Online job recruiting bounced back in August following a seasonal decline last month.
Monster Worldwide says its employment index climbed eight points, with seven out of nine regions showing stronger levels of recruitment.
There was increased demand for workers in retail trade and in the education, training and library occupations, all of which declined in July.
At the same time, the hiring environment for white-collar professionals remained solid with continued heavy recruiting in business and financial operations and IT-related occupations.
While the Monster Employment Index is 22 percent higher than it was a year ago, the year-over-year increase is the lowest since its inception.
Monster’s Steve Pogorzelski, says that suggests a more moderate rate of economic growth, due partly to rising energy prices and a cooling housing market.
With summer ending and retailers and other businesses getting ready for the changing season, it appears more jobs are available. At least on line there are more jobs being offere in August than there were in July. In fact, while some sectors are down, housing for one, there are others that are enjoying a hiring frenzy. Regionally speaking, it is a mini hiring frenzy in the Gulf States.
Human resource departments almost always endure an increase of stress whenever there is an increase in the job market. Time pressures are greater as the HR people are pressured by department managers to hire people and get them online. There is always the temptation to move more quickly than common sense will allow.
Corra stresses that acquiescing to pressure may cause your HR group to move precipitously and allow the wrong kind of candidate to pass into the workplace. Be careful. When you order a pre-employment background check on your new candidate wait for all the essential information to be returned, before you let him into the workplace. Even in cases where employers will accept candidates with misdemeanors or lesser felonies, you want to be sure there are no red flags, like patterns of drug abuse or, worse, violence.
And if you are among the increasingly fewer companies that are still not ordering background checks, we would suggest it is time to get on the ball. As the new season comes about and you conetmplate your number of hires, realize that pre-employment screenings are you best defense against liability, rehires and myriad complications in your business. Most of these are not only dangerous but quite expensive.
So, remember, check them out before you hire.
