Employment Recruiting Trends: 2008 Predictions Series
In our last post we visited 10 predictions for small businesses. But what about those of us who are looking for other employment? What changes might we expect to see in our job search? How will employment offers be different in 2008?
In a December 26, 2007 press release, CareerBuilder.com made 8 predictions for 2008 employment recruiting practices. Of course, they got a little help in their predictions from the employers survey they commissioned from Harris Interactive. Here are the results of their prediction/survey:
- Bigger Paychecks - 80% of employers will increase wages for their current employees with nearly 1/4 of those giving increases of 5% or more.
- More Flexible Work Arrangements - More than a third of employers will add more flexible work schedules. Examples of flexible arrangements include telecommuting, compressed workweeks, and job sharing.
- Screening Candidates Via the Internet - Nearly 1/2 of of employers will use the Internet to research potential employees using resources such as search engines and social networking sites.
- Rehiring Retirees - 1 in 5 employers will likely find employees among the retired population.
- Diversity Recruitment - 5 of every 6 employers will focus on creating a diverse workforce when hiring workers in 2008. Targeted populations for recruitment are Hispanics (especially Spanish speaking), African Americans, women and older workers.
- Freelance or Contract Hiring - Almost 1/3 of employers will hire freelancers or contractors to complete work assignments.
- More Comprehensive Healthcare Benefits and Special Perks - 20% of employers will offer increased health benefits while 10% will provide new perks such as company cars, bonuses, stock options and educational reimbursement.
- Career Advancement - 1 in every 4 employers will likely offer additional career advancement and promotional paths to workers in 2008.
So, overall it sounds like a great year for those looking to change jobs. But keep in mind that not every employer will be making these changes. So before jumping ship with your current employer, be sure you’ve researched the job market and know how you are likely to be affected. There are no guarantees in the open job market…just predictions.
Watch for our next article in the 2008 Prediction Series: Best business opportunities for 2008.
[Photo Credit:CFAGELNYC]
3 Responses to “Employment Recruiting Trends: 2008 Predictions Series”
By Shari Voigt on Feb 6, 2008 | Reply
As an independent contractor, I’m encouraged to read that 1/3 of employers will outsource work assignments!
I wonder how much education high school and college-age students receive regarding the current corporate trend to screen applicants online? Those of us who have teens and young adults in our lives really need to help them understand that their future career opportunities may well hinge on how they portray themselves online.
By Coryan on Feb 6, 2008 | Reply
Shari, it’s funny you should mention what youth know about this trend. My 18 year old son and I were talking about this last night when I was writing the post. He had never really given it much thought, but agreed that it is important to keep in mind.
It is actually the reason I use a pseudonym on this blog. I don’t want my employer worrying that I am changing jobs any time soon. I like working both my day job and my web job.