Staffing

By Tim Robbins, Monster’s GM and VP of Staffing & Recruiting

Many signs point to Gen Z job seekers having the upper hand in the entry-level job market. More than half (57%) of employers say job seekers are in the driver’s seat, according to Monster’s latest Gen Z Survey. And about three-quarters of college graduates feel the Great Resignation has had no impact on their job prospects or has had a favorable effect on their chances of finding a job.

Interestingly, not all job seekers feel they have the advantage: 58% of candidates think employers have the upper hand.

No matter where the power lies, as the VP of staffing and recruiting at Monster, I have to keep my eye on the best way for staffing companies to attract Gen Z right now, when talent is scarce and there are more than 11 million openings in the job market.

Here’s what staffing companies should know:

Candidates are bailing on employers

About three-quarters (74%) of employers say they’ve been ghosted by a candidate during the job process. Companies largely think this is happening because candidates have already accepted another position (61%) or because they were no longer interested (58%).

But not all ghosting is happening because of candidate drift. Thirty-four percent of college grads say they’ve ghosted a company during the interview process because the recruiter was rude or misled them about the position, and 29% say the recruiter took too long to get back to them. Another 26% say the process felt impersonal.

Gen Z is a generation that places a high value on authenticity and timing. They want companies to be honest about the particulars of the job, and they want quick responses during the job application process. Staffing companies with a tech stack that allows them to respond to candidates promptly and keep them in the system over time — whether that’s via periodic text messaging or another strategy — will be more successful in capturing and keeping those emerging candidates.

Employers are showing Gen Z the money

Seventy-two percent of employers say they’ve increased salary for entry-level jobs in the last 12 months in order to attract candidates. And it’s a good strategy, with 52% of college graduates and 45% of non-college graduates looking for a salary range in job postings before they’ll apply.

But compensation isn’t the only benefit companies can use to attract this in-demand talent pool. Both college and non-college applicants place a high priority on career advancement expectations for the position, opportunities for remote or hybrid work, and career or leadership development programs. Companies that can show Gen Z candidates their future career path will more successfully bring great candidates to the table.

Gen Z is using social media for job search

While job boards (24%) and career networking platforms (15%) are still the top tools in the Gen Z job hunt, this generation is also using social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube to look for jobs. That means employers must have a brand presence across multiple platforms in order to get their jobs in front of Gen Z eyes.

Historically, staffing firms haven’t invested heavily in their employment brand, but this market is requiring them to get more creative. Whether the staffing firm is the employer or they’re pulling Gen Z candidates to work for their customers, they’ve got to create a good job seeker experience and a good onboarding process. Make it simple, make it one click, easy for candidates to apply.

Make Sure Your Organization Is Attracting Gen Z

Staffing companies right now are searching for the holy grail – the right candidate, the right timing, a quick recruit process. A good tech stack, authentic branding and targeted training can go a long way. Monster’s Gen Z Hiring Guide has the data to help companies jump-start the process.

By: Tim Robbins, Monster Vice President and General Manager, Staffing and Recruiting

I don’t think anyone could have predicted where we’d be as a country—or as a staffing industry—just a few months ago. We went from unemployment rates as low as 3.8% to job losses exceeding 10 million. Although it’s too soon to know what the real long-term impact of COVID-19 will be, there are some clear signs of change that I’m seeing on the landscape. Here are just some of my thoughts on the staffing industry outlook:

One of the most dramatic examples of the pandemic’s impact has been on permanent placement. Permanent placement has long been a major segment of staffing firms, but has seen steep declines with the onset of COVID-19. There is some good news here, though. In recent weeks, we’ve begun to see recovery, especially in the higher skilled segments.

As expected, some staffing companies saw declines in job orders and had to make the painful decision to reduce staff. Monster is stepping in to help these reduced size staffing teams operate efficiently when new orders start coming in. At the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, we worked closely with some staffing firms  to help triage at that very critical time. We’re thrilled to hear customers sharing early signs of recovery, with some segments rebounding faster than others.

The healthcare surprise

As surprising as it sounds, there were some areas of healthcare that experienced layoffs. For example: elective surgeries stopped during the pandemic, and furloughs and layoffs ensued. Now, however, elective surgeries are beginning again, and we can expect to see an uptick in hiring for the positions that support these medical procedures. Staffing organizations were expected to find this talent—and quickly. To help these healthcare sectors ramp up hiring as regions re-open, video interviewing, texting, and social media will figure prominently in recruiting strategies now and going forward.

Not so surprisingly, there is a nursing shortage and it’s particularly prevalent in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. But what’s noteworthy about this is that state-contracted staffing agencies responding to the COVID-19 surge are luring nurses from hospitals with wages that are almost four times higher than what they’d normally be paid. It would be interesting to see if other areas of Texas, or even other states, follow suit.

Increased activity in some areas

There are pockets of business – like tech and certain areas of healthcare – that have been less impacted by COVID. For instance, there continues to be a critical shortage of nurses, senior resident care workers, and nursing assistants, which may continue through the end of the year. This is another area where we’ve been able to help our staffing partners, and we’ve formed partnerships with agencies and vendors to deliver solutions addressing these high-volume hiring needs.

Mental health care hiring

Mental health issues have been an unfortunate effect of the pandemic, and we’ve seen a corresponding increase in demand for mental health care workers as a result. Monster data bear this out as we see more and more job postings for psychologists, therapists, social workers, and other professionals in the field, and an increase in candidates searching for these jobs.

Upskilling and retraining

We can expect to see more companies retraining talent for jobs that didn’t exist prior to the pandemic. Temperature taker and contact tracer are two of the top-most searched job titles, yet most of us have never heard of these positions. Monster solutions – like SearchMonster – enable staffing companies to match candidate skills to jobs that didn’t exist prior to COVID.

New opportunities

As previously mentioned, hiring in some areas has been less impacted by COVID and in some instances we’re actually seeing new opportunities come to light. Let’s take technology for example. In addition to enabling virtual recruitment through virtual open houses and job fairs, video, and more, it’s giving many people who previously couldn’t work from home (e.g. therapist), the opportunity to work remotely.

The pandemic has also pushed staffing companies to become more creative when filling their candidate pipelines. Whether it’s reaching out to unemployment offices to engage the newly unemployed, or filling jobs quickly by fast-tracking background checks, new ways of recruiting continue to present themselves.

Monster as the bridge

Now, more than ever, I see the future of Monster as the bridge between staffing firms and candidates. Staffing firms are upskilling people into new jobs – like tech and healthcare – and Monster is helping them reach and connect to that talent. Monster brings recruiters and candidates together by finding the right fit for both. Through our solutions and services, recruiters get a broad view of the person behind the resume and can make an accurate assessment of their match potential. And candidates get an inside look at the job, culture, and company, and can determine if their experience and goals are in sync.

It’s our belief that the world would be a much happier place if there was a better fit between people and their jobs, and we’re committed to making that happen…in these uncertain times and beyond. Check out Monster’s staffing solutions, where you can explore our offerings and connect with a rep.