More employees on the lookout for better jobs

MORE employees are likely to explore new career avenues that could lead to a better job, more money and a better life, presenting a huge opportunity for job recruitment firms, says Seek Asia.

"We are witnessing a potential growth in passive candidates, which refers to those who are still being employed but keep their eyes open for new opportunity," said Jake Andrew, chief product officer of Seek Asia – the parent company of leading online employment marketplaces JobsDB.com and JobStreet.com.

This emerging trend was found in a job candidate survey Seek Asia conducted in November. In the survey, which was based on people who changed jobs, 58 per cent were active candidates and 42 per cent were passive candidates.

The study found that passive candidates are now more tuned into market conditions and are looking for opportunities.

For companies to tap his market, Andrew said that JobsDB would soon introduce new services – job alert relevance, advanced talent searches and company reviews – to increase the chances of attracting a candidate through a job. JobsDB launched the services in key markets including Singapore and Malaysia last year.

On top of this new service, Seek Asia is putting more emphasis on engagement via its JobsDB mobile application. The company said that the platform dominated Internet access in the Kingdom in line with the increasing penetration of smartphone users. The number of smartphone users is expected to hit 24.8 million in the next three years.

"To date, 60 per cent of the total members [in the market] are active via the JobsDB mobile application," said Noppawan Chulakanista, managing director of JobsDB Recruitment (Thailand).

Andrew said that figure was five to 10 per cent four years ago when Seek Asia acquired its stake in JobsDB.

To encourage passive candidates to find new jobs, Seek Asia is also investing more in public relations and marketing campaigns. This is line with it expanding its markets, particularly in key cities outside Bangkok.

Seek Asia chief marketing officer Geraldine Wong said that the company had increased its marketing budget for Thailand by 30 per cent in the first four months of this financial year.

"Digital ad campaigns and roadshows in key provinces are a key strategy this year," Wong said, adding that employees should keep their resumes up to date in preparation for new opportunities.