To provide accurate and timely employment forecasts for business leaders, Express Employment Professionals International Headquarters commissions an ongoing Job Insights survey to track employment and hiring trends across a wide range of industries.
INSIGHT: Hiring Outlook for the Second Half of 2021 Looking Good
As the economy moves past challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, hiring decision-makers are becoming more positive about the future of the workforce, with the most common feelings attributed to hiring in 2021 being hopeful (44%), optimistic (42%), and confident (41%). According to hiring decision-makers, in the second half of 2021:
- 55% plan to increase the number of employees at their company
- 38% expect no change to the number of employees
- 4% anticipate a decrease in employee count
INSIGHT: Challenges Arise as Businesses Enter Post-Pandemic Jobs Market
While hiring remains a focus for companies, new challenges come to light caused by changes during the pandemic. More than 4 in 5 hiring decision-makers (82%) expect to face hiring challenges this year. 2 in 5 hiring decisions-makers (40%) say their company currently has open positions that they cannot fill. This means it’s a job seekers’ market.
Some of the most prevalent hiring challenges include:
- Increased competition in the job market (30%)
- Talent pool not meeting hiring needs (28%)
- Difficulty assessing candidates’ skills during hiring (25%)
INSIGHT: Remote Work Is the “Next Normal”
Beginning in March 2020, businesses were forced to adapt to social distancing and shutdown mandates as 55% of hiring managers hired and onboarded new employees remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as restrictions lift, most businesses believe remote work is here to stay in the “next normal.”
While 49% of businesses that will allow for remote work plan to allow all existing employees the opportunity to work remotely, a slight majority (51%) plan to use criteria in determining which employees can work from home, including:
- Job responsibilities and whether or not some job functions must be completed in a physical workspace (67%)
- Successful goal completion as measured by key performance indicators (47%)
- Job title/level (44%)
- Geographical location and proximity to office (36%)
- Length of employment (32%)
That means job seekers can choose to work remotely for companies if they wish.
