recruitment process in the last year and got the offer, 35% said they took the job offer because of the salary offered
• 53% of surveyed employees prefer flexible working hours while applying for a job, while 46% look for growth opportunities  
• 67% of the respondents have said that they use Indeed to look for a job, while 38% use LinkedIn 
• 54% of respondents said that they are willing to spend 1-2 days on a pre-employment test followed by 29% saying that they are willing to spend 3-4 days
• 77% of the survey takers said that they have never experienced discrimination during recruitment, followed by 23% who said that they have faced it
• Of those who said that they have faced discrimination, 31% said they have experienced age-based discrimination and 31% stated they have faced gender-based discrimination
• 48% of respondents said that they would prefer feedback after every stage of the recruitment process, followed by transparency regarding salary (44%)