Regardless of whether they’re buying a house or sandwich, consumers today are arguably more savvy researchers than ever before and have access to an unprecedented amount of information and resources at their fingertips. This behavior pattern has transferred over to the way people search for jobs, as well.

For instance, just as they might consult several different sources of information to research a potential purchase, people are doing similar research prior to applying for jobs. In fact, on average job seekers use 16 different sources when searching for a job, according to the 2013 Candidate Behavior Study. The survey took into account responses from more than 5,500 job seekers and more than 2,700 hiring managers.TWEET THIS

Here’s a breakdown:
85 percent of candidates rely on search engines like Google or Bing to research jobs.
83 percent look at company career sites.
75 percent rely on traditional networking.
69 percent refer to job boards.

Check out our post from last December on how more than half of candidates use social and professional networks for job research.

What This Means For You

In case you had any doubt, this just goes to show that job seekers are really doing their homework on what else is out there.

After all, if we can download and peruse menus from a handful of restaurants before choosing a simple meal, you can imagine the weight candidates place on their job search.

So as you go about creating or reinforcing your recruitment strategy, make sure you take the time to really get to know your candidates and their behavior as job seekers. And clicking below is a great place to start.

Visit the 2013 Candidate Behavior Microsite: cb.com/CandidateBehavior2013
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