Competition for Top Talent Remains Intense

Problem

Candidates with niche and emerging skills within the Marketing, Web and IT occupations are difficult to find. In fact, the need for top talent in these areas forces companies to look beyond active job seekers, toward passive candidates, who are currently employed.

The majority of Mid-Atlantic metros sit near or slightly below the national unemployment rate average. These averages do not, however, tell the full story. Mid-Atlantic employers face a challenging employment landscape, as the unemployment rate for white-collar jobs is approximately 50% below the reported averages. Marketing and IT roles in Maryland are forecasted to grow by 11% and 15% respectively. Top individuals in these areas are working, and are not easily found, which has created an employment shortage that impacts all companies in the region.

According to Manpower’s 2011 Talent Shortage Survey, one in three companies finds it difficult to fill positions due to a lack of available talent. Over 25% of survey respondents shared that candidate’s lack the experience necessary to qualify for positions. Further, 22% agreed that applicants do not possess the proper technical skills, while 15% felt candidates lack required business knowledge.

Additional roadblocks exist in Interactive fields like Online Marketing, Web and IT, as the newness of emerging technology makes it difficult to locate the proper training resources that are needed to build new skill sets. Complicating matters further, experience is often limited to a niche focus, where broad expertise that pertains to a wide array of related skills is lacking or non-existent.

With the Mid-Atlantic’s growing demand for Web, IT and Marketing professionals, organizational leaders struggle to find savvy, experienced individuals who can lead projects and initiatives. Varied interactive platforms, new technologies and constantly updated requirements (i.e., SEO/SEM Marketing) make keeping up with emerging skills challenging. As roles and requirements change and emerge over time hiring managers find it difficult to define job titles and salary ranges.

Solution

The need to quickly reach passive, in demand job seekers has created a competitive job market that employers are trying to tackle. Hiring managers need access to talent pools that are not at their fingertips. In short, they must work with a recruitment partner who is plugged into proven networks of passive job seekers, who can potentially meet their needs. The recruitment partner will connect the employer with proven performers and industry leaders, who will then positively impact their organizations.

Results

One option is to secure a partnership with a recruitment firm to source, screen and secure unmatched talent to gain a competitive advantage. Niche staffing firms that have expertise in the fields like Web, IT and Marketing have solid, ongoing relationships with qualified talent in the markets they serve. They have a working knowledge of the local and national labor market, and know where these niche professionals live and work. They are on the cutting-edge of emerging roles, as they often assist clients in defining salary ranges and job descriptions for new and evolving positions. Utilizing deep networks of pre-screened candidates, niche recruitment firms have the knowledge and expertise to vet large pools of candidates to zero in on top talent that reflect the exact needs of each client.

As organizations face growing needs in Online Marketing, Web and IT, it is important to spend time and money wisely. Talent searches, without support from a trusted partner, can expend resources, money and effort that can be better spent on core activities. The right recruitment partner will learn about a company, its needs and requirements. The provider can then offer solutions that are custom fit to meet every need, whether that’s direct hire, contract, or contract-to-hire.

Profiles provides a full suite of recruitment and staffing services for many of the Mid-Atlantic’s fortune 500 companies and leading brands. Profiles offers more industry expertise, greater cost efficiencies, and a proven ability to match the best candidates with the right positions and companies.

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