1. SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the
Recession—Global Competition and
Hiring Strategies
December 14, 2011

2. Introduction
 This is part three of a series of SHRM poll results about the ongoing impact of the
recession. Overall results will be reported separately in three different topic areas:
 Recruiting and skill gaps (released November 7, 2011).
 Overall financial health and hiring (released November 22, 2011).
 Global competition and hiring strategies (current report).
 Industry-specific results will be reported separately for each of the eight industries
that were included in the sample:
 Construction, oil, mining and gas.
 Federal government.
 Finance.
 Health.
 Manufacturing.
 State and local government.
 Services—professional.
 High-tech.
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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3. Key Findings
 Is recruiting for specific jobs difficult in the current labor market? About one-half
(52%) of organizations that are currently hiring full-time staff indicated they are
having a difficult time recruiting for specific jobs in their organization.
 Have organizations been hiring workers from outside the U.S. for jobs that have
been difficult to fill? About one-quarter (24%) of organizations have hired workers
from outside the U.S. Larger organizations (2,500 or more employees) are more
likely than smaller organizations (100-2,499 employees) to have hired workers from
outside the U.S.
 Have organizations been hiring U.S. veterans for jobs that have been difficult to
fill? About two out of five (39%) organizations reported hiring U.S. veterans, and
15% are either considering or have plans to hire veterans in the next 12 months.
The federal government is more likely than other industries to have hired U.S.
veterans.
 Are organizations facing global competition for applicants for hard-to-fill jobs?
Less than a quarter (23%) of organizations believe they are facing global
competition for qualified applicants for jobs they are having difficulty filling. Larger
organizations (2,500 to 24,999 employees) are more likely to report global
competition than smaller organizations (100 to 499 employees).
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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4. In general, in the current labor market, is your organization having a
difficult time recruiting for specific jobs that are open in your
organization?
No, 48%
Yes, 52%
Note: n = 1,568. Respondents who answered “Don’t know” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were currently hiring
full-time staff were asked this question.
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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5. In general, in the current labor market, is your organization having a
difficult time recruiting for specific jobs that are open in your
organization?
Comparisons by industry
Respondents from the manufacturing and high-tech industries are more likely to be having a difficult time recruiting for specific
jobs in their organization than those from the construction, mining, oil and gas; federal government; finance; and state and local
government industries.
…are more likely to Construction, mining, oil and gas (51%)
Manufacturing (68%) be having a difficult time recruiting Federal government (31%)
High-tech (71%) for specific jobs Finance (49%)
than... State and local government (33%)
Respondents from the construction, mining, oil and gas, and professional services industries are more likely than those from the
federal, state and local governments to be having a difficult time recruiting for specific jobs in their organization.
…are more likely to
Construction, mining, oil and gas (51%) be having a difficult time recruiting Federal government (31%)
Services—professional (59%) for specific jobs State and local government (33%)
than...
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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6. Do you believe that your organization is facing global competition (i.e.,
competition from other countries) for talent for hard-to-fill jobs?
Yes, 23%
No, 77%
Note: n = 720. Respondents who answered “Don’t know” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult
time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question.
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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7. Do you believe that your organization is facing global competition (i.e.,
competition from other countries) for talent for hard-to-fill jobs?
Comparisons by industry
Respondents from the construction, mining, oil and gas; manufacturing; and high-tech industries are more likely than those from the
finance and state and local government industries to believe that their organization is facing global competition.
…are more likely to
Construction, mining, oil and gas (34%)
believe that their organization is Finance (8%)
Manufacturing (27%)
facing global competition State and local government (4%)
High-tech (42%)
than...
Respondents from the federal government, health and professional services industries are more likely than those from the state and
local government to believe that their organization is facing global competition.
…are more likely to
Federal government (27%)
believe that their organization is
Health (29%) State and local government (4%)
facing global competition
Services—professional (21%)
than...
Respondents from the high-tech industry are more likely than those from the professional services industry to believe that their
organization is facing global competition.
…is more likely to
High tech (42%) believe that their organization is facing global competition Services—professional (21%)
than...
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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8. Do you believe that your organization is facing global competition (i.e.,
competition from other countries) for talent for hard-to-fill jobs?
Comparisons by organization staff size
Respondents from larger organizations (2,500 to 24,999 employees) are more likely than those from smaller organizations (100 to
499 employees) to believe that their organization is facing global competition.
Small organizations Large organizations Differences based on organization staff size
100 to 499 employees (16%) 2,500 to 24,999 employees (36%) Larger organizations > smaller organizations
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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9. Has your organization hired any workers from outside the United States
in an attempt to staff key jobs that have been difficult to fill?
72%
24%
3% 1%
Yes No No, but we are No, but we have plans to
considering it do so in the next 12
months
Note: N = 755. Respondents who answered “Don’t know” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult
time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question.
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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10. Has your organization hired any workers from outside the United States
in an attempt to staff key jobs that have been difficult to fill?
Comparisons by industry
Respondents from the high-tech industry are more likely to have hired workers from outside the U.S. in an attempt to recruit for
hard-to-fill jobs compared with respondents from the federal government, finance, manufacturing, state and local government, and
professional services industries.
Federal government (16%)
…is more likely to Finance (5%)
High-tech (50%) have hired workers from outside the U.S. Manufacturing (20%)
than... State and local government (11%)
Services—professional (26%)
Respondents from the construction, mining, oil and gas industry are more likely than those from the finance and state and local
government industries to have hired workers from outside the U.S. in an attempt to staff hard-to-fill jobs.
…is more likely to
Finance (5%)
Construction, mining, oil & gas (31%) have hired workers from outside the U.S.
State and local government (11%)
than...
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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11. Has your organization hired any workers from outside the United States
in an attempt to staff key jobs that have been difficult to fill?
Comparisons by industry
Respondents from the health, manufacturing and professional services industries are more likely than those from the finance
industry to have hired workers from outside the U.S. in an attempt to recruit for hard-to-fill jobs.
Health (24%) …are more likely to
Manufacturing (20%) have hired workers from outside the U.S. Finance (5%)
Services—professional (26%) than...
Comparisons by organization staff size
Respondents from larger organizations (2,500 to 25,000 or more employees) are more likely than those from smaller organizations
(100 to 2,499 employees) to have hired workers from outside the U.S. in an attempt to staff hard-to-fill jobs.
Small organizations Large organizations Differences based on organization staff size
100 to 499 employees (17%) 2,500 to 24,999 employees (38%)
Larger organizations > smaller organizations
500 to 2,499 employees (21%) 25,000 or more employees (44%)
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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12. Has your organization hired any U.S. veterans in an attempt to staff key
jobs that have been difficult to fill?
46%
39%
12%
3%
Yes No No, but we are No, but we have plans to
considering it do so in the next 12
months
Note: N = 651. Respondents who answered “Don’t know” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult
time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question.
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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13. Has your organization hired any U.S. veterans in an attempt to staff key
jobs that have been difficult to fill?
Comparisons by industry
Respondents from the federal government are more likely to have hired U.S. veterans in an attempt to recruit for hard-to-fill jobs
compared with those from the construction, mining, oil and gas; finance; health; manufacturing; state and local government;
professional services; and high-tech industries.
Construction, mining, oil and gas (50%)
Finance (13%)
…is more likely to Health (44%)
Federal government (94%) have hired U.S. veterans Manufacturing (44%)
than... State and local government (37%)
Services—professional (35%)
High tech (34%)
Respondents from the construction, mining, oil and gas; health; manufacturing; state and local government; professional services;
and high-tech industries are more likely than those from the finance industry to have hired U.S. veterans in an attempt to staff
jobs that have been difficult to fill.
Construction, mining, oil and gas (50%)
Health (44%)
…are more likely to
Manufacturing (44%)
have hired U.S. veterans Finance (13%)
State and local government (37%)
than...
Services—professional (35%)
High-tech (34%)
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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14. Has your organization hired any U.S. veterans in an attempt to staff key
jobs that have been difficult to fill?
Comparisons by organization staff size
Respondents from larger organizations (500 to 25,000 or more employees) are more likely than those from smaller organizations (1
to 499 employees) to have hired U.S. veterans in an attempt to staff hard-to-fill jobs.
Small organizations Large organizations Differences based on organization staff size
500 to 2,499 employees (44%)
1 to 99 employees (18%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (59%) Larger organizations > smaller organizations
100 to 499 employees (30%)
25,000 or more employees (81%)
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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15. Demographics: Organization Industry
State and local government 20%
Manufacturing 16%
Finance 15%
Services--professional 14%
Construction, mining, oil and gas 14%
High-tech 10%
Federal government 8%
Health 4%
Note: n = 2,286. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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16. Demographics: Organization Sector
Publicly owned for-profit organization 19%
Privately owned for-profit organization 47%
Nonprofit organization 8%
Government sector 24%
Other 2%
Note: n = 2,187.
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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17. Demographics: Organization Staff Size
31%
25%
23%
17%
4%
1 to 99 employees 100 to 499 employees 00 to 2,499 employees to 24,999 employees or more employees
5 2,500 25,000
Note: n = 2,161.
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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18. Demographics: Other
Does your organization have U.S.- Is your organization a single-unit company or a
based operations (business units) only multi-unit company?
or does it operate multi-nationally? Single-unit company: A company in which
the location and the company are one 38%
U.S.-based operations only 74% and the same.
Multi-unit company: A company that has
Multinational operations 26% 62%
more than one location.
n = 2,196. n = 2,226.
Are HR policies and practices determined by the
What is the HR department/function multi-unit corporate headquarters, by each work
for which you responded throughout location or both?
this survey? Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies
52%
and practices
Corporate (company wide) 69%
Each work location determines HR policies and
Business unit/division 19% 3%
practices
Facility/location 12% A combination of both the work location and the
multi-unit headquarters determine HR policies 44%
n = 1,444.
and practices
n = 1,442.
Note: Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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19. SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession
Methodology
 Response rate = 11%
 Sample composed of 2,286 randomly selected HR
professionals from eight different industries in SHRM’s
membership
 Margin of error +/- 2%
 Survey fielded August 18-September 2, 2011
For more poll findings, visit www.shrm.org/surveys
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SHRM_Research
SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2011
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