Expert assesses job search timelines in Russia: office specialists — up to five months, top managers — over eight

Job search timelines depend on the field and the level of the position

Office specialists may need more than five months to find a job, while top managers may need over eight, yet in-demand blue-collar workers find new jobs considerably faster. This assessment was given to Gazeta.Ru by Candidate of Economic Sciencesand Associate Professor at the Basic Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Department of Human Resource Management at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Lyudmila Ivanova-Shvets.

Why the timelines differ

According to the expert, the shortage of personnel is unevenly distributed: companies may lack workers in production or logistics while simultaneously receiving many responses to office positions. For workers engaged in physical and skilled manual labor, especially in shortage areas, the job search period is estimated at about two months. Ivanova-Shvets also noted a professional imbalance — the market has a shortage of some specialists alongside an oversupply of others and low professional mobility. The timelines are also extended by caution on both sides: employers take longer choosing candidates in an effort to improve hiring efficiency, while job seekers evaluate prospective jobs more carefully.

Forecast and recommendations

In 2027, the expert does not expect a mandatory further increase in job search timelines, but for highly qualified specialists and managers the situation may not improve significantly. For those who cannot find suitable offers for a long time, Ivanova-Shvets recommends revising their strategy: considering related positions, additional training, and the possibility of changing their professional direction. Earlier, as the outlet notes, it was reported that every fifth Russian agreed to a lower salary in order to get an education.