Learn how the state of work has changed, the top pain points jobseekers face, and how societies can play a role in supporting members' careers.
The state of work has changed. The past few years have seen the COVID-19 pandemic, the acceleration of AI, and a shift in the economy. In response, both employers’ and jobseekers’ habits have been permanently adjusted. Your career center has to evolve with them. To find out what the modern job seeking professional really needs, we surveyed nearly 2,000 people currently looking for work. We asked them everything from their technological preferences, to what they look for in employers, to how they go about finding roles. The jobseeker survey report
This report will take you through: • How the job search and jobseeker has changed. • Top pain points jobseekers face. • How societies can play a role in supporting members’ careers.
*Jobseeker survey report 2023
Our survey respondents
Location
Employment status
50%
71%
Full-time employees
USA
50%
17%
Part-time employees
UK
6%
Self-employed employees
3%
I am not currently employed
Age
3%
Contract work or freelance
19%
Gen Z
0%
Other
57%
Millennial
23%
Gen X
Ethnicity
1%
Boomer
78%
White
10%
Asian
Gender
9%
Black
49%
Female
6% 3%
Hispanic / Latino
51%
Male
Other
Some respondents may have self-identified as more than one race.
Dana Anton Our commentators
To walk us through what the results mean for your association, we invited commentators to add their thoughts.
Director CFA Institute
Ali Hussnain
Head of Product Director of Product & Technology, Wiley
Rich Green
Business Development Director Madgex
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
How the job search — and the jobseeker — has changed
We’ll begin with some of the biggest differences we see when comparing our survey results to 2019 and earlier. For starters, jobseekers plan to change roles at a much higher rate. In fact:
63% of jobseekers hope to get a new job in the next two years
52% of jobseekers had 2-3 jobs in the past five years
Both represent increases from 2019. These percentages are significantly higher among Gen Z, contractors/self-employed professionals, and those at entry levels. This means that many of your members are likely job hunting right now and may be turning to a number of resources for help.
The pandemic put extreme pressure on individuals in all areas of life including work and home. Fear of being laid off, job expansion to account for reduced workforce, in combination with increased cost of living, have pushed many dedicated workers to start job hunting. Providing flexible work arrangements, ensuring employees feel well compensated for their work, and offering a balance between work and personal life are more important than ever. - Dana
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
Why are jobseekers changing jobs? It may not be new, but money represents the biggest draw for those putting themselves on the market. A salary increase is the strongest
motivator to apply for new jobs, followed by flexibility, and improved work-life balance.
88 %
63 %
56 %
Jobseekers indicate a salary increase would entice them to apply for a new job
Indicate that flexibility would be a top reason
Cite improved work-life balance
Over 90% of jobseekers indicated that these three elements were either ‘Important’ or ‘Very important’ when considering a new job.
We’re seeing progress in salary transparency across North America. As of August 2023, 50% of job postings on Indeed.com listed salary information. There’s likely to be a battle in the months and years to come as more jurisdictions mandate pay transparency, but it’s a battle we should be fighting on behalf of jobseekers, as is evident by this survey. - Rich
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
81 % Appreciative and caring management 74 % 64 % Career opportunities Trusted employer brand
Our respondents also listed appreciative and caring management, career opportunities, and trusted employer brand as ‘Important’ or ‘Very important.’
Employees are under pressure with the cost-of-living crisis, so we’re not surprised by the high percentage of jobseekers wanting salary increases. The experience of the pandemic has had long-term effects on the workforce, with people also looking for flexibility and caring management. Employers need to work hard to attract the best talent, and this includes using platforms where they can showcase their employer values effectively.
- Ali
Despite the economic uncertainty heading into this year, 89% of talent acquisition professionals indicated their employer branding budget increased or stayed the same in 2023. At a time when most other budgets were reduced or frozen, that’s the biggest validation proving how important this topic is to employers.
- Rich
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
The percentage of jobseekers using job boards to locate jobs (whether on an employer site or a job board) has grown significantly since 2019. Job boards are increasingly important for jobseekers
What are the primary ways you have used job boards in your career?
73%
59%
56%
51%
33%
34%
28%
27%
17%
16%
13%
10%
4% 8%
Locate Jobs And Apply On Employer Site
Locate Jobs And Apply On Job Board
Research Salary Information
Identify Relevant Employers In My Profession
Network With Potential Employers
Find Career Resources And Tools
Network With Other Jobseekers
Significantly lower than previous year
Significantly higher than previous year
2019% 2023%
But what do professionals want to see on a job board? of jobseekers consider salary to be ‘Important’ or ‘Very important’ when reviewing a job advertisement, compared to 89% for ‘role responsibilities’ and ‘location.’ 95 %
Professionals are using job boards to research salary information – 51% in 2023, up from just 28% in 2019.
51%
28%
2023
2019
In our Wiley Society Member Survey, we also discovered that society career center usage is up, meaning jobseekers are looking for work at higher rates, and members are turning to societies for help.
Niche job boards connect with the relevant employers and deliver the specialized content and job roles that jobseekers want to find. Utilizing a targeted job board enables jobseekers to reduce time on other sites filtering through the jobs that don’t match their search criteria. - Dana
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
Technology and social media
We’ve all experienced the sudden shifts in technology that accompanied the pandemic. While many roles have moved to hybrid and students everywhere have experienced virtual school, the changes to job seeking behaviors look a little different. In 2019, 34% of jobseekers used tablets ‘Never’ or ‘Rarely’ – in 2023, this figure leapt up to 74%. Meanwhile, the percentage of jobseekers using mobile devices to look for jobs ‘Sometimes’ increased from 15% to 28%.
When searching for a new job, how often do you use the following devices?
3%
15% 8%
16%
19%
41%
41%
45%
Never/Rarely Sometimes
30%
34%
Frequently Always
19%
74%
35%
43%
38%
28%
34%
7% 14%
6% 15%
6% 10%
19%
Desktop
Mobile
Tablet
Desktop
Mobile
Tablet
2019
2023
Significantly lower than previous year
Significantly higher than previous year
With so many people, especially young people, beginning their job search via a search engine, choosing a career center platform with high performing search engine optimization (SEO) has never been more important. While Gen Z might begin their job search via Google, it’s likely that journey will end on an industry job board that’s optimized to rank highly in the search engine ranking positions (SERPs). Madgex- powered career centers consistently rank within the top 10 SERPs for some of the market’s most competitive keyword terms. Don’t forget, your career center can often be the first interaction an early careerist has with your association, so make sure you’re discoverable. - Rich
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
Regarding social media and job hunting, LinkedIn is the clear winner.
Industry was a major factor in determining LinkedIn use. Life
Sciences, Physical Sciences, Business, and Computer Science jobseekers were significantly more likely to use LinkedIn in their job searches. Facebook, X (previously known as Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, and even TikTok all are used as part of the job search, but at much lower levels. However, here too, Gen Z respondents used these tools more frequently.
54 %
use LinkedIn as part of their job search.
This data reinforces that having the right social media strategy to promote your career center is essential for attracting early careerists to your association. Gen Z is using social media to search for career information and content more than ever before, and your association is well-positioned to support them. This is a golden opportunity to reach, connect with, and demonstrate value to an important group of potential members. - Ali
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
Jobseekers are frustrated. Here are the top pain points.
Shifts in work have represented some beneficial outcomes, like hybrid work models, but they’ve also brought to light additional challenges in the job seeking process. The truth is, jobseekers are frustrated. They don’t like being ghosted — meaning the employer stops responding entirely with no explanation. They believe job ads should be more transparent, and want a better curated experience, a top place for society career centers to shine. Salary-related issues are the single most frustrating aspect of job searches, followed by communication, and applications.
When you use job boards in your search for work, which of the following do you find frustrating or challenging?
57 %
52 %
56 % Irrelevant Jobs
Lack of Response From Companies
Out of Date Jobs
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
Lack of salary information We’ve mentioned this before, but candidates typically won’t apply for jobs missing salary and other crucial pieces of information.
60% of jobseekers overall are either ‘Unlikely’ or ‘Very unlikely’ to apply for a job without a specific salary range.
“
“
Extremely vague, jargony job descriptions with no information on… what the job responsibilities are.
Not knowing salary information. I’m sorry but this is SO IMPORTANT. Even a basic range would be helpful. Don’t waste my time if you’re going to pay me $40k for a director position.
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
Employer ghosting
It’s happening more and more: many jobseekers fill out applications, sometimes devoting hours of time to them, and never hear anything back.
52% of jobseekers cite ‘lack of response from companies’ as a major frustration associated with their job search
In fact, this is the second-most commonly cited frustration with the job seeking process.
“
“
Not getting a response after spending 30mins - 1hr applying for them.
I hate getting ghosted from employers and recruiters so much, it is my current professional pet peeve.
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
Job matching Irrelevant and out of date postings were the two most-commonly cited frustrations with job boards
Irrelevant job postings 57%
Out of date job postings 56%
Additionally, the percentage of jobseekers citing these frustrations increased significantly since 2019. Also frequently mentioned and representing a significant increase from 2019 were ‘unclear job descriptions’ and ‘site requires registration.’
“
“
Being asked to upload the entirety of your CV in an application form manually.
Being able to filter out irrelevant roles, or roles which seem to have been incorrectly auto suggested.
Jobseekers want to feel confident that they are applying for “real” jobs that employers are truly working to fill. Spending quality time to submit a job application is very frustrating for the user who receives zero response. It is vital for employers to be more transparent and follow through with applicants. - Dana
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
How societies can address these and be the go-to resource for members’ career services
Job seeking is up and jobseeker frustration is also up. That means your association is in a unique position to address the current needs of the modern jobseeker. Because jobseekers want relevant jobs and the ability to research employers, a society career center can attract professionals looking for a more streamlined experience. But a basic job board won’t do — professionals have higher expectations and greater needs. It’s essential to combine form with function and include the latest technologies, such as AI, to build a robust career center. With a Madgex career center solution, you can deliver: • User-friendly, accessible design for a seamless job search experience. • Relevant job postings and recommendations powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning. • Relevant content, events, and career resources to help your professional audience succeed. • Career path, growth opportunities, and salary information with Role Insights. • A view into employers’ mission, values, and culture through Employer Hubs.
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
Societies survey their members and jobseekers to better understand their needs as careers evolve. Supporting jobseekers in career growth and development is where they excel by delivering professional learning and those important soft skills. Many society job boards support their members further by producing compensation studies and publishing research on the future of the industry.
- Dana
Delivering a world class experience takes research, investment, and expertise. Madgex has been building career center software for 25 years and invests heavily in our research and understanding of jobseekers’ needs, to ensure we’re meeting their expectations. We utilize AI as part of this experience, and in powering over 200 global niche career centers, we have access to the highest quality data. This ensures we’re able to build the right models to power features like Role Insights: the real-life insight of career opportunities. - Ali
For too long, associations and their members have had to settle for templated career center solutions and boilerplate strategies. At Madgex, our people and passion for helping you succeed is what sets us apart. We’ve combined Wiley’s 200+ years of experience and expertise delivering value for societies and associations across the globe, with Madgex’s market-leading career center technology and cutting-edge innovation. We’re excited to offer a unique career center solution created especially for societies and associations.
- Rich
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
With our global presence and reach, Madgex helps you attract more jobseekers and potential members. We offer several integrations, including iMIS and Salesforce, and powerful SEO to drive more traffic to your site. Plus, you’ll partner with an expert team of career center and recruitment sales specialists every step of the way. We’ll not only help with onboarding and optimizing your career center, but also managing and acquiring advertisers to drive revenue. We care deeply about our partners, and we respect your brand. Amy Schoch, Senior Manager, Career Services at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) sums it up best:
“
The job board software market is filled with providers that are sales and marketing driven. With Madgex it’s different because everyone I talk to is an expert and they prioritize working with me to find the right solution rather than trying to upsell to me. It’s a nice change and a true partnership.
With Madgex, you’ll have a true partner. From day one, we work hard to understand your association, sector, and strategic goals and together find the right solution to grow your career center and deliver value to your members. The flexibility of the Madgex platform means that we can create a unique experience that combines the strength of your society with that of Wiley.
Get in touch.
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The jobseeker survey report 2023
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