Recruiting talent has always been hard.

You wouldn’t think that would be the case, the way politicians build campaigns around jobs, and the way news outlets celebrate companies opening new locations that will bring dozens of jobs to the area.

Where are all these job-hungry people when you need a placement?

Yes, finding, engaging, and placing talent has always been challenging.

It’s getting more difficult.

And, according to this article in TLNT, it’s only going to get worse.

Andrew Graft outlines five reasons why “the war for talent is about to go nuclear.” From job growth that’s outpacing population growth to a surge in services devoted to retirees, the hunt for prospects is about to get super competitive.

Regarding the slow growth of the working age population, he says “for every new worker now entering the labor force, two new jobs are waiting to be filled. If the economy continues growing anywhere near its current rate, the market will easily absorb newly available labor resources and drive down the unemployment rate, likely to levels not seen since the 1960s.”

Yeah, it’s going to get tight in every market.

It isn’t just recruiting that’s going to feel the crunch, however. Employers will need to get creative with compensation and focus on engagement and development if they hope to keep the talent already in the house.

It’s Good News

More than ever, the job of the recruiter is growing in importance. Executive eyes will be turning to those tasked with bringing in talent like never before. The same can be said of others in HR and management, whose jobs will be

On one hand, the job of the recruiter will be harder. You’ll have to be creative and aggressive.

On the other hand, you’ll be appreciated at the highest levels of smart organizations. And you won’t have to worry about your talent churning, as those companies become more attuned to the value of keeping and developing the talent at their disposal.