Trends That Matter

We include developments from the Staffing Industry Daily News and The Staffing Stream to help you focus on emerging movements that could shape your business for the better.

38%

Minimum wage.

Thirty-eight percent of employers of minimum wage workers say they would cut staff if the wage rises to $10.10 per hour as proposed by President Obama. Fifty-four percent would reduce hiring, and 65 percent would raise prices on their goods and services.

—Source: Express Employment Professionals

Oh Canada

Alberta to lead provincial economic growth in 2014.

Alberta is expected to have the fastest-growing economy in Canada this year, with both its exports and domestic economy expanding rapidly, according to The Conference Board of Canada’s Provincial Outlook – Winter 2014. An estimated 61,000 new jobs will be added to Alberta’s economy in 2014, according to the outlook.

Employ Me

Undergrads listed their most-desirable employers.

According to a survey released by Universum, an employer brand research firm, college students consider Google, Apple, Boeing and Walt Disney Co. as some of the most desirable employers. Google tops the list for business and computer science majors, and is in the top 10 for engineering, natural science and humanities students as well.

“As the competition for top talent grows increasingly fierce, it’s more important than ever for employers to be proactive about building brands to attract the right people,” said Melissa Murray Bailey, president, Universum Americas.

Mass Exodus?

CFOs unconcerned about baby boomer retirements.

A fifth of the U.S. workforce has passed or is nearing retirement age, but many executives aren’t too concerned with losing baby boomer employees to retirement in the next couple of years, according to a recent survey by Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE: RHI). While 31 percent of chief financial officers said they were worried about this possibility, 63 percent reported being unconcerned.

Hurry Up and Wait

Communication is key when waiting on HIT client choices.

In healthcare IT, finding a qualified candidate starts out as a sprint and quickly evolves into a waiting game. Consultants/ candidates need to “hang tight.” During this time, communication is imperative between the recruiter and candidate. Even if the candidate gets tired of waiting and finds another position, they will at least remember you the next time they become available. If a candidate has trust, patience and good communication with their recruiter, then good things can happen.

—Source: “Hurry Up and Wait,” The Staffing Stream, by David Worrell, a senior recruiter with MedSys Group.

Coworker Satisfaction

Encouraging coworker relationships can boost employee morale.

We spend a significant portion of our lives with coworkers, likely even more time than we spend with our family. Colleagues start out as strangers and soon know more about our lives than our best friends outside of work. Coworkers are the unheralded glue of what makes employees come back to work, and even look forward to it. As an employer or manager, feeding coworker satisfaction is I your best interest.

—Source: “The Unsung Hero of Retention,” The Staffing Stream, by Kevin Sheridan, chief engagement officer, Kevin Sheridan LLC.