You will be seeing this sign in more windows and on more street corners. New applications for unemployment fell last week to 247,000 applications, which is the fewest since 1973. The typical threshold for health job market is 300,000. The US job market is a strong one. Companies are hiring and this report confirms that position.
What does this mean to job seekers? There are now more job openings than qualified candidates to fill the jobs. Be more aggressive in your negotiations. Be confident in yourself and know that if you are truly qualified that your odds of negotiating higher pay can be more successful than even 6 months ago. Do not decline multiple interviews just because you have an offer. Continuing your interview process will only provide you leverage to negotiate more pay. If you receive an offer let the company know that you have already scheduled another interview and you do not want to break that commitment. We have seen companies come up in pay as an incentive for candidates to cancel other interviews and accept their position. Qualified candidates are being hired and hired quickly. Use this to your advantage.
What does this mean to employers? They are in a more difficult position. Decisions need to be made more quickly. As a recruiter the most painful response we hear, “This candidate is great, but I would like to interview a couple more just to compare.” In today’s market that great candidate may have another offer if not multiple offers. They may not still be available by the time you interview other candidates just to compare. Be ready to make a decision quickly at the conclusion of your interviews. Schedule your interviews closely together so you may make quicker decisions. Employers need to invest in attracting and retaining talent. An element in that investment is the preparedness to make a decision. Indecisiveness will get you nowhere.
