American employers only hired 88,000 more workers in the month of March — a figure that has had some people worried about the state of the labor market.
But a survey from the National Association for Business Economics should quell some fears. Forty percent of employers surveyed said their companies plan to increase hiring in the next six months. This is one of the most favorable outlooks in 30 years, according to chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, Ken Simonson.
“It does reflect what they said about the last quarter,” Simonson said to Voice of America. “That more firms reported higher sales, higher profit margins, and I think it’s also a cumulative effect of three-and-a-half years of growth in the economy, that now more firms say, ‘Well, we really can’t get by with just the workforce we have, we have to add more people.'”
Only 9% of those surveyed said they foresee more layoffs than hiring.
Finding the right candidate
If more additions to the Finance department has been on the docket for some time now, refresh your skills in spotting the right candidate. Or pass along these tips to your recruiters:
- Ask the right questions. During the interview, you want to gauge how interested the applicant is in working there. Are they passionate about the job? Or are they just looking for anything that pays? Find out if they’ve visited more than just the homepage of the company’s website, if they’re aware of the companies’ values and goals and how they’d react to certain scenarios.
- Check up on social media. Find out an applicant’s social media trail. Does their Facebook page make them seem like a party animal? Is their Twitter filled with references to vulgar material? Better to find this stuff out before the interview.
- Pay attention to their questions. Applicants that ask insightful questions about the role they’re applying for is one of the best indicators of an interested applicant. Especially look out for questions like “How do employees balance work and personal life?” and “What really gets results for the company?”
