1/4th of job applicants in South Africa apply for a role even 10-20 days after the job is advertised

The most popular website for job applicants in the South Africa is LinkedIn, with 43% the candidates using the site to find and apply for open roles. 31% of candidates also share they connect with recruitment consultancies for support with their career progression. This is followed by employer websites and job boards. The survey shows that social media sites like Facebook rank as the least used platforms to search and apply for jobs. 

“With recruitment consultancies key for 31% of job applicants who look for jobs every day, there are benefits for employers in South Africa using a specialist not only to hire top talent, but also to benefit from employment market insights and learn which skills are in high demand in any sector”, says Paul Newman, Operating Director, Michael Page South Africa. This information is important for hiring managers, as it can give an indication of where they should focus their efforts in terms of promoting their job ads, and when thinking of using a recruitment partner. Hiring managers can access Michael Page’s 2021 South Africa Market Overview and Hiring Insights to learn about the post pandemic job market.   

When do candidates think it is too late to apply to an open role?  

 Other key statistics our recent survey found relate to the frequency people apply for jobs and when they consider it too late for a role. In general, 43% of applicants use LinkedIn every day, 29% several times a week, and 8% once a week. 31% apply for roles via recruitment firms every day, 31% several times a week and 9% once a week.  

This statistic tallies with job applicants checking when the job ad was posted - 9% of applicants in the Middle East said they felt it was too late to apply for a job after it had been live for 2-3 days, compared with 18% who felt it was too late to apply when the job was live for 5-10 days.  
 
However, with 25% saying they would still apply for a role even if it was live for over 10 days, it seems as though the quality of a position will prompt a dedicated job seeker to send their CV in. These figures suggest that candidates want to apply for roles even if not recently posted, suggesting they think they will be more likely to have their application viewed by a hiring manager. And in terms of time of day for applications, it seems as though candidates in South Africa follow the saying “the early bird gets the worm”, with 40% applying in the morning. Although not all of our job applicants think like this - 38% apply at any time of day, and only 6% use their lunchtimes to find new roles.  

What approach do job applicants take: apply to all open roles, or only ones that match their profile?  
 
When applying for open roles, candidates in South Africa generally look for positions that match their skills and experience, with 74% following this path, and only 5% applying for all roles. Further statistics from the survey suggest that candidates today know about keywords on CVs and in cover letters, with 12% adapting their CVs for each role they apply to, 22% alter their CV most of the times and 31% only sometimes. Their knowledge of keywords and of applicant tracking systems (ATS) means that job seekers today are very aware of the why behind adapting a CV for a specific role. Michael Page Africa recruiters share more advice on the importance of keywords in CV and cover letter. 
 
But why specifically do job applicants take the effort of tailoring their CV according to the role? 52% explaining that they know it adds value to an application, 35% adapt their CV because the role is a perfect fit, 33% of job applicants adapt their CV to meet a specific job description and 28% said they do this to increase the response rate from the potential employer, meaning they want the opportunity to interview, and know a role specific CV is the gateway to this.   

To send a cover letter or not send a cover letter, that is the question 
 
Job applicants in South Africa are very aware of the importance of cover letters when sending in an application – or at least 24% of them are, as they include one with every CV sent.  
13% include a cover letter specific to the role, and 20% include one sometimes and specific. However, a surprising 39% only send a cover letter when it is mandatory. Which prompts the question – why do candidates include a cover letter?  
 
50% said it is to prove their relevance for the role, 48% to communicate their experience in an engaging way, 45% explain it is to demonstrate their motivation, and 22% to demonstrate their understanding of the role. With only 16% saying they include a cover letter only because it is mandatory, are cover letters declining in importance? “Cover letters can help an application pass through specific points of a job application process by helping the candidate detail their history in an engaging way, and by meeting search terms from the potential employer”, advices Paul.   

154 professionals based in South Africa participated in this survey when they applied for a job at www.michaelpageafrica.com.