Employment Trends

Job Market Threats

There are so many threats to the job market:

New technology with it’s constant pace offers greater efficiencies and therefore job reductions.

Mergers and acquisitions, business re-engineering, bankruptcies, downsizing, layoffs, new companies, new opportunities and corporate assassinations all add to the problem. Add to these the Global Village and Third World threats and the problem gets worse.

Stock market falls and technology shares being badly hit, have all further weakened the fragile IT and Telecoms job market.

However all of these threats have meant that candidates are now willing to re-invent themselves and a faster-moving workforce is being created.

Employment Alternatives

Diversity is the new norm. There are now many alternatives to employing staff permanently including: Consultancy, Interim Management, Contractors, part time jobs, short term contracts etc.

Offshore skills companies can provide additional resourcing for both staff and projects. Further skills can be gained with the immigration of overseas workers particularly in IT and Telecoms.

Recruitment Methods

Proven methods include agencies and executive search companies (head hunters). Often it is necessary to headhunt an expert, already successfully doing the required job, from a competitor of the client.

On-line recruitment is increasingly used by companies, eager to avoid the fees of recruitment companies. However the best candidates may need to be headhunted.

Companies don’t at first appreciate the enormous amount of work and time involved with headhunting.

Retention of staff

There is now a marked shift towards retention of staff. Companies usually have difficulty replacing the loss of company knowledge when staff leave.

Today, staff know their value, the best people being fought over by top companies and the competition can usually beat you on salary, bonus and package.

Staff retention needs good management and a respected workforce.

You can't beat a great culture. People don’t leave companies - people leave people.

For more advice on Employment Trends and for help in finding key staff - please contact us.