Where do you recruit qualified candidates from? I look at a candidate’s experience, salary level, where they are at in their career and their location or ability to relocate.
Since the economy plummeted, candidates have been more likely to relocate from depressed areas that have a higher unemployment rate. Michigan, for example, is hurting with the nation’s highest unemployment rate of 14.7% as of November 2009. New hires are also relocating from Illinois, Ohio, California, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, all states with above average unemployment numbers. Meanwhile, candidates in states with below average unemployment rates are staying put. North Dakota and Nebraska currently boost the smallest percentage of unemployment rate at just over 4%, followed by Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming and Texas.
I have also noticed that candidates on the East and West coasts are less likely to take a position in the Central U.S., unless they are trying to move back home or have had it with the traffic. For example, the median salary on the east and west coasts for IT professionals and project managers is between $70-100K. Central states are paying these positions a comparable salary. So what is the incentive for them to move? What can recruiters do when salary isn’t enough to lure people away from the coasts? Candidates seem more likely to move if they’re offered a more robust package that includes relocation expenses, tuition reimbursement and a hiring bonus.
If you’re having trouble finding qualified candidates in the current market and your hiring manager decides to open relocation, check out those states with higher unemployment rates. You may be surprised by what you find.
Have any feedback or additional tips on recruiting in a recession? Please post your experiences in the comments below.
Great article and well researched!