When it comes to the recruitment industry, there’s been a lot of talk about how our jobs are changing. AI could automate a lot of the hiring process, while video technology is being used in over 60% of organisations using it for talent acquisition.

But what about the role of jobseekers?

At AdView Job Search, we’re acutely aware of of how the behaviour of jobseekers is changing. With over 1.2 million job adverts listed on our site, and 2.6 million verified jobseekers using us to find their next job, here are the trends we’re seeing…

Job Hopping Is Popular – And That’s A Good Thing

In the past, many employees would join a business and carve their own career path there.

Nowadays, there is a shift towards moving jobs more frequently to obtain better pay and other workplace benefits.

This comes down to a few factors. Millennials have notoriously high expectations in the workplace, and will go to great lengths to get the benefits they want and deserve.

In the last few years, we have also seen a record number of small businesses pop up. There is an accepted expectation of higher annual employee turnover at small businesses and start-ups in comparison to larger corporations, where employees are expected to stay and work their way up the internal career ladder.

This change in the face of UK enterprise has seen a similar change in jobseeker behaviour: with more positions opening and closing, jobseekers are returning to their job search more frequently.

For job boards and recruiters, this shift represents a higher demand for our services. It shows a more active market, and that job openings are becoming more and more frequent too.

The “Have WiFi, Can Work” Attitude

There’s no doubt that technology has had the greatest impact on jobs over the last 10+ years.

For jobseekers, it has meant a shift in priorities. From an employer’s point of view, there is a common expectation for all employees to be computer literate. In return, jobseekers are more likely to respond to job adverts that offer flexible working – which has been made possible, and more popular, through personal technology.

This is a modern expectation, and while it might seem like a minor benefit, it actually represents a good work-life balance, as well as the opportunity for staff to be with their family more, reduce commuting costs and stress, and even take up healthier routines.

This change is reflected in the record numbers of people working from home, with the Office of National Statistics reporting up to 14% of the working population working in this way.

Everyone’s A Freelancer

Similarly, the internet has made it incredibly easy to sell our skills online. Dubbed the “gig economy”, there’s more opportunity than ever for people to work independently. This has created a whole new category of jobseeker – one who will continuously search for jobs, even when they are in work.

It makes sense: jobseekers looking for short-term or part-time work often stay subscribed to job alerts even while in work, so they can jump into new and better positions when they present themselves.

And with so much more human resource available, businesses of all sizes can hire freelancers to work efficiently on specific projects, rather than tie themselves to full-time employees and all the benefits they would otherwise be owed.

Besma Whayeb writes for AdView Job Search, a leading UK job search aggregator listing over 100,000 new job ads every day.