Each year, the American Staffing Association, ClearlyRated and CareerBuilder partner to learn more about the staffing industry, recruiters and hiring managers across all industries, and how these two groups are shaping employment. We surveyed more than 1,000 company hiring managers and staffing professionals earlier this year about what hiring, employee satisfaction and the workplace look like in 2020.
Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be sharing a few highlights from these studies, along with a data deep dive on September 30.
Here are three ways that staffing firms are navigating the pandemic and planning for recovery, with insights that can help all industries.
The state of remote work
More than 40% of U.S. workers are doing so from home and that trend is predicted to continue post-pandemic. Within the staffing industry, 70 percent of employees are working remotely, and 46 percent of placed talent is working from home. Staffing firms are also seeing an increase in clients implementing changes to support virtual interviewing, remote hiring and work from home setups, as organizations make plans to be more remote in the long-term as a direct result of COVID-19.
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace
As a national social justice movement grows in the midst of a pandemic that only deepened and highlighted inequality, many companies across all industries have evaluated the state of diversity and inclusion within their teams. This study found that, as a result of this renewed focus, the majority of employers are prioritizing initiatives to hire more diverse candidates in the next 12 months. And while those plans are encouraging, results also showed that women, especially women of color, are more likely to experience and witness discrimination in the workplace – which means even well-meaning coworkers can be deeply unaware of inequality. Learn more about salaries, career opportunities and more D&I initiatives in our webinar.
Unhappy employees are still on the job hunt, despite the economy
Unemployment might be high, businesses are still vulnerable to the pandemic and layoffs continue to happen, but workers are still on the job hunt. For the staffing industry, the COVID-19 pandemic has either created a “doubling down” on firm loyalty – or the complete opposite. About 20 percent of respondents said they were likely to be looking for another job, based on their employer’s COVID-19 response. And those who are disengaged or looking for other employment are more likely to leave the industry entirely. It's just as imperative now as it was pre-pandemic to support your employees and increase retention.
Gain even more insight from your peers about pressing HR topics
Curious about the reported benefits and downsides of remote work?
What do Millennials and Gen Z think about staffing as a career?
Get your answers, plus, learn more about who’s reporting lower salaries, how demographic groups feel about staffing careers and why flexible work might be part of the D&I solution.
