Research published by Cisco AppDynamics reveals the importance that job seekers and employees are attaching to digital experiences as the search for talent is intensifying in many industries.

99% of respondents in India state that it is important that the applications they use to find and apply for jobs provide a fast and seamless experience, without any delays or disruption. And 75% claim that if these applications fail to perform, it puts them off working for the employer in question.

Job seekers are relying on applications to find their next role
The average person now uses a total of six applications or digital services when looking for or applying for a new job – and this increases to eight in the U.S and nine in India. The most heavily used digital services are job sites, social media platforms, employer websites and employer review sites. And most people looking for a job use at least one of these services daily.

Expectations for digital experiences have soared over the past few years as people across the world have increasingly relied on the convenience and flexibility that applications and digital services provide in almost every aspect of their lives. At the same time, reactions when people encounter issues with these applications have strengthened.

75% of people admit that if the applications they were using to find and apply for a new job didn’t perform properly, it would leave them feeling anxious and angry. Job seekers have zero tolerance for poorly performing applications and digital services - in fact, as many as 73% state that potential employers have only one shot to impress them with their digital services.

In an intensely competitive labor market, a problem with the job application or digital can frustrate job seekers and even deter many of them from applying.

Digital experience is now the foundation for a strong employer brand
The research, conducted among more than 12,000 consumers in 12 countries, highlights how digital experience has become a key consideration for people when they’re investigating new job opportunities. In India, 87% of people report they want to work for an employer that provides seamless digital experiences throughout the recruitment process.

Significantly, the research reveals huge upsides for employers that can deliver high performing applications and digital services to both existing and potential employees. Globally, 73% of people claim they're more likely to choose an employer who provides great and seamless digital experiences, 33% report they’re more likely to talk positively about the employer, and 31% state they’re more likely to stay with that employer.

The survey confirms that employers need to focus on providing a quick and seamless experience for prospective employees on digital channels, such as through a recruitment section on their website or email and messaging tools. This is essential for developing an appealing employer brand.

Employers need unified observability solutions to drive digital experience and get ahead in the search for talent
Many organizations struggle to optimize application availability and performance due to a shift to multi-cloud and hybrid environments. This lack of visibility and insight can lead to disruption and downtime, and potential damage to the customer experience, reputation, and revenue. IT teams need an observability solution that provides flexibility to span across both cloud native and on-premises environments and to monitor the health of key business transactions distributed across their entire technology landscape. With real-time insights from the business transaction’s telemetry data, technologists can quickly pinpoint the root cause of issues and expedite resolution.

With talent issues continuing to present a huge strategic challenge for business leaders in all sectors, employers cannot overlook the critical importance of digital experiences right across the employee lifecycle. By ensuring that their IT teams have the tools and insights to keep applications and digital services performing at optimal levels at all times, employers can provide prospective employees with brilliant and lasting digital experiences.