Job Insights: US Hiring Managers Optimistic in 2024
April 24, 2024
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Provided by Stacey Snodgrass, General Manager of Express Employment Professionals of Bellingham, Washington.
Most U.S. hiring decision-makers are looking toward hiring opportunities in 2024 with a positive mindset (79%) — most often citing feelings of optimism, hopefulness, and confidence, according to a new Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey.
Expectations for increasing hiring efforts continue, as 63% of hiring decision-makers say their company plans to increase its employee count by July, while 29% report planning to stay at about the same number or make no change to the number of employees and only 7% plan to reduce their employee count. The drive to manage increased workloads and fill vacant and/or newly created positions continues to fuel the hiring agenda for those planning to hire more employees.
Challenges Just Around the Corner — And Possible Solutions
As companies struggle to fill positions and anticipate increased turnover, their remaining employees are the ones left to carry the weight — making this a pivotal moment for companies to find the necessary solutions to mitigate challenges internally and externally. Despite the continued optimism of hiring decision-makers, 92% expect to face challenges over the next year.
Hiring-decision makers expect these challenges to include finding qualified candidates (53%), increased competition in the job market (29%), available talent pool not matching the company’s needs (27%) and company’s pay not being competitive (22%).
Among solutions to overcome these obstacles, 71% of companies are willing to hire contingent workers to meet business needs and 75% say they will increase wages in 2024 compared to 2023. While employee turnover persists, 88% of companies are making plans to hire in response — a significant increase from 81% last year.
The Untapped Potential of Company Culture
Workplaces and expectations have shifted. A strong, positive company culture appears fundamental to ensuring company success and even providing a competitive edge. Of hiring decision-makers, 87% say maintaining a strong culture is a priority for their company, 86% believe their employees feel connected to the culture and 45% say their company’s culture has improved over the past year.
The majority of hiring decision-makers see the value in a positive and casual company culture, with 93% of survey respondents describing maintaining a positive culture as critical to a company’s success and 86% believing job seekers are more likely to apply to a company that has strong culture than one that does not.
Learn more about hiring and employment trends for the first half of 2024 in the latest Job Insights report at ExpressPros.com/JobInsights.
To provide accurate and timely employment forecasts for business leaders, Express Employment Professionals commissions an ongoing Job Insights survey to track employment and hiring trends across a wide range of industries. The Job Insights survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between Oct. 31 and Nov. 10, 2023, among 1,007 U.S. hiring decision-makers.
The Bellingham Express office is located at 4164 Meridian, Suite 200, Bellingham, WA and serves Whatcom County. Local businesses and applicants are encouraged to stop by visit https://www.expresspros.com/Bellingham, or call (360) 734-2457.
Most U.S. hiring decision-makers are looking toward hiring opportunities in 2024 with a positive mindset (79%) — most often citing feelings of optimism, hopefulness, and confidence, according to a new Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey.
Expectations for increasing hiring efforts continue, as 63% of hiring decision-makers say their company plans to increase its employee count by July, while 29% report planning to stay at about the same number or make no change to the number of employees and only 7% plan to reduce their employee count. The drive to manage increased workloads and fill vacant and/or newly created positions continues to fuel the hiring agenda for those planning to hire more employees.
Challenges Just Around the Corner — And Possible Solutions
As companies struggle to fill positions and anticipate increased turnover, their remaining employees are the ones left to carry the weight — making this a pivotal moment for companies to find the necessary solutions to mitigate challenges internally and externally. Despite the continued optimism of hiring decision-makers, 92% expect to face challenges over the next year.
Hiring-decision makers expect these challenges to include finding qualified candidates (53%), increased competition in the job market (29%), available talent pool not matching the company’s needs (27%) and company’s pay not being competitive (22%).
Among solutions to overcome these obstacles, 71% of companies are willing to hire contingent workers to meet business needs and 75% say they will increase wages in 2024 compared to 2023. While employee turnover persists, 88% of companies are making plans to hire in response — a significant increase from 81% last year.
The Untapped Potential of Company Culture
Workplaces and expectations have shifted. A strong, positive company culture appears fundamental to ensuring company success and even providing a competitive edge. Of hiring decision-makers, 87% say maintaining a strong culture is a priority for their company, 86% believe their employees feel connected to the culture and 45% say their company’s culture has improved over the past year.
The majority of hiring decision-makers see the value in a positive and casual company culture, with 93% of survey respondents describing maintaining a positive culture as critical to a company’s success and 86% believing job seekers are more likely to apply to a company that has strong culture than one that does not.
Learn more about hiring and employment trends for the first half of 2024 in the latest Job Insights report at ExpressPros.com/JobInsights.
To provide accurate and timely employment forecasts for business leaders, Express Employment Professionals commissions an ongoing Job Insights survey to track employment and hiring trends across a wide range of industries. The Job Insights survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between Oct. 31 and Nov. 10, 2023, among 1,007 U.S. hiring decision-makers.
The Bellingham Express office is located at 4164 Meridian, Suite 200, Bellingham, WA and serves Whatcom County. Local businesses and applicants are encouraged to stop by visit https://www.expresspros.com/Bellingham, or call (360) 734-2457.
