Author: Josh Levy
LEAD recently released the results of the 2014 Employer Needs Survey, a scientific survey of nearly 800 public- and private-sector employers from across the state which sought to identify hiring difficulties, recruitment strategies, and other employer needs. The survey was conducted on behalf of the NC Commission on Workforce Development and was carried out in conjunction with the Business Services Representatives of the state’s Workforce Development Boards.
Among the study’s findings was that nearly 45 percent of employers who attempted to hire in the last year had trouble filling at least one position, affecting a similar percentage of manufacturers and nonmanufacturers. The importance and severity of the challenge was mixed among employers; approximately 40 percent of those with difficulties said that filling these positions was “absolutely critical” to their businesses. Overall, the survey found no significant differences between urban and rural areas, and hiring challenges were reported across a wide range of industries and occupations.
Employers in Educational Services, Construction, Health Care and Social Assistance, Manufacturing, and Wholesale Trade most commonly reported hiring challenges. Commonly cited occupations included sales representatives, registered nurses, secondary school teachers, cashiers, maintenance workers, managers, engineers, receptionists and retail salespersons. Manufacturers reported hiring challenges with both production and nonproduction positions, including machinists, maintenance and repair workers, industrial production managers, engineers, welders and production supervisors.
Employers gave several explanations for hiring obstacles, most frequently citing applicants’ lack of work experience, educational credentials, and technical skills. Difficult-to-fill positions took about three times longer to fill than nondifficult ones. Employers responded to hiring obstacles by using overtime for existing workers, hiring temporary labor, or simply not filling the position. Nearly half of employers used some combination of educational and workforce development resources to address issues of recruitment and retention of qualified talent.
The NC Commission on Workforce Development has made several recommendations to meet some of the needs identified by the survey, which can be found here.