Employees not rushing into employment market

Australian employees will be more considered before changing jobs according to the latest Hunting the (hidden) Hunter research from employment site, CareerOne.com.au.

According to the research, which looks at the triggers that would move employees from one job to another, the number of people actively looking for jobs has decreased to 14%, almost 5% less than the report found last year.

At the same time, the number of people happy in their current roles has increased to 23%, or 4% higher than in 2009.

The bulk of the market, 63%, have stated that they are 'open to opportunities' and could be tempted into a job role, but only if the role and company meet the needs of the candidate. This particular group has remained fairly stable post GFC.

Chief executive officer of CareerOne.com.au, Michael Harvey (pictured) commented on the results of the research:

"As we come out of the global financial crisis, we've seen the levels of job dissatisfaction amongst employees reduced over the last 12 months. They recognise that there are areas that could be improved in their role, but aren't rushing into decisions when it comes to changing jobs."

The global financial crisis had great impact on the needs of job hunters, resulting in significant movements within the established C1-7 job-hunting segments in 2010.

The segments, and their key needs, are:

There was strong growth in the Supportive Environment job-hunting segment reflecting the shift in needs that focused more on working environments and supportive working teams.

A noticeable decline was seen in the more ambitious job-hunting segments including Personal Ambition and Recognise Me, where self-benefits like career progression and pay are valued when it comes to new opportunities.

"After a long period of difficult business conditions, successive layoffs and increased workloads, employees who have been affected by these circumstances are feeling a greater sense of security in their role. While conditions caused by the GFC are improving considerably, employees aren't entirely confident that the current employment market is full of opportunity just yet.

"For employers, retention and attraction strategies should focus on strengths of their organisation's culture and the attractiveness of its teams and working environment, in addition to a particular role's remuneration and career opportunities."

CareerOne.com.au conducted its research pre (April 2008), during (January 2009) and post (January 2010) the global financial crisis.

"While we now see job-hunting attitudes returning to pre-GFC levels, with employees taking greater consideration when it comes to changing roles, employers will have to work smarter in 2010 to attract top quality candidates"

A full copy of the report, providing a complete description of each of the C1-7 job hunting segments and the movements within these segments caused by the global financial crisis, can be downloaded at www.careerone.com.au/hiddenhunters.