Hiring Trends for 2017

Nancy Anderson
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There's a talent war going on thanks to a strong labor market in the United States. Unemployment is low, and thousands of companies seek top employees to get an edge in today's highly competitive global marketplace. Hiring trends favor the job seeker in 2017, as established companies and startups alike need the best employees to get their products and services out there faster and more efficiently.

Employers Need Applicants

In Manpower Group’s 2016 Talent Shortage Survey, 40 percent of employers said they struggled to find the right workers to fill positions. Further, one in four participants in the survey said they lacked applicants in general, meaning people simply weren't applying for jobs. One of the biggest hiring trends in this talent war is that employers are unwilling to compromise. Vacancies will exist until employers find the right candidates. Therefore, you must apply for positions that are the right fit for you.

Greatest Needs

Several types of careers are in high demand. If you want a really good career and not just a job, consider positions such as a sales rep, engineer, technician, finance professional, administrative assistant or driver, as these positions list high among 2017's hiring trends. Survey participants also listed these positions as some of the hardest to fill. Find companies that have the greatest needs, and you may be rewarded.

Training

Companies sometimes need to retain the right talent. As such, hiring trends in 2017 revolve around providing more on-the-job training. As many as 53 percent of employers in the survey said they offer on-the-job training to existing employees. You still need great soft skills and technical ability to land a job, but you can take advantage of professional development opportunities offered by employers to keep your career moving forward.

The Right Fit

Seek out jobs that are the right fit for your talents. That means carefully examining the job description to make sure you truly qualify for the job. Employers want to make quick, efficient hires. While one in four positions don't have enough applicants, one in five positions have people who apply for jobs who don't have the necessary qualifications.

Keep an eye out for engaging job descriptions that stand apart from normal postings. Those descriptions may indicate a company that thinks outside the box when it comes to finding top talent. Hiring trends in 2017 lean towards picking the best possible people, so if you lack any of the major qualifications, you should address this in your cover letter.

Better Compensation

Employers want you to feel valued. As such, salaries are expected to increase 2.9 percent in 2017. Companies also add more perks and benefits on top of your base salary as a way to land top employees. In the search for great talent, companies are willing to spend more money to create the best possible workforce.

Hiring trends for 2017 favor job seekers across multiple industries and fields. As great hires advance from one job to the next, they create more openings at lower levels. The hiring war favors everyone seeking a job as the economy expands.


Photo courtesy of Sira Anamwong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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  • Francois Simon
    Francois Simon •

    "employers are unwilling to compromise. Vacancies will exist until employers find the right candidates." ... To do what? The "employer's" position detailed requirements (programming language, vendor equipment type, certification type, design methodology, etc..) indicates that they have already made their mind on the solution(s) to their problem(s). Why do they need PhDs o put it together?

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Elizabeth M thanks for your comment. It can be tough being a more mature job seeker. Yes they can see how old you are and it's kind of hard to hide that. It is true that research has shown that millennials do not stay at a job for very long and that the more mature employee will stay for the long-term. We wish that we could get companies to realize that the older worker is the better bet. For the most part, we are settled; our children are grown; we don't have the same distractions as the younger job seekers and we will stay for the long haul. All you can do is keep trying. Check around your area for networking events. Look for job fairs and go ready to interview. It is true that your resume needs to be such that it can make it through the ATS so yes - keywords are important. When you write a cover letter, remember, it's not about you - it's about them; it's about how they will benefit by hiring you. Also, get in touch with some former coworkers and ask them if they know of any openings in their company. While you are waiting, check with your local community college or library and see if you can find some free ways to beef up your resume by adding new skills. And, since you aren't working right now, if you can, try to find some way to volunteer in your community. That;s a nice little bonus to add to your resume. All the best.

  • Elizabeth M.
    Elizabeth M. •

    One last thing. I didn't proof my comment on this website. So please don't think my grammar and more is my usual way of writing. I just kept hitting a wrong button and it submitted what I wrote. I then would have to go back and delete it and start over. Normally I would have proofed a document/email and even run it through a grammar correcting software for accuracy. But I didn't for my comments. As you can see by the break in my writing . I hope you can follow my chain of thoughts😀

  • Elizabeth M.
    Elizabeth M. •

    Sorry got cut off. ...have up to15 years of work life yet to perform before retiring is crazy and insulting. I have more sales experience and awards in selling than a great number of applicants but those three items knock me out of the application pool immediately. And I'm sure I'm not alone. Just because I had to take time off to care for a handicapped child and I'm being penalized for that because I cant even get an interview. These companies won't take a chance on me, who is willing to pay my dues and take entry level pay, but would rather hire a younger, less experienced candidate because they never saw my application due to resume software. Additionally, I have extreme loyalty and longevity with the companies I have worked for in the past, i.e. 14 years and 5 years. I even stay in volunteer positions for years. Instead a company hirers someone who, if they are lucky on average will stay 18 months, they then will have to spend the money to find and train a new employee. Lastly, one correction, I meant to say 6000 and $6000. The actual number was 6482 people applied to one position. That's more than all the employees in the company.

  • Elizabeth M.
    Elizabeth M. •

    I read this article and I've got to wonder which employers you interviewed for the data. As a person who has been looking for a position in sales for more than two years, I found so many holes in this article. For example, just yesterday I saw a job posted on Indeed.com that had more than $6000 applicants. I've seen other positions with more than 500 applicants. I personally have applied to more than 100 jobs. I have the experience and more to do an excellent job for the companies. But as a woman who is over the age of 50, without a college degree, that gives me three strikes to start even before you look at my award winning sales experience. The problem some of these companies have is the software that they run the applications through to find someone. If your cover letter and resume don't have enough of the "key" words it will eliminates the applicant. So if your resume isn't spot on you lose. I'm very confident in saying that I'm sure several very qualified people who get eliminated not on their experience, but on the amount of experience(showing that they are older) and other things like this. To know that a company will say they haven't found the "right" person for the job because of lack of experience is completely unfair. If a company doesn't think there is an issue with hirering millennials, who statistics have shown are now only holding positions at the record breaking time frame of 18 months verses an experienced candidate who may still

  • Darrel C.
    Darrel C. •

    Danielle, try the Chamber of Commerce, go to the Chamber Head quarters in your area. Formulate a personal relationship and you will have better chances

  • Danielle Pope
    Danielle Pope •

    Employer are not telling the whole truth especially when it comes to hiring administrative assistants (AA). I have 10+ yrs. as an AA and have applied for several positions. With my experience, it should not be hard for me to get employment. Employers consider more than what is on the resume they receive such as age, race, weight, marital status. It's not legal, but they do it and its not hard. All they have to do is some internet research. So no, they are not telling you the whole truth.

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