Of all the methods tech professionals use to look for a job, the majority say that working with recruiters gives them the best experience, according to a tech candidate experience survey by Matrix Resource Inc., a provider of technology staffing. However, the survey also found the biggest trend across the board was the lack of communication that happens between recruiters, hiring managers and candidates. Furthermore, a lack of transparency makes it hard for candidates to get the feedback they need to improve before their next job application.

The survey asked, “In what ways do you seek or otherwise learn about potential job opportunities?” Responses include:

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Web searches for jobs: 78%

Networking/friends: 66%

Communication with recruiters: 65%

Direct visits to employer websites: 57%

Push notifications: 47%

Social media: 37%

Sponsored job ads on non-employment websites: 10%

Other: 5%

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Of these ways to find job opportunities, the largest number of respondents, 28%, said communication with recruiters provides the best experience. However, while 48% said a higher likelihood of getting a job offer was the greatest value they get from working with an agency recruiter, 38% also cited a lack of communication during job search as the main struggles encountered while working with a recruiter. Other struggles included:

• Lack of communication during job search: 38%
• I feel like recruiters don’t have my best interest at heart: 36%
• Recruiter doesn’t understand technologies I work with: 34%
• Recruiter doesn’t understand my career goals: 19%
• Other: 19%
• Recruiter doesn’t give honest feedback: 17%
• Recruiter doesn’t prepare me well for client interviews: 9%

“The survey data highlights a disconnect between IT job seekers and talent acquisition professionals,” said Matrix Executive VP Jon Davis. “To improve candidate experience, recruiters have to get better at communicating with candidates and understanding their expectations for communication and transparency.”

The survey also found 55% of technical professionals say they look at job opportunities daily or weekly, and 26% review job opportunities on a monthly basis. On a scale from one to 10, with 10 being most likely, the average respondent answered seven when asked how likely they would be to change jobs in the next 12 months. The primary job function that stands out against the daily trend are developers. Java developers report looking for jobs weekly, .NET developers say monthly, while developers in the “other” category report they rarely look at job opportunities. 

Matrix Resources conducted the survey online between Aug. 1 and Aug. 30, 2016, among 1,418 technical professionals across the US. Forty-two percent of respondents report having no relationship with Matrix, 33% have spoken but not worked with Matrix, and 25% are current or prior Matrix contractors.