Statistically, These Are The 5 Ways You Are Most Likely To Get Your Next Job

There is a lot of advice in LinkedIn land about how you should go about landing your next job.

Beating the ATS, avoiding recruiters, bypassing the HR team and accessing the hidden job market will all rightly or (mostly) wrongly be mentioned.

But what are the most likely sources that candidates come from?

As someone who has worked in recruitment for 18 years, I have tracked this data for the past 10.

Let's go! Here are the top 5 ways you are going to land your next job, according to the stats.

1 - A Job Application (70-80%)

Yep, not exactly a shock is it.

You see a job online you are qualified for. You apply for it. Go to a couple of interviews and are offered the job.

Yes, it can be that easy.

Don't get me wrong. You'll likely apply for a few jobs. Get interviews for some, not for others, be unsuccessful for a few, but ultimately the statistics say this is how you are most likely to get your next job.

Whether it's the job ad on a company's career page, or a LinkedIn ad, or Indeed.... regardless of the platform, it's a job advert and subsequent application direct to the business that will end up getting you the job.

2. Headhunted/Sourcing (10-15%)

When I started in recruitment, Headhunting was tough! You would call businesses you wanted to target, pretending to be from an industry magazine in the hope you would get through the gatekeeper to your target - then give them 'the spiel'

Nowadays, for the most part, it is more sourcing than headhunting. Mainly via job board databases and the key one for most - LinkedIn

Ensuring your LinkedIn profile is keyword optimised is essential if you want to get found by recruiting businesses. The same goes for any industry and job-specific platforms you may have a profile on that is searchable.

3. Via a RecruitmentAgency (5-15%)

This does technically cover a few sources. Job Advert, Headhunting, LinkedIn Search.

Essentially what we tracked as a business was the number of candidates that came via agency as our source - not the source of where the agency got the candidate from.

As a candidate, partnering with recruitment agencies is essential for a well-rounded job search. Especially those in your specific niche.

They will have access to jobs you may not see advertised, especially if the business is smaller and does not have the budget to advertise their roles on LinkedIn or other job boards. Or on the rare occasion, it could be a confidential role the recruiting business do not want publically advertised.

Regardless, working with an agency can be hugely beneficial if they have a strong relationship with their client. From insights on the business and team to helping you negotiate the best offer you can (great for those not confident in this area).

Please note, however. Recruitment agencies work for their client. Not you, the candidate.

. Referral (5-10%)

Referrals are a great way to get a job and are underutilised in my opinion - on both sides. Candidates should look to get referred where possible, and companies should be promoting referrals and asking their current employees frequently (or even building a culture where the employees LOVE to refer their friends and connections)

It may be 4th on this list, but it is the best way to all but guarantee at least an interview in my experience. In the businesses I have worked, if someone within the organisation referred someone for an open role, 9 times out of 10 you would see them for an interview.

Always check to see if you know someone in the business you want to apply to. Make sure you genuinely know them enough to ask for a referral.

5. Other.....(5%)

This depends on each company.

It could be referrals that are not classed as referrals - like someone outside of the recruitment team receiving an email about a job opening, not knowing the person, and forwarding on the email to the recruitment team (which happens a lot), a talent pool of candidates you have or a speculative email application not for a specific job.

These are the main ways the well-known companies I have worked for have found talent.

Having spoken to my network of recruiters in the UK, US and Europe also - it is pretty similar across most businesses and industries.

Regardless these are actual stats, from the businesses I have worked in over the past 10 years.

Thanks for reading!

About me.

If you don't know me, I am Russell. Job Search Coach, Talent Consultant and LinkedIn Top Voice. I have almost 20 years of experience recruiting in Agency and In-House across Retail, Fashion, FMCG, Consumer, Digital and Media.

I now help job seekers in their job search, from identifying the job that they want, to CV review and writing, getting the most out of LinkedIn, Interviewing with knowledge and confidence and everything in between.

Are you currently looking or considering looking for a new job and are either unsure where to start, or just want to make sure you are getting the absolute most out of your search?

Click here to book in a call with me

We can have a free 20 minute chat about your job search, and if we feel it a good fit, can look to work together on it so you can get not just a job, but THE job.

All the best and have a great day, wherever you are.

Russell