It is no secret that staffing agencies have had to downsize and diversify just to survive the economy over the last few years. It is hard to predict the future for staffing agencies, however, most of my peers report things are much improved and here is the buzz from our leaders:
- Today, roughly 10% of the workforce is contingent and the demand for labor is not going to go away. Most staffing executives say that they expect the United States staffing industry will grow and catch up with Europe where the industry is significantly larger right now.
- Going forward more staffing companies will operate on a global basis and this won’t be limited to the large staffing firms. People will be more educated about the staffing industry and the benefits of contingent work. As the contingent market surges, staffing firms have a unique opportunity to serve as consultants to their clients.
- One of the challenges staffing firms will face is the continued worker shortage. Right now Baby Boomers are retiring but there aren’t enough younger workers to replace them. And the current labor shortage isn’t expected to go away any time soon. Other challenges will include creating or adding value to clients, shrinking margins, and not becoming a commodity-based vendor.
- The use of social media in recruiting has really taken off in the past few years, and most staffing executives expect that trend to continue. Recruiters will be able to relate to job seekers better if they understand and use social media.
- Work is changing and people want more control over their duties, schedules, and lives. Both companies and workers want versatility as seen in the Working Families Flexibility Act. We will see more Americans work to live quality lives with their families.This gives a huge opportunity for staffing firms to play the role of the true workforce partner, enabling organizations to find creative, on-demand solutions to talent acquisition.
There are certainly challenges on the horizon but with all said and done the future for Staffing appears to be a Good Place to Be.
Karen Quennell, Recruiter