Employers are hiring employees who are experienced in their businesses, team-oriented, customer-focused, have a track record for achieving the results they want, and work smart, according to a new survey by a Hartford career-coaching firm.
Workers involved in customer service or producing goods and services are most in demand, followed by sales, information technology, administration, finance, and human resources workers, says OI Partners-SIMA Career Coaching.
“Employers are being more selective in the types of employees they want, and the methods they are using to find and interview them,” said Ed Poff, managing partner of OI Partners-SIMA Career Coaching.
To recruit them, companies are more frequently using social media sites than last year, posting jobs on their company websites, obtaining referrals from current workers, and hiring people first as contract or temporary employees, the survey found.
While 54 percent of employers have increased hiring, 42 percent are also more concerned about retaining their current employees than they were last year, according to the survey by OI Partners-SIMA.
Many job applicants can expect the process to take more time before decisions are made. One-third of employers say it is taking longer to bring people on board this year as companies delay hiring to make sure that their business justifies the additional staff and conduct more interviews to confirm they are choosing the best.
Â
Employers are also interviewing candidates by phone more often, having teams of employees conduct interviews, and are making greater use of behavioral interviews, according to the survey of 184 employers.
