CareerBuilder Survey Reveals a More Flexible Future Workforce

Nearly 84% of Job Seekers Willing to Take a Job Outside Most Recent Industry or Role

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Dec 15, 2020, 10:30 ET

CHICAGO, Dec. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today global HR technology leader and diverse, fastest-growing job site CareerBuilder announced the findings from a new survey examining the impact of the pandemic on job seekers. The results show job seekers becoming more open to opportunities outside their current roles, pointing to a future workforce that is more skilled and more apt to transition into new industries.

CareerBuilder Logo (PRNewsfoto/CareerBuilder)

The survey results come after a month of particularly slow economic recovery in the U.S. as November saw the smallest number of jobs added in seven months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the survey, a third of respondents said that too much competition for jobs hampered their chances of landing a new position, indicating the need to stand out from the millions of displaced workers.

A quarter of job seekers thought the most challenging part about searching for work was being unable to find jobs in their field. The pandemic has forced an imbalance in available roles; while openings in some industries have dwindled, the economy has gained jobs in others. Job seekers are willing to adapt to these trends in the economy and match the shift in the employment landscape, with nearly 84% of survey respondents indicating they would be willing to take a job outside their current or most recent industry or role. And many are actively considering it: 61% of job seekers reported having reconsidered their current industry or role, signaling this trend is well underway.

"In this type of labor market, we are advising job seekers to be more flexible when it comes to the industry or opportunity they are looking for," said CareerBuilder President Sasha Yablonovsky, "As we are seeing in the survey results, those looking for work should consider pivoting to other areas where they can apply their transferrable skills. At CareerBuilder, we have made it easier for people to find available jobs based on their skillsets, not just their previous roles."

According to the survey, many job seekers are working to advance their own skillsets, positioning them to perform in more diverse roles. Seventy-five percent of professionals said they dedicated time to learning a new skill or completing an online education program during the pandemic.

"Companies should commit to reskilling efforts, too, to improve how they recruit and retain candidates for the long-term. We're helping employers understand the new ways candidates are looking for jobs and how their talent acquisition practices need to evolve for the future of a more flexible workforce." Yablonovsky added, "They need to take a skills-based approach to hiring and give more weight to this than past experience. This can be accomplished through smart technology, like our skill-based matching capabilities, and can help highlight candidates who have the necessary skills that can add value to the team."

Additional findings from the survey include:

Nearly 88% of respondents said they were actively searching for work; 23% had filed for unemployment.
A quarter said they strongly preferred flexible hours as a benefit included in a job offer.
35% would turn down an offer if it didn't allow the possibility to work remotely.

About CareerBuilder  
CareerBuilder is a global HR technology company that provides talent acquisition solutions to help employers find, hire and onboard great talent, and helps job seekers build new skills and progressive careers as the modern world of work changes. CareerBuilder has 25 years of experience as a talent company using technology to place people in jobs, and it is the only company with both the technology, through its online platform, and the candidates via its job site, to create a connected end-to-end experience. CareerBuilder operates in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia and is the largest provider of AI-powered hiring solutions serving the majority of the Fortune 500 across five specialized markets. CareerBuilder is majority-owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board. For more information, visit careerbuilder.com, and to learn more about our solutions for employers, visit hiring.careerbuilder.com.

Survey Methodology
Survey research was conducted with a statistically significant sample of recent job seekers resulting in a 95% confidence interval for survey responses. To be eligible for the study, individual respondents must have looked for a new job within the past year. Additionally, respondents were composed of an approximate 50/50 split of hourly vs. salaried workers. Selection did skew somewhat towards job seekers with higher educational backgrounds than the general population. Additionally, a greater percentage of respondents self-identified as Asian and a smaller percentage of respondents self-identified as Black, Hispanic, Latino, or White compared to the general population.

Media Contact
Rey Perez
[email protected]

SOURCE CareerBuilder