The Challenge
During Q2 of 2021, unemployment and stimulus payment gave Americans a financial cushion and, in some cases, incentives not to work.
The result? Employers saw a 45% increase in cost per apply for commercial staffing and many jobs going unfilled.
The Implication
With the delta variant circulating and return-to-work concerns lingering, many people are not yet ready or able to return to normal life. The supply of jobs is much greater than candidate demand for work.
The Bottom Line
It’s unavoidable that the cost of recruiting will be higher. There are more jobs to fill, less talent in the market, and no way to increase the candidate pool quickly enough to keep up with demand. To fill open job orders, you need to incentivize talent and create compelling reasons to work.
Incentives to engage talent
- Pay rate. Must be at or above effective minimum wage in your market.
- Sign-on, assignment completion, quality/productivity, longevity, referral.
- Healthcare/HSA, 401(k), training programs/compensation.
Compelling Reasons to Work (maybe)
- Mental need to get back to work. Gain a sense of pride and well-being that comes from having a job.
- Right now is the best chance to get a good temp-to-hire job.
- Employers are offering the best pay rates now.
- Candidates have the best chance of getting into the most desirable jobs and companies.
- You can avoid gaps on your resume
- Get your spouse off the couch!
Up Next: Recruiting Strategies: What can you do better?
Our next post will talk about how you can be better when recruiting.
