1 Lecture (CareerBuilder.com) Since the start of the recession in December 2007, the United States has lost 8.4 million jobs Yet, employers are finally feeling a renewed sense of hiring optimism, according to a new survey from CareerBuilder and USA TODAY For the third consecutive quarter, more hiring managers and human resource professionals are projecting they will increase headcount in the next three months while fewer are expecting staff cuts The nationwide survey of more than 2,700 professionals was conducted by Harris Interactive Both the survey and hiring activity are signs of employers' confidence in the healing economy and that they are ready to reincorporate growth strategies The rise in online job listings and resurgence in temporary hiring are strong leading indicators of a stabilizing market and the creation of more permanent jobs down the road On CareerBuilder.com, for example, job listings in 2010 have increased both consecutively and year over year While the job market recovery will take some time as employers face new market realities and weigh staffing needs, this is a positive sign for job seekers In addition, it is also welcome news to workers who have been strained by heavier workloads and longer hours caused by their employers' staffing reductions In the first quarter of 2010, 23 percent of employers reported they increased their fulltime, permanent staff, up from 13 percent in the same period last year and up from 20 percent in the fourth quarter Employers decreased headcount by 12, down from 26 percent year over year and down from 13 percent in the fourth quarter Another 64 percent of employers reported no change in their number of full-time, permanent employees while percent was undecided Over the next three months, 23 percent of employers plan to add full-time, permanent headcount while percent plan to downsize staffs The majority (64 percent) anticipate no change in staffing while percent are undecided Here are six trends hiring managers and human resource professionals said they foresee regarding staffing in the second quarter of 2010: Hiring contract workers Be open to job listings that indicate "contract" or "freelance" work Still cautious of hiring of permanent staff, 25 percent of employers expect to employ contract workers or freelancers in the second quarter to help fill productivity gaps Thirteen percent said they are likely to hire these workers on a permanent basis Offering internships No matter your age, consider applying for an internship for the experience and exposure Employers are upping their number of interns to costeffectively add resources in the interim Nearly one-quarter of employers said that they will be hiring interns at their location in the second quarter Hiring for social media Market your social media savvy As social media rapidly gains popularity among consumers and businesses, employers are taking notice and plan to add jobs and responsibilities related to Web 2.0 Nearly one-in-ten employers plan to hire a new employee in the second quarter to focus on social media An additional 13 percent plan to add social media management to a current employee's responsibilities Adding bilingual staff In order to appeal to broader consumer segments in the United States who may not speak English or speak it as a native language, employers are looking diversify their personnel One-third said they plan to hire bilingual candidates in the second quarter of 2010 Half said that if they had two equally qualified candidates, they would be more inclined to hire the bilingual candidate Replacing lower-performing employees Don't get lost in a false sense of security and prove you're irreplaceable Companies are re-evaluating their current staffs to prepare for the upturn ahead Twenty-eight percent of companies said they plan to replace lowerperforming employees with higher-performers in the second quarter Holding on to talent If you are that exceptional employee, your employer may likely prove it 32 percent of employers are concerned that some of their top employees may leave their organizations in the next few months as market conditions improve To help retain workers, 14 percent are offering more flexible work arrangements, 14 percent are investing more in training, 10 percent are promising future raises or promotions and percent are offering more performance-based incentives such as trips and bonuses Another percent are providing a higher title without the salary http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/worklife/04/01/cb.job.market.trends/ Sumary Headcount will increase in the next three months while fewer are expecting staff cuts Hiring contract workers Holding on to talent Offering internships Six trends regarding staffing Replacing lowerperforming employees Hiring for social media Adding bilingual staff Vocabulary Optimism: (n) a feeling that good things will happen and that something will be successful; the tendency to have this feeling o Eg: We may now look forward with optimism Strategies (n) the skill of planning the movements of armies in a battle or war; an example of doing this o Eg: military strategy indicators (n) a sign that shows you what something is like or how a situation is changing o eg: The economic indicators are better than expected Staffing (n) the number of people who work in an institution, a company, etc o Eg: the ability to maintain adequate staffing Bilingual (n) a person who can speak two languages equally well o Eg: Welsh/English bilinguals Arrangements (n) a group of things that are organized or placed in a particular order or position; the act of placing things in a particular order o Eg: plans of the possible seating arrangements