What does the future hold for the US labor market in 2017? If you are a small business considering hiring in the new year, here are some trends you need to pay attention to:
1. Filling the hiring gap. In 2016, the U.S. hit an all-time record of 5.8 million unfilled jobs. There are several potential reasons why businesses have been unwilling or unable to fill these empty positions. Some industry experts point to rising health care costs as well as the uncertainty surrounding the presidential election. Others reveal that there is growing concern among small business owners about finding the right people for skilled positions. More advanced skills and training are required for many of today’s jobs, such as a proficiency in math, problem solving, and interpersonal skills, as well as tech savvy and technical expertise.
2. Tech savvy required. Regardless of the industry, small business employers are looking for tech-savvy employees. This applies even to traditionally non-technical jobs, such as administrative assistants, customer service representatives, and marketers.
3. New emphasis on employee wellness. Given that finding and retaining talented employees has become a top priority and the cost of poor employee health has gone up, employers are looking for ways to reduce employee stress and encourage healthier habits among its workforce. Wellbeing programs are becoming more popular even among small businesses as a way to supplement their traditional health insurance benefits. According to a recent survey conducted by Virgin Pulse, more employers are turning to staff wellness initiatives in order to bolstering their bottom line and help their workers feel more happy and productive.
4. Preventing “insider threats.” After a rash of high-profile hacks over the past couple of years, cyber security has become a top business agenda. But, did you know that one of the biggest threats to your cyber security is your own employees? According to recent research conducted by network security company, Preempt, the security threats issuing from within a business are as big a concern as external threats. Some of the biggest issues include: Malware installed by careless employees as well as stolen or compromised credentials. In order to stop employees from putting business data security at risk, businesses need to focus more on employee training and good practices in conjunction with stronger cyber security systems.
All of these issues, while they are varied, are of extreme importance to smaller businesses in particular, since these businesses tend to have less resources to dedicate to their recruiting, hiring, and training processes. By being in touch with these trends now, and preparing your business for them, you’ll be more likely to start off the year on the right foot.