Employ Inc., a distinguished provider of recruitment and talent acquisition solutions, and the parent company of JazzHR, Lever, Jobvite, and NXTThing RPO, has announced the release of its 2023 Employ Recruiter Nation Report.

The annual report, titled “Moving Forward in Uncertainty,” harnesses exclusive recruiting data from over 21,000 Employ clients and insights garnered from a survey of more than 1,200 HR decision makers and recruiters across North America. This data offers crucial perspectives on the current talent acquisition landscape, top priorities for employers, and anticipated technology and strategy investments for the coming year.

Enhancing the caliber of candidates remains a paramount objective for recruitment professionals in today’s competitive labor market, with nearly half (49%) designating it as their top priority. However, this figure has decreased by 12 percentage points compared to the previous year. Four in ten recruiters prioritize acquiring more candidates for each open position, followed by expediting the hiring process (33%) and refining the onboarding procedure (31%) to optimize the candidate experience.

Pete Lamson, CEO of Employ, notes, “Recruiters and talent teams have confronted the challenges of economic uncertainty, a shrinking workforce, and a decelerating job market in 2023, compared to prior years. Nevertheless, talent professionals maintain a positive outlook for the future of talent acquisition.”

“Employ’s data indicates an increase in job applications per position over the past year across companies of all sizes. Over half of recruiters expect their teams to expand in the next year, with nearly two-thirds forecasting an upswing in their recruitment budgets,” Lamson added. “Recruiters and HR decision makers should emphasize the appropriate blend of talent acquisition tools and recruitment strategies to efficiently secure top talent.”

The report also unveils the following:

• Three primary challenges dominate the talent acquisition landscape today, with roughly equal distribution: insufficient candidates to fill open roles (31% in 2023, down from 56% in 2022), competition from other employers (30% in 2023, down from 54% in 2022), and difficulty matching salary requirements (25% in 2023, down from 33% in 2022).
• Nearly 60% of talent acquisition professionals are exploring diverse methods to expedite the hiring process and connect with candidates due to the tight labor market. This includes streamlining hiring (42%), offering increased salaries for new positions (40%), providing remote and hybrid work options (38%), and integrating AI-powered technologies (34%).
• The challenge of insufficient quality candidates is more pronounced in small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) (63%) compared to large enterprises (48%). However, more than 40% of recruiters from enterprise companies anticipate a higher number of open positions (42%) compared to 23% in SMBs.
• HR decision makers display a remarkable 86% optimism regarding the future of recruitment, while only 8% maintain a pessimistic outlook. Despite anticipated volatility, optimism prevails.

The annual Employ Recruiter Nation Report consolidates the wealth of Employ’s exclusive recruitment data from its JazzHR, Lever, Jobvite, and NXTThing RPO solutions. Employ’s comprehensive database encompasses nearly 600 million candidate records, delivering valuable recruitment insights for clients and organizations of all sizes. The Recruiter Nation Survey was conducted by Zogby Analytics in September 2023 and featured responses from over 1,200 HR decision makers and recruiters across North America.

To delve deeper into the challenges and opportunities facing recruiters and hiring managers today, you can access the “Moving Forward in Uncertainty” report or visit Employ Booth #5805 at the 2023 HR Technology Conference in Las Vegas.

For additional information about Employ Inc. and its solutions, please visit www.employinc.com.

About Employ Inc:

Employ Inc. empowers organizations of all sizes to conquer their most formidable recruitment and talent acquisition challenges. With a blend of purpose-built, intelligent technologies, services, and industry expertise, Employ offers SMBs to global enterprises a unified solution for recruitment and the expansion of a diverse workforce. Serving over 21,000 clients across various industries through its JazzHR, Lever, Jobvite, and NXTThing RPO brands, Employ is dedicated to transforming talent acquisition. For more information, visit www.employinc.com.