- 64% of public sector workers think that cuts have driven people to leave the sector
- Over half of public sector workers (57%) think that the private sector is now more attractive than the public sector
- Over half of all jobseekers (61%) say the search for public sector jobs has taken longer than they anticipated
- Despite this, over half of jobseekers (55%) still think the public sector offers an appealing career with pay, pensions and generous benefits
Public sector workers fear their jobs are at risk and are turning to the private sector to find employment, according to a survey of over 3,000 jobseekers conducted by totaljobs.
The research revealed that 64% of employees from the public sector fear that their job is at risk as a result of public sector cuts. With the economic recovery continuing, over half (57%) of respondents say they believe that the private sector offers a more attractive alternative and three quarters (75%) are happy to be approached with job opportunities even when they are not actively looking for work.
Despite this, over half of all jobseekers (55%) still think that the public sector offers an appealing career. Generous pay, pensions and benefits, as well as increased flexible working opportunities were cited as some of the most popular reasons.
However, candidates are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lengthy application process associated with the sector and the significant majority (61%) say that the search for public sector jobs has taken longer than they anticipated. Nearly three quarters (68%) say that they think that the public sector’s application process is the longest.
Ian Burke, director at totaljobs, said: “Jobseekers are reading the news about public sector cuts and inevitably feeling more cautious about a career in this line of work. However, it’s still an area that is popular with candidates thanks to benefits such as flexible working policies.
“The Conservative government has said that it will focus on making recruitment in the sector ‘more open’ and that it will ‘actively look for exceptional talent, especially in areas where capabilities are in short supply.’ With this in mind public sector employers looking to restructure and recruit the best talent must ensure that their application process is streamlined and easy to understand.”
The majority of jobseekers surveyed apply for jobs on their desktops (75%) while almost one in five (18%) use a mobile device. Of mobile users, the majority (75%) find this process easy to use.
Burke continued: “When hiring, public sector employers need to ensure that they cast the recruitment net as wide as possible in order to find the right candidates by making the search and application process as easy as possible.
“Mobile job search and application systems make it easier for jobseekers to search and apply for jobs, which in turn will help employers to find the right candidate.”
The totaljobs mobile optimised site and new mobile app enables jobseekers to apply for jobs on the go and send CVs to prospective employers via cloud-based services like DropBox and Google Drive. The ‘save and apply later’ feature on the app and site means recruiters can still attract mobile jobseekers, even if the job requires candidates to fill out an application form on a desktop. Every totaljobs vacancy is accessible to users through the app, meaning job hunters can view over 110,000 jobs at any time.
The jobseeker app also allows candidates to create custom job notifications on their handset, which highlight new jobs within an hour of them going live on the totaljobs website. Since launch, the totaljobs app has received 106,435 downloads.
