One for the Pimps

[rl4engc]

Hi All,

Supposing I'm on a jobs board that shows you the number of applications against an IT contract role (fairly common tech role, lets say 12 applications over a month).

1) On average, out of those 12 applications, how many of them would be put forward?
2) As a Tech Whore and not a Pimp, I only see the 12 figure (i.e. one site), but, from the Pimps point of view, what is the average ratio (across all sites) of applications : put forward?

I guess I'm just trying to gauge competition; anecdotally in the past I've got the impression that a lot of lemons get put forward (as well as me ) but just trying to work out if and by how much the landscape has changed in the last 18 months or so (Brexit, IR35).

I did actually do some digging using itjobswatch and web.archive org. , If you imagine a graph going back 18 months, it went something along the lines of (again for a fairly common skillset so should represent the overall industry)

T-18 Months: 26K Perm 8K Contract
T-12 Months: 21K Perm 7K Contract
T-6 Months: 18K Perm 6K Contract
0 : 18K Perm 6.8K Contract

This would point to

1) A big squeeze in permie jobs
2) Less of a squeeze in contract jobs (but with more permies looking at our contract roles, increasing competition)
3) Tentative signs of a recovery in contract roles

Any comments as to whether this is accurate or not?

[WTFH]

Your figures may be accurate, but that doesn’t mean your conclusions are.

You’ve started out with an assumption of 12 applications in a month. Do you mean that 12 people applied for the role, 12 were put forward for the role, or 12 had interviews?
Is that number based on one website, or all places that the role was advertised?
It looks like you are saying that 12 people applied for the role via that website.
How many people applied direct to the agent?
How often did the job actually exist and was not just a fishing exercise?
Has the website changed its charging fees? Have agents gone to other sites to advertise?

The only conclusion that can be drawn is:
1. There are fewer permanent jobs being advertised on that website.

This doesn’t mean “a big squeeze”, nor does it mean a big increase in permies wanting to get into contracting, nor does it show a recovery in contract roles. You’d probably want to study the data over 5+ years to start to see if there were trends there based on the time of year, etc.

[rl4engc]

Your figures may be accurate, but that doesn’t mean your conclusions are.

You’ve started out with an assumption of 12 applications in a month. Do you mean that 12 people applied for the role, 12 were put forward for the role, or 12 had interviews?
Is that number based on one website, or all places that the role was advertised?
It looks like you are saying that 12 people applied for the role via that website.
How many people applied direct to the agent?
How often did the job actually exist and was not just a fishing exercise?
Has the website changed its charging fees? Have agents gone to other sites to advertise?

The only conclusion that can be drawn is:
1. There are fewer permanent jobs being advertised on that website.

This doesn’t mean “a big squeeze”, nor does it mean a big increase in permies wanting to get into contracting, nor does it show a recovery in contract roles. You’d probably want to study the data over 5+ years to start to see if there were trends there based on the time of year, etc.

1) 12 people clicked 'apply' on one website.
2) One website
3) That is correct.
4) I have no visibility, that's what I was asking you lot.
5) I (and judging by the number of fishing adverts with 0 applications) can spot them a mile off.
6) ?

Sorry I should have said in the OP, the question about 12 applications was just for one jobsite. The analysis was from itjobswatch, which AFAIK is a scraper that will use lots of different jobs boards (I dunno how it removes duplicates) but the point being I was using the latter to get a 'whole of market' picture.

So for the first question, as an agent, if 12 distinct people apply for one role, roughly, on average (obviously it depends on a lot of factors) how many would be be put through? 1? 3? 8? 12?

[tiggat]

Hi All,

Supposing I'm on a jobs board that shows you the number of applications against an IT contract role (fairly common tech role, lets say 12 applications over a month).

1) On average, out of those 12 applications, how many of them would be put forward?
2) As a Tech Whore and not a Pimp, I only see the 12 figure (i.e. one site), but, from the Pimps point of view, what is the average ratio (across all sites) of applications : put forward?

I guess I'm just trying to gauge competition; anecdotally in the past I've got the impression that a lot of lemons get put forward (as well as me ) but just trying to work out if and by how much the landscape has changed in the last 18 months or so (Brexit, IR35).

I did actually do some digging using itjobswatch and web.archive org. , If you imagine a graph going back 18 months, it went something along the lines of (again for a fairly common skillset so should represent the overall industry)

T-18 Months: 26K Perm 8K Contract
T-12 Months: 21K Perm 7K Contract
T-6 Months: 18K Perm 6K Contract
0 : 18K Perm 6.8K Contract

This would point to

1) A big squeeze in permie jobs
2) Less of a squeeze in contract jobs (but with more permies looking at our contract roles, increasing competition)
3) Tentative signs of a recovery in contract roles

Any comments as to whether this is accurate or not?

Seasonality in the jobs market is probably over 12 months, so take 30 months data then draw conclusions.

[Stevie Wonder Boy]

Hi All,

Supposing I'm on a jobs board that shows you the number of applications against an IT contract role (fairly common tech role, lets say 12 applications over a month).

1) On average, out of those 12 applications, how many of them would be put forward?
2) As a Tech Whore and not a Pimp, I only see the 12 figure (i.e. one site), but, from the Pimps point of view, what is the average ratio (across all sites) of applications : put forward?

I guess I'm just trying to gauge competition; anecdotally in the past I've got the impression that a lot of lemons get put forward (as well as me ) but just trying to work out if and by how much the landscape has changed in the last 18 months or so (Brexit, IR35).

I did actually do some digging using itjobswatch and web.archive org. , If you imagine a graph going back 18 months, it went something along the lines of (again for a fairly common skillset so should represent the overall industry)

T-18 Months: 26K Perm 8K Contract
T-12 Months: 21K Perm 7K Contract
T-6 Months: 18K Perm 6K Contract
0 : 18K Perm 6.8K Contract

This would point to

1) A big squeeze in permie jobs
2) Less of a squeeze in contract jobs (but with more permies looking at our contract roles, increasing competition)
3) Tentative signs of a recovery in contract roles

Any comments as to whether this is accurate or not?

Garbage in Garbage out - Based on Pimp Adverts. Could be upwards of 70% complete Spam, CV harvesting etc.

The answer, god knows.

[Mordac]

Garbage in Garbage out - Based on Pimp Adverts. Could be upwards of 70% complete Spam, CV harvesting etc.

The answer, god knows.

Quite right, blind fella with the funny looking guide dog. The other 30% could just be complete bollox...

[jamesbrown]

Quite right, blind fella with the funny looking guide dog. The other 30% could just be complete bollox...

70% complete spam and 30% complete bollox.

sas is a pimp?

[SueEllen]

70% complete spam and 30% complete bollox.

I make that 75% / 25% but your mileage clearly differs.

[jamesbrown]

I make that 75% / 25% but your mileage clearly differs.

Yes, I'd say that's a little light on bollux for sas, although not necessarily heavy on spam. Also, if we're using scootie to do the spreadsheet, 105% is plausible, so let's agree on 75% spam and 30% bollux.

[NigelJK]

No one with any experience of the job banks uses the 'apply for' button. So you are measuring those noobs to the market.