New research published by LinkedIn, reveals that nearly half (45 per cent) of Brits* would rather be at the pub than spend time applying for a job they want. However, from this week, LinkedIn is showing that it needn’t be one or the other. The world’s largest professional network opened the doors to The Linked Inn – a pop-up pub where punters can apply their social activity to get a new job.
The new local in Shoreditch, London, served up career advice and jobs on tap. Designed to show how socialising with your community can get you closer to the job you want, the pub offered live job opportunities with the likes of John Lewis Partnership, Lloyds Banking Group and LADBible as well as profile advice from LinkedIn experts, and profile pictures taken by a professional photographer.
The Linked Inn follows a LinkedIn study* of 4000 consumers, which shows Brits perceive the job search process to be long and arduous. According to the research, it takes Brits an average of almost six weeks (41.2 days) to land a new job – with long application processes (38 per cent), and even just finding the right role to apply for (36 per cent) among the biggest time drains associated with the experience. In addition, almost a third (31 per cent) admit they find the job seeking process stressful, while 28 per cent claim their biggest barrier to finding a new job is the fear of rejection.
To challenge this perception, LinkedIn highlighted the role community plays in finding the right job. Darain Faraz, Careers Expert, LinkedIn comments: “Our research shows that there’s a perception that the job hunt is a time-consuming process, but it needn’t be. The average person has over 500 social media connections – by making the most of your existing social community and growing your network on LinkedIn you can get closer to the job you want. That’s why we’ve set up The Linked Inn – to show that socialising with your professional community, in much the same way as you would with your friends in your local pub – can help you advance your career.”
The average user spends six hours a week browsing for leisure purposes – during which they’re most likely to be ‘killing time’ (50 per cent), including messaging friends and family or consuming content. This is in stark contrast to the one hour they spend for professional purposes – with just over one in 10 (12 per cent) building their social connections to help further their career.
