More Than 4 in 5 U.S. Employees and Job Seekers Confident in Their Ability to Find a New Job, According to Sevenstep Study

BOSTON, MA (January 27, 2020) – Today, Sevenstep, a global talent outsourcing company, leader in recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) and a regarded managed service provider (MSP), released U.S. data from a Job Search Study, which includes sentiments from American workers and job seekers on their ability to find a new job, reasons for looking for a new job, where they search for a new job and what they find important when considering a new employer. The study was commissioned by Sevenstep and conducted online by The Harris Poll among over 1,300 employees and job seekers.

According to the study, more than 9 in 10 employees and job seekers (92%) have a dream job in mind, yet only 12 percent currently work in their dream job. Barriers listed to getting their dream job include pay being too low (26%), not enough open positions (24%) and that the job requires relocation (22%).

“Our survey findings revealed a strong level of confidence among U.S. employees and job seekers at the end of 2019,” said Amy Bush, president of Sevenstep. “The fact that the majority of employed Americans (86%) are open to a new job presents a huge opportunity for employers.”

Primary reasons for considering leaving their current job varied but include increased compensation (46%), improved work/life balance (27%) and more opportunity to grow and advance skills (18%). When asked their top five most important non-financial benefits, employees and job seekers cited a flexible schedule (50%), a job that is close to home/short commute (47%), a job with a PTO policy (45%), friendly coworkers (42%) and career growth opportunities (41%).

Additional findings include:

• Nearly half of employees and job seekers (49%) say among the biggest turn offs when considering a potential employer is low pay or low salary offerings, followed by lack of response or no follow up after an interview (39%), negative employee reviews on job sites (32%) and long interview processes (29%).
• The top five places employees and job seekers go to look for work include employment websites (57%), company websites (44%), friends and family (35%), social networking sites (33%), as well as in person – i.e. going directly to the company (24%).
• The top five considerations, aside from salary and benefits, prioritized by employees and job seekers include company stability (44%), flexible work environment (40%), growth within the company (34%), equal pay/gender equality (32%) and company reputation (30%).

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Sevenstep between November 5-7, 2019 among 2,050 adults ages 18+, among whom 1,322 are currently employed or not employed but looking for work. Results were weighted for age within gender, region, race/ethnicity, income, and education where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

About Sevenstep 

Sevenstep is a global leader in total talent outsourcing and solutions. Annually ranked as a top enterprise recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) provider on HRO Today’s Baker’s Dozen list and a regarded managed service provider (MSP), Sevenstep provides services and solutions in nearly 50 countries spanning six continents. A bespoke suite of total talent services and solutions includes enterprise RPO, project RPO, MSP solutions, data analytics, and employer branding and talent attraction capabilities.

Sevenstep’s unrivaled partnership-driven approach and unbounded vision to total talent means talent acquisition wins and business performance gains. Learn more at sevensteprp0sg.wpengine.com.

Press Contact: 
Amy Wrocklage – Executive Director 
+1 857.930.4075 

amy.wrocklage@sevensteprpo.com