Almost 50% of Irish professionals change jobs due to lack of promotion opportunities

LinkedIn today revealed findings from its annual Talent Trends study. The research revealed that the main reason Irish professionals change jobs is due to a lack of career advancement opportunities, with 45% of survey participants highlighting it as the main reason why they left their previous employer.

The main findings of the LinkedIn Talent Trends study also include:

· The top method for Irish jobseekers to find a new position is through their personal contacts. 43% of professionals surveyed found their job through someone they knew already working at the company
· Other factors for leaving their job include dissatisfaction with their work culture or environment (33%) or that they were looking for more challenging work (39%)
· Professionals in Ireland are more likely to be contacted for the wrong roles by recruiters, compared to global professionals. 31% of research participants were contacted for the wrong job by recruiters
· Irish employees want to know what it’s like to work at an organisation before making the switch. 67% of Irish professionals say that culture and values are the most important thing they want to know about a company
· 90% of Irish professionals are interested in hearing about new job opportunities

The results provide new insights for recruiters on how to effectively engage potential candidates and compete for the best talent. Commenting on the findings, Wendy Murphy, Senior HR Director for LinkedIn Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), said: “The good news is that an overwhelming 90% of professionals in Ireland wants to hear from prospective employers. Based on our research, their biggest challenge is not knowing enough about your company or jobs. In our annual Talent Trends survey, we get to the bottom of how candidates want to be recruited and how you can grab their attention.

“If you want to hire top talent, then you have to make sure that they are aware of the opportunities at your firm and to let people know what a great place your company is to work. 43% of Irish professionals landed a new job through someone they knew at the company. So make your colleagues are aware of open roles and make them brand ambassadors for your company.

“The number one roadblock candidates in Ireland face when changing jobs is not knowing what it’s like to work at a company. 67% of Irish professionals say that culture and values are the most important thing they want to know about a company. So instead of simply posting a job ad with a role description, make sure to tell potential employees about your company’s culture as well.”

One of the main strategies Irish organisations should employ when recruiting is to help potential employees discover opportunities before they even apply. Irish professionals are more interested than their global counterparts in a company’s office locations, employee perspectives, and open jobs.

Candidates in Ireland say their biggest obstacle when changing jobs is not knowing enough about a company, with 35% worried that they do not know what it’s like to work at an organisation. This can be tackled by making sure open roles are easy to find and connecting interviewees with employees who can share what it’s like to work for their company.