When we speak with people who don’t work in the staffing industry regarding the number of candidates on the job market and the availability of candidates to place, they typically assume that since there are so many people unemployed, that we in the staffing industry should have plenty of candidates to represent to our clients.

Not exactly…they haven’t seen what recruiters and staffing professionals have seen - that there are lots of candidates on the market, but clients are being picky.

During the recession, if clients were hiring at all, they certainly wouldn’t have paid a fee or a reasonable hourly rate for a candidate that was only adequate. No, they only wanted the top talent. And ironically, some of the best “A” candidates wouldn’t move. It’s the old bird-in-the-hand thing. Some of the best job seekers, who would be easy to place any day for a good recruiter, wouldn’t leave because they didn’t want to risk what they had.

Now, however, we are finally starting to see that loosen up a bit. Candidates are moving. They are exploring other job opportunities, many of which they would not have considered even two months prior. We have seen staffing firms benefit from this slightly more relaxed environment, and subsequently, they are growing themselves to meet the ever-growing staffing needs of their clients.

Now those staffing firms need to fill their own Recruiter Jobs, Staffing Jobs, and other jobs in recruiting. They need to shore up their own teams to properly meet the needs of their clients.

This trend will continue as more and more staffing firms and recruiting firms need to fill their own internal demand.

And that’s a good thing for all of us in the staffing industry. It’s also a good sign that the economy is still moving right along in general. The economy can’t improve itself without steady job growth and increased employment. It’s moving slower than most people would like perhaps, but positive growth is worth celebrating, no matter how gradual.

Perrin Peacock

ppeacock@openreq.com

http://www.openreq.com

http://www.recruiter-talk.com

800-231-4172 ext 1