It’s a new year and many people have “find a new job” on their 2020 resolutions. However, that doesn’t make it any less difficult for HR managers to find expertise because the truth is that there is a labor shortage and also a growing skills gap. Finding the best talent for your company has never been more difficult than it is in 2020.

Six million people are looking for work, but the latest facts from the U.S. Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics states job openings remain at 7.2 million. This is the first time in the history of tracking these statistics that there are more job openings than people seeking employment.

ICON continuously looks for ways to find and attract candidates for our clients. In many cases a hiring manager can miss out on a candidate because they lack a way to nurture and connect with potential candidates in advance of needing them. The ironic part is that the bulk of these type of candidates are actively working and probably have “find a new job” as their 2020 resolutions. But, they don’t have the time to actively search.

ICON helps bring the two parties together by figuring out where these candidates are and how to attract them to job openings. The company sets up communities of talent and keeps the talent interested in roles in their geographic area. Additionally, ICON uses smart recruitment technology so that candidates are available, interested, and matched to roles when those roles become open.

Another factor of finding talent during a labor shortage is the pay scale. It is a simple case of supply and demand. Companies are competing against each other for candidates, driving up wages and giving candidates the luxury of being more choosey. We can verify that the company that pays better and has better overall benefits/perks will entice the better employee. By keeping regular track of the pay scale in the marketplace and with key competitors, a company can save months of searching for candidates that go nowhere because the pay is grossly misaligned with the marketplace. Being able to compete helps attract the best candidate possible.

Recruitment is extra critical now. Employing a good staffing firm is the first step to finding talent in 2020. The overall challenge is to stay ahead of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution in staffing. Contact ICON and let us help you find the needle in the haystack and fill your job orders today!