What can we expect in the employment marketplace for 2012?
Recovery has been gradual since mid-2009, and should continue in 2012. Trends in both direct hire and temporary staffing will be covered below, along with some key insights into what employees are seeking when selecting a new employer. Also, which companies were selected as the “Best Places to Work in the US in 2012″?
Careerbuilder Survey
Careerbuilder polled 3,000 hiring managers regarding their hiring plans for the next 12 months. 23% plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in 2012, while 16% plan to cut back staff levels. These numbers are on par with 2011 predictions, but far ahead of the 2008 predictions, where just 14% of hiring managers predicted adding full time employees in the next year. Small businesses provide about half of the private-sector jobs in the US, and 16% of companies with 50 or fewer employees plan to bring on additional full-time staff in 2012. 20% of companies with fewer than 250 employees, and 21% of companies with less than 500 employees plan to add full time staff in 2012. According to Matt Ferguson, CEO of Careerbuilder, as the economy improves, workers will seek better job opportunities. It’s no longer taking a job to survive, it’s looking to improve upon employment opportunities for job seekers. Mr. Ferguson also noted that 62% of employers plan to ramp up efforts to keep their current employees by increasing compensation in 2012. Additionally, 38% of employers will provide workers with increased on-the-job training, in an effort to close the skills gap for employees.
What about Temp Jobs?
Those on a quest to find a new job this year may want to start by seeking a temporay position. According to a new survey conducted by the American Staffing Association and Careerbuilder, a full 36% of employers planned to hire contract and temporary workers in 2012. Until a full economic recovery takes place, employers are relying on temp/contract workers to support leaner staffs, and in many cases will transition those workers to permanent roles in the future. Richard Wahlquist, CEO of ASA states “candidates who accept temporary jobs will find good pay, flexibility, opportunities to change careers, valuable skills training and a bridge to permanent employment.” So what are the hot areas for temp employment in 2012? In Healthcare, the hot areas are Occupational or Physical Therapy, as well as Speech Language Pathology. For Industrial, it’s Mainteance technicians and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machinists. For IT, the hot areas are Java and .NET Developers, as well as Network Engineers. For Office/Clerical, it’s Admin Assistants and Customer Service Reps. For Professional-Managerial, hot areas include Business Analysts and Marketing Assistants.
What Makes a Good Employer?
Employers have had the upper hand in the employment marketplace over the past several years. Now that the economy is experiencing recovery, the tables have turned towards favoring job seekers. Regardless of the situation, job seekers should consider the following when evaluating potential employers:
1) What is the working environment? Salary is an important factor when considering employment, but will you look forward to going to work everyday, and interacting with your fellow employees? If the workplace is stressful, or you may not fit into the culture of the company, then it shouldn’t matter how much compensation is being offered.
2) What are the company values? Aligning your values with the company’s can be a very important factor. Do you want to associate yourself with a company that has a less than stellar reputation in business? Are there deceitful practices that go on at the company? What is their rating with the BBB? In other words, would you feel comfortable going to work everyday and representing this company?
3) What about growth potential? Those with aspirations for climbing the corporate ladder may want to examine the opportunities during a job interview. What is the corporate structure, and what are the policies for promotion to the next level? If the potential employer is run by a number of family members, there may not be the potential for rising above a certain level in that organization. It’s fine if your aspirations are to remain in the current postition for an extended period, but it’s helpful to know these things before joining a new organization.
4) Job Security? Is this day and age, is there really ever true job security? Gone may be the days of hiring on with a company out of school, and staying with them until you receive a gold watch at retirement. There is a certain comfort in knowing that if you perform well at a postition, than unless the company falters, you will have a job. Ask questions about how long people have been with the organization, and about the plans for the company’s future. Things can change in a hurry, but it might be nice to know that employees tend to stay with an employer for an extended period of time.
Top 10 Places to Work in 2012
According to Glassdoor
1) Bain & Company
2) McKinsey & Company
3) Facebook
4) MITRE
5) Google
6) Careerbuilder
7) Slalom Consulting
8) REI
9) Trader Joe’s
10) Apple
About Prosperity Funding, Inc.
Prosperity Funding, a North Carolina based company, is a leading provider of payroll and working capital funding, exclusively for temporary and contract staffing companies in the US. Founded in 2006, Prosperity’s executive team has over 30 years of combined experience in the ownership and operations of temporary staffing and funding companies. Prosperity provides funding with or without back office business processing services.
Prosperity Funding, Inc. 308-D West Millbrook Rd, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27609
(919) 954-0232 (Corp HQ) (985) 641-8817 (Sales) www.prosperityfunding.com
Dale Busbee, VP Business Development dale@prosperityfunding.com
