Earlier this week I talked with one of the independent recruiters in NPA. He was lamenting yet *another* placement deal that fell apart because the client took too long to make an offer. It seems that many clients still don’t understand the reality of the talent short market that we are in. For several years, government and media sources in the USA have been hammering home the high unemployment rate, leading many employers to believe there is a glut of available job candidates. While it’s true that the rate is still high, the rate on its own doesn’t tell the whole story. For people with a bachelor’s degree or higher – the kind of people your clients want to hire – the unemployment rate is below 4%. This is generally considered “full employment.”
Here are 9 resources independent recruiters can share with their clients about the realities of today’s labor market, and how they are losing candidates due to slow hiring processes:
- Unemployment rates by education level – Good data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on unemployment across various demographics
- Manpower’s 2012 Talent Shortage Survey Results – A downloadable PDF with a global outlook
- Talent Shortage Articles from Wanted Analytics – This is a great blog where independent recruiters can get a wide range of jobs data
- Engineering jobs still grow to new highs – For independent recruiters who place engineers, this is “old” news, but can help educate clients with hard data
- The 5 Hardest Jobs to Fill in 2013 – Look for the link to the 2012 report as well
- Skills Shortages in the Energy Sector – The chemical process industry is on a continued hot streak with lots of demand and a dearth of qualified candidates
- Mistakes Companies Make When Interviewing Candidates – Good advice for conducting better interviews
- How Slow Employers Lose Great Talent – The best employers understand that top talent is highly perishable
- Top 10 Mistakes Employers Make in the Recruiting and Hiring Process – I’m pretty sure all independent recruiters have at least one client who is guilty of at least one thing on this list, regardless of other economic circumstances
Do your clients understand the talent shortage? What tactics do you employ to spur action?