Perfectly Clear? America's Hiring Managers Expect Modest Job Creation in 2013
NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hiring professionals anticipate continued job creation in the first half of 2013 at a solid, but not stellar pace, according to a national survey conducted by Dice Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DHX), a leading provider of specialized websites for professional communities.
Nearly half (46%) of hiring managers and recruiters expect additional hiring during the first half of 2013, as compared to the second half of 2012. This stands as virtually identical to the expectations for the first half of 2012 when hiring managers were asked to weigh in a year ago and a tick downward from the prior survey, conducted in May 2012, when a majority of hiring pros (51%) expected that there would be additional hiring during the last six months of 2012.
A plurality or 44 percent of hiring managers and recruiters say current economic conditions are having no impact on their hiring plans. It appears the continued split on the pace of recruiting reflects the broad uncertainty that companies have been operating under for more than a year.
"As opposed to a fresh start, employers and employees seem to be entering 2013 ready to hold on to the status quo. While it may feel like a good amount of running in place, it's important to remember more than 1.3 million private sector jobs have been created this year and business conditions point to continued modest job growth," said Scot Melland, Chairman, President & CEO of Dice Holdings, Inc. "If greater confidence returns, I firmly believe hiring managers and professionals will be emboldened to act more decisively."
For the first time in more than a year, a majority of corporate hiring managers (55%) expect that current employees will receive a raise in the year ahead. This uptick does not appear to be due to an increase in voluntary departures, as more than two-thirds of corporate respondents (68%) say they saw no increase in voluntary departures in the workplace during 2012, compared to slightly more than six in 10 (64%) who said that when asked six months ago.
While salaries appear to be trending slightly upward for most existing staffers, compensation for new hires appears to be more in question. Fewer hiring managers and recruiters (43%) expect to offer higher initial salaries for new recruits during the first six months of 2013 than held that expectation during the latter half of 2012.
In turn, more companies and recruiters are seeing increases in candidates rejecting offers (22%) than seeing a jump in professionals accepting offers (15%) when judging their current recruiting experience versus the last six months. When asked why professionals are choosing to leave their current position, hiring managers and recruiters tagged increasing salaries and better career opportunities elsewhere as the top reasons, followed by better job title or promotion, the opportunity for better work/life balance and flexible work schedules.
Among hiring professionals who envision bringing on new staff in early 2013, one level of experience looks to be improving: Nearly four in 10 respondents (38%) say they envision hiring entry-level staffers in early 2013, up from one-third (33%) who envisioned making entry-level hires during the second half of 2012. However, more hiring managers expect to fill positions requiring two to five years of experience and six to 10 years of experience to start 2013.
About The Survey
From November 14 to November 20, 2012 Dice Holdings surveyed U.S. companies, government entities and recruiting firms from every region of the country who hire or recruit a variety of professionals. More than 1,100 hiring professionals responded to the email survey, with 74 percent identified as working for companies that recruit for their own needs. Of that group, 45 percent had more than 500 employees.
Survey Results
| Table 1: Do you anticipate you or your clients hiring more professionals in the first half of 2013 than in the second half of 2012?
|
||||||||||||||
| Yes, substantially |
13% |
|||||||||||||
| Yes, slightly |
33% |
|||||||||||||
| No |
54% |
|||||||||||||
| Table 2: Has the current economic environment caused you or your clients to change hiring plans for the next six months?
|
||||
| November 2012
|
May 2012
|
|||
| Yes, substantially increased hiring plans |
5% |
5% |
||
| Yes, slightly increased hiring plans |
17% |
21% |
||
| No change |
44% |
45% |
||
| Yes, slightly decreased hiring plans |
19% |
17% |
||
| Yes, substantially decreased hiring plans |
8% |
6% |
||
| I'm not sure |
7% |
6% |
||
| Table 3: What trend do you see in salaries for existing staff? |
||||
| (Corporate Respondents-only) |
||||
| November 2012
|
May 2012
|
|||
| They are significantly higher than last year |
2% |
2% |
||
| They are slightly higher than last year |
53% |
47% |
||
| They are the same as last year |
39% |
43% |
||
| They are slightly less than last year |
3% |
4% |
||
| They are significantly less than last year |
---- |
1% |
||
| Not applicable, salaries are set by contract/regulation |
3% |
3% |
||
| Table 4: Have voluntary departures increased at your company in 2012? |
|||
| (Corporate Respondents-only)
|
|||
| November 2012
|
May 2012
|
||
| Yes |
32% |
36% |
|
| No |
68% |
64% |
|
| Table 5: What trend do you see in salaries for new hires?
|
||||
| November 2012
|
May 2012
|
|||
| They are significantly higher than last year |
5% |
7% |
||
| They are slightly higher than last year |
38% |
40% |
||
| They are the same as last year |
45% |
42% |
||
| They are slightly less than last year |
6% |
6% |
||
| They are significantly less than last year |
2% |
1% |
||
| Not applicable, salaries are set by contract/regulation |
4% |
4% |
||
| Table 6: How has the number of candidates accepting/rejecting offers changed, as compared to six months ago? |
|
| Substantially more candidates accepting offers |
3% |
| Slightly more candidates accepting offers |
12% |
| No change in the number of candidates accepting or rejecting offers |
50% |
| Slightly more candidates rejecting offers |
20% |
| Substantially more candidates rejecting offers |
2% |
| Not applicable |
5% |
| No opinion |
8% |
About Dice Holdings, Inc.
Dice Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DHX) is a leading provider of specialized websites for professional communities, including technology and engineering, financial services, energy, healthcare, and security clearance. Our mission is to help our customers source and hire the most qualified professionals in select and highly skilled occupations, and to help those professionals find the best job opportunities in their respective fields and further their careers. For more than 20 years, we have built our company by providing our customers with quick and easy access to high-quality, unique professional communities and offering those communities access to highly relevant career opportunities and information. Today, we serve multiple markets primarily in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.
Media Contacts
Jennifer Bewley or Rachel Ceccarelli
Dice Holdings, Inc.
212-448-8288
[email protected]
SOURCE Dice Holdings, Inc.
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