If you turn on the daily news, chances are you'll find a story discussing the job outlook. We often hear that unemployment is improving, but where are the jobs? Recruiters have openings, but in what sectors and levels? Is there a lack of candidates or a lack of qualified candidates?
If you search online, you'll find job openings, but despite some reports that job growth is on the rise, employers are slow to hire. In fact, longer cycles are common due to employers' continued concern about the pace and strength of the economic recovery.
With high unemployment, there is a large candidate pool. However, many of these workers might be under-skilled for the positions available -- those elusive "purple squirrel," hard-to-fill roles that recruiters are faced with.
Meanwhile, those candidates that do have the skills required for the open positions might be unwilling to leave the stability of their current positions, and those who are overqualified might be reluctant to accept lower salaries and responsibilities.
As high unemployment persists, the challenge for recruiters will be luring passive candidates who fit the open positions out of their current jobs. Recruiters can continue to use basic recruiting principles to pull this talent, but candidates will be looking for even more emphasis on job security, company stability, and salary.
It's the recruiter's job to provide extra care and attention to these details, and to create a positive candidate experience in order to obtain the best talent for the positions they are trying to fill.
As time passes, training programs implemented by outplacement firms, and even the Department of Labor, to help candidates advance their skills, should help to increase the qualified applicant talent pool. This should in turn have a positive effect on recruiters.
This post was written by former Seamless Workforce contributor Donna Vespe.
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