New research reveals that more and more businesses are using existing contacts and introductions to fill posts. The research found that it is increasingly “who you know” that counts when it comes to getting a job.
Bristol, UK 10 July 2009 — New research reveals that more and more businesses are using existing contacts and introductions to fill posts. The research found that it is increasingly “who you know” that counts when it comes to getting a job. A survey by advertising agency MBA shows that there has been a marked increase in the numbers of people recruiting staff via contacts rather than using more formal methods.
Thirty three per cent of businesses questioned said that they had recruited someone within the past 12 months who had been introduced to the company through a friend or a colleague. This is up from 17 per cent a year earlier.
These personnel had been offered jobs either before they had been formerly advertised, prior to briefing a recruitment company or, as in 51 per cent of the cases, when the next available opportunity arose. Twenty per cent of the businesses also said that they had more potential staff, introduced by friend or colleagues, still waiting placement opportunities with them.
The fact that recruitment agencies are being given a wide berth comes as no surprise to direct marketing guru, Drayton Bird of Drayton Bird Associates and expert contributor to Marketing Donut, the essential marketing website for SMEs.
“My opinion after 40 plus years of hiring people is to use all methods possible,” he says. “Most recruitment agencies are like most estate agents – useless. Two years ago I had to find a new PA. The agency wanted to charge over £2,500. Forget it. I wrote and ran a £19 ad on Gumtree. We got 86 applications in 48 hours. My biggest problem was deciding who to hire.”
And how did Drayton Bird get his break in the marketing business? “I got my first job through networking — only then they didn’t use that silly word.”
Indeed, the research shows that the majority of respondents (59 per cent) believe using contacts is a form of networking rather than nepotism (14 per cent). However, nearly all respondents agreed that, however they were introduced, the person still had to meet the employment criteria for the vacancy.
Further information:
Become a Marketing Donut expert by visiting the BHP Information Solutions website www.bhpinfosolutions.co.uk/Who-we-are/Experts.aspx
Register for Marketing Donut here www.marketingdonut.co.uk/user/register?destination=node%2F27
Find out more about Drayton Bird Associates here www.draytonbird.com/
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Mick Dickinson
BHP Information Solutions Ltd
Bristol, UK
0117 904 2224
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