55 Percent of Hiring Professionals Plan to Increase Hiring in the First Half of 2014

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pie chart According to a recent survey by Dice Holdings, Inc., leading provider of specialized websites for professional communities, the nation’s professional workforce is set to increase in the New Year as 55 percent of hiring managers and recruiters plan to hire more professionals in the first half of 2014 than they did in the second half of 2013. The planned increase in hiring is a jump of nine percentage points from the same period one year ago and the highest level on record since Dice Holdings first posed the hiring question in mid-2010.

“There’s no doubt the job market for professionals has been carrying the load for several years in new job creation.  That’s why it’s encouraging that more companies are willing to step up the pace of hiring the further along we get in this recovery,” Michael Durney, president and CEO of Dice Holdings, Inc., said. “For those intentions to be realized, companies need to rethink their approach to attracting candidates or they are at risk of falling behind.”

The national hiring survey of more than 1,000 hiring professionals also revealed:

  • 42 percent of hiring managers expanding their staff next year said they plan to hire up to 10 percent more employees than the second half of 2013
  • Around one-third (32%) of hiring professionals said they expect to fill around 11-20 percent more positions, while 18 percent of managers expect to fill nearly 21-30 percent more professionals hired in first six months of 2014
  • Candidates who have two to five years’ experience are the most sought-after, followed by candidates with six to 10 years’ experience.
  • Compared to six months ago, 26 percent of hiring managers and recruiters reported seeing an increase in the number of candidates rejecting offers
  • Compared to six months ago, 39 percent of respondents said voluntary departures at their companies or their clients’ companies had increased this year
  • Around one-third (34%) reported seeing more counteroffers from a candidate’s existing employer or offering more counteroffers to retain staff
  • Hiring professionals cited increased salaries, better opportunities elsewhere and better title or a promotion as top reasons why workers are leaving their current positions.

By Shala Marks