HR Solutions: Employers can cope with today's staffing drought

Nationwide media coverage regarding a turnaround in the job market is grossly overstated.

The vast majority of businesses still have difficulty filling job openings despite recent layoffs. The only observable difference is an increase in the quantity but not quality of applicants. The staffing drought is still predicted to continue for up to 20 years longer, barring a major recession or depression.

One solution is to use employment firms, the three primary options being temporary agencies, placement agencies and retained search firms.

Similarities exist between temporary and placement agencies. Both primarily attract candidates through advertising. Their main service is placing a resume in the employer's hand. It is up to the employer to conduct an interview to assess the applicant's personality and obtain reference checks.

Temporary and placement agencies do differ in billing. Temporary agencies require employers to pay the agency an hourly rate, due weekly, while the employee works on site. This arrangement usually lasts about three months.

After that time, the employer is free to offer the worker a position without incurring any more fees; however, employers can expect to pay the agency around 16 percent of the first-year salary. Placement agencies charge anywhere from 20-30 percent of the first-year salary, due once the worker begins employment.

Retained search firms spend many hours in aggressive, creative recruiting of top candidates, many of whom are currently, and successfully, employed. Some spend hours interviewing and assessing personality to ensure a good fit with an employer's company.

Some retained search firms provide reports detailing personality strengths and weaknesses, education and work history, and information from references.

Their fee structure is typically 30 percent of the first-year salary, with one-third due at the start of the search, one-third due after all candidates have been interviewed, and the final third due once the successful applicant starts the job.

A second solution is creative recruitment by the employer, who should start by assessing the competition for the same jobseekers and ascertaining the advantages of working for the company.

Several different recruiting techniques can be tried simultaneously. Options within a company consist of job postings, providing training to current staff, rehiring previous associates or retirees, developing an employee referral program, using the company Web site and holding open houses.

Media choices for help-wanted advertisements include television, radio, newspapers, magazines and trade journals. Additional options encompass direct mail, flyers and brochures.

The main Internet method is job positing and resume database sites. Monster.com still remains the number one fee-based site and work.state.mo.us is the top free site.

Placement services at colleges, high schools, and vocational, technical and business schools keep lists of individuals eager to secure internships or full-time employment. Attending job fairs and contacting departments, professors, organizations and alumni associations yield further results.

Once recruiting begins, the employer should be available at the convenience of applicants and treat all telephone calls and walk-in traffic as he would a prospective new customer.

(Lynne Haggerman is president/owner of Haggerman & Associates, a retained search, outplacement, management training, and human resources consulting firm.)