Are you planning to hire new employees this year? If so, expect to have some competition. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that California’s unemployment rate steadily dropped from 7.4 percent in June 2014 to 7.2 percent in November 2014. As the number of unemployed professionals continues to decrease, you’re going to have to work harder to attract the best workers.

4 Hiring Trends to Watch in 2015

It’s important to keep up with the latest hiring trends so your company doesn’t fall behind. Four popular trends to incorporate into your hiring strategy this year include:

1. The Rise of Social Recruiting: If your company doesn’t already have a robust social media presence, it’s time to step it up. According to the 2014 Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey, an overwhelming 93 percent of recruiters plan to incorporate social recruiting into their hiring strategy. In fact, 73 percent have already hired at least one candidate through social media. LinkedIn is the most popular website for recruiting, followed by Facebook and Twitter respectively.
2. Greater Focus on Passive Candidates: Hiring managers have traditionally focused on active candidates ─ those currently seeking new opportunities ─ but they will begin to concentrate more on passive job seekers this year ─ those who aren’t actively seeking new positions, but are open to speaking with a recruiter. A recent LinkedIn survey revealed that 75 percent of its members are open to switching jobs, but only 61 percent of companies are focusing on passive candidates.
3. An Increase in Minimum Wage: You may need to increase your budget if you want to attract the best candidates. CareerBuilder U.S. Job Forecast Survey revealed that 45 percent of employers plan to increase their minimum wages by at least $2 per hour in 2015 ─ with 32 percent planning to raise it by at least $3 per hour.
4. An Expansion of the Temporary Workforce: An increasing number of companies will seek temporary workers to maintain more flexibility in their workforce. The CareerBuilder survey found that 46 percent of employers plan to hire temporary or contract workers in 2015, which grew from 42 percent last year. Of those planning to hire temporary workers this year, 56 percent hope to transition some of their top workers into full-time permanent roles.

Find the Best Candidates by Partnering with a Staffing Firm

If you’re having trouble finding the best people to fill your open positions, consider partnering with a staffing firm. Recruiters work hard to develop a candidate pool filled with talented professionals. Many of these people are passive candidates, so you probably wouldn’t have the opportunity to connect with them otherwise. Additionally, staffing firms can fill positions fast ─ sometimes even the same day ─ so you don’t have to experience a decrease in productivity because you’re short-staffed.

Searching for top talent to fill your open positions? Contact Barrington Staffing. We’ve been helping companies in Los Angeles and Ventura counties find the best and brightest candidates for temporary, temporary-to-staff and direct hire positions since 1982.