Contract Type, a Key Factor for South African Candidates when Applying for New Jobs

In a tight hiring market, it’s essential that companies and recruiters provide candidates with a positive experience. If the hiring process is smooth and efficient, candidates are more likely to accept a job offer and recommend the company to their peers. 

But when does the candidate experience begin? For many applicants, it’s when they read the job advertisement. There and then, candidates form a strong first impression of the company that will influence their decision about whether to apply for the position.

To discover more about how candidates react to job ads, we surveyed 442 job applicants in South Africa from late September to mid-December 2021. Read on to discover more about the pivotal role job advertisements play in the candidate experience.

What is regarded as the most important element in job ads?

We asked candidates what they regarded as the most important information contained in job ads, and one element stood out: contract type. More than half (52%) of those polled said job title is the key piece of data in any job posting, followed by job title (47%) and job location (48%). Other pieces of information that candidates focus on include position seniority (24%), publication date of the job (19%) and company name (16%).

Candidates like to read!

In this busy world, it may surprise you to learn that 71% of candidates in our survey said they read the whole job advertisement. The remainder said they read a the most 80 - 90% of the content.  

This preference for reading the whole ad may be linked to accessibility. Many candidates now view job postings on their mobile devices. Over one-third (36%) of those polled said they mainly use mobile devices to read job ads, and 35% use the same devices to apply for the position. And (33%) of candidates still use mainly desktop or laptop computers to submit the application. 

Form can be as important as content

Some recruiters are experimenting with original and creative formats for job ads. But the candidates we polled in South Africa have different priorities. More than half (60%) said they prefer a professional, detailed format. Around 36% like having short and concise job advertisements, while 43% appreciate an ad that has subgroups for structure and clarity. 

Candidates want more information

Sometimes, candidates notice what isn’t included in job advertisements as much as what is. For example, almost nine in 10 (91%) like to see information about company culture. A similar proportion (89%) of respondents think that job ads should include salary range, while 60% say there are interested in learning more about the organisation’s benefits and perks. 

Using job ads for benchmarking

Not all candidates read job advertisements because they’re interested in applying for the position. Some simply use the information to benchmark the salary and job description of the advertised role against their own terms of employment. However, only 25% of those surveyed say they use job ads to benchmark regularly (at least once a year), while 29% do it every 2-3 years. A large majority (46%) of respondents say they never use job ads for benchmarking.

Other sources of information

Even the most comprehensive job advertisement only tells the candidate a fraction of what they need to know about a company before accepting a position. The vast majority of candidates (96%) polled in our survey also look at the company website. 77% use online reviews on sites like Glassdoor or Google reviews to help them make an assessment, whilst a lower proportion (70%) look at the organisation’s social media channels. Interestingly, (32%) of the respondents say they try to contact current or former employees to get inside information on the company.

To apply or not to apply?

Of course, not all candidates who read a job ad apply for the position. So, what are the factors that lead them to reject the opportunity? 

For our survey respondents, the most important filter is qualifications. (51%) of the respondents say they don’t apply for a position if they feel over- or under-qualified for the role. The second most important factor is if the job ad was posted long ago. (47%) of our respondents say they wouldn’t apply for a position if the job ad was posted long time ago. 

Other criteria include salary (a determining factor for 33% of respondents), company reputation (32%) and clarity of the job description in the ad (31%). Recruiters and hiring managers should note that a full 32% of respondents say they wouldn’t apply for a position if it involved filling out long forms.

Key learnings for recruiters 

Hiring managers and talent acquisition teams can learn the following from our survey data:

• Contract type is a key piece of information for candidates and should be prominently displayed in the ad
• Candidates like job ads that are comprehensive and professional in both form and content. You risk missing out on top candidates if your ads are difficult to read or contain inconsistent information
• E-reputation and employer branding are vital! Before they apply, candidates will assess you and your company culture based on your corporate website, social media channels and employee review sites

Towards a better candidate experience

Michael Page is committed to providing candidates with the best possible experience, for the benefit of both job seekers and employers. Our recruiters can connect you with top talent in your industry and location, so if you’re looking to hire, contact us today. If you’re looking for a job – and a great candidate experience! – please use our job search tool to apply for jobs in South Africa.