10 hardest jobs to fill
June 15, 2009 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Attracting talent, Economy, In This Week's E-Newsletter, Latest News & Views
If you’re trying to find candidates for any of these positions, you may have trouble even in this job market.
The list of most challenging positions to fill hasn’t changed much this year, says staffing firm Manpower. The top 10, according to the company’s most recent survey:
- Engineers
- Nurses
- Skilled/manual trades
- Teachers
- Sales reps
- Technicians
- Drivers
- IT staffers
- Laborers, and
- Machine operators.
Each of those titles has appeared on the list at least once in the past four years. Results are based on responses from more than 2,000 employers.
What’s your experience been? Have you had trouble filling any of those jobs? Let us know in the comments section below.
June 19th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Really, IT? I’m in IT and don’t see people hiring. What location are these jobs so I can move? LOL
June 19th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Ok, these two articles don’t match…
http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/more-qualified-it-pros-available/
June 19th, 2009 at 9:47 am
I agree with Richard that this is suprising. I remember going to ManPower, PSG and others looking for IT jobs years ago and they never had any luck. Has the market changed that much? My IT department is certainly not in a hiring frenzy and has not been for a while…
June 19th, 2009 at 10:30 am
We’ve been trying to find an Accounting Manager and a Maintenance Technician for almost 3 months. I honestly thought it would be easy since so many people are out of work, but I was wrong.
June 19th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I can confirm at least Number 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 for us.
We had to pay a recruiter for the first time in Co. history to find an experienced (in our field) sales person.
We’ve had a hard time finding a Design Engineer and Installation Techs with experience.
It seems no one wants to move, make waves or make changes to their current work status.
June 19th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Lot of people looking for work, but it seems like our competitors laid off the buttom of the run workers. Not to many guys are worth hiring for us as laborers.
June 19th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
@Angel
I agree with the bottom feeders. We have had an help wanted sign in our window, out front of our store, on Craigslist.com, and our local paper. With all of that we have had less of a response then when the economy was booming. Those that are applying are not worth the interview time.
June 19th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
I also had 2 candidates reject a job offer because they would be getting paid less than their current unemployment rate.
I inform them of other benefits (insurance, 401k, prevailing wage) yet I detect no motivation on their part.
June 19th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
With unemployment running out for some, we should see that motivation change. However, who wants to hire people that have not wanted jobs for the past 6-10 months?
Also, if I hear one more commercial from the state workers crying about their 8% pay cut, I am going to scream!!
June 19th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
If a candidate rejects a job offer because they can make more money on unemployment, you should notify your state employment office. Their unemployment benefits will be stopped.
June 19th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
@Mark
I understand not wanting to make changes in current work as a new job has no guarantee. I would not move after 7 years without a contract of at least 3.
just too risky.
I would also imagine that interviewees are being more aggressive with questions as to the stability of a company in this environment.
June 19th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
We historically had a high turnover rate and we have seen that come down considerably since Nov 2008. We have seen a signficant increase in applications and they are either looking for a temporary position, waiting for their old job to open up, or they are not what we are looking for. I concur with the comment about the applicants that wait to look for a job when their unemployment begins to run out as also being motivationally challenged. On a positive note, we have also seen a signifigant reduction in our worker’s compensation claims.
June 19th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I would add physicians especially those in Family Practice, Internal Medicine and Psychiatry.
June 19th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
We’ve had to lay off some excellent workers, and several highly skilled and experienced employees. So not everyone who’s been laid off was on the bottom rung.
Wait until they have to pay taxes on those unemployment benefits — they’ll figure it out then, albeit too late for most.
June 19th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
@Randi
Sorry to read this!! Letting good people go is really heard; the reasons behind having to are harder.
What industry are you in ?
June 22nd, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I personally would cut applicants a break for their “unemployed” time if is was 1 – 8 months. You thought were loyal and worked hard for a company and find yourself thrown out the door. There is some grief and perhaps even a little depression to deal with before you can feel good enough to start over. Not to mention the fact that you probably didn’t take a vacation the last year or 2 trying to hold on to that job so there is probably a little burn out to recover from.
In my personal opinion each individual case should be looked at and if they have the skills you need, have the interview, talk about the lapse and judge the applicant fairly.
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:24 am
We are experience a serious nurse shortage and all of our help wanted ads have generated only two interviews. One that was not hirable and one that was extremely qualified but not really ready to leave their current employment because of spouse lack of work. We are seeing a lot of people moving and quitting their jobs with no job or home to move to. A lot of people are quitting their jobs and planning to live off of the welfare systems or I guess just live “hand-to-mouth”. It is very scary.