HR Outlook: Need for hiring strategies continues in 2001

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The historically low unemployment rate will continue into 2001 and is predicted to remain for up to 20 more years. The pressure on companies to fill job openings and retain staff will lead to radical changes in recruiting and retention practices. |ret||ret||tab|

The use of creative recruiting will increase as traditional techniques continue to be more and more ineffective. Salaries will begin to increase and wage wars will start. Employee referral bonuses and new-hire sign-on bonuses will grow in popularity and amount. Previous staff will be begged to return. Retired employees will be coaxed out of retirement. |ret||ret||tab|

Operations managers and hourly workers alike will be held accountable for the recruiting function. No longer will the human resource department be the only responsible entity. A team approach will definitely be required to locate qualified candidates. |ret||ret||tab|

Creative uses of the Internet will be made, such as Usenet newsgroups, Internet newsgroups, rsum robots, communities, Internet relay chat and banner ads. |ret||ret||tab|

Marketing and public relations techniques will be employed. Creating brochures, conducting open houses, preparing press releases, sponsoring events, attending trade shows and joining organizations to network will become routine practices. |ret||ret||tab|

Radio and television advertising will expand, and watch for advertising in unusual places, such as Laundromats, grocery stores, theaters and billboards. |ret||ret||tab|

Lawsuits are already beginning because of the "stealing" of associates from other companies. When businesses feel this technique is needed, more and more are turning to human resource consulting firms and headhunters. These organizations do not have any legal repercussions when contacting jobholders in corporations. |ret||ret||tab|

The number of individuals in human resource departments will multiply. Personnel departments are now staffed to execute only the traditional, easy recruiting methods, such as placing help-wanted ads in newspapers. The use of aggressive recruiting techniques requires a significant increase in man hours. |ret||ret||tab|

In addition, faster applicant processing will be needed to be the first to offer a job to a good candidate. Businesses that do not have a human resource department will have to keep up by either starting one or outsourcing the function to a human resource consulting firm. |ret||ret||tab|

In the area of retention, expect to see an increase in turnover as people realize they no longer have to put up with poor pay and ogres for supervisors. Also look for more savvy management practices as organizations discover that strong leadership habits lead to happier employees who stay put. |ret||ret||tab|

Better selection techniques will be used as a preventive measure against turnover. New employee orientations will increase in terms of length of time and depth of content. Entrance questionnaires, attitude surveys and exit questionnaires will be used to determine why team members come and go. |ret||ret||tab|

Problems identified will be addressed. Management training programs will become extremely popular since poor supervision is the primary reason why workers quit. Managers will be required to be excellent communicators who are positive, supportive, fair, consistent and understanding. Positive feedback, internal promotions and staff satisfaction will begin reaching record highs. |ret||ret||tab|

Job market conditions in 2001 will continue to be a challenge, but corporations focused on strategic recruiting and retention will be able to successfully weather the storm. |ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|(Lynne Haggerman is president/owner of Haggerman & Associates, an employment, management training, human resources consulting, and outplacement firm.)|ret||ret||tab|

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