Hiring for full-time positions is a top priority of local human resources managers, according to a survey done recently by the law firm Warner Norcross & Judd LLP.
The survey revealed that 25 percent of the HR professionals attending the recent Warner Norcross seminar on “Strategy, Risk Management and Best Practices for Benefits and HR Professionals,” said filling full-time posts was the top priority. This outranked other priorities, with cost reduction and moving internal talent tied for second, each with 20 percent. This year’s survey shows a shift from the same poll taken in 2012 after the annual seminar where cost reduction was the top priority by 24 percent of respondents. This was closely followed by 23 percent saying their key focus was filling full-time positions. The 2016 results also showed slight increases in prioritizing part-time hiring and promotions over 2012 and a drop in focusing on increased temporary staffing. “These trends show more stabilizing for our companies in their workforce,” said Jonathan P. Kok, a partner at Warner Norcross who chairs the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. “It is good news to see that filling full-time posts is now a top focus. This shift in priority is being driven by low unemployment in West Michigan and the shortage of qualified candidates for highly skilled and technical positions. “The latter is not a geographic issue. It is something that we see and hear from employers across the state.” Meanwhile, the hiring outlook shows that employers are expecting that hiring of interns and college graduates will be flat or decreased when compared to four years ago. More than 300 people attending the daylong HR and benefits seminar were surveyed. The annual event, which sold out this year, provided sessions from about 20 labor, employment and benefits attorneys who updated laws and regulations and gave advice on HR matters.
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