Kikkake Creation Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Gashuto Kawashima) announces the results of a survey conducted on 429 IT engineers with experience using job agents, regarding their criteria and expectations for selecting job agents.

The survey revealed that while 87.4% of engineers are positive about using job agents in their next career move, 73.9% have experienced discontinuing agent use before successfully securing a new job. The top reason for discontinuation was 'being introduced only to jobs that didn't match their preferences' (50.2%). This highlights the strong demand for highly specialized support from job agents—support that accurately assesses engineers' technical skills and market value, and shares real on-site insights such as development environments and career paths.

01｜Over 70% of IT engineers with job agent experience have stopped using an agent before successfully changing jobs

02｜71.3% of IT engineers feel that IT-specialized job agents are better suited for engineering career transitions

03｜The most desired capability from agents: 'accurate assessment of technical skills and market value' ranked first at 26.3%

Read the full column on this survey: https://kikkakeagent.co.jp/column/report/9206

Survey Overview

Survey Title: Survey on the Actual Conditions of IT Engineers' Criteria and Expectations for Selecting Job Agents

Method: Online survey planned through IDEATECH's research marketing platform 'Risapi®'

Period: March 25–27, 2026

Valid Responses: 429 IT engineers with experience using job agents

*Percentages are rounded to two decimal places, so totals may not sum exactly to 100.

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'Specialization in the IT industry and engineering roles' is the top criterion for agent selection at 43.4%

When asked, 'Q1. What criteria did you prioritize (or would prioritize) when selecting a job agent? (Select up to three),' 43.4% answered 'high specialization in the IT industry and engineering roles,' 40.1% 'large number of job listings,' and 32.6% 'strong negotiation skills for salary and employment conditions.'

Q1. What criteria did you prioritize (or would prioritize) when selecting a job agent? (Select up to three)

・High specialization in the IT industry and engineering roles: 43.4%

・Large number of job listings: 40.1%

・Strong negotiation skills for salary and employment conditions: 32.6%

・Good reputation on review sites and social media: 31.9%

・Availability of jobs matching desired tech stack or position: 22.6%

・Large, well-known agency: 20.5%

・Willingness to discuss career plans: 11.9%

・Polite and attentive agent support: 11.0%

・Other: 0.5%

・Don't know/No answer: 1.6%

'Details on post-hiring career paths and promotion realities' ranked first at 39.6% as information engineers wanted agents to explain more thoroughly

When asked, 'Q2. What information did you wish the job agent had explained in more detail? (Multiple answers allowed),' 39.6% answered 'details on post-hiring career paths and promotion realities,' 37.8% 'team development methodologies and work styles (e.g., Agile, Waterfall),' and 35.0% 'actual overtime hours and paid leave usage rates.'

Q2. What information did you wish the job agent had explained in more detail? (Multiple answers allowed)

・Details on post-hiring career paths and promotion realities: 39.6%

・Team development methodologies and work styles (e.g., Agile, Waterfall): 37.8%

・Actual overtime hours and paid leave usage rates: 35.0%

・Detailed salary ranges and salary increase mechanisms: 30.5%

・Detailed development environment and tech stack at prospective employers: 30.3%

・Internal engineering culture (e.g., study groups, OSS activities): 26.3%

・Trends in technical questions asked during interviews: 24.9%

・Reasons why former employees left the company: 15.2%

・Other: 0.0%

・No particular information desired: 4.0%

・Don't know/No answer: 1.4%

'Providing job recommendations matching desired tech stack and position' was the most requested improvement area at 42.4%

When asked, 'Q3. What aspects of the job agent's support did you wish had been improved? (Multiple answers allowed),' 42.4% answered 'providing job recommendations matching desired tech stack and position,' 38.7% 'explaining the development environment and engineering culture at prospective employers,' and 36.4% 'providing advice on technical career paths.'

Q3. What aspects of the job agent's support did you wish had been improved? (Multiple answers allowed)

・Providing job recommendations matching desired tech stack and position: 42.4%

・Explaining the development environment and engineering culture at prospective employers: 38.7%

・Providing advice on technical career paths: 36.4%

・Accurately understanding your technical skills and experience: 31.0%

・Negotiating salary and employment conditions: 29.4%

・Respecting your schedule from application to job offer: 16.6%

・Other: 0.2%

・No particular dissatisfaction: 8.6%

・Don't know/No answer: 1.2%

Nearly half of IT engineers primarily used 'IT-specialized job agents'

When asked, 'Q4. Which type of job agent did you primarily use in your past job searches?' 45.2% answered 'IT-specialized job agents,' and 41.3% 'comprehensive job agents handling broad industries.'

Q4. Which type of job agent did you primarily use in your past job searches?

・IT-specialized job agents: 45.2%

・Comprehensive job agents handling broad industries: 41.3%

・Used both types about equally: 9.8%

・Don't know/No answer: 3.7%

Over 70% of IT engineers discontinued using a job agent before successfully changing jobs

When asked, 'Q5. Have you ever registered with a job agent but discontinued use before successfully changing jobs?' 73.9% answered 'yes,' and 23

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: Survey
  • Organizations: IDEATECH