New research from LinkedIn shows that people are reluctant to switch jobs due to concerns about being “last in, first out” and this pandemic uncertainty is holding people back. LinkedIn surveyed 500 in-house talent professionals and agency recruiters in the UK, and found:
- More than three-quarters (77%) of recruiters say that candidates currently seem less committed to moving roles;
- Nearly half (46%) have seen an increase in the number of people sheltering in the current role to avoid putting a regular income and job security at risk;
- 89% of recruiters say their role has expanded to helping candidates improve their confidence;
- 82% are helping candidates to make bolder career choices;
- 71% have found it more difficult to support candidates remotely since COVID-19.
Recruiters are having to spend a lot more time supporting candidates in order to re-instill career confidence and get the labour market moving again. As a result, many are having to play a more pastoral role and demonstrate softer skills to encourage candidates to explore new opportunities to grow and develop.
Recruiters say they are increasingly spending time helping candidates including: helping them to understand the value of their transferable skills (39%), being empathetic and understanding about the anxieties of moving jobs (38%), improving candidate confidence (37%), offering career advice (34%), helping candidates make career switches (32%) and pushing candidates out of their comfort zone (29%).
Another result of the pandemic is that candidates want to understand the workplace policies of prospective employers, particularly in relation to working flexibly.
