Like 2013, this year had the potential to start on a strong note for many employers. Unfortunately, winter weather hindered productivity for more parts of the United States than usual, interrupting day-to-day tasks for more than 626,000 people, the Department of Labor reported.
Typically, inclement weather leaves about 414,000 staff members out of work in February. Now that March is here, companies are hoping to kick-start their hiring efforts for the year since Americans will be more willing to get out of their homes, according to reports from MarketWatch.
“Hiring also tends to pick up in the spring and summer anyway because more people are likely to shop, go out to eat and travel more often when the weather is nice,” Mark Hamrick, Washington bureau chief for Bankrate.com, told the source.
The winter cold also took a toll on an employer’s plans to hire prospects — only adding 142,000 private-sector positions in January — 46,000 below the average within the last four months.
Before human resources departments begin to revamp their hunt for their business’ next batch of workers, they may want to consider these industry-wide trends, based on U.S. News & World Report contributor Arnie Fertig’s experience.
- Mobile applications – Job seekers are heavily using these apps to find job openings. Often times these third-party programs allow users to apply from their phones or send the posting to their emails.
- Social media – We discussed the benefits of using specific social networking websites to find quality candidates. We also think that HR software solutions can help sift out information that is pertinent to their aspirations — and help you spend less time looking through their personal information.
- Writing exercises – These used to be used mostly in the writing and media industries, but more recruiters are interested to see how they introduce themselves to the company. Sometimes, human resources will ask candidates to describe “what they will accomplish in the first few weeks in the job,” Fertig wrote.
- Online resumes – Younger applicants are more apt to the internet, so they are more comfortable with video conferencing, providing examples of their work and posting their resume on the internet.
- Targeting tools – If an prospective hire has a strong online presence, more recruiters are contacting these individuals. Big Data will also play their own role to identify candidates with a strong background, even if they didn’t submit an application.
Technology has made it a lot easier for human resources to find job seekers, as there are so many options out there. HR software solutions can help HR departments stay on task on their recruiting plans for 2014.