Here are some stark facts of reality about the employment workplace right now:
- Fact #1—The national unemployment rate is relatively high (right around 8.2%) and the underemployment rate, which is a more accurate indication of what’s happening, is higher than that.
- Fact #2—Despite the unemployment (and underemployment rate), there are still approximately two to three million jobs available in the country right now.
- Fact #3—Not only are larger companies having trouble finding skilled workers, but smaller companies are experiencing the same problem.
That last fact is evidenced by a recent poll by The Wall Street Journal and Vistage International. That poll indicated that over 30% of small business owners and chief executives had unfilled job openings in July because they couldn’t find applicants with the right skills or experience.
Click here to read the full Wall Street Journal article.
Independent, third-party recruiters have accounts with both large and small companies. It doesn’t matter the size; if a company is having trouble finding the candidates they need, they’ll pay a recruiter’s fee in order to find them.
That’s because the cost of having the position open is greater than paying a recruiter to find a good candidate to fill the position.
What’s been your experience? Do you have accounts with large companies, smaller companies, or both? Are they both having trouble finding the right candidates? What are the differences between the two? Does one group drag their feet more than the other?