Looking to hire in 2017? Prepare for a fight
Get ready: It looks like the competition for talent in 2017 will be pretty fierce.
About 40% of HR pros and hiring managers surveyed by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder said they plan to hire full-time employees in 2017. That’s up from 36% last year — and it’s a 10-year high for the survey.
In total, 2,391 HR pros and hiring managers were polled.
On top of those full-time hiring projections, 30% of respondents said they’ll bring on part-time workers (up from 26% in 2016), and 51% said they’ll bring on temporary or contract workers (up from 47% in 2016).
Just 8% are expecting to scale back staffing levels.
Optimistic outlook
The reason for the hiring surge? CareerBuilder’s CEO Matt Ferguson said it’s because three in four employers say they’re in a better financial position now than they were at this point in 2016.
The survey also asked HR pros and hiring managers what kind of impact the new Trump administration would have on hiring, and the response was more optimistic than negative:
- 23% said they anticipate the new administration to increase jobs
- just 7% said they expect it to decrease jobs, and
- the rest were either undecided (43%) or expect no change (27%).
Interesting trends
The survey also highlighted some interesting trends that showcase what employers looking to hire will be up against.
Examples:
- Higher salary offers — 66% of employers plan to increase salaries on initial job offers (with 30% increasing offers by 5% or more), and
- More tech adoption — 41% of employers said they plan to reach out to candidates via text messages to schedule interviews.
