Latest Findings From Kelly Global Workforce Index(TM)
TROY, MI--(Marketwired - November 20, 2013) -
Social media is transforming the way people find work and engage in work, according to workforce solutions leader Kelly Services (NASDAQ: KELYA) (NASDAQ: KELYB). According to the Kelly Global Workforce Index (KGWI), an annual survey conducted by Kelly, employees today are increasingly using social media to network and identify employment opportunities.
The survey canvassed the views of approximately 21,000 people across the Americas region, comprising the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Brazil.
According to the survey results, two-in-five respondents, or 41 percent, say they were contacted through social media about an employment opportunity in the last year while 14 percent of respondents stated they secured a job through social media during the same time period.
Within the Americas, Brazil stands out as something of a social media hotspot, with 74 percent of respondents stating they have been contacted about a potential job opportunity via a social media site or network. In Mexico, 48 percent of respondents were contacted via social media compared to 39 percent in both Canada and the United States.
Also in Brazil, 44 percent of survey respondents stated they secured a job through social media, compared with 25 percent in Mexico, 14 percent in Canada, and 11 percent in the U.S.
According to Kelly Services' findings, the spread of social media in the community is mirrored in the workplace where employees are discussing their work, their employers and canvassing job openings and career choices.
"Employees are more social and more flexible in the way they engage with trusted friends and work colleagues on social media, and, increasingly, they expect to have access to technology in the workplace to enable that," said Michael Webster, Executive Vice President, Americas Region for Kelly Services.
The phenomenon is not confined to younger generations. While more Gen Y (18 percent) secured a job in the past year through social media, 14 percent of Gen X and 12 percent of baby boomers did so.
Results of the survey in the Americas also show:
- 39 percent say that they are now more inclined to search for jobs on social media than through traditional methods, including newspaper advertisements, online job boards or recruitment companies.
- 32 percent say that they use their social media networks when making career or employment decisions.
- 35 percent say the use of personal devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets in the workplace is either "important" or "very important."
- 39 percent say that the ability to use their employer-provided device for both work and personal use rates "highly influential" and "very highly influential" in deciding where to work.
"Social media is rapidly revolutionizing the recruitment process because it broadens the access to an enormous pool of candidates," Webster said. "We are also seeing the impact access to 'smart' technology has on retention, as the work and personal lives of today's employees is more commonly blended together. Suddenly employees have the flexibility to engage socially or accomplish work tasks at any given time."
Complete findings are published in a new report, Social Media and Technology. For more information about the Kelly Global Workforce Index and key regional and generational findings, please visit the Kelly® Press Room or www.kellyservices.com.
About the Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The Kelly Global Workforce Index (KGWI) is an annual global survey revealing opinions about work and the workplace. Approximately 122,000 people across the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions responded to the survey. This survey was conducted online by RDA Group on behalf of Kelly Services.
About Kelly Services®
Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA) (NASDAQ: KELYB) is a leader in providing workforce solutions. Kelly offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as world-class staffing on a temporary, temporary-to-hire, and direct-hire basis. Serving clients around the globe, Kelly provides employment to more than 550,000 employees annually. Revenue in 2012 was $5.6 billion. Visit www.kellyservices.com and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, & Twitter. Download The Talent Project, a free iPad app by Kelly Services.