Things are looking up for experienced talent. That’s right — the hiring landscape for executives is improving along with the rest of the labor market, according to a new survey from CareerBuilder and HeadHunter.com (a recruitment site dedicated to connecting employers with management and executive-level talent) of more than 2,000 hiring manager and HR professionals.

Just how much? Well, 31 percent of employers expect to hire for executive-level positions over the next six months, up from 23 percent in October 2011′s executive forecast.

Despite this boost in hiring, we’re still facing a deficit of diverse workers and women when it comes to taking on executive roles. Let’s take a closer look.

What’s ahead for executive hiring

Employers are recruiting senior leadership for a range of business functions, but some areas are more in demand than others:

• Nearly a quarter of employers (24 percent) will hire in business development
• 23 percent will hire in information technology
• 22 percent will hire in sales
• 19 percent will hire in marketing and 19 percent in accounting/finance 

As Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder  North America, observes, the need for diverse talent is paramount:

“Hiring trends for executive-level management mirror what we’re seeing in the labor market for all workers. As companies look to expand their sales force, develop new products and improve their tech infrastructure, the need for diverse, experienced leadership grows along with these initiatives.”

Demographics: Where’s the diversity?

Many hiring managers revealed they are still lacking diverse leadership at their organizations. Twenty-two percent of companies still don’t have female executives — not a surprise given that a mere 14.1 percent of women reportedly hold executive officer positions at Fortune 500 companies. In addition, 41 percent of companies do not have even one executive-level employee in any of the following demographics: African American, Hispanic, Asian, LGBT, and Disabled.

One in five companies have Millennial-level executives

One demographic that is seeing a rise in executives is Millenials; with the emergence of digital, mobile and IT as high-growth sectors, more Millennials are climbing their way to the top. Twenty percent of employers say they have executives under the age of 30.

What do employers (really) want in executive talent?

Often, employers will more heavily weigh prior accomplishments and demonstrated leadership ability than expertise in a particular industry. Though most hiring managers say prior experience in the industry for which a candidate is applying is a crucial requisite for landing a top job, 35 percent say they’ll consider candidates who don’t have a background in the industry.

The top qualities employers say they seek in executive-level candidates:

• Proven ability in addressing problems with effective solutions (62 percent)
• Adept at motivating others (54 percent)
• Can act with speed and agility in a changing market (47 percent)
• Is creative (43 percent)
• Has emotional intelligence (38 percent)
• Experience in different areas (37 percent)

It may come as a surprise to learn that only 20 percent say they look for an MBA or comparable higher-level degree when evaluating executive candidates.

Does anything surprise you from the latest executive hiring forecast in relation to your own hiring?

ABOUT HEADHUNTER.COM: HeadHunter.com is a recruitment site for management and executive-level talent. Founded in partnership with CareerBuilder.com, HeadHunter.com is a targeted approach for connecting high-level, experienced professionals with their ideal career opportunity. For more information, visit www.HeadHunter.com.

Hiring plans in the U.S. are getting back to pre-recession levels, according to CareerBuilder’s latest nationwide survey. 

One-third of employers added full-time, permanent employees in the first quarter of this year, on par with 2007 and the highest increase reported since the recession began.  The momentum is expected to continue with 30 percent of employers planning to add new full-time, permanent staff in April through June. More than 2,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes participated in the latest survey.

Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder, offers his take on the results:

We have moved from an anemic job market to one that is stable and growing. While still cautious, employers are feeling better about the state of the U.S. economy and the debt situation in Europe.  Forty-one percent of companies reported their sales have increased over the last six months, which is helping to fuel greater confidence in hiring.  The amount of job listings we’re seeing for key categories on CareerBuilder.com are similar to that of 2007.  All indicators point to steady improvement in the job market in the second quarter and beyond.

Here are some takeaways from the forecast:

• One third (33 percent) of employers added full-time, permanent staff in the first quarter of 2012
• Nine percent decreased headcount in the first quarter 2012, a slight improvement from 10 percent last year.
• Looking ahead, 30 percent of employers plan to increase their full-time, permanent headcount in the second quarter.
• Thirty-seven percent of employers hired contract or temporary workers in the first quarter, up from 29 percent last year.
• Hiring in companies of all sizes is showing signs of improvement.  The percentage of employers planning to recruit in the next few months increased by two to three percentage points over last year for different segments.

Challenges Ahead for Employers

Results from the survey indicate what employers can expect in the coming months.

Increased Competition for Talent: Of employers who recruited for positions in the last year, more than half (56 percent) reported that a candidate rejected a job offer from their organization.  Forty-one percent of those attributed the rejection to their inability to provide the candidate’s desired salary while 22 percent said they didn’t offer the position quickly enough and the candidate was already hired somewhere else.

Growing Skills Shortage: Despite the high unemployment rate, many employers struggle to find the talent they need, and the challenge is only growing. Thirty-one percent of employers currently have jobs for which they can’t find qualified employees, up from 24 percent last year, and 15 percent of employers reported that, because they can’t fill high-skill positions within their organizations, they’re not able to create lower-skilled positions that are tied to these roles. The findings indicate a need for employers to recognize the need to plan ahead and recognize how the growing gap between high-skill job openings and available talent has a larger impact on overall employment.

For complete survey results, download the full Q2 Hiring Forecast here.

Employers expect to add new jobs in the New Year, but are waiting to see how the economy shapes up before turning up the volume on hiring, according to CareerBuilder’s annual job forecast. Nearly one-in-four hiring managers plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in 2012, similar to 2011. Employment trends among small businesses, which account for the majority of job creation in the U.S., are expected to show some improvement over last year. The nationwide survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive© from November 9 to December 5, 2011, included more than 3,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes. “Historically, our surveys have shown that employers are more conservative in their predictions than actual hiring,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder. “Barring any major economic upsets, we expect 2012 to bring a better hiring picture than 2011, especially in the second half of the year. Many companies have been operating lean and have already pushed productivity limits. We’re likely to see gradual improvements in hiring across categories as companies respond to increased market demands.”

What exactly does this mean? Here’s the breakdown:

Full-time, Permanent Hiring Twenty-three percent of employers surveyed plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in 2012, relatively unchanged from 24 percent for 2011 and up from 20 percent for 2010. Seven percent expect to decrease headcount, the same as for 2011 and an improvement from 9 percent for 2010. Fifty-nine percent anticipate no change in their staff levels while 11 percent are unsure. Small Business HiringSmall businesses are reporting more confidence in both hiring and retaining headcount in 2012. Plans to downsize dropped two percentage points across small business segments while plans to hire increased two percentage points among companies with 50 or fewer employees.

• 50 or fewer employees – 16 percent plan to add full-time, permanent staff in 2012, up from 14 percent for 2011; those reducing headcount fell from 5 percent for 2011 to 3 percent for 2012
•  250 or fewer employees – 20 percent plan to add full-time, permanent staff, up from 19 percent for 2011; those reducing headcount fell from 6 percent for 2011 to 4 percent for 2012
• 500 or fewer employees – 21 percent plan to add full-time, permanent staff, on par with 2011; those reducing headcount fell from 6 percent for 2011 to 4 percent for 2012

Hiring By RegionRegional data presents a mixed picture. Similar to annual forecasts for the last two years, more employers in the West plan to recruit new employees in 2012 than other regions. Twenty-four percent of employers in the West reported they plan to add full-time, permanent headcount, followed closely by the South and Midwest at 23 percent and Northeast at 21 percent. However, the West also houses the highest number of companies planning to downsize in 2012 (9 percent) – reflecting a blend of both optimism and uncertainty seen across regions. Eight percent in the Northeast, 7 percent in the South and 6 percent in the Midwest also plan to reduce headcount.

Four Employment Trends to Watch in 2012:

#1 – Compensation Getting More Competitive for Skilled PositionsEmployers expect compensation levels to increase for both current staff and prospective employees as recruiting for skilled talent becomes more competitive. Sixty-two percent of employers plan to increase compensation for their existing employee base while 32 percent will offer higher starting salaries for new employees. Among functional areas where human resource managers anticipate there will be the greatest increases in compensation at their organizations in 2012 are those tied to revenue generation.

• Sales – 24 percent of human resource managers
• Information Technology – 20 percent
• Engineering – 14 percent
• Business Development – 14 percent

#2 – Voluntary Turnover on the Rise – One-third (34 percent) of human resource managers reported that voluntary turnover at their organizations rose in 2011. Employers pointed to the desire for higher compensation and feeling over-worked as the top two reasons employees gave for resigning. Thirty percent of employers said they lost top performers to other organizations in 2011 and 43 percent stated they are concerned top talent may jump ship in the New Year. 

#3 –  Training Employed/Unemployed – There is an increasing number of areas where demand for skilled positions is growing much faster than supply, prompting employers to take “re-skilling” workers into their own hands. Thirty-eight percent plan to train people who don’t have experience in their particular industry and hire them for positions within their organizations in 2012.

#4 –Employers Targeting Hispanic Workers, African American Workers and Women – Aware of the benefits diversity can bring to their organization, 29 percent of employers said they will be focused on recruiting diverse workers to expand their employee demographics. One-in-five (20 percent) will be targeting Hispanic workers and African American workers to work for their organizations while the same number will be recruiting more women. Forty-four percent plan to hire bilingual workers in 2012.

What other hiring trends do you anticipate seeing for 2012 in your organization?

As the carved pumpkins of Halloween were being given their final touches and trick-or-treating hosts were filling up their baskets for throngs of excited children, stores across the U.S. were already looking ahead to winter holidays — and many employers had already lined up their seasonal staff for the busy time ahead. Yes, seasonal hiring is in full swing, and though employers expect to hire at similar levels this year as last, according to a new CareerBuilder survey of more than 2,600 employers, a year’s time has brought more perks in pay, 29 percent of retailers planning to have extra hands on deck around the holidays (a moderate decline from 2010), and nearly one-third of employers planning to turn some seasonal staff into full-time, permanent members of their team.

INFOGRAPHIC: ‘Tis the Season for Holiday Hiring: What Employers Predict This Year Will Bring

Sales, customer service, technology, shipping, and administrative support are all hot areas for holiday hiring this season — let’s take a closer look at what else is happening:

Retail and hospitality outlook

As mentioned above, nearly three in ten retailers will have extra staff on hand to help this holiday season, a moderate decline from last year, and 10 percent of hospitality companies will add seasonal staff this year, the same percentage as last year. What do the similar patterns in seasonal hiring from last year to this year mean for the economy?

As Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder, explained:

“Employers are keeping the status quo for holiday hiring as economic uncertainties shake consumer confidence,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder. “While retail has the lion’s share of seasonal jobs, you can also find opportunities in various industries and corporate roles.”

Where is seasonal hiring happening industry-wide?

Many different types of companies are hiring for seasonal staff this year, in various functional areas where they need help the most during the holiday rush. Across all industries, popular areas for recruitment this holiday season include:

• Customer Service – 30 percent
• Administrative/Clerical support – 16 percent
• Shipping/Delivery – 15 percent
• Technology – 12 percent
• Inventory management – 10 percent
• Non-retail sales – 9 percent
• Accounting/Finance – 8 percent
• Marketing – 8 percent

Better pay is on the way

While the number of seasonal staff being brought on for the next few months may not look all that different than last year, one thing near and dear to many workers’ hearts has changed: what they’re getting paid. More than half of employers (53 percent) reported they will pay $10 or more per hour to seasonal staff, up from 48 percent who said the same last year. Fourteen percent will pay $16 or more, up from 9 percent last year. How does your business compare when it comes to pay — are you paying more or less this year?

Seasonal hiring: Still going strong

While there tends to be a mad rush to secure a seasonal job once the leaves start to change, many employers are still recruiting for candidates deep into the snowy underbrush of the winter holiday season:

If you’re still recruiting for seasonal staff, you may want to check out WorkinRetail.com, which connects retail job seekers with employers looking to fill retail positions from in-store to corporate and everywhere in between. It’s the perfect place to recruit for seasonal retail candidates when you need to find the right people fast.

From seasonal to all-season employees

Nearly one-third (30 percent) of employers who are hiring seasonal help plan to transition some employees into full-time, permanent staff, meaning there is a lot of room for workers to make their mark this season and secure a great job. Workers looking to turn their seasonal gig into a full-time, permanent position should consider the key traits employers are seeking for seasonal-to-permanent staff.

Many of the things employers are looking for revolve around employees being proactive, offering help above and beyond what is asked, and, believe it or not, simply showing interest in a full-time gig. When you look at the below criteria a bit more closely, most of the items mentioned are things all kinds of employers are looking for in their employees.

To stand out as a candidate for a long-term opportunity, hiring managers recommended the following:

• Provide above and beyond customer service. Offer help instead of waiting to be asked for it. – 66 percent
• Let the employer know up front that you’re interested in permanent employment – 49 percent
• Proactively ask for more projects – 45 percent
• Ask thoughtful questions about the organization – 39 percent
• Present ideas on how to do something better or try something new – 34 percent

Employers’ biggest seasonal hiring turnoffs

What are the biggest turnoffs for employers when interviewing for seasonal jobs? A lack of flexibility or expressed interest, unawareness of the company or brand, and discount-job-shopping top the list, according to employers surveyed:

• Someone who is unwilling to work certain hours – 70 percent
• Someone who isn’t enthusiastic – 63 percent
• Someone who is more interested in the discount than anything else – 40 percent
• Someone who knows nothing about our company/products – 36 percent
• Someone who shows up wearing clothes or merchandise from a competitor’s store – 22 percent

Read the full press release, send a snapshot to your co-worker with our seasonal hiring infographic, or snag the right seasonal candidates.

Do these results fall in line with what your organization is planning for seasonal hiring this year?

When (almost) alone in a room with American business magnate and investor Warren Buffett, what do you ask him? CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson appeared on Bloomberg Television’s “In the Loop” this morning to talk about just that. Buffett, Ferguson and a few other business leaders met last evening during Buffett’s stop in Chicago for an event for Junior Achievement, and discussed everything from U.S. job creation and the outlook for our nation’s economic recovery, to philosophies on business and the housing market.

This was the first time Buffett and Ferguson had gotten a chance to meet. On “In the Loop,” Ferguson shared a couple of highlights from their discussion:

• Long-term predictions: Buffett believes that, while the U.S. is going through tough times right now, we will bounce back, the unemployment rate will come down and we’ll find ways to create jobs for everyone in society.
• Short-term predictions: Right now, Buffett is focusing his closest attention on the housing market. He believes that when the housing market returns, we’ll see a broad range of industries related to housing or down the system from what housing creates. He thinks the housing market bouncing back is a lot closer than many of many people think.

See what else Ferguson had to say about his discussion with Buffett:

The current skills shortage — and why we should care

Ferguson said our current skill shortage is a longer-term issue that, though it won’t be changed overnight, must be addressed now.

As a result of a long and deep recession, technology evolution, and globalization, we’re in a position where we have a lot of jobs — and not enough workers with the right skills to fill them. “We have to re-skill a lot of Americans into new industries, and it’s not something that happens in 3 or 4 months — companies have to participate in it and government has to incent it. If we don’t start investing in it now, we’re going to look back 2 years from now and say, ‘I wish we’d started that,’” Ferguson said.

In industries like information technology, health care, and engineering, Ferguson pointed out that we’re seeing a mismatch in skills.  There are more job postings for some types of IT jobs this September than last, for example, but they’re staying open longer because there’s an undersupply of people in the U.S. who have the right skills for those jobs.

The key, Ferguson said, is to reskill people into various areas of those industries and help provide employment in the long term for them — but as he stressed, it will take all of us working together to do it. The positive news is that broad-based areas like customer service, marketing and sales are starting to make a comeback — a good leading indicator, Ferguson said, of the underlying health of the economy, and a sign that we may see better job creation as we move into 2012.

What do you see happening for U.S. economic recovery as we begin to prepare for 2012?

As we move through still-uncertain economic times, it’s not a surprise that many companies are looking for new ways to main a competitive advantage. The more surprising thing to learn may be that nearly a quarter of employers (23 percent) expect to hire for executive-level positions over the next six months, according to CareerBuilder’s new nationwide executive hiring forecast of more than 2600 hiring managers and human resources professionals.

Which industries plan to hire for executive-level positions most over the next six months?

• 35 percent of IT companies
• 25 percent of health care companies
• 24 percent of sales companies,
• 23 percent of professional and business services, financial services, and leisure/hospitality companies.

Introducing: HeadHunter.com

With this increasing need in mind, CareerBuilder has launched HeadHunter.com, a job search and recruitment site dedicated to helping experienced management and executive-level professionals easily find relevant career opportunities matching their advanced skills and talent.

Employers who use HeadHunter gain the ability to:

• Attract candidates serious about their next career move
• Choose from prescreened resumes that fit their specific requirements
• Enjoy an ad-free experience with no entry-level job seekers and no hassle

“Companies have a perpetual need to attain competent, agile senior leadership. At no time is this more important than during an uncertain economic recovery. HeadHunter.com is designed to highlight opportunities for talented professionals looking for jobs on multiple levels of an organization – from senior managers and department directors to vice presidents and C-level officers.”

To learn more about posting jobs or viewing resumes on HeadHunter, visit the employer info page, call
(877) 218-1309, or contact your CareerBuilder account representative.

What do employers want in an executive-level candidate?

Education

It’s not only experience that’s in demand when it comes to executive-level candidates; many employers are looking just as closely at a candidate’s education (and, as seen below, sometimes more important):

• One in five employers look for a candidate with an MBA, comparable degree, or higher level degree when recruiting executive-level positions.
• While prior industry experience is an important asset for many employers, 47 percent would still be willing to hire a candidate without it

The executive hiring forecast confirms that, for the most part, the right experience comes with age. According to employers, the average executive is 41 or older. Forty-five percent of executives are between 41 and 50-years-old and 29 percent are older than 50. Twenty-six percent of executives are age 40 or younger.
Other leadership qualities:

• Proven ability in addressing problems with effective solutions (74 percent)
• Adept at motivating others (63 percent)
• Can act with speed and agility in a changing market (55 percent)
• Creativity (52 percent)
• Emotional Intelligence (46 percent)
• Experience in different areas (44 percent)

For fashion designers, it’s Mad Men. For chef entrepreneurs, it’s food truck mania. But for employers, the economy and seasonality are what’s having the biggest influence on them this season – at least when it comes to their hiring plans.

According to CareerBuilder’s Q4 2011 Job Forecast, a nationwide survey of more than 2,600 hiring managers and human resource professionals, employers are erring on the side of caution with their upcoming hiring plans, as they assess ongoing barriers to economic growth and wrap up 2011.

Only 21 percent of hiring managers report plans to hire full-time, permanent employees in Q4, according to the survey. While the finding indicates a slowdown in hiring from the previous two quarters, it is consistent with trends typically seen at the tail end of the calendar. Add to that a volatile stock market, concerns over Europe’s sovereign debt crisis, etc. etc…and it’s no wonder employers are showing more hesitance in their hiring plans this quarter, in comparison to the previous two.

According to CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson in a statement for the press release:

“While hiring is historically slower in the fourth quarter, recent world events and a structurally impaired U.S. economy are causing employers to be a little more guarded. Job creation levels are not yet high enough to drive down the unemployment rate, but the hiring trends we’ve seen through our surveys and on our job site still indicate an overall positive sentiment among employers. For eight consecutive quarters, 20 percent or more of employers reported adding new jobs and the same is expected for Q4.”

Q4 Hiring Trends: A Preview of What’s to Come

You can download CareerBuilder’s 2011 Q4 Job Forecast here, but below is a summary of what we should expect to see from employers in the coming months:

• Education and Skills Gap Remain a Major Concern: Two-thirds of employers (67 percent) expressed concern over the education and skills gap in the U.S. and corresponding deficit in talent for specialized positions, particularly when it comes to engineering (37 percent) and information technology (33 percent) positions.
• Temporary Hiring Remains a Crutch: To supplement staffs, 32 percent of employers turned to temporary help in Q3, while 27 percent plan to hire temporary or contract workers in Q4. Seventeen percent of employers expecting to transition some of these employees into permanent staff.
• Mixed Messages as West Leads in Hiring, Downsizing: While the West leads the U.S. regions in the number of employers expecting to hire full-time, permanent employees in Q4 (23 percent), it also houses the highest number of companies planning to downsize by year end (12 percent) – showing a blend of both optimism and uncertainty seen across regions.
• Slower to Hire, Slower to Fire? Small businesses continue to lag larger organizations in hiring activity, but are also less likely to reduce staff levels.  Of companies with 500 or fewer employees, for example, 17 percent plan to increase full-time, permanent headcount in Q4 and only 8 percent expect to reduce staff levels. Of companies with more than 500 employees, on the other hand, 27 percent plan to hire full-time, permanent staff in Q4, and 11 percent plan to decrease headcount.
• Raise? What Raise? The majority (41 percent) of employers anticipate no change in salary levels in the fourth quarter compared to the same period last year.  On the upside, only 4 percent anticipate a decrease in salaries.

How do these findings compare to your own hiring plans this quarter?

If you were betting on job numbers, and you bet that 18,000 new jobs were created last month, thinking we’d have a repeat of June, you’d be wrong. But it’s probably a bet you’d be happy to lose, because in July, we added 117,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ “The Employment Situation” summary for July 2011. This jump followed two months of very little growth (in May and June).

Despite this growth and landing above Wall Street expectations, we’re still below the number needed to really make a dent in the unemployment rate — but it’s an improvement. So, the sky isn’t falling — and let’s just say we’re cautiously optimistic, yes?

Other details from this month’s “The Employment Situation” summary:

• Net growth explanation: 154,000 jobs were created in the private sector, but with a loss in government jobs of 37,000, we saw a net increase of 117,000.
• May and June’s low growth numbers have also had positive net revisions of  56,000.
• The labor force, at 152.3 million, did not change much in July.
• The unemployment rate was little changed but we did see improvement, from 9.2 to 9.1 percent. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that this lower rate was due to more individuals dropping out of the employment search (labor force participation fell from 64.1 percent to 63.9 percent).
• Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 10 cents to $23.13. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 2.3 percent.
• Neither average weekly hours or the number of temporary employees rose; as The Economist points out, both are indicators of future labor demand.

Hiring by industry

We saw job gains in health care, retail trade, manufacturing, and mining. Specifically:

• Health care employment grew by 31,000 in July. Ambulatory health care services and hospitals each added14,000 jobs over the month. Over the past 12 months, health care employment has grown by 299,000.
• Retail trade added 26,000 jobs in July. Employment in health and personal care stores rose by 9,000 over the month with small increases distributed among several other retail industries.
• Manufacturing employment increased by 24,000 in July; nearly all of the increase was in durable
  goods manufacturing. Within durable goods, the motor vehicles and parts industry had fewer seasonal
  layoffs than typical for July, contributing to a seasonally adjusted employment increase of 12,000 jobs.
• Mining employment rose by 9,000; virtually all of the gain (+8,000) occurred in support activities for mining.
• Professional and technical services continued to trend up in July, with a gain of 18,000 jobs.
• Employment in construction, transportation and warehousing, information, leisure and hospitality, and financial activities changed little in July.
• Government employment continued to trend down in July, with a loss of 37,000. Employment in state government decreased by 23,000, due almost entirely to a partial shutdown of the Minnesota state government.
• Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 10 cents in July to $23.13. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 2.3 percent. Average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees increased by 8 cents to $19.52.

See what CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson had to say yesterday on CNBC’s Squawk Box program about job creation, the biggest skill shortage we’re facing right now, and more.

What do you think about July’s BLS job numbers?

On CNBC’s Squawk Box this morning, CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson discussed job expectations versus job creation; the disconnect caused by the structural mismatch between available jobs and available skills; the industry with the biggest skill shortage right now; and the area hottest in wage growth.

Check out what else Ferguson has to say about the state of jobs in America:

CareerBuilder’s Small Business Job Forecast points to improved, but cautious hiring in the second half of 2011

In a move that should make John Legend and high school gym teachers everywhere feel validated, small businesses plan to take it slow in the second half of 2011.

When it comes to hiring plans, that is.

According to CareerBuilder’s nationwide survey of more than 1,400 small businesses, while small business hiring in the coming months is expected to be better than 2010, caution continues to steer the pace of job creation post-recession.

In a statement for the press release, CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson discussed why small businesses remain hesitant in their hiring plans:

Right now there is a multi-speed labor market with smaller organizations slower to add new headcount. There was a chill effect on confidence levels coming out of the last recession and small businesses are still waiting to see how the market will unfold before committing to fully expanded staffs. Hiring in this segment will continue with modest gains in the second half of the year.

Following are the major findings from the Small Business 2011 Mid-Year Job Forecast: 

Full-time hiring up from last year: The number of small businesses planning to hire full-time, permanent employees from July through December rose six percentage points over last year, with larger companies hiring at a more accelerated pace.

• Companies with 50 or fewer employees – 20 percent hiring full-time, permanent employees (up from 14 percent last year).
• Companies with 500 or fewer employees – 27 percent hiring full-time, permanent employees (up from 21 percent last year).
• Companies with more than 500 employees – 46 percent hiring full-time, permanent employees (up from 38 percent last year).

Part-time hiring plans remain relatively unchanged: Small businesses expect part-time hiring to be on par with last year. Larger organizations are slightly less likely to hire part-time workers than last year, focusing more on adding full-time staff.

• 50 or fewer employees – 9 percent hiring part-time employees, same as 2010
• 500 or fewer employees – 11 percent hiring part-time employees, same as 2010
• More than 500 employees – 19 percent hiring part-time employees, down from 21 percent in 2010

Contract or temporary hiring up slightly: Companies of all sizes plan to increase their use of contract or temporary support to fill in employment gaps before turning up the dial on permanent placement.

• 50 or fewer employees – 6 percent hiring contract or temporary employees, up from 4 percent last year
• 500 or fewer employees – 8 percent hiring contract or temporary employees, up from 6 percent last year
• More than 500 employees – 16 percent hiring contract or temporary employees, up from 13 percent last year

Customer service is in-demand: Similar to last year’s study, the functional areas for which small businesses plan to hire first are those on the front lines with customers and those driving innovation.

• Customer Service, Information Technology and Sales remain in the top three spots for recruitment in the second half of 2011 with Administrative and Business Development rounding out the top five.

Burn-out, turnover and competition for talent among major areas of concern: Retaining and recruiting top talent has become a major challenge for small businesses as the economy improves and employers fight worker burnout.

• 36 percent of small businesses believe their workers are already burned out.
• 25 percent are worried that workers will leave their organizations as the economy improves
• 10 percent say that top workers left their organizations in the second quarter
• 18 percent currently have open positions for which they can’t find qualified candidates

For more information – and to see how your business compares – download the full report here.

In anticipation of tomorrow’s BLS unemployment report, CareerBuilder’s CEO Matt Ferguson appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box this morning to discuss job market trends; causes of current economic uncertainty; in which job areas we’re seeing the most improvement — and much more:

According to CareerBuilder’s Mid-Year Job Forecast:

• Nearly half of U.S. employers (47 percent) plan to hire new employees in the second half of the year, up from 41% in 2010.  The number of companies hiring specifically for full-time, permanent staff rose to 35% from 28% last year.
• Customer Service, Information Technology and Sales remain the top three areas where companies say they will hire first in the back half of the year.
• More than one-third (35 percent) of employers are concerned that key talent will leave their organizations as the economy improves, a trend that has become increasingly evident over the last six months; 18% of employers reported top workers left their organizations in Q2 2011, up from 14 percent in Q1 2011.

What’s your take on the newest job forecast results and on what Matt had to say about the market?

There’s good news (Justin Timberlake may save MySpace!), disappointing news (we’ll probably never get Friendster back), and news that makes us want to hug a stranger on the street: Despite ongoing concerns over threats to economic growth, CareerBuilder’s 2011 Mid-Year Job Forecast shows that employers remain positive in their hiring expectations for the remainder of the year. (It’s OK, you can hug that stranger on the street; we won’t judge.)

Just how positive are employers about the future of hiring, you ask?

Well, nearly half of employers (47 percent) plan to hire new employees from July through December of this year, up from 41 percent in 2010, according to the survey conducted by Harris Interactive© of more than 2,600 hiring managers and human resource professionals. (See the infographic here.)

Things are looking pretty good in other areas, too: The percentage of companies hiring is also higher than last year in some instances:

• Companies hiring full-time, permanent employees –  35 percent this year, up from 28 percent in 2010
• Companies hiring part-time employees – 15 percent this year, the same as 2010
• Companies hiring contract or temporary employees – 12 percent this year, up from 9 percent in 2010

Which jobs are hottest for hiring?

The top three job areas in which businesses plan to hire first are those that involve being on the front lines with customers, and those that drive innovation. Customer service still claims the No. 1 spot for recruitment, with information technology slightly edging out sales this year for the No. 2 ranking on the list:

1. Customer Service  |  23 percent
2. Information Technology  |  21 percent
3. Sales  |  20 percent
4. Administrative  |  15 percent
5. Business Development  |  11 percent
6. Accounting/Finance  |  10 percent
7. Marketing  |  9 percent

As CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson stressed, the U.S. is seeing job creation across the board, and though some factors may prevent a huge acceleration in hires, hiring activity doesn’t appear to be ending any time soon:

“Last year, certain sectors or departments in companies were producing jobs.  This year, the U.S. is seeing job creation in all industries, functions and company sizes,” said Ferguson.  “Our survey, listings on CareerBuilder.com, and conversations we have with employers on a daily basis all indicate that hiring activity will sustain and improve in the months to come with a diverse mix of jobs.  While higher energy prices, debt, inflation and other factors may deter a significant acceleration in hiring, employers have encouraging news for the millions of Americans who are looking for jobs.”

Hiring by region: Where are employers hiring the most employees?

There’s more news to make us look forward to the year progressing: All regions are trending above 2010 in hiring prospects for the second half of 2011, with the South leading the way in optimism:

• South: 38 percent are planning to hire full-time, permanent employees, up from 27 percent last year
• West: 35 percent, up from 28 percent last year
• Northeast: 34 percent, up from 29 percent last year
• Midwest: 32 percent, up from 28 percent last year

Two trends to watch for in the second half of 2011:

1. Employee Turnover:
   • The competition for specialized talent is expected to intensify as employers recruit and try to retain top performers for hard-to-fill, in-high-demand positions in areas like health care and technology.
   • More than one-third (35 percent) of employers are concerned that key talent will leave their organizations as the economy improves, a trend that has become increasingly evident over the last six months.
   • Eighteen percent of employers reported top workers left their organization in the second quarter, up from 14 percent in the first quarter. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as CareerBuilder’s 2010 forecast revealed that 25 percent of all workers planned to leave their organizations within a year.
2. Shortage of Skilled Workers:
   • Fifty percent of employers reported there is a shortage of skills within their organization, up from 48 percent last year.
   • The biggest shortages were reported in the areas of Information Technology, Customer Service and Communications.
   • More than one-third (36 percent) of human resource managers reported they have positions for which they can’t find qualified candidates, up from 32 percent last year.

What happened in Q2 2011?
This past quarter, 29 percent of employers added full-time, permanent headcount, up from 24 percent last year. Eleven percent decreased headcount (same as Q2 2010), while 59 percent made no change in staff levels (compared to 64 percent in Q2 2010) and 1 percent were unsure.

What will happen in Q3 2011?

• For eight consecutive quarters, actual hiring exceeded what was originally anticipated, indicating that employers tend to be more conservative in their hiring projections than in their hiring behavior. Looking forward, 26 percent of employers plan to add full-time, permanent employees in the third quarter (only 21 percent planned to do so in Q3 2010), but if trends persist, the actual hiring number may come in higher at quarter end.
• Eight percent expect to downsize staffs.  Sixty-one percent anticipate no change, while 5 percent are undecided.

To get in-depth survey results and further predictions for the second half of 2011, download the full forecast, or for a quick snapshot, check out our handy-dandy infographic.

Looks like someone’s been taking her Boniva! (Or whatever its employment industry equivalent is, at least…)

According to CareerBuilder and USA TODAY’s latest job forecast, the employment outlook is starting to feel like its younger, more vibrant self again.

Nearly three-in-ten employers (28 percent) reported they hired full-time, permanent employees in the first quarter of 2011, the highest since the first quarter of 2008, according to the survey of nearly 2,800 hiring managers nationwide. The same amount expect to add full-time positions in the second quarter as well.

The findings come as little surprise to CareerBuilder’s CEO, Matt Ferguson, who says in a press release that job listings on CareerBuilder.com have increased across all categeories – from healthcare and technology to manufacturing. “While employers are keeping a close eye on world events, their confidence levels in regard to recruitment have remained intact,” Ferguson said. “The survey points to continued, measured gains over the next three months.  As the nation moves toward greater financial stability, more employers are investing in talent for the long-term.”

So what’s in store for the job market in the coming months – and how does it compare to previous months? Check out the highlights from the latest survey, including insight into what concerns both employers and job seekers right now. (You can also go here to download the complete forecast.)

• Added Headcount Exceeds Expectations in Q1 2011: For the seventh consecutive quarter, hiring has exceeded expectations. When asked back in December, 23 percent of employers said they expected to hire full-time, permanent employees in the first quarter of 2011. As for March, however, the number of employers that actually added headcount reached 28 percent.  And while 10 percent of employers decreased headcount in the first quarter 2011, the number is still an improvement from 12 percent who did so last year.
• Employers Expect to Maintain Momentum in Q2 2011: As for second quarter expectations, 28 percent of employers said they plan to increase their full-time, permanent headcount (but if current survey trends persist, that number could very well be higher in three months).  The number already exceeds the 24 percent of employers who increased headcount during this time last year.
• Competition for Highly Skilled Talent Increases: Concerned about losing high performers as the economy improves? You should be. Nearly a third of of the 5,600 workers surveyed said they are likely to start looking for another job as the economy improves.  Some have already made good on their word, too, with 14 percent of employers saying they already lost some of the best employees this last quarter.
• Temporary Hiring Will Slow Ever So Slightly: At 29 percent, the number of employers who added temporary staff is nearly the same as those who added permanent employees. Slightly fewer employers (26 percent), however, plan to do the same this quarter, and 17 percent plan to take some of their contract or temporary employees on full-time in the second quarter.
• The Best Hiring in the West: Looking at regions, hiring in the West is strongest, with 33 percent of hiring managers in this area expecting to increase full-time, permanent headcount. They’re followed by 28 percent who say the same in the Northeast, 27 percent in the Midwest and 24 percent in the South.
• Hiring Shows Improvement Across Businesses of All Sizes: Hiring among small businesses – the major driver behind new job creation in the U.S. – is showing signs of improvement.  Increasing by 4 percent from last quarter, 23 percent of companies with 500 or fewer employees plan to recruit full-time, permanent employees in the second quarter; and 17 percent of companies with 50 or fewer employees said the same, (up from 14 percent last quarter). Hiring in larger organizations is also trending positive, with 36 percent of companies with more than 500 employees planning to add full-time, permanent staff in the second quarter, up from 30 percent last quarter.
• Downsizing Will Go Down a Size (or Two): The survey also indicates that the number of employers planning to reduce staff levels decreased by 2 percent across the board: Among companies with 500 or fewer employees fewer employers, only 5 percent say they plan to decrease full-time, permanent staff.  Four percent of employers with 50 or fewer employees and 7 percent of companies with more than 500 employees said the same.
• Salary Levels to Stay Relatively Level: In disappointing news for workers, nearly 40 percent of employers do not plan to increase salary levels, and 38 percent plan an increase of only 3 percent or less. Fifteen percent expect their average changes will be between 4 and 10 percent and 2 percent predict an increase of 11 percent or more.  Another 3 percent say they will decrease salaries.

Do any of these findings surprise you? Where does your company fall among those surveyed?

SALT LAKE CITY – Under the leadership of Governor Gary R. Herbert, first as Lt. Governor and now as Governor, the State of Utah has climbed to the top spot in Forbes Magazine’s annual ranking of “The Best States for Business and Careers.”

Utah ranks No. 1 in the report, released Wednesday, bumping Virginia from its four-year reign in the top spot. Among the factors that placed the Beehive State at the top are:

• Annual economic expansion of 3.5% over the past five years
• Annual total employment increase of 1.5%
• Annual increase in household income of 5%
• Decrease of corporate tax rate from 7% to 5%
• Energy costs that are 35% below the national average

“While magazine rankings do not tell the whole story, they certainly create a narrative that shows Utah has all the elements that make us a successful place to start or expand a business and a desirable location to live and raise a family,” Governor Herbert said. “Several years ago, we made a conscious decision to make economic development a priority. We have since consistently climbed in the rankings and, in the past year, our leadership pushed Utah to the top of the list.”

Forbes’ “Best States” ranking measures six categories for business: costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, current economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life.

Utah’s rankings in those categories are:

• Business Costs: 8
• Labor Supply: 5
• Regulatory Environment: 6
• Economic Climate: 1
• Growth Prospects: 20
• Quality of Life: 18

In announcing this year’s results, Forbes noted that while states across the nation have suffered as a result of the national economic downturn, some states, like Utah, have weathered the downturn better than others. The magazine notes: “But some areas are doing better than others, and for many of them, it isn’t an accident. Who’s doing the best job when it comes to fostering growth? Utah.”

“This recognition shows that not only is the State of Utah open for business, it shows that our businesses can compete anywhere in the nation and the world,” said Jason Perry, Governor Herbert’s chief of staff and former executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

After selecting Perry to serve as his chief of staff, the Governor appointed Spencer Eccles in September 2009 to serve as GOED’s new executive director. Both appointments served as proof of the Governor’s commitment to economic development in the State.

“The Governor’s directive to me was to continue to make Utah a state where businesses not only wanted to be, but a state where they needed to be,” Eccles said. “We have succeeded in ensuring that Utah has a pro-business environment and an unparalleled quality of life. We will continue to support our existing Utah companies while attracting others to the State.”

Under Governor Herbert’s leadership, the State has announced major expansions of Utah businesses and the relocation of other notable companies to the Beehive State. Forbes notes the many businesses, such as Goldman Sachs, Oracle, eBay and Adobe, which recently acquired Utah’s own Omniture, have recognized the benefits of operating in Utah. Other homegrown companies like Merit Medical, Nelson Laboratories and Sun Products (formerly Huish) have expanded with the assistance of the State and local
communities.

Along with Eccles, GOED operates under the leadership of Derek Miller and Josh Romney, also appointed by Governor Herbert in September 2009 to serve as an economic ambassador to Utah. Together, the Governor’s Office and GOED have forged partnerships between the Utah Legislature, local governments, education and the private sector through initiatives such as the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, USTAR and the Utah Cluster Acceleration Partnership.

“This is a great day for the State of Utah, but I also understand there are still businesses and families in the State that continue to struggle as we emerge from the national recession,” Governor Herbert said. “As Governor, my promise to all Utahns is that I will continue to foster economic growth throughout the State. Expanding our tax base is the single best way to fully fund public education and to pay for other critical state services such as public safety and human services.”

Over the past year, the State has seen the addition of 19,000 new jobs and, as noted by Forbes, now showing positive job growth. Also, preliminary data indicate that statewide sales tax collections are significantly up over this time last year and the State is expected to see revenue growth for the first time in several years – all encouraging factors that point to economic growth in Utah.

The full Forbes article in available online at www.forbes.com/2010/10/13/best-states-forbusiness-business-beltway-best-states.html.

 
It’s a non-denominational holiday miracle! (Okay, ’miracle’ might be a bit of an oversell, but regardless…) Good things are in store for the job market this coming year, if CareerBuilder’s 2011 Job Forecast is any indication. 

Released today, the annual survey shows that more employers plan to grow jobs and increase salaries than last year – indicating a stronger overall employment picture for 2011.  According to CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson, in a statement for the press release:

“More than half of employers reported they are in a better financial position today than they were one year ago…Our survey indicates more jobs will be added in 2011 than 2010, but job creation will remain gradual. The year will be characterized by steady, moderate gains across various industries.”

For this year’s annual survey about the state of the job market and employment trends, CareerBuilder surveyed over 2,500 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes.  Below is a summary of the results: 

HIRING AND EMPLOYMENT TRENDS IN 2011

• Continued Growth of Full- and Part-time Staff: According to the survey, 24 percent of employers plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in 2011 (up from 20 percent in 2010 and 14 percent in 2009), and 13 percent said the same of  part-time employees (up from 11 percent in 2010 and 9 percent in 2009).
• Less Downsizing Planned: In another promising sign, plans to downsize staffs are trending below the last two years.  Only 7 percent of employers plan to decrease full-time headcount this year, marking an improvement from 9 percent in 2010 and 16 percent in 2009; and only 5 percent plan to decrease part-time staff (down from 8 percent last year and 14 percent the year before). 
• Increased Reliance on Contract and Temporary Workers: In order to supplement leaner staffs in the comin year, 34 percent of hiring managers say they will hire contract or temporary workers, 24 percent of whom expect to add more than they did last year. Moreover, 39 percent of employers plan to extend permanent job offers to these workers.
• More Competitive Compensation: Amid increasing concerns over top talent leaving, 61 percent of employers said they will increase compensation for their existing staff in 2011, up from 57 percent in 2010. When it comes to hiring, 31 percent plan to increase their job offers to candidates, up from 29 percent last year. 

REGIONAL HIRING:  Similar to last year’s forecast, the West surpasses other regions when it comes to hiring plans – but only slightly – with 26 percent of hiring managers in the West reporting plans to add full-time, permanent headcount followed closely by 24 percent in the Northeast, 23 percent in the Midwest and South.  As for downsizing plans, 8 percent of employers in the South expect to decrease headcount followed by 7 percent in the Northeast, Midwest and West.

HIRING AND COMPANY SIZE: While small businesses have been slower to recover, hiring is gradually improving among companies of all sizes.  Thirty percent of employers with over 250 employees plan to increase full-time, permanent headcount in 2011, followed by 27 percent of employers with 51 to 250 employees and 14 percent of employers with 50 or less employees.  Five percent of employers with 1 to 50 employees plan to reduce their workforce compared to 6 percent of businesses with 51 to 250 employees and 9 percent with more than 250 employees. 

Download the full CareerBuilder 2011 Job Forecast here.

Twenty-one percent of employers expect to add full-time, permanent employees in the fourth quarter, according to the latest survey from CareerBuilder and USA TODAY (download the full report here) of more than 2,400 hiring managers and human resource professionals and more than 3,100 workers.

While we’re not necessarily “in the clear,” “over the hump,” “on the comeback trail,”breathing a sigh of relief,” or (enter overused phrase here), some aspects of Q3 were positive in terms of hiring, and Q4′s projections put us on track to continue the past several quarters’ positive trends.

The state of 2010: Projections versus reality

• Looking at the state of hiring in 2010 thus far, 24 percent of employers reported adding full-time, permanent headcount in each quarter from January through September — better than original projections for that period, which averaged 21 percent.
• In addition, actual hiring has consistently beat projected hiring for the last six quarters of the survey. If trends persist, we could be looking at the actual number of hires for the fourth quarter exceeding projections as well.

Where were we a year ago?

In terms of actual hiring back in Q4 2009, 20 percent of employers reported they had hired full-time, permanent staff, while 13 percent decreased headcount — so, if actual hiring meets this quarter’s projections (which, as stated above, is likely to happen, as actual hiring numbers have trended to not only meet but exceed projections for the last year and a half), we’re looking a bit better in terms of hiring (and downsizing) than we were a year ago.

CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson on this year’s trends and where we’re headed:

“We have seen positive job creation trends throughout the year, where positions are opening across industries each month,” said Ferguson.

“The return to pre-recession employment levels will take some time.  Although the recession officially ended a year ago, we still have an economy burdened by debt.  Employers are watchful and gradually augmenting their staffs with permanent and temporary hiring.”

What happened this past quarter?

Q3 2010 also showed signs of improvement over Q3 2009:

• More hiring: For one, 25 percent of employers reported they added full-time, permanent employees, up from 18 percent in the same period last year.  This signifies three consecutive quarters of both sequential and year over year improvements in 2010.
• Not as much downsizing: In addition, 12 percent of employers decreased headcount, down from 15 percent last year.  Sixty-two percent reported no change in their number of full-time, permanent employees while one percent were undecided.

What’s ahead for Q4?

Well, things are looking consistent as far as projected hiring, as this is the fourth consecutive quarter where at least one in five employers planned to increase headcount. Specifically:

• Twenty-one percent of employers plan to increase their full-time, permanent headcount in the fourth quarter, while 10 percent expect to downsize staffs.
• Sixty-five percent anticipate no change, while 4 percent are undecided.

Other Forecast Highlights

Temporary Hiring

• Many employers are hesitant about ramping back up to full capacity. As a result, 30 percent hired contract and temporary workers in Q3, and 27 percent plan to do so in Q4. And some employees will be looking at full-time gigs: 24 percent of employers said they’re planning to turn some of these positions into permanent jobs.
• At 27 percent, IT leads the pack as far as most likely to hire temporary or contract workers in Q4, followed by engineering and finance/accounting.

Hiring By Company Size

Although small businesses continue to struggle with accessing credit needed to operate and expand their businesses, some of them plan to add staff by the end of the year (as do some larger companies), while other companies plan to reduce work force in Q4:

• Thirteen percent of employers with 50 or less employees, 24 percent of employers with 51 to 250 employees, and 26 percent of employers with more than 250 employees plan to increase headcount in the fourth quarter.
• Seven percent of employers with 1 to 50 employees plan to reduce their work force in the fourth quarter, compared to 8 percent of businesses with 51 to 250 employees and 12 percent with more than 250 employees.

Compensation in Q4 2010

Many employers aren’t looking to increase salary — but the good news is that only 5 percent anticipate a decrease in salaries, and many employers are looking to give at least small salary increases.

• Forty-one percent of employers anticipate no change in salary levels in the fourth quarter compared to the same period last year.
• Thirty-five percent expect there will be an increase of 3 percent or less.
• Fourteen percent expect their average changes will be between 4 and 10 percent and 1 percent predict an increase of 11 percent or more.

The Worker’s Perspective

As we’ve mentioned before in our mid-year job forecast, only half of full-time, employed workers said they are happier with their employment situation today than they were one year ago.  The other half, predictably, are not.

Why the lack of job satisfaction? Well, workers report several contributing factors; one of the biggest is that they say they’re not able to contribute to their roles at the levels they would like to be.

• Nearly three in ten workers (29 percent) reported feeling underemployed.
• Of these workers, 71 percent stated their skills and experience aren’t being utilized to their full potential, 45 percent don’t feel challenged and 30 percent stated they don’t feel a sense of autonomy in their positions.
• Nineteen percent said they feel underemployed because they took a job during the recession that was lower than their previous position.
• Twenty-seven percent of all workers reported they don’t feel loyal to their current employer.

You can read the full report here.

What do you think about Q4′s job forecast and the outlook for hiring?

Over the years, CareerBuilder has spoken with some of the industry’s most successful and influential leaders as part of our CareerBuilder Leadership Series to discuss the importance of attracting the right talent in order to maintain success. Time and again, these discussions reiterate the important role people play on every aspect of the business – from shaping the way these leaders lead to driving organizational growth, to increasing the bottom line.

We recently incorporated highlights from these conversations into CareerBuilder’s Mid-Year Hiring Forecast, but you can see them here, below:

• “A company is its people. The other resources that are available – cash, inventory and fixed assets – aren’t really valuable unless they are properly deployed by people who have the best interests of the enterprise at heart, are motivated to do the right thing – both in terms of being honest and doing business with high integrity – and people who align themselves with the goals and mission of the enterprise. The people in a company are everything.” – Bob Carr, Chairman and CEO of Heartland Payment Systems, on the impact people have on organizational growth.
• “As a company, it’s important to us to be viewed as a thought leader and organization that is both innovative as well as active in certain public policy debates.   I think people want to join organizations that they think are leaders, that have good values, and that value diversity. I think one of the things that we do well as an organization is value diversity, both in the traditional senses of gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual preference, disability, et cetera, as well as diversity of ideas and approaches to solving problems. That makes us an attractive destination for talent.”  – Ronald A. William, Chairman and CEO of Aetna, on the importance of employment branding to set yourself apart
• “We made an acquisition in 2007, and the company that we acquired had a brand line: “Never settle for less.” We decided to adopt that brand line across the enterprise because, ultimately…that’s what the culture is – that’s what this company is – for people. It kind of plays like going to work anywhere else should be thought of as settling for less….The reality is that we’re in the people business.  People are the core of what we do: They are the face to our customer, they are our brand, and in many cases, they are the extension of our customers’ brands. We have to care about them – we don’t have a choice.  It’s that big of a deal.” – Tom Nightingale, Vice President, Communications and Chief Marketing Officer, Con-way, Inc., on the importance of fostering corporate culture.
• “At the center of every leader comes a passion for people, because leaders never get to where they are by themselves. They always get there because they have people around them who can be inspired, who believe in the journey ahead and get the work done as you go forward. You have to have the ability to rally people and inspire people to believe. That’s part of it. The other part is you have to give people respect, have to give people their dignity and you have to be a good listener. You can’t ever demand respect along the way, and if you don’t give people their dignity, you’ll never get people to believe.”  – Jon Luther, Executive Chairman of the Board, Dunkin’ Brands on how people influence his leadership philosophy
• “People truly are the cornerstone of our ability to serve our clients – without them, our business would not exist.  Every client relationship is formed from the talented individuals we place front and center to act as an extension of their business.  Our employees are our greatest advantage, and the service we provide places our company’s integrity and reputation in the hands of our employees every day.  We place a great deal of trust in them and believe they will deliver on Kelly’s promises to provide the highest quality service and solutions to our customers, employees, shareholders and communities.” – Carl Camden, CEO, President and Director of Kelly Services, on the role people play on day-to-day business
• “It’s important to understand each of your employees’ gifts, goals and passions – both in- and outside of work – as those passions can be leveraged and further drive performance at work. We all work to live, and it’s important to understand the ‘live’ part and to tie people’s goals to that life or focus. It creates that leverage in performance….Our people are our most valuable asset. It’s important to give them the freedom and responsibility that will maximize their potential, and thus their impact on your company.” – Mary Delaney, President of Personified, a CareerBuilder company, on the importance of engaging your people.
• “I don’t believe that [micro management] fosters creativity and excitement in the workplace. My personal philosophy is to hire the right people, give them their job description and what their key result areas are, and then let them go ahead and figure out how they are going to achieve those results…We believe that nobody’s perfect, and you’re going to make mistakes, and your mistake is like an education. We are here to guide you, but you’ve got some freedoms and some flexibility to make your own decisions on how you’re going to run your business.” – Martha O’Gorman, Chief Marketing Officer at Liberty Tax Service, on the importance of giving employees freedom to do their jobs
• “Ensuring you have the highest quality of talent in place makes your job as a leader that much easier. When you have people in place who you can rely on and have confidence in, you don’t have to be concerned that the day-to-day basics won’t get done. Especially today, if you have people who are underperforming or fall short of expectations when you’re already tight on headcount…it really hurts your ability to move your business forward.” – Richard Castellini, Chief Marketing Officer of CareerBuilder, LLC, on the importance of having the right talent in today’s economy.

What is your leadership philosophy? Please share your own thoughts and insight in the comments section below…

In Q2 2010, we saw improvements in the nation’s hiring outlook, and we cautiously cheered a little. But this time around, we may want to grab the nearest vuvuzela and blow it in excitement. (Or, uh, not.) Because while hiring in the second half of 2010 is likely to mirror the first half of the year in many ways, CareerBuilder and USA Today’s mid-year nationwide survey of more than 2,500 hiring and HR managers and more than 4,400 workers also shows that  the economy is projected to trend upward in comparison to last year at this time — and is on par with last quarter’s positive changes.

How have things changed from one year ago?

All things considered, employer behaviors and mindsets have shifted considerably from last year at this time. Forty-one percent of employers say they plan to hire between the months of July – December 2010, and employers project that in Q3 2010 specifically, they:

• Will add full-time, permanent headcount (21 percent)
• Will not make changes in staff size (65 percent)
• Will downsize staff (8 percent)
• Are undecided on staff size changes (6 percent)

One year ago, we saw that most employers expected their staff levels to remain the same as recruiting patterns held steady and job losses trended downward. Similar to this year’s numbers, 68 percent of employers didn’t anticipate any change in their full-time, permanent headcount, but in contrast, only 15 percent expected to increase staff levels (18 percent actually did). Fifteen percent decreased headcount, which is almost twice the percentage of hiring and HR managers who project a decrease in headcount in Q3 2010.

In Q3 2009, many employers were also reporting plans to postpone start dates for job offers, put mandatory furloughs into place, and institute pay cuts and hiring freezes. Today, although we’re still not completely out of the woods, we’re beginning to see a bit of daylight.

How have things changed from last quarter?

The number of employers who added full-time, permanent headcount in Q2 2010 was slightly ahead of what was originally forecasted in the survey, continuing a trend of actual hiring beating projected hiring.

In Q2 2010:

• 24 percent of employers reported they increased their full-time, permanent staff in the second quarter (up from 18 percent year over year and up 1 percent from Q1 2010).
• 11 percent decreased headcount (an improvement from 17 percent last year and 12 percent in Q1 2010).
• 64 percent reported no change in their number of full-time, permanent employees.
• 1 percent were undecided.

“The survey indicates that we’ll see sustainable new job growth through the remainder of the year, but it will be absent of any dramatic shifts,” said Matt Ferguson, CareerBuilder CEO.

Compensation Outlook

Fifteen percent of employers reported they instituted pay cuts at their organizations in the last 12 months.  Of these employers, 28 percent were restoring pay levels in the first half of the year, 18 percent in the latter half and 25 percent in 2011 and 2012.  Twenty-nine percent were unsure if and when pay would be restored to previous levels.

For Q3 2010 specifically:

• 42 percent of employers anticipate no change
• 37 percent expect there will be an increase of 1 to 3 percent
• 12 percent expect to see an increase of 4 to 10 percent
• 3 percent expect a decrease
• 1 percent anticipate an increase of 11 percent or more

Three trends to watch for in the second half of 2010

1. Emerging Jobs – Employers are looking to fill positions relatively new to the work force. Twenty-four percent of employers said they are recruiting for positions in social media, green energy, cyber security, global relations and health care reform.

2. Changing Jobs – Employers are implementing measures to retain top performers. This is good, because according to the forecast, 25 percent of all workers plan to leave their organizations in the next 12 months.

3. Shortage of Skilled Labor — One-in-five employers reported that, despite an abundant labor pool, they still have positions for which they can’t find qualified candidates.

Unhappy Employees

Many workers are re-evaluating their employment situations — and realizing they’re not too happy with their current employer.

• Twenty-five percent of workers reported they have a worse opinion of their employer in the wake of the recession. Fourteen percent have a better opinion and 61 percent stayed the same.
• Twenty-nine percent of workers plan to pursue new job opportunities when the economy shows more improvement.  As mentioned earlier, a quarter of all workers plan to leave their jobs over the next 12 months.

Why the dissatisfaction?

Several factors influenced these decisions, but many appear related to the recession.

• 30 percent of workers reported feeling over-worked, feeling the climate changed in their work environment and harboring resentment over other workers being laid off.
• One-third of workers (33 percent) reported they feel overqualified for their current jobs
• 23 percent stated that a lack of interesting work was one of the main motivators for changing employers.

What can you do as an employer to retain employees?

When asked what their employers could do to retain them as employees, workers cited the following:

1. Increased compensation is the No. 1 thing workers want.
2. If salary increases aren’t possible, workers point to employee recognition as the next best thing.
3. Third in line, workers want the company to set realistic performance expectations and manageable workloads, and to take the time to evaluate their potential and discuss career paths.
4. Investments in training and the company showing an ability to adapt were also mentioned.

To get in-depth survey results broken down by industry, region, and company size, as well as further predictions for Q3 2010, you can download the complete Q3 Forecast here.

Note: Totals may not equal 100 percent due to rounding.

In case you missed the BLS’ employment report released Friday, check out a quick recap in the First Business video below, where Brent Rasmussen, President of North America at CareerBuilder, talks about the highlights of the report and what it means for the current and future state of the job market:

Among the highlights of the report:

• Employment rose by 290,000 in April, surpassing the 185,000 predicted by economists
• The unemployment rate, which hit 9.9 percent, increased due to the number of people who, previously discouraged from looking for jobs, have resumed their job searches (the unemployment rate only captures those who are actively looking for jobs)
• Hourly wages increased slightly last month, to $22.47 from $22.46
• The average work week increased to 34.1 hours from 34 hours in March
• The manufacturing industry sector experienced the biggest boost in growth, adding 44,000 jobs; followed by temporary help services (26,000); health care (20,100); construction (14,000); retail (12,400); mining (7,000); computer systems design (7,000) and federal government (66,000 – due largely to temporary workers hired for the census) 
• The transportation and warehousing and information companies industry sectors all cut jobs last month

While recovery is well underway, its status as a slow one has yet to change. With the economy growing at just a 3.2 percent pace in the first quarter of this year, it has a long way to go to catch up for the 6 percent to 8 percent per quarter gains it needs in order for employers to start hiring significantly.

The outlook for college grads is not the same as it has been in the past — like, say, in 2007, when 79 percent of employers indicated in a CareerBuilder survey that they planned to hire recent college grads. Still, although it appears the overall job market for 2010 college graduates will remain highly competitive, this year’s job forecast is showing some signs of improvement.

Although the number of employers planning to hire recent college graduates in 2010 is 44 percent — relatively unchanged from 2009’s number of 43 percent, one in five employers (21 percent) who are planning to hire recent grads said they will hire more of them than they did last year. On top of that, 16 percent (as opposed to last year’s 11 percent) reported they will offer higher starting salaries than they did in 2009.

Wait — how high?

• Thirty percent of employers plan to offer recent college graduates starting salaries ranging between $30,000 and $40,000.
• Nineteen percent will offer between $40,000 and $50,000
• An additional 19 percent will offer $50,000 or more.
• Thirty-three percent will offer less than $30,000.

“Even though companies are gradually starting to hire again, the job market will still be challenging for college graduates this year,” said Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America. “To take advantage of the opportunities that exist, it’s important for recent graduates to start their search early, remain positive and keep an open mind. In addition, networking and showing relevant work experience – whether it is internships, class work or volunteering – can help make your application stand out.”

Work experience — what counts?

When looking at a candidate’s resume, particularly of a soon-to-be or recent college grad, what really counts when it comes to work experience? If you’re only looking at a candidate’s paid work, you ought to broaden your considerations. Experience can come from many places, and particularly in light of a tough economy, candidates are exploring new areas to gain the experience that can sometimes be hard to find in the traditional sense.

Employers reported that the following activities qualify as pertinent work experience for recent college graduates to include on their resumes:

• Internships – 62 percent
• Part-time jobs in another area or field – 50 percent
• Volunteer work – 40 percent
• Class work – 31 percent
• Involvement in school organizations – 23 percent
• Helping managing  sorority & fraternity activities – 21 percent
• Sports participation – 13 percent

More than just that je ne sais quoi

Furthermore, experience, whatever parameters you define it in, is not the only important factor in a candidate’s application. While employers in our CareerBuilder survey said that experience is one of the most influential factors in their decision to hire a recent college graduate, they also pointed to the following attributes:

• Good fit with company culture
• Comes in with good ideas and asks good questions
• Educational background
• Level of enthusiasm
• Comes to interview prepared and is knowledgeable about company

Speaking of recent college grads doing their homework, it may be a good time to make sure you’ve done yours by tweaking those tired interview questions. It’s almost graduation time, and while you may be screening new grads, they’ll be screening you too. It’s a new class, with new expectations.  Are you ready?

You can find the full press release about 2010 college graduates here.

With 162,000 jobs added in March, the nation’s economy saw its largest job gain in three years, according to the latest Employment Situation report, released by the BLS today.

While the unemployment rate remained at 9.7 percent (and will likely stay that way for a while), the increase is a sign that economic recovery is sustainable, and healing in the job market has definitely, finally, offically BEGUN! begun to turn a corner. 

Not exactly the kind of good news that warrants a ticker-tape parade, but hey, I’ll take it.

Highlights from the report include the following:

• Employers added 162,000 jobs in March, the most since the recession began but below analysts’ expectations of 190,000. The total includes 48,000 temporary workers hired for the U.S. Census.
• Private employers added 123,000 jobs, the most since May 2007.
• Among industries: Manufacturers added 17,000 jobs, for a third straight month of gains. Meanwhile, temporary help services added 40,000 jobs; health care added 37,000; leisure and hospitality added 22,000; and the construction industry added 15,000.
• The average work week increased to 34 hours from 33.9 (a positive sign as most employers are likely to work current employees longer before they hire new workers).
• Average hourly earnings fell by two cents to $22.47, but average weekly earnings rose by about $3 to $629.37, partly reflecting the longer work week.
• The “underemployment” rate – made up of Americans who are working part-time but prefer full-time work and discouraged workers who have given up searching for jobs – ticked up to 16.9 percent from 16.8 percent.

Latest Job Forecast Supports BLS Findings
Further evidence of the recovering jobs market can be found in CareerBuilder and USA Today’s latest quarterly job forecast, which showed that for the third consecutive quarter, more employers plan to increase their headcount in the next three months, while fewer will cut staffs.

This morning, CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson appeared on CNBC’s SquawkBox to discuss the results of the forecast and what they mean for the current state of the job market and the economy:

BLS Experts Answer Consumer Questions in Live Chat
Finally, the BLS conducted its first live web chat this morning devoted to the employment report.  You can see of  full transcript of the chat here, or continue reading for chat highlights:

This morning, the BLS held a live web chat with a panel of experts from both the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the Current Employment Statistics (CES) programs on hand to answer users’ questions.  Below are some of the highlights of that chat, with user questions in bold:

 Is there an estimate for how many census workers will be hired for the current census and when those hires will occur? Are these employees full, or part-time? How does the BLS treat these employees? Are they counted as “regular” employees? Current information on the census intermittent worker impact on CES estimates can be found on www.bls.gov/ces/cescensusworkers.pdf. To be considered employed in the CES survey, workers need to receive pay for any time during their pay period including the 12th of the month. Workers getting paid for just one hour would be considered employed. The CES survey cannot distinguish between full- and part-time workers. For future hiring expectations for census intermittent workers, you should consult the Bureau of the Census or visit http://www.census.gov/

Why have people on extended unemployment benefits dropped by over 50% since the beginning of the year while those on EUC are up? BLS does not produce the data on unemployment benefits. The Employment and Training Administration is the source of that data. Information is available on the Department of Labor website at http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims_arch.asp.

Why was the weather effect in February not larger given the severity of the snow storms and past similar storms, i.e. Jan. 1996? It is not possible to determine specifically how weather impacted employment estimates from data reported through the CES survey. The dynamics of the economy, as well as differences in weather systems, vary.

What states are enjoying a growth in employment? Details on statewide job growth can be found in the Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release issued most recently on March 26, 2010. In February, nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 27 states and the District of Columbia and increased in 23 states. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in Florida (+26,300), followed by New York (+5,800), Alabama (+5,600), Wisconsin (+5,200), Nevada (+5,100), and South Carolina (+5,000). Nevada experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+0.5 percent), followed by Florida and New Hampshire (+0.4 percent each) and Alabama, South Carolina, and Vermont (+0.3 percent each). Over the year, nonfarm employment decreased in 49 states and increased in 1 state and the District of Columbia.

Unemployment rates for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and cities are issued in a separate release, several weeks after the Regional and State news release, cited above. Currently, data is available for January 2010

Why is this report released on Good Friday? The BLS news release schedule for major economic indicators, including the Employment Situation, is announced prior to the beginning of the calendar year, allowing advance notice to all users, and is rarely subject to change. BLS schedules news releases any day the Federal government is scheduled to be open, based on when data will become final.

Why is the civilian non institutional population listed as 237,159? The civilian non institutional population is 237,159,000. The figure excludes persons under the age of 16, members of the Armed Forces, and those in institutions such as prisons.

Does the payroll data differentiate between part time and full time? The payroll data does not differentiate between part- and full-time workers.  The CPS survey does have employment by full- and part-time workers.   

How are the adjustments to prior months reports determined? The CES survey is a voluntary survey, and respondents report employment for their pay period that includes the 12th of the month. BLS first produces estimates with less than full response. We collect data on a continuous basis and update our estimates during the 2 months following initial release. In addition to additional sample, BLS also recalculates seasonal factors using the latest estimates.  Once a year, BLS resets its employment level (for March) to an actual count and revises seasonally adjusted estimates back 5 years. The latest of these benchmark update was for March 2009, released on February 5, 2010.

Does the BLS make available the raw data results of the surveys? The mission of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is to collect, process, analyze, and disseminate essential statistical data to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, State and local governments, business, and labor. In order to maintain credibility and trust with our survey respondents, confidentiality protections for our data are essential. Protecting the confidentiality of data is central to accomplishing the BLS mission. More information can be found on this subject at http://www.bls.gov/bls/confidentiality.htm.

What are the standard errors on the employment number and unemployment rate? At the 90 percent level of confidence, the standard error on the change in CPS employment is about +/- 400,000, and the standard error on the change in the unemployment rate is about +/- 0.2 percentage point. For the payroll survey, at the 90 percent level of confidence, the standard error on the monthly change in nonfarm employment is about +/- 100,000.

Who do you survey to get the temp employment number? The CES survey samples Temporary Help companies to estimate employment in Temp Help.  Our sample includes firms of all sizes.

When will the data from the 2010 Displaced Worker Survey supplement be available for download? Those data should be available in the fall of this year.

Does the BLS break out employment by size of firm? The BLS does break out employment by size of firm from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program.  For more details see:  www.bls.gov/cew

How are independent contractors and the self-employed counted? In the household survey, independent contractors and the self employed are counted as employed if they are operating their business. If their businesses are closed and they are actively seeking other employment, they would be considered unemployed.

Why is March selected as the bench mark month as opposed to other months? March is selected for the annual benchmark, because it has less seasonal variation than most months and no holidays.

Where can I find more specific information about the BLS’ unemployment calculation methodologies? You can find a number of documents describing the concepts and methods used in the unemployment calculations at: http://stats.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#ces_cps

What are some of the common reasons why the numbers in a prior months’ report could be revised? CES estimates may revise from additional sample received, corrections to previously reported data, and recalculation of seasonal adjustment factors using the most current data.

Do you have data regarding individuals working beyond the age of retirement? You might be interested to see a recent piece that Emy Sok published on older workers http://www.bls.gov/opub/ils/summary_10_04/older_workers.htm

Job seekers, employers, analysts and any other person who’s paid attention to the news for the last two years has been looking for signs that the economy has a brighter future. Well, optimists, we might have what you’re looking for. Today CareerBuilder and USA Today released their quarterly job forecast, and for the third consecutive quarter more employers expect to increase headcount in the next three months, while fewer will cut staff. I think that deserves a “Yeah!”

Looking back at the first quarter (January, February and march) of 2010, here’s what the nationwide survey of employers found:

• 23 percent of employers increased full-time, permanent staff, which is a welcome increase from 13 percent in the first quarter of 2009.
• 12 percent decreased headcount, which sounds grim until you remember that the figure was 26 percent in the first quarter of 2009.
• 64 percent didn’t change their number of full-time, permanent employees. (At least this means a majority of employers didn’t make staff cuts.)

Looking ahead to the second quarter (April, May and June), you can’t help but be optimistic that the situation is improving:

• 23 percent of employers intend to add full-time, permanent employees.
• Only 8 percent plan to decrease headcount.
• 64 percent don’t plan to change their headcount, and 6 percent haven’t decided yet.
• In the second quarter of 2009, 18 percent hired full-time, permanent staff and 17 percent decreased staff. If this year’s projections hold true, then the situation is an improvement over last year’s.

What else is happening in the second quarter of 2010?

• Compensation: 40 percent of employers don’t plan to change salary levels. But 37 percent do expect to give increases of 3 percent or less, while 13 percent plan to give raises ranging from 4 to 10 percent. People lucky enough to work for a certain 2 percent of employers will receive raises of 11 percent or more. Only 4 percent of employers will decrease salaries.
• Location: Employers in the Northeast (26 percent) and West (25 percent) plan to hire full-time, permanent workers in the second quarter. The South and Midwest aren’t too far behind their figures, with 21 percent and 20 percent respectively.
• Contract workers: Some employers are apprehensive about ramping up their hiring too quickly, which might explain why 25 percent of employers will use contract workers or freelancers in the second quarter. For those workers looking for long-term employment, the good news is that 13 percent of these employers plan to hire these workers on a permanent basis.
• Interns: If you’re looking to get your foot in the door somewhere this quarter, an internship could be your ticket. Expect 24 percent of employers to hire interns in the coming three months because they’re valuable additions to the staff and are a way to keep costs low.
• Social media: Social media continues to be all the rage, so use your Facebook and blog savvy to land a job. Nine percent of employers will hire new employees to focus on social media this quarter.
• Bilingual workers:Your knowledge of a second language can come in handy on your job hunt, too, as 33 percent of employers will hire bilingual candidates this quarter. Given the choice between two equally qualified candidates, 50 percent of employers say they will pick the bilingual one. So don’t be afraid to list that skill on your résumé.

The forecast has even more good news in it, so download the full report here.

Although the recession has been hard on many industries, the health care industry is one that has managed to thrive. Since the recession’s start, the health care industry has added 631,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and has consistently added headcount each month. CareerBuilder’s annual health care hiring forecast indicates that this hiring momentum will likely continue into 2010. The survey was conducted between November 5 and November 23, 2009, among more than 240 health care employers.

Hiring in 2010

• More than one in five (22 percent) health employers said they plan to increase the number of full-time, permanent employees this year, up from 17 percent last year.

• Ten percent of employers said they had plans to increase the number of part-time employees at their organizations in 2010, in order to help meet demand.

“While most industries struggled with headcount since the start of the recession, health care was and continues to be one of the strongest industries for hiring,” said Jason Ferrara, vice president of corporate marketing for CareerBuilder.

“Forty percent of health care employers, by far the highest among industries we surveyed, have open positions for which they can’t find qualified candidates. This shows that there is high demand for qualified health care workers across a variety of areas; everything from medical assistants to records specialists to nurses.”

Five Health Care Recruitment Trends for 2010

1. Replacing Low-Performing Employees

Health care employers are taking advantage of the current labor pool’s large number of highly qualified candidates to strengthen their work force. Forty-three percent of health care employers say they plan to replace low-performing employees with higher performers in 2010.

What do health care employers really think of their employees’ performance? When asked to grade their current work force, 18 percent rated their employees an “A”, 68 percent a “B”, 13 percent a “C”, and less than one percent a “D” or “F. Whew.

2. More Flexibility

Flexible work options continue to be important to health care employers. Over a third (37 percent) of health care employers said they will provide more flexible work arrangements for employees in 2010, including:

• Alternative schedules (74%) — Employees can come into work early and leave early, or come in later and leave later
• Compressed work weeks (53%) Employees work the same hours, but consolidate work into fewer days
• Telecommuting (40%) — Employees work from home or from another remote location
• Job sharing (12%) — Employees share the same position in a company, each working part of the week
• Summer hours (12%) — Workers enjoy condensed hours during the summer; typically 1/2 days on Fridays

3. Recruitment Tools

As the demand for quality health care employees continues this year, health care employers will leverage a variety of recruitment tools to fill their open positions. But on what are they planning to spend more money, exactly?

• Online recruitment sites — (25%)

• Newspaper classifieds — (20%)

• Career fairs — (18%)

• Social and professional networking sites — (13%)

• Staffing firms and recruiters — (7%)

4. Freelance Workers

Because of the great demand for qualified workers, many health care employers are seeking out freelance or contract health care workers to supplement their needs.  In fact, 34 percent of health care employers are hiring contract or freelance workers in 2010.

5. Green Jobs

“Green jobs” are defined as jobs that contribute significantly to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Being “green” is a rapidly growing movement within the health care industry as companies seek ways to run more efficiently; 10 percent of health care employers plan to add “green” jobs in 2010.
If you missed it, read the full press release here.

“There have been many signs over the past few months that point to the healing of the U.S. economy, especially the continued decrease in the number of jobs lost per month, a trend that will hopefully carry over into the new year,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder. “Although 20 percent of employers plan to add headcount in 2010, up from 14 percent last year, they still remain cautious in regards to their hiring. We’re headed in the right direction but should not expect to see actual job growth until at least Q2 2010.”

The encouraging news regarding the economy may be easing hiring fears, as employers signal an increase in their plans to hire in the new year, according to CareerBuilder’s 2010 Job Forecast. While employers continue to closely monitor the progress of recovery for the U.S. economy, they are beginning to consider hiring strategies designed to preserve the health and growth of their businesses for the future. CareerBuilder surveyed more than 2,700 hiring managers and human resource professionals nationwide across industries.

HIRING IN 2010

Full time – Twenty percent of employers say they plan to increase their number of full-time, permanent employees in 2010, up from 14 percent in 2009. Nine percent say they plan to decrease headcount in 2010, down sharply from 16 percent in 2009. Sixty-one percent don’t plan to change staff levels, while 10 percent say they are unsure.

Part time – Eleven percent of employers plan say they plan to add part-time employees in 2010, up slightly from 9 percent in 2009. Eight percent say they plan to decrease their part-time help in 2010, down from 14 percent in 2009. Sixty-nine percent plan no change in headcount, while 13 percent are unsure.

Hiring By Region – Employers in the West are planning to increase their headcounts more in 2010 than the other regions of the country. Nearly one-quarter of employers (24%) in the West say they plan to add full-time workers in 2010, compared to 21 percent in the Northeast, 20 percent in the South and 16 percent in the Midwest.

While plans to decrease headcounts in 2010 are down sharply across all regions, employers in the Northeast still plan to trim headcounts by 10 percent, followed by an 8 percent decrease in the South, Midwest and West.

Hiring By Industry – Comparing selected industries, hiring is expected to increase in information technology, manufacturing, financial services, professional and business services, and sales in the coming year. Thirty-two percent of IT, 27 percent of manufacturing, and 23 percent of financial services employers plan to add full-time, permanent employees in 2010, followed by 22 percent of employers in professional and business services and 21 percent in sales. Health care employers are also planning to expand staffs at 21 percent followed by 18 percent of transportation employers and 15 percent of Retail.

Hiring By Job Type – When asked which areas employers plan to hire for in 2010, one-third pointed to technology followed by 28 percent in customer service. Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) plan to add sales people, 18 percent will add research/development, 17 percent in business development, 15 percent in accounting/finance and 14 percent in marketing.

Compensation - Even as companies continue to watch their spending, they still plan slight increases to salaries in the coming year. Fifty-seven percent of employers report their companies will increase salaries for existing employees in 2010, down from 65 percent in 2009. Thirty-six percent expect to raise salaries of existing employees by 3 percent or more, while 11 percent anticipate increases of 5 percent or more.

Twenty-nine percent of employers plan to increase salaries on initial offers to new employees, down from 33 percent in 2009. Nearly one-in-five (18 percent) employers will raise salaries on initial offers by 3 percent or more while 7 percent anticipate increases of 5 percent or more.

HOW EMPLOYERS PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE NEW YEAR

Companies are looking to the future and making up for lost ground caused by the recession. The following are 10 trends for 2010:

1. Replacing Lower-Performing Employees

Employers are taking advantage of the large number of top talent in the current labor pool to strengthen their work force. Thirty-seven percent of employers say they plan to replace lower-performing employees with higher-performers in 2010. When asked to grade their current work force, 25 percent rated them an “A”, 60 percent a “B”, 15 percent a “C”, and 1 percent a “D.” Less than one-half of a percent felt their current staff was a failure.

2. Emphasis on Social Media to Strengthen Brand

The economy required companies to make some tough decisions about their businesses, which had a negative impact on their brands. Close to four-in-ten employers (37%) plan to put a greater emphasis on

social media in 2010 to create a more positive brand for their organization. One-in-five employers plan to add social media responsibilities to a current employee, while close to one-in-twelve (8 percent) plan to hire someone new to focus or partially focus on social media.

3. Rehiring Laid-off Workers

Companies needed to scale their businesses to market last year and four-in-ten employers say they were forced to lay off workers. Among those who had lay-offs in 2009, thirty-two percent of employers now say they plan to bring back workers with three-in-ten either doing it now or planning to do so in the first six months of 2010.

4. Flexible Work Arrangements

Companies plan to continue providing employees with greater flexibility in hopes of maintaining a better work-life balance. Thirty-five percent of employers say they plan to provide more flexible work arrangements in 2010, compared to 31 percent last year. These arrangements include:

• Alternate schedules – come in early and leave early or come in later and leave later – 73 percent
• Telecommuting options – 41 percent
• Compressed workweeks – work the same hours, but in fewer days – 32 percent
• Summer hours – 18 percent
• Job sharing – 13 percent
• Sabbaticals – 6 percent

5. Cutting Perks and Benefits

Even as companies look to the new year and toward growth opportunities for their businesses, many are still choosing to trim perks and benefits. Thirty-seven percent of employers say they will cut perks and benefits in 2010, up from 32 percent who said they trimmed in 2009. Perks and benefits employers plan to trim in the new year include bonuses, medical coverage, suspended 401k matching and office perks such as coffee, tea and condiments.

6. Rehiring Retirees and Postponing Retirement

Companies understand the intellectual capital mature workers bring to their organization and 27 percent say they are open to retaining their workers who are approaching retirement. Sixteen percent say they are likely to rehire retirees from other companies in 2010. Additionally, one-in-ten are likely to provide incentives for workers at or approaching retirement age to stay on with the company longer.

At the same time, workers have expressed interest in postponing retirement. Thirty percent of employers report they have received requests from workers approaching retirement age to stay on with their company, up from 22 percent last year.

7. Freelance or Contract Hiring

While employers still plan to be cautious regarding the number of full-time employees they add in the new year, many will turn to freelance or contract employees to help keep their businesses moving forward. Three-in-ten employers anticipate hiring freelancers or contractors in 2010, up slightly from 28

percent in 2009. Six percent expect to employ more freelance workers or contractors than last year, while 15 percent expect to hire the same amount and 10 percent plan to hire fewer.

8. Green Jobs

Employers will continue to turn some of their focus to the environment in the new year. Eleven percent of employers say they plan to add “green jobs” in 2010, the same amount who said they added them in 2009. “Green jobs” are positions that implement environmentally conscious design, policy and technology to improve conservation and sustainability.

9. Bilingual Recruitment

Employers have identified having a diverse work force as an important measure of success as they begin to rebuild their businesses after the economic downturn. One area they plan to focus on is building a bilingual team. Nearly four-in-ten employers (39%) said they plan to hire bilingual candidates in 2010 and half said that if they had two equally qualified candidates, they would be more inclined to hire the bilingual candidate.

10. Business Travel

While employers are inching away from cost containment and more into growth, one area they still plan to save money on is business travel. Forty-three percent of employers say that in their organizations there will be less business travel in 2010 than in 2009.

Download the full report here