With nationwide unemployment still hovering just below 10%, and California well above 12%, we anticipate a long road ahead before employment returns to pre-recession levels. Some economists predict 3-5 years, at the soonest. What does that mean to the unemployed jobseeker, or the employer looking to re-hire?
For this post we invited our Recruiting Manager, Angela Showell, to share her perspective on what lies ahead.
Recruiting Trends
Most people tend to agree that, as a nation, our economy continues to slowly recover. However, because California is among the states that was hit the hardest during the market’s downward spiral, I continue to hear a number of concerns from job seekers as well as employers. The California job market (and most job markets on the whole) are still saturated with an abundance of candidates, a number of whom tend to be largely overqualified for the positions to which they apply.
This results in both the jobseeker(s) as well as employers and hiring managers being equally weary regarding what this ultimately means. From the jobseekers perspective, especially considering that in many scenarios, days have turned to weeks and months of searching, they’re very nervous that employers are looking to capitalize off of knowing that people are desperate by offering the minimum salary to someone with the maximum skill set. The opposite side of that coin is that employers feel that, due to desperation, many candidates will accept their (underpaying) positions and leave as soon as the economy rebounds and another higher paying position surfaces.
I know that sounds pretty grim and may not leave a lot of people feeling very optimistic, but there is good news! In spite of these concerns, I can honestly say that my experiences with both sides directly contradicts what each side is expecting of the other. Candidates really want the opportunity to come into a new company or environment, and to show off why they deserve to be there. They want to “earn” their keep as well as their pay, even when it’s much less than what they’re accustomed to making.
Similarly, the employers and hiring managers with whom I do a lot of business look forward to the opportunity of having someone who would normally be considered overqualified, come in and really boost the team and the company. They would then pay the new hire accordingly, often adjusting job title and description to match the caliber of the candidate.
In sum, I’ve always believed that you get out of something what you put into it. Even when tragic circumstances, like the worst economy in modern history, bring us together it’s something we all have in common and it’s a very interesting bond. I believe that what will truly help us evolve and move past this terrible set of circumstances is to wipe the slate clean, stop comparing apples and oranges (i.e., previous jobs and future jobs / previous employees and future employees) and let’s give each other the benefit of the doubt so we can move on with a positive view.Thank you.
Angela Showell
Recruiting Manager, CPEhr
Upon entering the HR Outsourcing relationship with the practice, a CPEhr Human Resources Specialist immediately began to review their policies and employee documentation. Many gaps in employment protocol were identified. An array of new employment forms were created, compliant procedures were implemented and new guidelines were put into practice. The Director and Office Manager received training on proper employee review and termination procedures, and their designated HR Specialist was invited to attend exit interviews and assist in the termination process.
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the IRS claims to lose millions of dollars in uncollected taxes each year due to independent contractor misclassification by employers. As such, as part of a national research project on employment taxes, the IRS is scheduled to audit 6,000 randomly selected companies ranging from large to small firms and even non-profits. The goal of the program, which is scheduled to last from 2010 to 2012, is to create a scoring system for employment taxes. The audit will focus on the following items: failure to file, fringe benefit issues, executive compensation (including stock options) and employees misclassified as independent contractors.
When you, the employer, deliberately choose to develop your staff, you are investing in the solidarity of the company as well as your people. When you train your staff, you provide more meaning for people at work, and you build and strengthen the skills, processes, and knowledge development that your organization will need in the future. In our January webinar we explored the business value of training: why it is important, why it works, how it can strengthen your company, and how it can even increase profitability while reducing overhead”