Managers are planning to hire workers to support both long- and short-term initiatives, as 53% of employers expect to hire full-time employees over the next 12 months. Meantime, 40% will hire contract, temporary or project professionals and 39% will add part-time employees, according to a new survey by Robert Half International and CareerBuilder.
“Companies already are identifying the key skill sets they will need in new hires to take advantage of the opportunities presented by improving economic conditions,” said Max Messmer, chairman and chief executive officer of Robert Half International. “Firms that cut staffing levels too deeply may need to do significant rebuilding once the recovery takes hold.”
In the current economy, hiring managers consider customer service the function most critical to their organization’s success, followed by sales, marketing/creative and technology. Public relations/communications, business development and accounting/finance round out the list, the survey found. Looking ahead, respondents cited technology, customer service and sales as the departments that will add positions first. Marketing/creative, business development, human resources and accounting/finance also were cited.
When the pace of hiring begins to accelerate, entry- and staff-level workers can expect to benefit the most in terms of new opportunities. Some 32% of hiring managers plan to hire staff-level professionals, while 28% will hire entry-level workers. Companies may be looking to restore positions affected by layoffs or hiring freezes while continuing to rely on existing staff to occupy leadership positions.
Because companies are operating with fewer resources, hiring managers further appreciate the value of team members who can wear many hats. Asked to identify the most valuable characteristics in an ideal new hire, employers cited multi-tasking, initiative and creative problem-solving.
Despite high unemployment rates across the United States and an expanded pool of available talent, employers continue to report difficulty locating skilled professionals for open positions. Employers said that, on average, 44% of resumes they receive are from unqualified candidates. Fully 47% of hiring managers cited under-qualified applicants as their most common hiring challenge, followed by the reluctance of qualified candidates to leave secure positions (22%).
As they lay the ground work for growth in their organizations, employers are open to paying more for hard-to-find talent; 61% of hiring managers said their companies are willing to negotiate higher compensation for qualified candidates.
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