In the first part of this series, we introduced critical information regarding current hiring and compensation trends that are prevalent today, according to an annual study on employment and compensation trends by Robert Half International (RHI) and CareerBuilder.com titled The Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report. This study is an annual one, and reflects the difficulty that employers face when it come to finding appropriate candidates. As found in last year's survey, professional and technical staff members were reported to be the most difficult to recruit. Forty-three percent of employers said they are struggling to find candidates for these positions, an increase from 37 percent last year. Seventeen percent reported difficulty filling director, manager, supervisor and team leader positions, up from 15 percent the prior year. The survey results also show that these are the types of positions for which employers are most likely to increase compensation. "The survey results from 2005 to present show an increasingly competitive job market for professional-level and highly skilled positions," said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International. "To recruit successfully, companies must 'sell' applicants on the benefits of working for their firms. Organizations that are adept at promoting the positive and unique aspects of their corporate cultures to prospective hires have a significant advantage over their competitors." Given the steady job creation over the last few years, it's not surprising that workers have gradually expressed a more optimistic view. In 2005, 55 percent of workers polled said it was difficult to find a job 12 months prior and 42 percent said it was even more challenging at the present time. In 2006, the numbers improved, with 42 percent stating it was difficult to find a job 12 months ago and 37 percent saying it was even more challenging at the present time. This year brought similar results with 43 percent of workers saying it was difficult to find a job 12 months ago and 35 percent stating it's more challenging today. Similar to previous findings, roughly one in five employers attributed their difficulty in recruiting qualified staff to the inability to offer competitive salaries. Still, 37 percent plan to increase compensation for new hires, which is consistent with last year. Workers appear to feel more confident during job negotiations. Fifty-five percent of employees surveyed reported their compensation has increased over the last 12 months, compared to 45 percent last year. Moreover, 58 percent said they would likely negotiate higher compensation if accepting a new job offer, compared with 29 percent in 2006. "With an employee-driven market comes a shift in negotiating power," said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder.com. "Workers are becoming more aggressive in demands for compensation and benefits with both current and potential employers. But it's important to remember that while higher pay may help to initially appease the employee, it's ultimately the overall work culture, sense of personal contribution and opportunities that keep an employee on board." While trying to win over potential new hires, employers also are striving to retain their top performers. Roughly one in five hiring managers reported that their voluntary employee turnover rate is higher than it was 12 months ago, which is consistent with the past two years' findings. Thirty-one percent of hiring managers said their firms have instituted new policies and programs to increase staff retention rates in the last 12 months. The primary measures taken included offering bonuses (23 percent), increasing pay (16 percent), improving the office environment (15 percent) and providing a more defined career path (10 percent). Hiring managers may want to rethink those retention efforts, however, and focus on things more closely related to work-life balance. The top perks that workers said would cause them to choose one job over another were flexible schedules (65 percent), telecommuting opportunities (33 percent), employee stock purchase plans (33 percent) and on-site fitness facilities (31 percent). For more information regarding this report, visit CareerBuilder.com. | 
