Job Hunting Report – 2021 KPIs summarized for candidates
Since 2012 we’ve been meticulously collecting data on what works and what doesn’t on the job market from an experienced candidate’s perspective – we are the only player in Europe that does that. Thanks to the analysis and consequent insights each year, we are better equipped at advising our C-suite clients.
Interpreting stats is ever more important in a world that continues to be VUCA – why? Without proper research, most executives meander in frustration from interview to interview, if they were able to land one in the first place. Our KPI-driven approach allows us to effectively help experienced candidates navigate the labyrinth that is the job market.
2021 confirmed our suspicion of being “more of 2020” in terms of a being a difficult and unpredictable job market. On the one hand, the majority of European countries decreased their unemployment rates, but only a handful have seen a return to pre-COVID levels when it comes to demand for candidates that are recruited via platforms like LinkedIn.
“Source of accepted job offers” is the most important KPI that we track, because it shows the efficiency of job hunting channels. In other words, it tells us what’s worth spending time and effort on when looking for a new job. The results for 2021 are as follows:
- 35% efficiency for Speculative Introduction – in previous years, that meant contacting 60-90 companies directly; in 2021, some candidates had to reach out to 90-120 firms
- 28% efficiency for Networking (strategically using your current network and building a new one)
- 12% efficiency for Executive Search Firms (contacting the most relevant 30-50 headhunters per market)
- 25% efficiency for Job Ads (applying via published job ads) – it remains at a high level! Till 2015 that channel could be entirely ignored by executives!
This is a big deal. 25% of our senior clients accepted a job offer that was generated thanks to applying to a job ad. In most cases, an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) was behind it. That shows two things:
1. Technology has invaded the job market for the C-suite that most thought they were protected from.
2. Adjusting your CV to each and every job ad makes sense and pays off.
And here a couple of examples of what we did in 2021:
- we conducted 734 Career Consultations
- we completed 4090 tasks for our clients
- we organized 3 CSR initiatives:
◦ The “(in)effective candidate” program – individual outplacement program for 4 people (out of 65 applicants) who had not been able to find a job for a long time; 3 people found jobs with our support, one put the program on hold due to health reasons
◦ Job Search Challenge – a series of webinars to help those of you who wanted to jumpstart their job search: 250 participants took part in 5 webinars
◦ Personal Branding Challenge – a series of webinars to help those who wanted to get started on their personal branding journey: we welcomed 180 participants during 3 webinars - we conducted 12 Challenge Accepted Europe events: the meetings were attended by nearly 500 experienced managers and executives from DACH, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Denmark, Portugal etc.
- we delivered 89 (that’s 15 more than in 2020) lectures / webinars / workshops in English, Polish and German and trained almost 5000 experienced managers, executives, HR professionals and ambitious MBA students! In 2020, that number was 3,500. We’ll just say to that: WOW!
Click here to read the full Job Hunting Report 2021:
• page 2: our commentary on the 2021 results
• page 3: client statistics and KPIs
• page 4: what we delivered
• page 5: resources for companies and business schools
• page 6: Career Advisory training options
• page 7: resources for experienced managers & executives
• page 8: Market Signals – data on the job market for 80 countries
• page 9: everything you need to know about managing your career
If you’d like to discuss how this data can help you – personally or professional, book a free 20-30 min consultation with Career Angels. Simply email your availability to Bichl.Sandra@CareerAngels.eu who will then match you with the most relevant Career Angel.
