natural resources: engaging active and passive jobseekers in europe and asia

kelly Global workforce index™

ENGAGING ACTIVE AND PASSIVE JOB SEEKERS: NATuRAl RESOuRCES

2Kelly Global Workforce Index™

3 Confronting employee ‘disengagement’

6 Connecting employees in conversation

8 Opening the door to new talent

12 Social media and career networking

15 Online job boards lead the way

17 The employee preference in online job boards

19 Conclusion: Casting a wider net

CONTENTS

The Kelly Global Workforce Index

(KGWI) is an annual global survey

revealing opinions about work and the

workplace. Almost 230,000 people

across the Americas, EMEA and APAC

regions responded to the 2014 survey.

The topics covered in the 2014

KGWI survey include:

• Engagingactiveand

passive job seekers

• Careerdevelopment

• Thecandidateexperience

from hiring to onboarding

• Workerpreferencesand

workplace agility

A total of 31 countries participated in the

survey, utilizing 20 different languages.

Results span workplace generations, as

well as key industries and occupations.

This first installment, on the topic,

Engaging Active and Passive Job

Seekers, examines the nature of the

contemporary job search process

from a candidate’s perspective across

the Natural Resources sector.

It looks at the state of employee

engagement with work following

a period where many have

been unsettled by industry

restructuring and job cutbacks.

It also identifies one of the challenges

faced by employers in seeking to

identify outstanding talent at a time

when many employees may not be

actively pursuing a change of job.

These hidden candidates represent

a considerable reservoir of talent.

While once they would have remained in

the shadows for recruitment purposes,

in the online world, they are engaging

in a range of conversations that can be

of great interest to potential employers.

ThE KElly GlOBAl WORKfORCE INDEx 2014


Confronting employee disengagementOne of the features of the contemporary workplace in the

aftermath of the global economic slowdown is a sense of

‘disengagement’ experienced by some employees who may have

been buffeted by business restructuring, cutbacks or layoffs.


Like many workers, those in the

Natural Resources industries are

displaying signs of this fatigue.

Globally, less than a third (32%) of

those in Natural Resources say they

are ‘totally committed’ to their current

employers. This clearly has implications

for workplace morale and productivity.

The level of engagement in APAC (30%)

is slightly higher than in EMEA (27%).

Looking across countries in EMEA

and APAC, the highest levels of

engagement are in Norway (52%), India

(43%), Italy and Indonesia (both 39%),

and Russia (37%). The lowest are in

Hungary (12%) and Singapore (20%).

how ‘committed’ or ‘engaged’ do you feel with your current employer? (% ‘Totally committed’ by Country)

EmPlOyEE ENGAGEmENT

0%

10%

20%

30%

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60%

APAC 30% GLOBAL 32%

EMEA 27%

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Closely tied to the notion of

employee engagement is the

issue of how ‘valued ‘employees feel.

An employee’s perception about

value, or worth, impacts on a host of

workplace performance outcomes.

Globally, 42% of Natural Resources

employees say they feel valued at work,

but with a significantly higher rate in

APAC (50%) than in EMEA (37%).

The highest rates are in Russia

(64%), and India and Indonesia (both

56%). The lowest are in Italy (20%),

Portugal (29%) and France (30%).

To what degree do you feel that you are valued by your current employer? (% ‘highly valued’ and ‘Valued’ by Country)

EmPlOyEE PERCEPTION Of VAluE TO EmPlOyER

0%

30%

20%

10%

40%

50%

60%

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GLOBAL 42%

APAC 50%

EMEA 37%

FRA

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Connecting employees in conversationMany employees like to keep their employment options

open and, therefore, need to have communication links with

potential employers. The survey results show that targeting

prospects with regular, personalized communications can

be an effective technique to building a relationship.


When candidates in the Natural

Resources sector are asked about

their preferred means of engagement,

the strongly favored method is

periodic contact through phone calls,

emails and messages from employers

about relevant work opportunities.

This method is greatly preferred in

EMEA (63%) ahead of APAC (47%).

Participation in a firm’s talent

community and its social media

network is becoming more important,

particularly in APAC where almost

a quarter (22%) have embraced the

idea of talent communities, well

ahead of employees in EMEA (7%).

Which of the following best describes how you would like to be engaged by a prospective employer? (% by Region)

PREfERRED mEThOD Of ENGAGEmENT

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

OtherReceive updates on company's financial

performance

Participate in social events/networking opportunities with

company employees

Participate in the company's social

media network

Participate in the company's talent

community/networking with others in online

talent community pool

Receive periodic contact regarding work that fits my

skill set and interests

EMEA

APAC

Global


Opening the door to new talentOnline talent communities are still a relatively new technique in

talent pool management, but they hold appeal in certain markets

and are gaining traction. An online talent community is an interactive

forum where individuals engage with company representatives

and other community members. They will be informed about the

business as well as hear about potential job opportunities. This

study focused on employer/company-specific talent pools.


ExPERIENCE IN ONlINE TAlENT COmmuNITIES

Globally in Natural Resources,

17% of workers say they

have participated in employers’

online talent communities.

The average across APAC is 28%,

considerably higher than in EMEA (9%).

Across APAC, there are very high

rates of engagement through talent

communities in countries including

Indonesia (45%), India and Malaysia

(both 25%), and China (23%). In

EMEA, the UK (28%) stands out

for its high level engagement.

have you had any experience participating in an employer’s online talent community? (% ‘yes’ by Country)

0%

30%

20%

10%

40%

50%

GLOBAL 17%

APAC 28%

EMEA 9%

FRA

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The advantages of online talent

communities among those who have

participated (17% globally) largely centre

on access to jobs, cited by more than

two-thirds (68%), but more important

in EMEA (63%) than APAC (58%).

There is also an attraction to the

idea of learning more about a

company, cited by 41% globally.

A total of 37% say they like learning

what it is like working for a company

from current and former employees.

This is much more of an attraction in

APAC (41%) than in EMEA (31%).

ADVANTAGES Of ONlINE TAlENT COmmuNITIES

If ‘yes’ to the previous question*, what do you like most about participating in an online talent community? (% Globally, multiple responses allowed)

* Have you had any experience participating in an employer’s online talent community?

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Other Access to trusted industry

information

Access to trusted career

information/tips

Access to relevant skill development information

Learning what it is like to work for a given company,

from current and former employees

Learning more about a

given company

Access to job opportunities

EMEA

APAC

Global


The idea of participating in these

online talent communities holds

a certain amount of appeal for

many employees, offering a glimpse

inside a potential workplace.

Globally, among the 83% who have no

experience of online talent communities,

41% say they are either ‘very interested’

or ‘interested’ in becoming involved.

However, there is considerably

higher interest in APAC (51%)

compared with EMEA (35%).

lEVEl Of INTEREST IN ONlINE TAlENT COmmuNITIES

If no experience with online talent communities, how interested would you be in participating? (% ‘Very Interested’ and ‘Interested’ by Country)

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GLOBALAPACEMEA-GermanyFranceUKNorwayRussiaSwitzerlandAustraliaItalyHungarySingaporeMalaysiaChinaPortugalIndonesiaPoland

GLOBAL 41%

APAC 51%

EMEA 35%

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Social media and career networkingOne of the more common means of communication with potential

candidates is through social media, which has become an important

conduit in the employment decision-making process for many employees.


Approximately one-third (35%) of

Natural Resources respondents

globally rely on social media in

their job and career decisions.

However, the APAC region is well

above the global average at 56%,

while EMEA is below, at 32%.

The most prolific users of social

media in career and/or employment

decisions are China (69%), India

(64%), Malaysia (56%), Indonesia

(54%) and Singapore (52%).

The biggest users in EMEA are

Poland (49%), and Hungary and

Switzerland (both 41%).

Do you use your social media network when making career/employment decisions? (% ‘yes’ by Country)

uSE Of SOCIAl mEDIA NETWORKS IN EmPlOymENT DECISIONS

0%

30%

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GLOBAL 35%

APAC 56%

EMEA 32%

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The uptake of social media

means that it is occupying a

newfound place as a direct job-

search tool, particularly at a time

when traditional print advertising for

jobs is declining in many markets.

Globally, more than one-third (40%)

say they are now more inclined to

search for jobs via social media than

through traditional means, such as

newspaper advertisements, online job

boards or recruitment companies.

APAC (54%) is well above the global

average in terms of the use of

social media for job searches. It is

also well ahead of EMEA (40%).

In some of the fast growing

economies of APAC, social media

plays a prominent part, most notably

in Indonesia (64%), Malaysia (61%),

India (60%) and Singapore (59%).

Would you be more inclined to search for jobs via social media than traditional methods? (% ‘yes’ by Country)

PREfERENCE fOR SOCIAl mEDIA AS A JOB SEARCh TOOl

* ‘Traditional methods’ includes newspaper advertisements, online job boards or recruitment companies.

0%

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GLOBAL 40%

APAC 54%

EMEA 40%

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Online job boards lead the wayThe way that Natural Resources employees secured their

most recent jobs tells much about the changing face of

recruitment and the differing trends in global markets.


Almost a quarter of respondents

(24%) globally secured their most

recent job via an online job board, a

trend that is largely mirrored across

EMEA (25%) and APAC (26%).

The use of recruitment/staffing

companies and headhunters

was the second most frequent

method of securing work, at 19%,

both globally and in EMEA, but

considerably higher in APAC (26%).

Direct approaches from employers/

recruiters are consistently

15–16% in all the regions.

The use of ‘word-of-mouth’ as a means

of securing work is roughly twice as

common in EMEA as it is in APAC.

how did you secure your most recent job? (% top four methods by Region )

mOST COmmON mEThOD Of SECuRING WORK

0%

10%

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30%

Word-of-mouthDirect approach from employer/recruiter

Recruitment/staffing company/

head hunter

Online job board

EMEA

APAC

Global


The employee preference in online job boardsWith the growth in online job boards as recruitment tools, there have

emerged a number of differentiated offerings to meet audience’s needs.


The preference among all

respondents are general job

boards that cater to a broad range

of positions and industries. Globally,

77% prefer these, with EMEA (84%)

and APAC (80%), both displaying a

strong preference for these outlets.

Company-specific job boards also

have a relatively strong following

with approximately one-third

globally using these, as well as

across EMEA and APAC.

Aggregator job boards, which

gather a host of information

and place it on a single site, are

preferred by approximately one-

third globally, by some 38% in

EMEA, but by only 11% in APAC.

Niche and/or association-specific job

boards are the preferred choice of

21% in EMEA and 25% in APAC.

Which of the following types of online job boards do you most prefer for searching job opportunities and/or evaluating the marketplace? (% by Region, multiple responses allowed)

PREfERRED ONlINE JOB BOARDS

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Niche and/or association-specific job boards

Aggregator job boardsCompany-specific job boardsGeneral job boards

EMEA

APAC

Global


The advent of digital and online

communications has opened

up a plethora of conversations

about work and the workplace.

Employers now have a number of avenues

both to attract the most compelling talent

and to convey information about their

businesses as preferred places to work.

This has made it possible to identify and

engage passive job seekers who may be

open to the right job at the right time.

Employees have moved en masse to

online job boards as the preferred vehicle

for hiring. They have also been quick

to utilize social media in a variety of

career- and job-related discussions.

There is also growing recognition of

the role of online talent communities

as a forum for informed conversations

with past and current employees,

providing prospective candidates with

valued insights into the workplace.

With the opening of multiple platforms on

which to converse and exchange views,

employers have an opportunity to make a

contribution, to highlight key values, and

to capture a wider array of candidates.

CONCluSION

Casting a wider net


ABOuT ThE KElly GlOBAl WORKfORCE INDEx

The Kelly Global Workforce Index (KGWI) is an annual global survey revealing opinions

about work and the workplace. Approximately 230,000 people across the Americas,

EMEA and APAC regions responded to the survey. The survey was conducted online by

RDA Group on behalf of Kelly Services.

ExIT

An Equal Opportunity Employer © 2014 Kelly Services

kellyservices.com

ABOuT KElly SERVICES®

Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a leader in providing workforce solutions.

Kelly® offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as

world-class staffing on a temporary, temporary-to-hire, and direct-hire basis. Serving clients

around the globe, Kelly provided employment to approximately 540,000 employees in 2013.

Revenue in 2013 was $5.4 billion. Visit kellyservices.com and connect with us on Facebook,

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