Jobseekers sitting back and waiting for opportunities

Paul Joyce was not looking for a new job when he landed his dream role.

The 37-year-old engineer was approached by Faiveley Transport a year ago while working at Kiwirail in Wellington.

Joyce gained a favourable reputation for himself in the health and safety sector by making bold changes at Kiwirail.

‘‘I didn’t like the things Kiwirail were doing and I pushed very hard to change things,’’ he said.

‘‘I embarrassed some managers because I called them out to improve things.’’

But there was no way up and he wanted a job with the option of career progression.

So when Faiveley came hunting, he jumped ship.

Joyce has not actively looked for a job since 2010. Instead he has been headhunted through Linkedin, online profiles, and word of mouth. And he is not alone. A growing number of Kiwis are sitting back and waiting for the right opportunity to land in their lap – or inbox – instead of actively seeking out new employment opportunities.

A recent Hudson Recruitment survey in New Zealand showed 46 per cent of job candidates considered themselves passive jobseekers, up from 34 per cent for the second half of last year.

Hudson general manager Roman Rogers said technology offered candidates a way to wait for offers.

‘‘You’ve got this large pool of talent who are not necessarily actively looking to jump ship, but who are in that grey area where they are open to the right opportunity,’’ Rogers said.

‘‘Jobseekers are using technology platforms they have to promote themselves digitally, instead of proactively seeking out job boards and applying.’’

A traditional job ad is no longer enough, but some organisations are struggling with the shift to online channels.

‘‘Linkedin certainly has a big influence in the way technology is starting to influence how organisations look for talent and how job seekers stamp their digital footprint online.

‘‘This is an area that is exploding and we’re seeing more technology platforms established every day.’’

The growing number of passive job seekers should make employers realise they need to nurture the talent they had, and it needed to go beyond a generous salary.

Compensation rated seventh in a list of what attracted potential candidates to a company, according to a 2016 Hudson survey.

Rogers suggested employers schedule regular one-on-ones with their staff because their best talent could be approached at any time.