REPUTATION OF CEO IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR JOBSEEKERS

In todayís scandal ridden economy, jobseekers are willing to forgo a job offer if they donít like the look of the companyís CEO, according to new research conducted for totaljobs Live, totaljobs.comís offline recruitment show.

An overwhelming majority (78 per cent) say the reputation of the CEO is an important factor when deciding whether to apply for a job. Not only that, but 75 per cent would be put off applying for a position if the CEO had a poor reputation.

Jobseekers were also asked to vote for their favourite CEOs and unsurprisingly Richard Branson is the most admired, gaining a huge 68 per cent of the vote. Easyjetís Stelios Haji-Ioannou led the chasing pack with 18 per cent. In contrast, less colourful CEOs fail to inspire potential employees, with Vodafoneís Sir Chris Gent receiving only 6 per cent.

Additionally, people seem to have taken on board the recent corporate responsibility mantra, with 92 per cent stating that a companyís values are important when applying for a job.

ìThe jobseekers of today are a different breed to those of the 1980ís,î says Keith Robinson, operations director of totaljobs.com. ìBack then, the most important draw when looking for a job was the package ñ including money, benefits and extra perks. Although these factors still have a role to play, in 2002 a companyís brand, what it stands for and whether it is socially responsible have a bigger influence on those looking for work.

ìCompanies need to carefully consider how they portray themselves to potential employees and recognise the power of their CEOs reputation. Our research shows that a dynamic CEO can help a company attract the right candidates for a position, whilst a failing one can have the opposite effect. î

Moreover, the web has taken over as the first port of call for potential employees to get an understanding of what a company stands for, according to the study. Sixty-six per cent use corporate websites to gather information, with only 10 percent using company advertising and marketing to influence their decision.

ìThe web is now an integral part of the recruitment process. By making their corporate website inviting to potential candidates, companies can often entice not only the active jobseeker but the passive as well ñ including individuals who may have entered the site for an entirely different reason,î concludes Robinson.

The survey was undertaken for totaljobs Live, which will take place at the Business Design Centre on 3 and 4 September where some of the UKís largest employers including Marks and Spencerís and Asda, will be under the spotlight. Totaljobs Live allows recruiters to pre-select jobseekers they want to interview prior to the event.