Gumtree is Australia's second top job site

Fast-growing classifieds site Gumtree has become the second most popular career site used by Australian job seekers, behind only Seek, research from ManpowerGroup indicates.

A global survey by the recruitment company also found that 40% of Australians state that applying for jobs online via laptops and desktops is their preferred method of conducting a job search, with a further 9% preferring to apply online via dedicated smartphone mobile apps.

Job seekers are also using the internet to research job opportunities before applying, with 58% gathering information from a company’s website, 54% using search engine results and 38% sourcing information from social media.

As part of this process an increasing number of Australians are considering a company’s vision and mission before submitting an application, at 34% compared to 15% in the prior year.

“Easy access to information has changed the way individuals find jobs and jobs find individuals. As organisations across the globe continue to report difficulties filling roles, understanding candidate preferences is critical,” ManpowerGroup GM for Australia and New Zealand Jamie Butterworth said.

“Candidates worldwide want to be able to visualise themselves in an organisation. They want to know about compensation and benefits. And increasingly, they identify the company mission, corporate brand, culture and commitment to corporate social responsibility as key deciding factors in making a move. It’s time for employers to move beyond the final interview disclosure to being up-front, open and own the conversation.”

The survey shows that Australians are more interested in the type of work and work-life balance than compensation. Just 29% of respondents said compensation is their primary concern when making career decisions, compared to 59% worldwide.

Type of work is instead the highest ranking concern (68%), followed by geographic location (43%) and schedule flexibility (41%). The opportunity for advancement (35%) is also considered a higher priority than compensation.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/OJO_Images

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