Welcome to summer! Here are a few thoughts in the big picture of IT recruiting:
- First things first, the June job report: In a stunning comeback, the U.S. added 287,000 non-farm jobs–a stark contrast to May’s low numbers. Seasonal hiring in retail, leisure and hospitality played a part (103,000 jobs, respectively), as did the return of striking Verizon employees.* Are we on the road to economic recovery? We won’t know looking at one data source. National staffing numbers have long been an early economic indicator. Strong June gains (ASA reports 15,200 staffing jobs*) suggests an upward trend. Amidst a shifting economy, we’re committed to providing you the flexibility to choose how and when to expand your team.
- Tech Workforce Trends: IT pros are leaving ‘tech hubs’ for smaller cities–talent is going to Charlotte and Baltimore >>DICE article: Which towns are seeing an increase in tech talent?
- Brexit: As you may know, Staff Smart is half-British due to my husband Julian Hicks’ involvement. We’re paying close attention to the impact on technology and staffing. The English have experienced a brain drain for decades and Brexit will serve a big hit to their talent pool. It’ll be interesting is to see how British companies will stay innovative. Julian believes they always find a way, in other words:
- Are your best employees leaving? Retention remains a top concern for many of our clients. In our commitment to sharing resources, here’s the first in a series of articles on retention strategies. >> Read our blog post on how you can immediately onboard new hires, AKA ‘preboarding.’