Over two-thirds of the British public would be prepared to work for nothing for up to three months if it meant landing their dream job, according to a new survey of over 16,000 people from visionary social media-based recruitment website staffbay.com
The survey revealed that far from British workers being lazy and motivated by wages, as some have dubbed them, some 68 per cent said they would go without wages to get the job they coveted – with 10 per cent of them prepared for work for three months without pay.
Tony Wilmot, co-founder of staffbay.com, said: “These results tell us two things: that British workers are far from lazy; and that some people will go to extraordinary lengths to impress their employers. We certainly don’t think that Britain’s jobseekers want something for nothing, and this survey proves it. They’re obviously prepared to get Britain’s economy moving again – and for free.
“The ten per cent of respondents who would work for three months for nothing also shows that some people clearly think they are over-qualified for the job they’re currently in. With so many jobseekers now applying for the same position, many in the jobs market are having to settle for second-best.”
The news comes in the week after Geology graduate Cait Reilly successfully argued at the Appeal Court that her unpaid work placement at Poundland, which she had been required to do to continue to receive benefits, breached laws on forced labour.
Yesterday, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan-Smith told the BBC that some people “thought Geology was more important than stacking shelves.”
Also in the news this week has been Adam Pacitti, who rose to prominence last month after he spent his last £500 on a billboard advertisement outlining his availability to work. Promoting himself in a new, innovative way has reaped dividends, as Pacitti has found work at a design agency. He’s since taken another billboard ad out to thank those who supported him during this jobsearch.
Elliot Kidd, co-founder of staffbay.com adds: “As Adam himself pointed out in the press: ‘Employers are bored of looking at a sheet of A4 paper. Do something different.’ We couldn’t agree more, and that’s why we allow jobseekers to upload multimedia files, including video, to our website.
“Adam’s original billboard advertisement alerted employers to his website where they could watch a video CV he’d put together. One and a half million people saw the video, and now Adam has landed himself a job.
“I congratulate Adam for the innovative way he’s gone about promoting himself – jobseekers everywhere should take note. Our survey shows that by going the extra mile to attract the attention of employers, jobseekers can find the job they’ve always dreamed of.”