1. Need to Adjust your Belt?
Better be Careful Submitted by: Joe Cianciolo, Senior Account Manager
Watch out that a tightened belt hasn’t become a noose around Management Recruiters of Cleveland-Southwest
>Experts in Global Search
the neck of your talent.
(330) 273-4300 ext. 109
JoeCC@MRCSW.com
Cutbacks during the recession may have overloaded key
managerial and professional performers to the point where you Call me to help you attract the impact player who can
are not harvesting their star power. In a crisis, it may make push you beyond your 2013 goals.
sense to hitch Seabiscuit to the plow. But if you leave him there, What is an impact player? Click Video
you may be settling for the annual alfalfa crop that wins the blue
ribbon at the Grange fair instead of cashing in Kentucky Derby
payoffs.
It may be time to let your talent exhale – and achieve – again.
VO L UM E V | | I SSUE 4
"During the recession, asking people to absorb other roles
and make do with lower staffing levels helped to trim
budgets and survive in lean times," says Rob Romaine,
president of MRINetwork. "Nearly three years after the end
of the recession, though, employers are hiring throughout opening rate is in the professional and business sector where
their organizations, and there are nearly 3.7 million current there is one job opening for every 27 workers currently
job openings." employed, in contrast to one opening for every 33 healthcare
workers or one for every 50 construction workers. Considering
A low unemployment rate in the professional and business that the unemployment rate for management, professional and
sector may be an indicator of inefficiency, not a tight ship. Many related occupation professionals is 3.8 percent, or one in 26,
managers recognize this and that is a factor in the openings. the sector is essentially near full employment. But it’s the
value-added factor that needs addressed two ways.
"Maximizing your return on investment when it comes to
Ap r il 5 , 2 0 1 3
professional talent today isn't a matter of how lean you can Freeing top producers of the responsibilities that distract them
run the organization, but rather how effectively you from doing what they do best is a simple move, but Romaine
are utilizing your top talent," notes Romaine. “This has says it can also involve a more nuanced approach.
been one of the largest shifts in talent demand this year.
Managers aren't just looking at the capabilities they can add "A lone wolf could do amazing things, yet appear to be
to their organization, but how to add talent that will let their peaking in their performance. By bringing in someone on
talent reach their highest potential,” says Romaine. a similar level but with a different background, a manager
can help to spark the rigorous debate and examination
If you look at numbers, the story sounds good. The highest job that allows a once plateaued performer to continue to
grow and do their best work," says Romaine.
When talking about an organization's top performers, Romaine
believes the conversation inevitably has to return to not just
how to develop them, but how to retain them. A recent survey
by the American Management Association showed that more
than a third of employers are expecting turnover to increase in
the coming year, while less than 20 percent of those
employers feel they are well prepared for that turnover.
“Top talent is driven by success, their ability to have a positive
impact on their organization, and the potential to continue to
grow," says Romaine. "Building out teams that help top talent
to grow is vital to increasing job satisfaction at a time when
finding experienced replacements is becoming increasingly
Source: Department of Labor difficult. But helping your best people to work better also
directly improves your return on human capital.”
© 2012 Management Recruiters International, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Employer. And that means getting them out from behind the plow again

2. According to the Labor Department, employers
added 88,000 jobs in March as the unemployment
rate fell from 7.7 to 7.6 percent. Job creation was at maintain a level of flexibility. During the first month of
a significantly slower pace than February when sequestration, just 2,000 jobs were lost in the Federal
268,000 jobs were created or than the 190,000 jobs Government outside of the Postal Service.
a survey of economists were projecting. Much of
the falling unemployment rate, though, was driven In the construction industry, nearly 23,300 jobs were
by falling participation which reached 63.3 percent added by specialty trade contractors. While the
in March, its lowest point since 1979, at a time when recession was devastating for the construction industry,
women weren’t as prevalent in the workplace. recent news emerging across the country has
highlighted what might be a tipping point as new
The reasons for this rapid fall in housing starts have surged and product supply has
participation are frequently dwindled even in markets like
debated, and hard to fully lock California, which appeared to be the
down. A significant portion of most overbuilt in the country. In the
those who left the job market construction industry as a whole,
since the recession began did 160,000 jobs have been added to a
so because they had become 5.6 million employee industry in the
frustrated with not being able to last 12 months. Almost half of those
find a job. But other sections of jobs were added in just the last two
the population are also being months.
removed from the workforce.
Baby boomers, with stock prices The unemployment rate for those
largely returned to pre-recession with a bachelor’s degree
levels, have been able to leave remained unchanged at 3.8
the workforce. Also responsible percent while the management,
for the exodus from the professional and related
workforce, though, are an unemployment rate fell from 4.2
increasing number of one-time percent a year ago to 3.6 percent
workers filing for Disability in March.
Benefits. Since the recession
ended, the number of people After several months of strong
receiving Disability Benefits and employment numbers, March’s
not counted in the labor force report showed that the path of
has grown by nearly 2 million. recovery is never a smooth one.
March’s report was a depressing contrast to February’s If March is a change of course or an aberration may
numbers; on an industry level, though, there were some take several months to understand. What is clear is that
notable changes in employment. the dynamic of the American workforce continues to
shift with a remarkably low level of unemployment for
Temporary staffing firms added 20,300 positions in those with an advanced education, while those with less
March and nearly 160,000 in the last year as employers education or professional experience bear the brunt of a
continue to add staff, but seek to variable job market.