According to a new survey, nearly nine in 10 (89%) employers said recruiting and hiring will be either “somewhat” or “very” challenging in 2022—making the tight labor market and Great Resignation even more challenging for the recovering U.S. economy. Despite these concerns, approximately two-thirds (69%) of employers expect their workforces to grow in 2022.
Organizations appear more bullish concerning the size of their workforce going into 2022 than they were one year ago, as the percentage of employers expecting to expand their workforce grew from 48% in last year’s survey to 69% this year.”
To counter these challenges, employers:
- Plan to increase salaries and hourly wages for incoming workers (60%), while 66% intend to increase salaries and hourly wages for existing employees;
- Expect to increase flexible work options, such as hybrid, fully remote or flexible hours for new hires (48%) and existing staff (44%);
- Will increase advertising around job vacancies (44%).
Employee retention tactics also include opportunities to develop employees’ careers within their roles (e.g., certifications, trainings) and increasing employee engagement initiatives, both of which were cited by 53% of respondents.