Employers are taking longer to choose who to hire as they balance tighter recruitment budgets, and a surplus in applications, with a renewed focus on finding the right people to drive growth, according to new research from Totaljobs. The average time it takes for employers to hire someone after first publishing a vacancy has risen to 8 weeks, with larger businesses now taking up to 9 weeks to fill roles.
Walmart on Thursday hosted more than 300 workplace experts and representatives from other companies participating in the Skills-First Workforce Initiative, a project to develop and fill stable jobs based on what people know how to do instead of whether they attended college. The retailer already has launched its own employee trainingand certification programs to meet Walmart's need for truck drivers and maintenance technicians, two roles for which U.S. companies say they can't recruit fast enough as experienced tradespeople retire.
The "rule of many" in federal hiring was first enacted as part of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act and looks to meld the positive aspects of two other federal hiring formats: the "rule of three" and category rating. Under the "rule of three" selection process, hiring managers would receive a list of the three most qualified candidates for a job opening. But with the growing complexity of federal jobs-and federal resumes-hiring managers frequently passed on all three candidates in favor of posting a new hiring solicitation.
Employers emphasize skills learned in higher education over content, highlighting the need for students to adapt and respond to the evolving workplace. This shift often derives from degree inflation and the adjusting requirements of jobs that necessitate postsecondary education.
