The document discusses six key workforce trends for 2017: 1) The blended workforce of full-time, freelance, and contract workers will continue to grow as more companies hire flexible talent; 2) Companies will work to improve job applicant and employee experiences to attract and retain top talent; 3) Use of talent analytics to measure and improve hiring will increase; 4) National average starting salaries are up as demand increases for skilled workers; 5) More millennials will move into management roles, focusing on collaboration and transparency; 6) The number of "boomerang" workers who return to former employers will continue rising. Understanding these changing workforce trends is crucial for companies to adapt and survive.

1. Six Top Workforce Trends for 2017
Successful businesses adapt to new market demands, the
changing workforce and ever-evolving technology. Companies that
don’tadapt fail. Understanding the trends that are driving change,
creating talent challenges,and offering potential solutions can help
pave the way to adaptability and success.
Many of the workplace trends in 2016, such as maximizing
talent analytics and improving the candidate experience will
continue to resonate in 2017, while the following six
workforce trends expected throughout the new year:
The blended workforce will continue to grow.
The gig economy, an environment in which organizations contract
with workers and for short-term engagements, has created a new
kind of diversity with full-time permanentemployees working side-
by-side with freelancers and contractors.“As more companies hire
on-demand to solve key problems and cutcosts,more freelancers,
contractors and full-time workers will team up to work on projects
together as part of the blended workplace,” says Tom Sephakis,
vice president of contract staffing for MRI Network. “And with
many freelancers working at remote offices, the ability to manage
without borders is going to become an increasingly critical skill.”
Companies will work to improve both candidate and
employee experiences.
Companies create marketing experiences for customers and
prospects in order to drive positive engagement, increase loyalty
and grow their revenues. Now employers are recognizing they
need to do the same thing for both their candidates and their
employees. A recent study by Workplace Trends found that nearly
60 percent of job seekers have had a poor experience as a job
applicant,and 72 percent of them have shared that experience on
an online employer review site.“Every single candidate touchpoint
reflects on the potential employer,” says Nancy Halverson, vice
presidentoffranchise engagement and culture for MRINetwork. “If
you’re missing the mark, the world soon knows about it due to
sites like Glassdoor, and as a result your offer acceptance rates
will suffer.”
Aside from candidates, employee retention and engagement are
also a major concern as companies recognize that top talent have
numerous employment options and losing even a few of them
drastically affects productivity. More organizations, for example,
will focus on identifying and eliminating unnecessary workplace
complexity. By putting the employee experience first, employers
will be helping to improve productivity by designing simplified work
processes,and creating a culture that is more cohesive, provides
more opportunities for idea sharing across the company, and
ultimately is more enjoyable.
Use of talent analytics will increase.
Analyzing and curating data to measure and improve hiring will
become more prevalentas talentacquisition professionals feel the
pressure to combine traditional recruitmentmethods that leverage
instinct or gut feelings, with the ability to turn everyday data into
recruiting intelligence. In fact, many companies are already using
data to analyze competitor talent pools to find candidates with the
right skills and potential to join the organization,and are examining
data on whether full-time or part-time employees bring the highest
return on investment.
VOLUMEXISSUE12December2,2016
© 2016 Management Recruiters International, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Employer
National average starting salaries are up.
For every job opening in 2008, there were 40 applicants. By
2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job
Openings and Labor Survey, the number of applicants for
every open position had shriveled to 1.4. Two factors -
increased demand for skilled workers and historically low
inflation - are driving wage growth and, as a result, average
starting salaries will continue to rise in 2017.
When skilled professionals are both in high demand and in
short supply, employers must remain open about
compensation for new hires and be informed about salary
trends in their industry and in their geographic location.
Failure to do so will mean losing top candidates to
competitors.
More millennials will move into management roles.
This year, more than 3.6 million executive leaders are set to
retire as younger professionals ascend to managerial slots.
As millennials move into leadership roles, their management
style is expected to bring a striking change in corporate
America, with a focus on collaboration and transparency.
Where previous generations adopted the traditional top-down
corporate structure,millennials tend toward a flatter structure
with fewer titled roles and a more democratic approach.
Leadership will emerge in other forms because Millennials
often believe you don’t need a title to be a leader. It can
come from heading a project or campaign, or even taking an
active role on your team.
The uptick in boomerang workers will continue.
The boomerang employee, one who leaves a company on
good terms but then returns later, is on the upswing.
According to a study conducted by the Workforce Institute at
Kronos: The Corporate Culture and Boomerang Employee
Study, 85 percent of HR professionals say they have
received job applications from former employees, and 40
percent say their organization hired about half of those
former employees who applied.
As the employment market continues to tighten, it will
become increasingly difficult for employers to find the quality,
skilled candidates to meet their needs. One of the
advantages of hiring boomerang workers is that they are
already familiar with the company’s culture and do not
require a comprehensive orientation.
The above six trends alreadyexist today, but their impactwill
increase as 2017 unfolds.This means employers have to be
extremely sensitive to these changes and reactmore quickly
than they have in the past.Understanding the trends thatwill
profoundlyaffect the workplace next year and in the years
ahead is crucial not only to their success butto their survival.
Source: Department of Labor
Submitted by: Sean J. Spellacy
Management Recruiters of Cleveland-Southwest
>Experts in Global Search
(330) 273-4300 ext. 108
Sean@MRCSW.com
Call me to help you attract the impact player.
What is an impact player? Click Video

2. Employment Summary for
November 2016
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
showed that U.S. unemployment reached a
record-breaking low in November 2016, with
professional and business services leading
the job gains. The positive report makes it
likely that the Federal Reserve will raise
interest rates at its December meeting.
Unemployment reaches new low
The unemployment rate in the U.S. fell to
4.6 percent in November, which is the
lowest level in more than nine years,
according to The New York Times. The drop
was a strong indicator of growth after
relatively stagnant months between August
2015 and October 2016.
The jobless rate inched 0.3 points thanks to
a gain of 178,000 nonfarm payroll positions
during the month. The number of
unemployed people fell to 7.4 million,
declining by 387,000. The BLS noted that
average monthly employment growth for
2016 has been 180,000 positions.
The employment-population ratio and the
labor force participation rate were both
relatively unchanged in November, at 59.7
percent and 62.7 percent, respectively.
Gains across industries
Professional and business services led the
November employment gains, adding
63,000 positions and bringing over-the-year
gains to 571,000. Administrative and
support services gained 36,000 jobs, while
accounting and bookkeeping gained 18,000
positions.
Construction had another strong month for
employment, adding 19,000 jobs with the
majority of those for residential specialty
trade contractors.
Healthcare also registered growth, adding
28,000 positions during the month and
bringing its total gains in the past year to
407,000 jobs. The majority of growth was
seen within ambulatory healthcare services.
Interest rate increase likely
The strong employment report makes it
likely that the Federal Reserve will hike up
interest rates later this month. At its meeting
in October, the Fed stated that they would
go ahead with an increase "so long as
incoming data provided some further
evidence of continued progress," The New
York Times reported.
The full Bureau of Labor Statistics reportcan be
downloaded here:
EMPLOYMENT SITUATION REPORT
