At Hays, we’re recruitment specialists in the professional services industry. Our expert consultants have a deep understanding of the sector and our invaluable knowledge of the market can help you overcome challenges and secure the most sought-after talent.  

We pride ourselves in providing the best industry insights to our clients and have recently released our annual What Workers Want report, which is focused on what jobseekers want from the job application process and includes survey responses from almost 11,900 professionals. 

An effective job advert can boost applications 

Our research has found that you may be deterring a significant proportion of your potential talent pool if you’re not including certain information in your job advert – a job description alone simply doesn’t cut it for most jobseekers. The overwhelming majority (85%) of professionals wouldn’t consider applying to a role that failed to disclose the salary, making it the most frequently cited non-negotiable for candidates.  

Proof of investment in personal development is the next most important aspect of a job advert, with four-fifths (80%) of professionals saying they’re unwilling to apply to a role without this information. Younger age groups place particularly high value on clear career plans and a public commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), while older age groups put more weight on clear descriptions of an organisations’ products and services. 

AI in the application process 

Currently, only 4% of employers say they’re using AI tools to evaluate job applications, such as CV scanning and applicant scoring. However, 16% anticipate this will increase in the future and a further 70% remain unsure. Evidently, there’s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future of AI in the application process, but what’s for certain is that jobseekers want to be made aware if such tools are being used – 78% said so.  

In terms of professionals using AI during their job search, to help complete applications or write their CV for example, over a fifth (21%) expect to use these tools to assist with future job applications. 

Keep up with the evolving job market  

To ensure you’re attracting top professional services’ talent, it’s imperative that you’re keeping up with the ever-evolving labour market by staying up-to-date with the latest industry insights and hiring trends. Including details beyond just the role description in your job adverts – such as the salary, and information about personal development and career plans – and being transparent about the use of AI to assess applicants are just some of the ways to enhance your job application process.  

For further insights and guidance on how to attract the right calibre of talent to join your organisation, we’re here to help you fine-tune your recruitment processes and ensure maximum success.  

For more insights from our What Workers Want 2024 report, visit our website.  

To chat to an expert, reach out to Hays Director, Lorraine Twist via email or call 07436450340.