Majority Of Middle East Senior Managers Are Hired Online: Study

Around 98 per cent of job applicants in senior management positions across the Middle East applied online for potential openings, according to a study by recruitment solutions consultancy Cazar.

Contrary to popular belief, the study found that senior candidates prefer to engage directly with potential employers online.

Companies’ dedicated career websites received around 65 per cent of the applications for senior positions, while job boards received around 29 per cent of the applications. LinkedIn was the third biggest source for job seekers.

The report examined the trends adopted by the companies in the Middle East when hiring senior management across sectors including retail, construction, banking, transport, IT, media and telecoms.

Applications for senior positions were found to be almost double the number for mid-level and entry-level positions. While a single senior position vacancy attracted an average of 566 applicants, a regular vacancy drew in around 274 job seekers.

There has been a 70 per cent rise in applications for management positions since 2011, the report said, adding that the increase could be attributed to the current economic climate and the popularity of online searches for jobs.

The candidates’ preference to look online for employment is also reflected in the hiring trends.

Majority of the candidates (38 per cent) hired for senior positions across the region were employed from the company’s career website. This reaffirmed that good quality candidates see a benefit in engaging directly with the employers, the study said.

Around 22 per cent of the senior candidates were hired through the company’s talent pool while internal promotions were also successful with 14 per cent of the management recruits hired via this channel.

The study also found that the most efficient way for senior management candidates to get hired is through professional networking and employee referrals. Around 37 per cent of the recruitment happened through professional networking while 27 per cent of senior managers were hired through employee referrals.

“Quality senior candidate know who they want to work for, so they directly go on those employers’ career website. That is why it is so essential for these companies to present content that is attractive to potential applicants,” said Guy Rickett, CEO, Cazar.

But Rickett said that just adding a career page is not just enough to attract quality talent since candidates want to engage with their employers.

“Having a good talent pool should be every employer’s objective. It is the fastest, easiest and most cost-efficient recruitment method. Especially, in the case of senior roles, it drastically cuts agency costs and can slash hiring time by 50 per cent,” said Rickett.