A Manpower report, Always Looking: The Rise of Continuous Candidates, found that just under a third (30%) of workers in the UK fall into this category. The percentage of continuous candidates was linked to age, with 60% of them belonging to the millennial or gen Y (aged 18 to 34) age range. Within the millennial age group the likelihood of being a continuous candidate was weighted towards older members, as 70% of the millennial continuous candidates were aged 25 to 34 (versus only 30% aged 18 to 24).
Out of those identified as continuous candidates, 43% agreed with the idea that every job is temporary, and 57% hoped that changing jobs would increase their compensation. Nearly three in 10 (29%) said they had applied for between three and nine new jobs in the past six months, compared to only 11% of those who weren't classed as continuous candidates.
Sarah Peiker, head of RPO for ManpowerGroup Solutions Europe, warned that businesses will need to evolve to cope with the changing desires of the workforce. “As companies evolve their core businesses are changing,” she said. “Xerox is responding, whereas Kodak could not. Hiring is becoming less about a specific job and more about the underlying skills needed to adapt to changing market forces.”
She suggested that organisations evaluate their staff to identify who may be a continuous candidate, and evolve in ways to support and attract them. “Savvy employers are taking the word ‘talent’ back,” she said. “They are looking at their high potential employees – where high potential meets high performance – and nominating them for mentorship programmes.
“Employers are going to have to become an employer of choice. Companies need to create a culture that people don’t want to leave. Branding and trust are critical components."
