AS EMPLOYERS GRAPPLE WITH A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE HIRING ENVIRONMENT THAT IS CAUSING PROLONGED JOB VACANCIES ACROSS THE U.S., WORKERS ARE REAPING THE BENEFITS.
Are you in a hurry to get a job? Are you having a hard time finding a job, and starting to feel discouraged? Good news is on the horizon. According to CareerBuilder’s Midyear Job Forecast, 63 percent of U.S. employers plan to hire full-time, permanent workers in the second half of 2018, up from 60 percent last year. And a substantial percentage of employers hiring in the second half of 2018 are expecting to offer higher salaries and various perks — such as signing bonuses, extra paid time off, free lunches and the ability to work remotely — to attract and keep the talent they need.
Here are some additional things you should know that can help power your job search:
Know what’s out there: From a functional standpoint, the top roles employers hiring in the second half of 2018 say they will be hiring include:
- Customer service – 41 percent
- Sales – 28 percent
- Information technology – 22 percent
- Product development – 16 percent
- Business development – 16 percent
- Casual dress code – 36 percent
- Employee discounts – 31 percent
- Ability to work remotely – 25 percent
- Extra paid time off – 22 percent
- Signing bonus – 21 percent
- Free lunches – 14 percent
- Gym memberships – 12 percent
- Work from home Fridays – 10 percent
- Daycare – 8 percent
There might be more money on the table: Employers expect to provide a greater financial incentive to new workers and existing staff. Forty-five percent plan to increase starting salaries on new job offers in the back half of 2018; 23 percent of all employers plan to increase starting salaries by 5 percent or more.
Employers are stepping up their perk game: In an effort to draw in more applicants, employers hiring in the second half of 2018 said they would be highlighting different perks in their job offers:
Highlight your tech skills: Sixty-nine percent of employers said every job is essentially a tech job because every job has some technical component to it today. That sentiment is reflected in how employers recruit and interview for different roles.
Consider contract work: Forty-one percent of employers plan to hire temporary or contract workers in Q3. While trending down from 50 percent last year, temporary or contract hiring continues to be a key way employer fill employment gaps and recruit permanent staff.
