The document summarizes findings from the 2014 Kelly Global Workforce Index survey of over 230,000 employees in various regions and industries. Key findings regarding job seekers in the life sciences sector include:
1) Globally less than a third of employees in life sciences feel totally committed to their current employers, indicating disengagement, though engagement is higher in Asia-Pacific than Europe, Middle East and Africa.
2) Online job boards are the most common method for securing recent jobs, used by a quarter of respondents globally, while social media is increasingly used for career decisions and job searches.
3) Interest in participating in companies' online talent communities is higher in Asia-Pacific than Europe, seen as a
2. 2Kelly Global Workforce Index™
3 Confronting employee
‘disengagement’
6 Connecting employees
in conversation
8 Opening the door
to new talent
12 Social media and
career networking
15 Online job boards
lead the way
17 The employee preference
in online job boards
19 Conclusion: Casting
a wider net
contents
The Kelly Global Workforce Index
(KGWI) is an annual global survey
revealing opinions about work and the
workplace. Almost 230,000 people
across the Americas, EMEA and APAC
regions responded to the 2014 survey.
The topics covered in the 2014
KGWI survey include:
• Engaging active and
passive job seekers
• Career development
• The candidate experience
from hiring to onboarding
• Worker preferences and
workplace agility
A total of 31 countries participated in the
survey, utilizing 20 different languages.
Results span workplace generations, as
well as key industries and occupations.
This first installment, on the topic,
Engaging Active and Passive Job
Seekers, examines the nature of the
contemporary job search process
from a candidate’s perspective
across the Life Sciences sector.
It looks at the state of employee
engagement with work, following
a period where many have
been unsettled by industry
restructuring and job cutbacks.
It also identifies the way that employees
are conversing over jobs and work
and the role that online and social
media play in these discussions.
The opening up of new communications
platforms has particular relevance
for employers who want to identify
not only active job seekers, but
passive or ‘hidden’ job seekers.
The Kelly Global
Workforce Index 2014
3. 3Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Confronting employee
disengagement
In the aftermath of the global economic slowdown,
many employees across the globe are showing
signs of ‘disengagement’ from their work.
4. 4Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Globally, less than a third (31%) of
those in Life Sciences say they
are ‘totally committed’ to their current
employers. This has implications for
workplace morale and productivity.
The level of engagement in APAC
(30%) is slightly higher than in EMEA
(27%), but it does suggest a systemic
problem with implications for workplace
productivity and performance.
Looking across countries in EMEA
and APAC, the highest levels of
engagement are in India and
Russia (both 46%), Norway (36%)
and Poland (33%). The lowest are
in Italy (2%) and Hungary (9%).
How ‘committed’ or ‘engaged’ do you feel with your current employer?
(% ‘Totally committed’ by Country)
Employee
engagement
GLOBAAPACEMEAItalyHungaryGermanyPortugalSingaporeAustraliaMalaysiaFranceSwitzerlandChinaUKIndonesiaPolandNorwayRussiaIndia
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
APAC 30%
GLOBAL 31%
EMEA 27%
AUSTRALIA
CHINA
FRANCE
GERMANY
HUNGARY
INDIA
INDONESIA
ITALY
MALAYSIA
PORTUGAL
RUSSIA
SINGAPORE
SWITZERLAND
UNITEDKINGDOM
NORWAY
POLAND
5. 5Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Closely tied to the notion of
employee engagement is the
issue of how valued employees
feel by their employers.
Globally, 43% of Life Sciences
employees say they feel valued at work,
but with a significantly higher rate in
APAC (50%) than in EMEA (40%).
The highest rates are in Russia
(64%), Norway (60%) and India and
Indonesia (both 57%). The lowest
are in Poland and Italy (both 26%).
To what degree do you feel that you are valued by your current employer?
(% ‘Highly valued’ and ‘Valued’ by Country)
Employee
perception
of value to
employer
0%
30%
20%
10%
40%
50%
60%
70%
GLOBAL 43%
APAC 50%
EMEA 40%
FRANCE
GERMANY
HUNGARY
INDIA
MALAYSIA
PORTUGAL
ITALY
RUSSIA
SINGAPORE
UNITEDKINGDOM
NORWAY
POLAND
INDONESIA
CHINA
SWITZERLAND
AUSTRALIA
6. 6Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Connecting employees
in conversation
Amid a period of job uncertainty in some regions and countries,
employers face the issue of how best to open or maintain a dialogue
with employees who may be exploring job alternatives. The survey
results show that targeting prospects with regular, personalized
communications can be an effective technique to build a relationship.
7. 7Kelly Global Workforce Index™
When candidates in the Life
Sciences sector are asked about
their preferences, the strongly favored
method (cited by 62%) is for periodic
contact through phone calls, emails and
messages from potential employers
about relevant work opportunities.
This method is greatly preferred in
EMEA (62%) ahead of APAC (49%).
Participation in a firm’s talent community
is becoming more important, particularly
in APAC where 20% have embraced
the idea of talent communities, well
ahead of employees in EMEA (8%).
Which of the following best describes how you would like to be engaged by a prospective employer?
(% by Region)
Preferred
method of
engagement
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
OtherReceive updates on
company's financial
performance
Participate in social
events/networking
opportunities with
company employees
Participate in the
company's social
media network
Participate in the
company's talent
community/networking
with others in online
talent community pool
Receive periodic
contact regarding
work that fits my
skill set and interests
EMEA
APAC
Global
8. 8Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Opening the door
to new talent
Online talent communities are still a relatively new phenomenon, but they
are attracting support in certain markets. An online talent community
is an interactive forum where individuals engage with company
representatives and other community members. They will be informed
about the business, as well as hear about potential job opportunities.
This study focused on employer/company-specific talent pools.
9. 9Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Experience in
online talent
communities
Globally in Life Sciences, 15% of
workers say they have participated
in employers’ online talent communities.
The average across APAC is 22%,
considerably above EMEA (9%).
Across APAC, there are high rates in
countries including India (32%) and
China (22%), while Russia (24%) and
Hungary (23%) are the highest in EMEA.
Have you had any experience participating in an employer’s online talent community?
(% ‘Yes’ by Country)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
0
GLOBALAPACEMEAFranceGermanySingaporeSwitzerlandNorwayUKPolandPortugalAustraliaItalyMalaysiaChinaHungaryRussiaIndia
APAC 22%
GLOBAL 15%
EMEA 9%
AUSTRALIA
FRANCE
GERMANY
HUNGARY
INDIA
ITALY
PORTUGAL
RUSSIA
SINGAPORE
SWITZERLAND
UNITEDKINGDOM
NORWAY
POLAND
CHINA
MALAYSIA
10. 10Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The advantages of online talent
communities among those who
have participated (15% globally)
largely centre on access to jobs,
cited by almost three-quarters
(72%), and slightly more important
in APAC (68%) than EMEA (61%).
There is also an attraction to the
idea of learning more about a
company, cited by 45% globally.
A total of 38% say they like learning
what it is like working for a company
from current and former employees.
This is much more of an attraction in
APAC (47%) than in EMEA (38%).
Advantages of
online talent
communities
If ‘Yes’ to the previous question*, what do you like most about participating in an online talent community?
(% Globally, multiple responses allowed)
* Have you had any experience participating in an employer’s online talent community?
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
OtherAccess to
trusted industry
information
Access to
trusted career
information/tips
Access to
relevant skill
development
information
Learning what
it is like to work for
a given company,
from current
and former employees
Learning more
about a
given company
Access to job
opportunities
EMEA
APAC
Global
11. 11Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The idea of participating in these
online talent communities holds
appeal for many employees, offering a
glimpse inside a potential workplace.
Globally, among the 85% who have no
experience of online talent communities,
42% say they are either ‘very interested’
or ‘interested’ in becoming involved.
However, there is considerably
higher interest in APAC (55%)
than in EMEA (34%).
Interest is highest in India (70%),
Malaysia (64%) and Poland (60%).
Level of
interest in
online talent
communities
If no experience with online talent communities, how interested would you be in participating?
(% ‘Very Interested’ and ‘Interested’ by Country)
0%
20%
10%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
0
10
GLOBAAPACEMEAGermanyFranceSwitzerlandRussiaUKNorwaySingaporeAustraliaItalyHungaryPortugalChinaPolandMalaysiaIndia
APAC 55%
GLOBAL 42%
EMEA 34%
AUSTRALIA
GERMANY
INDIA
PORTUGAL
RUSSIA
SINGAPORE
SWITZERLAND
UNITEDKINGDOM
NORWAY
CHINA
MALAYSIA
POLAND
FRANCE
HUNGARY
ITALY
12. 12Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Social media and
career networking
Social media has become an important means of
communicating with potential candidates, and a key way
for employees to make critical career decisions.
13. 13Kelly Global Workforce Index™
More than a third (40%) of
Life Sciences respondents
globally rely on social media in
their job and career decisions.
However, the APAC region is well
above the global average at 58%,
while EMEA is below, at 38%.
The most prolific users of social
media in career and/or employment
decisions are China (69%), Malaysia
(67%), Hungary (66%) and India (63%).
Do you use your social media network when making career/employment decisions?
(% ‘Yes’ by Country)
Use of social
media networks
in employment
decisions
0%
20%
10%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
APAC 58%
GLOBAL 40%
EMEA 38%
AUSTRALIA
GERMANY
INDIA
PORTUGAL
RUSSIA
SINGAPORE
UNITEDKINGDOM
CHINA
MALAYSIA
FRANCE
HUNGARY
ITALY
SWITZERLAND
POLAND
NORWAY
14. 14Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The uptake of social media
means that it is occupying a
newfound place as a direct job
search tool, particularly at a time
when traditional print advertising for
jobs is declining in many markets.
Globally, more than one-third (36%)
say they are now more inclined to
search for jobs via social media than
through traditional means, such as
newspaper advertisements, online job
boards or recruitment companies.
APAC (53%) is well above the global
average in terms of the use of
social media for job searches. It is
also well ahead of EMEA (33%).
In some of the fast growing economies
of APAC, social media plays a prominent
part, most notably in Malaysia (74%),
India (63%) and China (53%).
Would you be more inclined to search for jobs via social media than traditional methods?
(% ‘Yes’ by Country)
Preference for
social media as a
job search tool
* ‘Traditional methods’ includes newspaper advertisements, online job boards or recruitment companies.
0%
20%
10%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
APAC 53%
GLOBAL 36%
EMEA 33%
AUSTRALIA
GERMANY
INDIA
PORTUGAL
RUSSIA
UNITEDKINGDOM
CHINA
MALAYSIA
HUNGARY
SWITZERLAND
NORWAY
SINGAPORE
FRANCE
ITALY
POLAND
15. 15Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Online job boards
lead the way
The way that Life Sciences employees secured their
most recent jobs tells much about the changing face of
recruitment and the differing trends in global markets.
16. 16Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Aquarter of respondents, globally,
secured their most recent job via
an online job board, a trend that is most
popular in EMEA (26%) and APAC (25%).
The use of recruitment/staffing
companies and headhunters was
the second most frequent method
of securing work, at 19% globally,
18% in EMEA, but considerably
higher, (27%) in APAC.
Direct approaches from employers/
recruiters constitute about 15%
globally and across the regions.
The use of ‘word-of-mouth’ as a means
of securing work is roughly twice as
common in EMEA as it is in APAC.
How did you secure your most recent job?
(% top four methods by Region )
Most common
method of
securing work
0%
10%
20%
30%
Word-of-mouthDirect approach from
employer/recruiter
Recruitment/
staffing company/
head hunter
Online job board
EMEA
APAC
Global
17. 17Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The employee preference
in online job boards
With the growth in the use of online job boards to find work,
there have emerged a number of differentiated offerings
to meet the needs of specific target audiences.
18. 18Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The preference among all
respondents are general job
boards that cater to a broad range
of positions and industries. Globally,
68% prefer these, with EMEA (73%)
and APAC (79%), both displaying a
strong preference for these outlets.
Company-specific job boards also have
a relatively strong following, with more
than one-third adopting these globally,
as well as across EMEA and APAC.
Aggregator job boards, which gather
a host of information and place it on a
single site, are preferred by more than
one-third globally (38%), by one-third
in EMEA, but by only 12% in APAC.
Niche and/or association-specific
job boards are the preferred choice
of a formidable 42% in EMEA,
but fewer (27%) in APAC.
Which of the following types of online job boards do you most prefer for searching job opportunities and/or evaluating the marketplace?
(% by Region, multiple responses allowed)
Preferred
online job
boards
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Niche and/or
association-specific job boards
Aggregator job boardsCompany-specific job boardsGeneral job boards
EMEA
APAC
Global
19. 19Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The advent of digital and online
communications has opened
up a plethora of conversations
about work and the workplace.
Employers now have a number of avenues
both to attract the most compelling talent,
and to convey information about their
businesses as preferred places to work.
This has made it possible to identify and
engage passive job seekers who may be
open to the right job at the right time.
Employees have moved en masse to
online job boards as the preferred vehicle
for searching. They have also been quick
to utilize social media in a variety of
career and job-related discussions.
There is also a growing recognition of
the role of online talent communities
as forums for informed conversations
with past and current employees,
providing prospective candidates with
valued insights into the workplace.
With the opening of multiple platforms
in which to converse and exchange
views, employers in Life Sciences have
an opportunity to make a contribution,
to highlight their core values, and to
canvass a wider array of candidates.
Conclusion
Casting a wider net