The recruitment climate is changing
The recruitment climate is increasingly data driven and digitalized. While employers have access to more data than ever before to guide their process of recruitment, they face strong challenges in differentiating themselves as attractive employers because candidates have far more power than before. Candidates can seek jobs not only locally but also cross regions. They have more possibilities to peek behind the walls to see what it is really like to work in a company. The implementation of new technologies in recruitment also awaken reactions from the candidates, especially among the younger generations. They need both the efficiency of robots and the effectiveness of human touch and authenticity in communication. The recent Covid-19 crisis has accelerated the pace of these changes even as candidates and employers rely more heavily on digital communication tools. At the same time it draws attention to the potential value and goodness of human beings. Companies who can effectively develop digital assets which convey company culture and emphasize human aspects will increase engagement with candidates.
All these shifts in the world of talent communication are captured by the Potentialpark Study 2020 which looks into candidate behavior and preferences, as well as the development of talent communication tools among employers.
Data and analytics: the vitality of company
In some ways, the recruitment process is experiencing the best period in its history. Never before have so many options and channels been available to target a wide range of talent. Social media platforms continue to be widely and frequently used by Asian candidates. For the region of Asia excluding mainland China, candidates are on multiple channels: YouTube (83%), Instagram (80%), Facebook (69%) and LinkedIn (50%). Employers follow the steps of candidates to these platforms: YouTube (87%), Facebook (69%), Instagram (60%), and LinkedIn (100%).
However, employers should keep in mind that Asia is a region that displays large variations in candidates' behaviours and preferences. The usage of Facebook, for example, ranged from less than half in Japan and South Korea to about 90% at Subcontinental Asia and close to 100% in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The social media usage in mainland China shows a different pattern: not only are the channels are different from the rest of the world, but the patterns of usage also differ: the absolute dominance of WeChat does not exclude the popularity of many other channels such as Weibo, Qzone, Baidu Tieba, Tencent Video, Youku and Tiktok; Chinese candidates are active on all these channels.
Unlike candidates in Europe and the USA where the majority don't actively look for information about employers on social media (with 43% and 37% do so, respectively), most Asian candidates (56%) seek out employers on social media, especially in Greater China (66%) and South-East Asia (64%). However, career-related content has not reached as many candidates as it should: only 42% Facebook users and 33% Instagram users have seen career-related content (excluding mainland China). This indicates potential for Asian employers to more effectively use social media for talent communication.
It is not enough for companies simply to be present on the social media platforms. The key is relevance - relevant content in the right form. Right now, candidates expect to find insights into culture on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, jobs on professional networks (e.g LinkedIn) and peek into different workplaces on video sharing platforms (e.g YouTube) (Potentialpark Study 2020). In general, candidates are looking to find their place of belonging and where they fit within a company.
Stay grounded - authenticity is crucial
Asian candidates consistently claim in our survey over the years that they are concerned with the authenticity of recruitment information. Despite the popularity of job boards, company career websites are the most trusted source (53%) for Asian candidates when looking for credible information about employers. Candidates expect career websites to help them find their fit in the company and would like to spend time on the website to look for information. However, they are often disappointed by content and information that is too general (62%) and get lost while browsing on the website (43%).
Even on social media, where filtered images and cliché captions are commonplace, candidates are seeking authenticity. In pursuit of insights into real interview experiences and typical workdays, over half of Asian candidates seek out employee reviews wherever available. This is even more prominent for candidates in Subcontinental Asia and South-East Asia where at least 70% of candidates check employer reviews on different platforms such as Indeed and Glassdoor. In mainland China, 56% candidates seek insights about the company that they are interested in on WeChat.
While candidates go to review platforms primarily to check reviews about a company, they are often also exposed to similar job opportunities by other employers who are often competing for the exact same pool of talent.
Use the slipstream of AI and humanity
While A.I. initially appeared to make the human role in recruitment obsolete, the supposedly conflicting elements of A.I. and human touch should be harnessed in combination by companies to propel themselves forward into the future of talent recruitment. Candidates in Asia are, in general, more open to employers' who embrace automation and HR tech (96%) than the global average (less than 90%). Asian candidates also have clear preferences on which parts of the recruitment process should not be automated. While a majority of candidates in Asia are open to chatbot assistance when searching for information about the company and jobs (64%), and when going through an application process (57%), only 26% are open to having their skills assessed during an interview.
Also, over the last one year, there has been a resurgence of interest in live events where candidates can meet employers. Potentialpark's study on social media reveals that updates about upcoming events to meet employers went from Top 10 pieces of content in 2019 to Top 3 in 2020. It’s clear that A.I. and automation are here to stay, but there’s also a greater need for human interaction than ever before.
There is light at the end of the recruitment funnel
Asian candidates are more likely to use their smartphone for career-related activities (80%), such as job search and application, as compared to candidates in the US and Europe (both are less than 70%). They are increasingly completing job applications on their mobile devices (45%), at a higher rate than the global average (36%). Again, regional gaps are significant in job applications via mobile devices, ranging from 26% in Japan and South Korea, to 45% in Greater China, 56% in South-East Asia and 58% in Subcontinental Asia. Following the candidates' steps, almost all companies in Asia now have mobile-friendly career sites, but not all of them follow through with mobile-friendly job search and application functions.
Companies need to recognize that most Asian candidates (55%) prefer the company's career website as their top route for job applications. By embracing new technologies, employers have been working hard to make the application process more transparent, easier and shorter. However, employers still lag behind candidates’ expectations in many aspects because of the rapid changes in preferences and behaviors of the new generations. 27% of Asian candidates reported that they have stopped and given up on filling in an application. Half of Asian candidates claimed that the biggest frustration was that it was not clear what happened with their application.
As both candidates and companies find new ways to stand out from the pack and communicate better with one another, the new decade of 2020 promises to shine brightly with less filters and more authenticity.
Summary of Winners, Biggest Movers & Shakers
The winners in digital talent communication in Asia are generally multinational companies, such as thyssenkrupp, Continental and L’Oréal, the top 3 winners of the Potentialpark Asian Ranking 2020. Listening to talent and reacting to their expectations is the key for their success.
The industrial engineering company thyssenkrupp remains the reigning champion, not only in the overall Potentialpark ranking, but also in all rankings regarding Career Website, Applying Online, Social Media and Mobile Application. It is therefore awarded the most Talent friendly employer in Asia!
The automotive parts manufacturing company Continental has risen 13 positions to secure the second position in Asia when it comes to their Career Website as they have the content that candidates are looking for. It has also climbed up 22 positions to be the eighth in the Applying Online ranking as they are more transparent and provide more information to help candidates be better prepared for the application process.
One of the biggest improvements in the online applying experience has been made by L’Oréal who jumped 47 spots in the Applying Online ranking to the sixth spot despite the fierce competition. We see the overall improvement is boosted by application intelligence tools which create a more candidate-friendly experience. This company also is at the third spot in the Social Media ranking, as a result of a multi-channel and yet channel-specific and personalized strategy.
Top 10 Potentialpark Ranking
Presenting the best employers in digital Talent Communication!
The Potentialpark Ranking reflects the performance of employers across all topics included in the Potentialpark Study: Career Website, Applying Online, Social Media, and Mobile experience.
Top 5 Career Website Ranking
It shows the employers who are best at attracting, informing, and converting candidates with the right content.
Top 5 Applying Online Ranking
It shows the employers with the most transparent application processes, best job search and functionality.
Top 5 Social Media Ranking
This ranking shows the employers with the best content mix across major Social and Professional networks such as: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Blogs
Top 5 Mobile Ranking
The Mobile Ranking shows the employers with the best candidate pathways on mobile devices.
