The shortage of skilled workers has been a major concern for some time among employers across a broad range of industries and regions. The rebounding economy—a good thing—and the resulting growth in both industry and service sectors—another good thing—will further amplify these shortfalls. Good, good and troubling.
U.S. employment data backs up these ongoing concerns. In July, the number of job postings reached its highest level ever—5.8 million. The July unemployment rate was a low 5.3%, in the range considered by the Federal Reserve to be “full employment”. Still, over 17 million Americans were either unemployed, not working but seeking employment, or doing part-time work but hoping to find a full-time job.
This mismatch of the unemployed to available jobs is due in part to the growing number of industries experiencing a shortage of laborers skilled in their trade. These industries include the field of—
* Design and construction from engineers and firm leadership to carpenters, plumbers, and electricians
* Education with shortages noted from English to the Sciences to Art
* STEM related jobs
*Medicine from primary care physicians to nurses and nursing assistants
With employees increasingly able to bargain for higher pay, find new jobs quickly, and even choose between competing offers, today’s labor force is definitely a job-seekers market.
What do these shortages mean for staffing agencies? To be sure, firms can and should expect stiff competition to locate and contract these in-high-demand laborers. Attention to these proactive steps will create a firm foundation in these competitive times.
1.Mobile Platforms
It’s mobile or go home, folks. Literally. Without a mobile responsive website, your firm will not be able to compete in this candidate-driven market. You’ll want to feel confident in your site’s capabilities when you encourage candidates to register, upload CVs and apply for jobs over their mobile devices. In the future, more and more candidate interaction will take place via mobile platforms so make mobile optimization an ongoing priority.
2.Compelling Job Candidate Offers
First, recruiters must ensure that their clients understand the market as many employers may be under the illusion that compensation rates can remain unchanged. Purse strings will have to be loosened in the form of higher salaries, sign-on bonuses and special offers to lure qualified candidates away from the competition. Employment specialists would do well to brush up on their powers of persuasion and the fine art of negotiating as well. Expect to work to close the deal.
3. Talent pipelines
The current shortage is challenging firms to look ahead, and that’s a good thing. A focus now on finding and nurturing talent pipelines that can be tapped into at a later date will strengthen your firm’s share of the staffing market in the days to come. Even if there’s no position open at that point in time, snap up quality candidates to nurture a pipeline of talent for the future. Utilize staffing software that makes it easy to store candidate data and reengage these individuals when the right position does become available.
Make expanding your brand a true priority during this season of extreme competition. ASJ Partners can help you STAND OUT with attention to corporate identity and marketing collateral. Our team of mobile experts can ensure your website and mobile apps are ready to engage job candidates. Contact us today to discover how we can assist your staffing firm’s marketing strategies.
