As the search for talent is intensifying in many industries, research published today by Cisco AppDynamics reveals the importance that jobseekers in the UAE are attaching to digital experiences. 83% of those surveyed report they want to work for an employer that provides seamless digital experiences throughout the recruitment process. And 63% claim that if these applications fail to perform, it puts them off working for the employer in question.

The research which surveyed over 12,000 consumers in 12 countries — including 1000 consumers in the UAE — found that the average person in the UAE now uses a total of seven applications or digital services when looking for or applying for a new job. Social media platforms (70%), company websites (65%) and job sites (63%) were the top three applications/digital services that consumers in the UAE rely on to find jobs. And a third of those 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 in the UAE 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. In an intensely competitive labor market, there are no second chances for employers — the first sign of a problem when using an application or digital services and many jobseekers will immediately walk away,” commented James Harvey, CTO Advisor, Cisco AppDynamics.

Almost all (99%) of the respondents from the Emirates 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. Interestingly, more than half (56%) state that potential employers have only one shot to impress them with their digital services. But organizations that do get the recruitment digital experience right, stand a much higher chance of winning the talent war. 60% claim they’re more likely to choose an employer who provides great and seamless digital experiences.

 Currently, however, many organizations are struggling to optimize application availability and performance, largely due to soaring complexity in the IT department. “Organizations need to ensure that their IT teams have an observability platform that spans both cloud-native and on-premises environments and the real-time insights from the business transaction’s telemetry data in order to pinpoint the root cause and expedite resolution of any application issues. This is the only way employers can provide prospective employees with the brilliant digital experiences that they now value so highly,” added Harvey.