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New Survey Reveals 5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Current Job Market in Kenya

Job seekers today will agree the job search process is not easy, and if a new survey on the current job market in Kenya is to go by, the process might get even harder. 

The new survey, launched on Monday, 27th March 2017 by Corporate Staffing Services in conjunction with the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM), reveals startling information.

Perminus Wainaina, the Managing Partner and Head of Recruitment at Corporate Staffing Services Ltd, speaking during the launch of the “Job Outlook Survey 2017: Trends, Challenges & Future Outlook”

According to findings from the survey, titled “Job Outlook Survey 2017: Trends, Challenges & Future Outlook”, most employers do not believe the current job market in Kenya will get better.

In fact, 73% of respondents said they will not be introducing any new positions this year.

Instead, they plan to hire for replacement positions or not hire at all.

And this is just the beginning of bad news. Below are 5 more things you did not know about the current job market in Kenya.

What You Didn’t Know About the Current Job Market in Kenya

1. Only 27% of Employers Will Be Hiring in New Positions

From the 892 Human Resource Professionals surveyed in the report, only 27% expect to hire employees in new positions. The rest do not expect to make any new hires for the remainder of 2017, and those who will be hiring will only do so in replacement positions.

This to mean job seekers are about to have an even harder job hunt, as they compete against huge numbers of suitably qualified candidates for very few available positions. So, how well prepared are you as a job candidate to stay ahead of the competition?

Read Also >>> How to Prepare Yourself for Your Next Job

2. Employees Should Not Expect a Salary Raise this Year

Unless you work for an organization whose pay is determined by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), like our Kenyan doctors, you should not expect an increase in compensation. According to the survey, 57% of employers are not planning to increase staff salary in 2017 and a few plan to decrease the salary.

The 43% that are anticipating an increase, they will do so in accordance with CBA implementation, annual inflation rate and the increase will be majorly on commuting and leave allowances. So, if this was the year you wanted to ask your boss for a salary raise, don’t get too disappointed when they say no. You are not the problem; blame it on the elections and slow economic growth.

3. Sales & Marketing, ICT, and Accounting are Top Professions to Find Jobs in 2017

Just because 73% of employers are not looking to hire in new positions does not mean all is lost for applicants in the current job market in Kenya. If you are in these 5 professions, you should expect more open positions throughout the rest of the year.

The professions are listed starting with the one expected to have more job openings.
1. Sales & Marketing
2. ICT
3. Administration
4. Accounting/Finance
5. Technical Professions (Engineering, Quantity Survey)

Is your profession among those listed above?

Read Also >>> Top Jobs to Look Out for if You are in This Profession

4. Too Many Applicants & Poor Quality of Candidates Top Recruiting Challenges

Survey findings on the current job market in Kenya and future expectations show the most common problems that organizations are suffering when recruiting include, too many applicants at 67% and poor quality of candidates at 56%. Acceptance of job offers by then subsequent withdrawal of candidates follows at 40%, with an unwillingness to relocate and failure to appear for interviews also making the list.

These top recruiting challenges have remained the same from the year 2015 when a similar survey was conducted.

5. August Elections & Slow Economy are to blame for the current job market in Kenya

When you are searching for jobs without luck, making applications without an interview invite from recruiters and asking for a salary raise that never comes, don’t take it too personally. According to the new survey, 52% of employers cited the current political climate as their biggest business challenge.

This was followed by slow economic growth at 43% and low consumer demand for goods and services at 30%. With these challenges at bay, organizations are finding it hard to maintain their daily operations and in turn, the current job market in Kenya is feeling the pinch.

In conclusion

The “Job Outlook Survey 2017: Trends, Challenges and Future Outlook”, was conducted between January and February 2017 among 892 respondents. It was commissioned to find out the sectors expecting to hire in the remainder of 2017, expectations in staff compensation levels and where to find jobs in 2017, among others.

From the findings, most employers are unsure of what to expect in regard to the overall job growth, with only 24% being certain there will be a growth in jobs. What do you think? Do you expect an increase in jobs or do you share the view of most Human Resource professionals as revealed in this new survey?

Share your thoughts by commenting below or write to us at clientservice@corporatestaffing.co.ke

2 Comments

  1. Thank you for conducting this very objective research. Its a good eye opener to the reality on the ground .It makes the job seeker build patience instead of being frustrated with the job search. I am a highly qualified professional who is on the lookout for fresh venture but 2017 has presented very few opportunities, sentiments echoed by my peers. Expectedly so when companies appear to be retrenching massive numbers of staff and very hiring few new positions and most are on an employment freeze. Government budget reading for instance froze on employment , NGOs a facing a funding cut and banks are downsizing to whether the interest rate cap just to mention a few.Entrepreneurs will also tell you that it has been a tough 2016 and not getting easier in 2017.And so if inflation rate is anything to go by Mr.Henry here is way too optimistic drifting away from reality of the way things really are. Kenyans travelling to Dubai cannot mirror an economic growth if Infrotrak Research and Consulting dubbed ‘Infrotrak Voice of the People Poll March 2016’, is in reality the case. Several surveys conducted this year also point out a not so positive economy and our debt as a country is fitting the high 3trn .However its not all doom and gloom. Even in a slow year there are opportunities of growth. Take for instance a business opportunity offering basic services that the general public cannot do without or providing goods in shortage like maize. This can also be a time to build skills like take a professional course or language course, network with friends,invest any surplus cash meant for capital if you choose to postpone starting up a business. The economy will eventually get better, analysts say.So however we look at it , its best to weather the storm as it passes and build room for the boom.

    Regards,

    Anonymous

  2. Was this research done in-house? According to me, this survey is limited to business support services which forms much of the jobs you guys post on your website, from small and medium companies that are probably from your clients! How about industries that have their own specialties, like airlines, manufacturing, telecommunications and the government, including county governments, are you suggesting they are not recruiting for new positions? Our economy is growing and this can be seen by an expanding middle class that is spending a lot, Kenyans are now number 2 in terms of number of tourists flying into Dubai, after Indians….Kenyans are spending weekends in Dubai nowadays, and flocking malls, buying vehicles and electronics, land and investments! How are these people getting money, are they not consuming this money here in our country and therefore creating employment?

    Your research is not authoritative as it does not cover the whole of Kenyan Economy, it only covers business support services, it only covers white collar jobs. Remember, the economy is not Nairobi only, it includes Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and many other parts of Kenya. Am sure you guys did not contact companies from Eldoret or Naivasha or Nyeri or Kajiado.

    Next time, please let Consumer Insight or Steadman or Infotrack do this research for you. I have a feeling that you guys simply followed a textbook guide or used a survey website to do some questions on emails or made some calls and you said, whoa, we have the results, let’s report, lets tell this to Kenyans, only 27% of 890 companies are recruiting!! You’re depressing Kenyans with that report that is not conclusive.

    Regards,

    Henry T. Williams

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