Our client, a leading pathology and laboratory billing services firm, is looking for an experienced Java engineer. This person will be responsible to design and implement scalable enhancements to the client’s existing proprietary software system and will also be responsible to manage projects and analyze performance within those enhancements.

“Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/parallelhr to be kept up to date on new job positions!

This person will be responsible for contributing to company’s core code and product line.

Duties may include:

New application development

Legacy code maintenance

Code review, correction, bug-fixing

Strategy for products and architecture moving forward

Required Skills/Experience include:

Java

JSP, Servlets

Struts (1.1 preferred)

Log 4 j

MySQL (T-SQL)

Exceptional communication skills

Business analysis skills and acumen

This position offers the option of working from a home office, but will require travel (mostly schedule, but some unscheduled travel may also be required). The ideal candidate will be able to work on complex projects as a hands-on contributor, be able to communicate with business professionals and C level executives. Additional experience in project management is also beneficial.

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?

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?

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.

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?

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.

If you can tear yourself away from KFC’s Double Down sandwich or the latest episode of Glee long enough, take a few minutes to check out what you’ve missed this past month in the wonderful and sometimes wacky world of recruitment.

We found reason to be optimistic with CareerBuilder and USA Today’s Q2 2010 hiring forecast results, and BLS released March’s Employment Situation report, which revealed that the economy saw its largest job gain in three years. And hey! Things are even looking up for college graduates in terms of the job outlook.

While we’re talking about better news in hiring, I should probably mention that we just released our new how-to-hire e-book, CareerBuilder’s Ultimate Recruitment Guide. Download a copy for yourself — or your team — now.

What are workers spending their tax refunds on this year? Is it that trip to see grandma in Wyoming? A new lifetime supply of bathroom tissue? You may be surprised. On that note, a new CareerBuilder survey found that the majority of employers are doing something to become more environmentally friendly, or “green” –investing in bathroom tissue made from recycled tissue, perhaps?

Jim Greenwood, CEO of Concentra, Inc. shared his thoughts on being a CEO — a Chief Encouragement Officer, that is — and talked about Concentra’s workplace culture, the importance of giving colleagues an opt out, and much more.  Another leader, Martha O’Gorman, chief marketing officer at Liberty Tax Service, talked with us about why employees should be left to do their jobs, when humor’s appropriate in workplace culture, and why the company doesn’t believe in traditional national advertising.

Do you want colleagues — or ex-colleagues — rating you anonymously and gaining control over whether that next employer wants to hire you? A new social networking site, Unvarnished, thinks you do. Speaking of the power of employee referrals, we revealed how a personal phone call from George Lopez to Conan O’Brien helped Conan decide to sign on to Team TBS.

Lastly, we discussed AOL’s success in employment branding, and why you need to know who you are — and who you aren’t — as an employer.

Here’s some other employment news that’s been making us gasp, cringe, or smile this past month:

• Sooooo… did we mention our new recruitment e-book is out? We might have.
• Some companies send you back to school.  Other companies school you on social media best practices, university-style.
• Why the job hoppers who make you hesitate may actually make the best employees.
• You’d probably gasp if you got this kind of e-mail from a potential intern. Amirite?
• The best culture attracts the best talent — here’s 10 ways to get in on the action
• Top Employee, anyone? Five ways food and restaurants are mixing in an awesome culture.
• Sometimes, your employees need to feel empowered to get on that bike and fall off. And learn to get back up. And, you know, fall off again.
• Speaking of bikes, some of you may want to bike to a nearby establishment to see what a  “jobless recovery ale” is like. Taste the happy… ?
• Would you pay Donatella Versace to judge your skills and that skirtyougotforlike$10shhhh — for charity?

Anything we missed?

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.