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If there’s 8.5% + Unemployment, Why Can’t I Find the Right Person for My Job? |
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 By Devan Perine
I had the opportunity to attend the Vistage All-City in Chicago in November 2011, where Brian Beaulieu of IRT Economics did a presentation on the state of the economy and what it means for Small and Mid-sized businesses (SMBs).
During the presentation, he asked the 500+ business owners in the room if they had hired a new employee within the last year. Nearly everyone raised their hand. He then asked those business owners if they’ve had trouble finding candidates. No one put their hand down.
With unemployment so high, why are so many businesses having a hard time getting the right candidates to apply for the job?
Businesses expect a lot of people to apply for their job openings because there are a lot of candidates in the job market – but many businesses owners are saying that’s not the case. Hiring is a pain, and businesses are having a much more difficult time hiring now than ever before. So why is this?
A company’s ability to attract the right candidates depends on the following factors:
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Location of the job |
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Available talent |
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Relative attractiveness of the position compared to other similar jobs |
1. Where is the job located?
If you are a SMB based in Small Town, USA and you’re hiring for a highly skilled job, it’s going to be harder to find someone for the position – you’re fishing in a little pond. On the other hand, if you’re hiring for that same job in NYC, your chances for finding qualified candidates is substantially greater. Location has a lot to do with how many candidates you can source.
2. How much talent is available?
The Wall Street Journal recently published an interactive graphic showing the unemployment rate for hundreds of job titles. The jobs with the highest unemployment rates were in the trades, manufacturing, and construction. The lowest unemployment rates where in the healthcare, petroleum & nuclear engineers, as well as veterinarians. If you are hiring for a job title with a low unemployment rate (like mechanical engineers with a 2.6% unemployment rate) you will have a harder time recruiting and hiring.
3. How attractive is the job?
If you’re hiring for an Engineering Manager Position at your company, your job has to be… well… attractive. You’re competing with other companies for the same (scarce) qualified people. To attract the right talent, you must be able to offer a better (or at least competitive) employment opportunity when compared to similar opportunities at other companies. A better opportunity can include a variety of factors – higher pay, bonuses, extended vacation time, company perks, work environment, or the opportunity for advancement. We recommend that you explore your Employment Value Proposition (EVP) to help you understand what makes your company’s job a stand-out opportunity.
Here’s Your Homework
If you’re hiring for a position at your company, evaluate each of the factors – location, available talent and the relative attractiveness of the job. While you may not be able to impact either of the first two items, you can make the job more attractive and more competitive. Think about alternative incentives and highlight your EVP.
If your job is unattractive – make it attractive! It is worth the extra expense and effort to attract the right candidates. After all – beauty hurts!
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Business Owners Need to Know the “WHO” and “WHY” of Their Business |
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 By Chuck Smith
How do business leaders focus on the most critical tasks that power our organizations’ success? Oftentimes, we don’t! The feeling of responsibility for the team, the organization and the result can be overwhelming. Throw in the constant flood of information and people coming at us, and the project can seem impossible.
If we are responsible for everything -- the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of our company – we’re nothing more than hamsters on a wheel.
This is the moment when it’s important for the leader to step back and focus on just two questions:
By relentlessly focusing on WHY and WHO, leaders can delegate and hold the team accountable for What gets done… and When, Where and How it happens.
Of course this is easier said than done. Most leaders of small and mid-sized businesses like being involved in the day-to-day work. Giving up control of “our baby” to others is tough.
But if we want our companies to become valuable assets, operations and sales cannot rely on our personal efforts and knowledge. We have to build a team. Here’s how to start:
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Self-Awareness – Are you a great leader? Are you a great manager? Change starts with you. Get help in understanding your strengths and weaknesses. Behavior assessments like Meyers-Brigg or DISC administered and interpreted by a qualified professional may be a good place to start. |
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Highest Best Use – What 1 or 2 things do you do within your organization that no one else can do that makes the biggest difference to your bottom line? Click the link to request my worksheet on identifying your HBU. |
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Who’s on Your Bus? – Take a look at your Income Statement. Find the two biggest expense lines. I bet “people” is at the top. Are you getting your money’s worth from every individual? Nothing holds back company performance like poor performers. |
The best part of my job is getting to speak with business leaders from hundreds of organizations (about…what?). I can report with certainty that those who spend their time working on the WHY and the WHO of their businesses feel happier and more fulfilled, and their businesses tend to be more successful too! |
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NewHire Upgrades & Features |
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New Recruitment Advertising Packages
We now offer new recruitment advertising packages! Our new packages include a variety of Cost-Per-Click (CPC) campaigns on sites such as Indeed.com, Google, LinkedIn and Facebook. CPC campaigns are a cost effective way to source candidates. Learn more about our new advertising options. |
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Candidate Email Autoreply
Send candidates a customized email after they apply! For example, you can send an automated email to all candidates who applied for a sales job and invite them to take an online sales-skill assessment. Ask us about this new feature! |
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Webinar
Schedule: |
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| 6 Steps to a Better Hiring Process |
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| Learn the tools and the steps to building an effective hiring process for your business. |
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Monday, February 20
12:30PM -1:30PM CST
Cost: FREE
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To help support people in need of work, this year we have made a generous donation to Literacy Works, a local not-for-profit organization. Our donation will support Literacy Works’ Employ Lit program, promoting adult literacy, family literacy and employment readiness in Chicago. |
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NewHire is a recruiting software & services company. Our software features applicant tracking, custom screening questionnaires, and simple filtering tools. NewHire allows you to easily identify the best talent so you never read an unqualified resume again. |
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105
W. Madison #702
Chicago, IL 60602
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(877) 923-0054 – Toll Free
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Contact us via email |
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