84% of Workers Looking or Are Open to New Job Opportunities

Talent across the globe continues to voluntarily leave their jobs for new opportunities. But are companies making good first impressions when recruiting workers?

A recent survey from Greenhouse, a New York-based hiring software company, finds that 84% of respondents are looking or are open to taking on new job opportunities in the next six months — however, 60% find the recruitment process to be a time-consuming slog. Here’s what else the Greenhouse data reveals.

Are workers seeking new opportunities, or letting opportunities come to them?

A survey from global education technology company Cengage showed that money and burnout are driving factors in the Great Resignation. So it’s no surprise that the Greenhouse survey finds that 84% of workers are job hunting — or letting those opportunities come to them.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Not actively looking but open to new opportunities in next six months: 30%
• Actively looking within next six months: 28%
• Actively looking with urgency: 26%
• Not open to a new job in the next six months: 16%

Nearly two-thirds of respondents (64%) are optimistic about the job market, which could significantly boost those actively looking for new roles. Meanwhile, 27% have a pessimistic outlook, with 9% saying they’re somewhat neutral.

Compared to before the pandemic started in March 2020, one-third of respondents (33%) feel it’s now faster to land a job, while 37% think it takes longer.

75% of job candidates have been ghosted by a recruiter

At the same time, job-hunting can not only leave a bad taste in one’s mouth — 60% say recruitment experiences ought to be enhanced and improved — but it can lead to a door shut in their face. According to Greenhouse’s findings, 75% of job candidates report being ghosted after an interview.

Nearly 4 in 10 (38%) say they were ghosted after the initial interview with the recruiter, followed by:

• After the first round with the hiring manager (32%)
• After the final interview (25%)
• After a virtual group or on-site interview (23%)
• After the take-home test (22%)

And though it seems unlikely to change, 70% of job candidates would like feedback after the interview, with 61% noting they’d be more likely to reapply for future roles if offered feedback.

Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives matter to job seekers

DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives weigh heavily on many workers’ job hunts.

The top factor that job seekers consider about a company’s DEI initiatives are benefits — think remote or flexible work arrangements and coverage for gender affirmation treatments. In fact, nearly half (49%) cite this as a top factor, followed by:

• Employee reviews regarding progress and job opportunities (47%)
• Diverse leadership teams (34%)
• Promotion of affinity groups or employee resource groups — ERGs — on careers pages (34%)
• Publication of annual diversity reports (28%)
• Other (10%)

Still, others may just need a break from the daily grind (see earlier info on burnout) but will still need to support themselves financially. Job candidates who want to take a sabbatical before continuing their hunt could look into a personal loan to tide them over. Meanwhile, those who would prefer to start a business of their own after a less-than-satisfactory experience seeking new work could consider a small business loan.

Methodology: In January 2022, Greenhouse surveyed 1,500 respondents in the U.S., United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany. Among those surveyed, 1,305 were employed, while the remaining 195 were seeking employment.