Insights from the Great Resignation: Survey Reveals Job Boards, Social Media Are Still Top Avenues for American Jobseekers, But Relationships Matter

As the Great Resignation continues and more Americans are leaving their existing jobs for better options, employers are looking for the best ways to attract and identify new employees to fill their talent gaps. New survey data from The Harris Poll on behalf of Yoh reveals that out of 889 job- seeking Americans ages 18+, nearly three-quarters are using job boards to search for job opportunities. Over half of that same group is using social media to find job opportunities. 

the value of relationships

While the fact that job seekers are turning to online avenues in their job searches shouldn’t come as a shock in the digital age, it is valuable to note that relationships, in the form of word of mouth and recruiters, remain valuable tools for those looking for a new job or a job change. The percentages of job-seekers utilizing word of mouth and recruiters indicate that currently employed Americans aren’t just passive job seekers. They are actively using their relationships with talent professionals to find their next job.

“It’s no secret that we are in the midst of one of the biggest candidate markets we’ve ever seen, and this data is an indication that employers can and should use multiple methods, strategies and resources to identify and secure the best talent available to build their teams,” said Emmett McGrath, President of Yoh. “We’ve always known that referrals and relationships are the key. At Yoh, our talent acquisition teams have built these relationships and bring an impressive and constantly growing toolkit of innovative techniques and capabilities for discovering the very best talent for our clients.”

These are the findings collected from the Yoh/Harris Poll.

WHERE ARE AMERICAN JOB SEEKERS GOING TO FIND NEW JOBS?

• Americans who are employed and looking for a job are nearly three times as likely as those who are not employed and looking for work to be using a recruiter to find new job opportunities (34% vs. 12%).
• Among job-seeking Americans, women are more likely than men to be using job boards to search for job opportunities (72% vs. 62%).
• Those job seekers with higher household income are more likely to use a recruiter to find new job opportunities than those with lower household incomes.
• College graduate job seekers are nearly twice as likely as those with only some college or a high school degree or less to use recruiters to find new job opportunities (45% vs. 24% and 22%)

If you would like more information regarding the survey the Harris Poll conducted on behalf of Yoh, you can read the entire press release here.