Q1 2023: Recruiting, staffing, and hiring trends in Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa, Florida

Recruiting a talented workforce has always been critical to success for Florida employers. That’s why Hiregy puts together a quarterly snapshot of hiring trends for the Florida markets we serve, including Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville. Our goal is to help businesses understand the factors influencing our job market, so they can find ways to attract the best and the brightest. Here are the trends we’ve been watching over the last few months:

Employers are still pulled in many directions

Despite global economic unease and news of layoffs, employers are continuing to find it challenging to attract good workers. Unemployment rates are still historically low, and top candidates continue to receive multiple offers. At the same time, companies are looking for ways to protect themselves against uncertainty

It is a difficult time for employers who are not sure what to do. On one hand, business is not slowing down, but the headlines are suggesting that companies should cut back. One strategy many leaders are employing is increasing the hiring of temporary and open-ended contract workers to buy time before committing to full-time offers.

“It is a good time to evaluate what your company needs to improve its hiring strategies,” says Hiregy President Bill Fries. “Find efficiencies and set a strategic growth plan so you can be ready to move quickly when the path forward becomes clear.”

Setting policies on remote work has become a priority

Job seekers are still looking for remote work opportunities, while employers continue to be more interested in having their employees on-site. This tug of war has been going on for more than a year, and candidates are growing frustrated with prospective employers that they perceive to be waffling on work-at-home policies and practices.

To make matters worse, the definition of remote, hybrid, and on-site work are often not universally understood within an organization, and candidates are accepting roles that they were told were remote, only to find out they’re expected to come into the office on specific days, or to attend onsite training for the first four to six weeks of their employment.

“Candidates are no longer willing to accept the answer, ‘We’re still working on our long-term remote work policy,” explains Hiregy Executive Vice President Shaun Androff. “To stay competitive, leadership needs to clearly define company policies in this area and share them with managers and anyone who will be interviewing candidates. Sending a consistent and accurate message to prospective hires is key.”

Pay rates are causing tension

The hiring of new workers at higher pay rates than long-term employees earn continues to be a source of tension for employers. With the current economic climate, it’s a difficult time for companies to offer across the board raises to existing employees, but they are also facing difficulty hiring new workers at old wage rates.

When determining how to address this quandary, HR leaders should keep in mind that it is almost always more expensive to hire new workers than to keep existing employees, especially when the cost of training and the value of institutional knowledge are considered.

Shaun Androff notes that one strategy for keeping both new and existing employees happy is to play to job seekers’ interest in remote work by offering remote or hybrid positions at pay rates similar to what long-term workers earn. Another idea is to look for temporary and contract workers because they are usually paid more per hour due to foregoing the security and company benefits of a full-time position.

Filling roles internally and working with recruiters

To save money, many companies are trying to fill open roles internally through their HR department. Unfortunately, today’s competitive hiring environment means they often end up making a disappointing hire, or worse, no hire at all. Many find themselves turning to staffing agencies in a panic, desperate to find a quality hire when they have little time left to fill the role.

A better strategy that avoids this last-minute stress is to run concurrent searches with a staffing agency like Hiregy. The staffing agency will only get paid if its candidate is the best fit for the role, and if the company’s HR team finds a great hire, it can move forward with confidence.

As a business leader, if you are feeling uncertain about your ability to find your best next hire in the timeline you’re working against, think of Hiregy as a partner. We’d like to help you determine if concurrent searches are a good fit for your needs, and offer insight into whether temporary, contract hires, or full-time workers can help your business navigate today’s shaky terrain.

Hiregy can also assist with finding strong replacement hires if the people you hired internally do not work out. We talk to thousands of workers each year and stay in touch with them throughout their careers. We know your business, and we know the type of person who will do well in your unique culture. In addition to helping our clients find full-time workers, we also offer contract-to-hire services and solutions.