Clean, gray blocks of letters on the pages of conventional resumes can only do so much in helping a job applicant stand out to a prospective employer.

In today’s tough job market, grabbing an employer’s attention requires applicants to be creative in every respect.  One segment of the talent pool that does an exceptional “job-seeking job” with its resumes is designers.  These artists have to be creative because design agencies are usually bombarded with hundreds of applications.

Last week, the Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team blogged about “Resume Writing 101.”  This week, the team thought that taking a look at some unusual but effective resumes might help inspire some applicants as they put together their own.  The resumes we’re going to take a look at might not be appropriate when seeking more buttoned-down jobs, but they do hint at possibilities for thinking beyond the ordinary.

For great resumes from people working in various creative fields, here’s a look at some of the best – “100 Most Creative Example Resumes of All Time” posted by Megha on Savedelete.com.

• Temitope Shoda is a London-based designer and aspiring architect.  The concept of his Pocket CV (curriculum vitae) was to create a portable mini portfolio that clearly illustrated his work but was light and easy to carry about.  His aim was to create a resume that expressed the idea of construction and art. He did this by using a “bolt and wash” fixing to hold the CV together. The fixing expresses the idea of construction while the pages express the idea of art.
• Michael Anderson, based in Romney, W. Va., is a designer, photographer and illustrator whose resume is an Infographic—a graphic visual representation of the information, data and knowledge underlying his career.  Anderson’s “resume-as-Infographic” presents complex information quickly and clearly.  In his visually compelling self-presentation, Anderson doesn’t show any of his actual work yet he still succeeds in showing off his talent. Not only can he create great graphics, he also proves he can turn “boring” facts and figures into something exciting.
• Ariane Denise Lunod earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising and PR from Polytechnic University of the Philippines in May 2009. She currently works as a home-based copywriter for an international brand of lingerie.  Fashion is her passion and she’s interested in becoming an account executive for a multinational advertising agency or landing a job at a fashion magazine.  Her highly creative, visually graphic resume presents her awards and achievements using arresting images placed on a busy desktop background covered with manual typewriter, paper clips and notes, but with an iPhone thrown in to keep things current.
• Twenty-three-year-old Hong Kong designer Chester, LAU Cheuk Hang created a resume with white text on black background supporting his focus on information design, typography, illustration and branding.
• Sabrina Saccocio is a TV, radio, print and Web producer who created a new kind of CV — resume as Facebook page.  “How brilliant is this?” blogged Steve Pratt, the Director of CBC Radio 3 who received this resume.  “She’s taken a format everyone is familiar with – the Facebook profile page – and totally subverted it into a resume.”
• In his “Curriculum Vitae,” Chicago-based graphic designer Greg Dizzia used colorful graphics to list his history in the design world (some lesser clients have been left out). It took him approximately 15 hours to design and build the resume.  He used Univers, a realist sans-serif typeface, exclusively.  “This is an appendage to a traditional resume, to be included as a forward page in my portfolio.  During an interview … my resume itself was becoming a pivoting point in the negotiation of my position.”  Dizzia says he gets much better reactions from people in creative positions than from people in HR.
• Krista Gregg is a Chicago-based graphics designer and 2005 Westwood College (Chicago) graduate with a b.a. in applied science visual communications.  Krista went noticeably retro with a designed based on letter-sized lined notebook paper universally familiar to students.
• Francis Homo, like Ariane Denise Lunod, earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising and PR from Polytechnic University of the Philippines.  In his highly visual resume, Francis creatively split his career experiences along a right-brain / left brain motif.
• Texas-based Kristian Leigh Walsh was inspired by a childhood game in creating this resume.  The Game of Life, also known simply as LIFE, is a board game originally created in 1860 by Milton Bradley, as The Checkered Game of Life (and later produced by the Milton Bradley Company of Springfield, Mass.). The Game of Life, America’s first popular parlor game, simulates a person’s travels through his or her life, from college to retirement, with jobs, marriage and possible children along the way.  Kristian simply followed the game outline as a resume career track.

First impressions are lasting, and in the case of a job application, critical.  The resume is usually one of the first items, along with a cover letter and sometimes job application packet, which a potential employer encounters regarding a job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants.  If the resume is satisfactory, only then will an interview follow.

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team has seen many a good resume, and rejected many a poor one.

Having a solid and effective resume can increase your chances of getting a call from a recruiter. Applicants need to be aware that recruiters spend, on average, about 10 seconds reviewing a resume, so having a top-notch resume is critical to land the interview.

A good resume will:

1. Have the basic information listed: At the top of the page, all relevant contact information should be listed which includes your name in larger font as well as phone and email information.  Also, check that your voice mail message is appropriate. If a recruiter calls and hears an inappropriate voicemail message, they may just hang up.
2. Be current:  a recruiter is not in favor of finding out during the pre-screen that the resume they have is not current and is missing relevant information.  So keep your resume current! A current resume demonstrates you are serious about finding a job and is detail oriented.
3. Have a career objective: what is the objective of the applicant’s career path.  Be realistic.  Writing you want to be President of the company but yet have not made it to management is probably not realistic.
4. Use the right key words: Recruiters are now using electronic databases to mine for applicants, which mean they put in key words into a ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and if your resume doesn’t have the key words they are searching for, chances are you are already out of the running.  One way to understand what an employer is looking for is to review the job posting and job description. Identify what the employer is looking for and add those key words into your resume.
5. Include professional accomplishments vs. responsibilities:  What are some significant professional accomplishments that could possibly get the recruiters attention?  Use action verbs and statistics here.  For example, “Project managed a team of board operators to design and implement a new manufacturing process which increased production by 30% resulting in $300k in revenue per quarter.”
6. Include a descriptive past professional experience:  Applicants should list, most recent job title, company name and brief description of the company, City, State and dates of employment.  For example,

Director of Manufacturing

“XYZ Company, a semi-conductor manufacturer “ Ontario, CA

Jan 2009-present

If you have been at one employer for several years, you may want to note all positions you have held there and include the skill sets you developed.  It can also show you are promotable.

1. Demonstrate Continual Education, Professional Development & Professional Memberships:  In this area, the recruiter is looking for educational credentials and looking to see how the applicant is staying current in their profession.
2. Be straightforward and to the point: Save some stuff for the interview, please.  One of the oldest rules of resume writing is “Limit it to one page.”  Also, use bullets; a recruiter does not have time to read a full page of text so keep your thoughts straightforward and to the point.
3. Keep work experience relevant to the job you are applying: Recruiters are looking for applicants that have a solid experience in their profession.  It could create an unfavorable image if you mentioned you were studying culinary but are looking for an accounting job.
4. Proof read your resume:  Recruiters frown upon resumes with typos, and one small typo can decrease your chances of landing that interview.  So proof it a couple times and have someone else proof for you.

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team provides HR consulting services in the areas of employee/labor relations, so we thought we’d share some valuable information on the subject.

Recent headline stories:

• The EEOC has filed suit against the Texas Roadhouse national restaurant chain, claiming the company discriminates against older workers by denying them “front of the house” hourly positions, steering them instead into kitchen jobs or refusing to hire them.  The EEOC has documented cases in which hiring managers are alleged to have said to older applicants:
  • “You seem older to be applying for this job.”
  • “Do you think you would fit in?”
  • “There are younger people here who can grow with the company.”

• The former director of community relations for the NBA franchise Golden State Warriors is claiming in a lawsuit that star guard Monta Ellis engaged in a months-long sexual harassment campaign, sending her numerous sexually suggestive texts including a picture of his genitalia.  Erika Smith, a four-year employee, also claims the team’s owners and general manager purposely attempted to protect their “franchise” player by “sweeping (the allegations) under the rug,” a claim she said was revealed to her by Ellis when he allegedly said G.M. Larry Riley promised to “cover up” the allegations.

Age discrimination, sexual harassment…these are all-too common headline-making employee lawsuits that can generally be avoided if the proper policies and procedures are in place and in force.  If you’ve ever been through an employee lawsuit, you know just how expensive, difficult and often unpredictable they can be.  But there are far more time and cost-effective solutions available. Isn’t it better to prevent the lawsuit than manage it?

Here are seven things that may help you avoid employee lawsuits:

1.  Treat Employees with Respect.

2.  Communicate with Your Employees: Do not let complaints fester.  Deal with them right away.

3.  Implement an Effective Unlawful Discrimination and Harassment Policy.

4.  Document, Document, Document:  The importance of good record keeping cannot be overstated.

5.  Conduct Honest Employee Evaluations on a Regular Basis.

6.  Do Not Retaliate:  Recent cases have lowered the burden for plaintiffs to prove their retaliation claims.

7.  Take Action and Investigate Complaints Promptly.

Employee Relations can be a tricky business, particularly in California. GHRO Group has more than 50 years of experience dealing with “difficult” cases, and we can handle even the most sensitive challenges, including responding to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Department of Fair Employment Housing (DFEH) claims.

Don’t wait until it’s too late.

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team is often asked about the subject of Employee Leasing.  Here’s some insight.

As a leading Professional Employer Organization (PEO), GHRO Total Solutions provides integrated services designed to streamline the cost and complexities of HR management, employee benefits, payroll, Workers’ Compensation and more. We offer this through a seamless co-employment model that provides the benefits of a highly-staffed HR team, without the overhead costs.

Employee Leasing

Smaller companies looking to expand their workforce may be comfortable with the technical side of the hiring process, but not the human resource side. Business owners often find themselves overwhelmed by all the payroll accounting, record keeping and benefits which accompany newly hired employees. One popular solution to this problem is the practice of employee leasing.

Employee leasing is similar to the process of hiring temporary workers, but the key difference is permanency.

A company wishing to pursue employee leasing will first contact a PEO like GHRO to discuss its particular employment needs. The PEO might set up an interview process for recruiting new staff, or might take responsibility for existing workers. The company can still participate in the hiring process, but any hired personnel will officially work for the PEO.

Contrary to what you might read or hear elsewhere, a PEO is not the same thing as an employee leasing company. The PEO’s basic function is to achieve economies of scale through volume purchasing of employee health benefits and other “big-ticket” items. What employee leasing companies don’t generally deliver are the value-added services that a PEO provides:

• Professional development and training
• HR compliance guidance
• Risk management
• Employee relations expertise
• Integrated HR management applications via HRMS
• Comprehensive recruiting and selection services

Most of these services that are available from a PEO are minimal or often absent from an employee leasing company’s offerings.

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team is looking forward to a great 2012.  We’ve put on the future goggles and found some insights into possible HRO industry developments this year.

“In many ways, this is the golden era of HRO,” says Josh Bersin, CEO and president of research and advisory services firm Bersin & Associates.

Bersin is quoted in an article titled “Artful Predictions–HR Thought Leaders Forecast 2012,” which appeared in HRO Today’s December 2011 edition.

According to the article, HRO trends that are currently underway and that auger more of the same in 2012 include:

• The increasing use of predictive and descriptive analytics to glean business insights driving improved performance.
• Higher adoption rates by clients leveraging providers’ cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions.
• Greater use of balanced shoring options — combining off-shoring, on-shoring and near-shoring models.

In talent management, expect growing sophistication in services offered by HRO providers, as opposed to just software packages. And chances are the industry will continue to see greater acceptance of a la carte HRO services, rather than binges on entire “soup to nuts” menus from single providers.

Rajesh Ranjan, research director of RPO provider Everest Group in New Delhi, India, has expectations for 2012 in two areas — multi-process HRO and single-process HRO.

“There are some common themes playing out in both areas,” he says. “Buyers, for instance, are approaching HRO with a balanced set of outcomes in mind, as opposed to immed iately alleviating cost pressures. Yes, they’re interested in models that address their short-term needs, but more are looking to create a foundation to realize long-term objectives.”

Shakeups in 2011 likely portend similar actions in 2012:

• Mercer acquired Censeo Corporation to enhance its talent management consulting capabilities and online platform of assessment services.
• Kenexa and NGA partnered with SkillSoft for learning content.
• Talent2 added advisory services and rebranded to simplify its talent management focus; in addition the company become a reseller of Cornerstone OnDemand, widely used for its performance management, succession planning and learning modules.

Several interviewees in the article touted the likelihood of talent management playing a greater role in HR BPO.  Says Linda Merritt, research analyst at London-based BPO analyst firm NelsonHall: “It could be a disruptive force, shaking up the HRO field.”

Merritt predicts that vendors will continue to build talent management capabilities, internally as well as through strategic partnerships and acquisitions. A look back at the recent past confirms this trend. Take, for instance, the breakneck speed of Kenexa’s deals. Although the global HRO provider had developed talent management expertise internally, it enhanced it over the past few years via the acquisitions of Salary.com, which strengthened its compensation management capability, and Gantz Wiley research, which beefed up its employee survey research capabilities.

“For the past 23 years, Human Resource Executive® has had the pleasure of recognizing the best, most innovative products in the HR industry,” stated David Shadovitz, founding editor of Human Resource Executive® and co‐chair of the conference. “Our judges spent many hours poring over the entries, reviewing product demonstrations and conducting research to make their selections. The competition was fierce, and this year’s group of winners represents what the judges consider to be the top solutions that are making HR professionals’ lives easier.”

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team isn’t recommending any one product over another…we’re just sharing.  The Top winning products (continued from Dec. 21 post) are:

1. Kronos Workforce Mobile, by Kronos Inc., is a time‐and‐attendance and scheduling application that is designed to run on the native platform of whichever smartphone managers and employees typically use, whether it is an Android‐based phone, an iPhone or a BlackBerry. The product lets managers schedule shifts and approve timecards and time‐off requests via their phones, while employees can view their schedules, request time off, approve their schedules and punch in and out of work via their mobile devices.
2. Archived I‐9 Comply ‐ Audit & Conversion System, by nowHIRE.com, converts and audits legacy paper Form I‐9s to electronic format and audits the documents using a 20‐tier, 185‐point system that highlights errors for easy review and follow‐up. The auditing criteria were developed in collaboration with the law firm of Clark Hill, and nowHIRE claims its algorithms achieve 99.5 percent accuracy in detecting documentation deficiencies.
3. Saba Social Learning, by Saba, is Saba’s cloud‐computing‐based offering, designed as a social and formal learning solution to enable organizations to spur growth and reduce training costs. The application is designed to give employees access to the learning they need and want via a portal that allows them to learn at their own pace, from onboarding to ongoing training. Features include the ability to connect with mentors through the application’s profile‐matching and expertise‐identification functions, and peer networks that allow users to share both questions and answers to shared challenges.
4. Candidate Statements, by TotalRewards Software Inc., is a web‐based software solution designed to help job candidates easily see a robust, personalized model of their compensation and benefits, both in print and online. This stand‐alone application also offers reporting that can be targeted for individual recruiters, recruiting teams and an administrative overview. Recruiters can add company branding, including videos and written messages, as part of the information available to candidates. Customization and branding are also available.

The following two winning entries represent innovative ways to leverage the popularity of Facebook for recruiting:

BeKnown, by Monster Worldwide, is Monster’s app for Facebook, creating a professional network within the popular website, allowing individuals to create career connections as well as access Monster career content. Organizations can create company pages to post jobs and create referral networks so recruiters can source and acquire talent.

BranchOut, by BranchOut, is a professional network on Facebook that leverages “friends” to find jobs, recruit talent and strengthen professional relationships. BranchOut offers SocialJob posts that are shared on Facebook and Twitter, and displays an individual’s “inside connections” in the job post. It also offers CareerConnect for publishing job postings on a company’s Facebook page.

See Part I of this post with the rest of the list.

The Top HR Products of 2011 Award winners were recognized at the 14th Annual HR Technology® Conference & Exposition held in Las Vegas in October. Judged by editors of Human Resource Executive® magazine, the top products were selected based on their innovation, user‐friendliness and value to the HR profession.

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team isn’t recommending any one product over another…we’re just sharing.  The Top winning products are:

1. RAVE, by BI Worldwide, is a mobile and web‐based platform designed to facilitate communications, engagement, recognition, promotion, incentives, learning and brand management. Built for mobile devices first and Web second, it is geared to serve and reach audiences on the go. It also has the capability to share recognitions and announcements with personal Facebook, Twitter and email accounts. Features include customizable mobile learning programs, a secure and private social networking environment for connecting across an organization, promotions and incentive tools to help product and brand managers drive their messages to the front lines, and alerts and push messages designed to put corporate information into the hands of employees.
2. Manager Ready, by Development Dimensions International (DDI), is DDI’s electronic version of its “day‐in‐the‐life” assessment experience that it has been offering at its facility in Bridgeville, Pa., for years. Long in the planning, the interactive and simulated three‐and‐a‐half‐hour experience now gives online participants the same opportunities to respond to realistic job challenges – although only through open‐ended emails as opposed to the live assessment’s additional role‐playing and telephone activities.  Like the “in‐person experience,” Manager Ready lets participants come face‐to‐face with real business problems in the form of videotaped messages and steadily streaming emails from supervisors, subordinates, colleagues and customers – all of them needing to be prioritized and acted upon.  DDI assessors follow up with reports, ratings and development plans for both the participant and his or her manager.
3. EASy Virtual Customer Simulation, by Employment Technology Corp., uses high‐end graphics and a storyline to immerse applicants into a variety of venues within a hypothetical town, where they meet a cast of characters who help them navigate through the simulation.  To complete it, applicants must visit the different venues and provide outstanding service to a variety of customers – who have varying degrees of unpleasantness – while mini‐games carry the applicant from one venue to another. The assessment also measures applicants’ abilities in three competencies: friendliness, conscientiousness and problem‐solving abilities.
4. HireVue Enterprise, by HireVue, enables employers to create a holistic environment for conducting and managing the interview process. Companies can use the platform to deploy video interviews, interview guides, scientifically validated questions, collaborative evaluation and comparison tools, and more. From phone screens to video interviews, all types of workplace interactions can be captured and used to make more informed decisions. The product’s authoring tool includes templates and frameworks that enable content to be organized and pushed out to the entire enterprise.
5. Keas Health Challenge, by Keas, is designed to get employees to take their well‐being more seriously through quizzes, challenges and the promise of a cash prize. The product encourages players (employees) to engage in three simple, manageable health actions (such as getting eight hours of sleep each night for a week) and team up with other players into groups of six in order to amass the most points in a given companywide challenge. Players also can see a live news feed of updates from teammates and others in the organization from their own profile page, as well as comment and share advice on health challenges.

Look for Part II of this post with the rest of the list next week.

Generational conflicts in the workplace—the Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team has had this highly topical issue on our radar for quite a while. The crossfire can be intense, as revealed in this recent article from The Fiscal Times (TFT), a New York-based digital news, opinion and media service.

In “Gen Y vs. Boomers: Workplace Conflict Heats Up,” author David Koeppel explores the dynamics of the modern business office and the sometimes strained interplay and resulting tensions that arise among the various age groups working together.

Click here for the full article.

Generational conflicts have always been present in the office, but experts say Baby Boomers and Generation Y in particular have characteristics that can clash.

Feelings of desperation and even anger among the millennial generation (those born between 1981 and 2000) towards their Baby Boomer (those born between 1945 and 1964) managers are common among young job seekers according to experts. The recession has put a damper on their career goals—55.3 percent of those 16-29 were employed in 2010, down from 67.3 percent in 2000, and 5.9 million Americans between 25 and 34 lived with their parents, up from 4.7 million before the recession, according to recent census data.

At the same time, statistics show that Baby Boomers are delaying retirement.

A 2010 study by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire found that while 17 percent of men and 9 percent of women age 65 and over were in the labor force in 1995, by 2009, 22 percent of men and 13 percent of women were still working. Those numbers are expected to grow.

According to data from The Population Reference Bureau, the number of older workers in the next few years will increase by 11.9 million, meaning nearly 25 percent of employees will be seniors by 2016. This backlog of older workers has heightened potential workplace conflict between the generations.

This is evident in some of the comments posted in response to the article.  First, Jen from “Gen Y.”

Jen Zucker—”Boomers are the ones who have gotten us into the financial mess (and just about every other mess). They plucked the system dry for those coming up behind them and then blame the generation they stole from.  Message to Boomers: Pack it in, your time has come and now leave. And by the way, the thing sitting on your desk, its not a microwave.”

But many Boomers don’t quite see things that way.

rdl114—”One gadget does not a summer make. I am 60 and my peers began using computers in the late 1970s. By the mid-1980s they were a part of virtually all white collar jobs. So, weigh it for yourself, younger folks. We have about 35 years of experience in the tech arena.  Being ‘savvy’ about Facebook and iPhones is not what is required in the workplace. Tell us you can run analytics on the price of, for instance, precious metals; show us you know Fibonacci numbers, Chinese Candlesticks and other advanced math processes and maybe we’ll sit up and listen. Or show us you can write a sentence as sharp and clear as diamond. No worry. You’ll get a job then.”

Still, the generational lines aren’t impermeable.  Here’s a contrarian take from one of the younger members of the workforce:

RIPCivility—”‘It’s vital that baby boomers extend an olive branch to Gen Y’?? Are you kidding? What do they need to apologize for? For an economy what wiped out their retirement? For being marginalized after being laid off and unable to find work? For developing the technology so Xers (like myself) and Ys can work from Starbucks? I believe this generation is bright, motivated and they think in new and unique ways. But they also give up easily, feel like nothing is ever their fault and think they have the right to ‘demand’ rather than earn their jobs.”
Today’s challenges facing HR administrators necessitate first understanding and then reconciling the opposing forces currently impacting the modern workplace.  None of this conflict is going away anytime soon, so squarely facing the challenge is the HR order of the day.

IRVINE, Calif. – GHRO, Global Human Resources Outsourcing, an HR Services firm and PEO organization, announced this week the promotion of Nichole DeGidio to Vice President of Operation. Ms. DeGidio is a seasoned professional with over 13 years of progressive Human Resources (HR) experience in the areas of manufacturing, logistics, non-profit and government.  She has earned a reputation for increasing the credibility and effectiveness of HR Management due to her excellent delivery of quality customer service. Nichole has always brought strong project management skills to further grow the Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) brand.  Her strong management and communication skills make her a highly respected and trusted advisor, trainer, mentor, consultant and, leader in HR business partnerships.

It is due to Nichole’s great achievements that she has been promoted to Vice President of Operations for GHRO. Providing strategic oversight to operations; guidance, support and knowledge to staff; and, performing as a trusted advisor to GHRO’s clients, employees, and management team she has proven to be an outstanding leader.

Some of Ms. DeGidio’s career accomplishments include:

• Created and implemented effective Human Resource departments for two start-up companies; developed strategies and policies to align Human Resource functions within corporate strategic plans and goals.
• Designed, implemented and currently manage the National Talent Acquisition program for GHRO. Outcomes include, hiring over 400 employees per year; reducing staff turnover by 30%; a cost savings over $657k; reducing staff vacancies by 36%; impacting staff overtime costs by $500k.
• Designed and facilitated management training programs for customers including strategic planning, change, conflict, communication, stress, taking responsibility and more.
• Coached and developed Executives and Managers in the challenges of team building, conflict resolution and leadership to enhance organizational and personal effectiveness.
• Received her Senior Human Resources Professional (SPHR) designation.

Nichole earned her Bachelor’s Degree from California State University, Fullerton and continues to stay current in the HR field by being involved in the following professional associations:

• Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA)
• Society of Human Resources Association (SHRM)
• American Association of Senior Executives (AASE)
• Client Advocacy Network (CAN)

Nichole currently resides in the Lake Matthews community of Riverside, California with her husband and two daughters.  When she is not on the soccer field, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading, church, Crossfit and jogging.

About GHRO

Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) is a leader in providing outsourced HR services that help companies navigate risk, increase productivity and reduce the costs, complexities and administration burden related to employment. With nearly 100 years of HR experience, our dedicated staff has the expertise and flexibility to meet just about any HR challenge your company may encounter. Focus on what matters. Let GHRO take care of the rest. Call GHRO at (888) 308-0338 or (949) 797-2001 or check out our website at http://www.ghrogroup.com.

At Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO), we keep our eyes on important trends in order to maintain our in-depth understanding of workplace dynamics within the larger economy.

One excellent source of information is HR Magazine—The Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) flagship publication.  The magazine reported on SHRM’s 2012 HR Trendbook in its Dec. 1 edition.

In an article titled “Feels Like Recession, But …” Jennifer Schramm, SHRM’s manager of workplace trends and forecasting, analyzed the state of the economy.

Though economists say we are now well into our third year of recovery from the 2007-09 recession, high rates of unemployment, continued economic uncertainty, volatile markets and debt-burdened national economies have made many around the world feel like the Great Recession never ended. These factors are prompting many leading forecasting bodies to readjust their views of what lies ahead in 2012. Most predictions are less optimistic now than they were when 2011 began.

Surveys of HR professionals indicate that there could be at least some areas in the economy where skills shortages may be a factor.

For example, data from the SHRM’s Leading Indicators of National Employment show that even as employment expectations started to level off in 2011, recruiting difficulty generally continued its slow rise. The recruiting difficulty index is based on the difficulty HR professionals report in finding candidates for strategic positions—generally, jobs with higher and special skill demands.

Similarly, the SHRM Jobs Outlook Survey report for the final quarter of 2011 shows that even as HR professionals’ optimism about the job market has gone down, they still report having problems filling skilled jobs.

Only 34 percent of respondents have some level of confidence in the U.S. job market for the fourth quarter, a steep drop from the second quarter, while 57 percent expressed some level of optimism about job growth.

Three-quarters of respondents said the workers they had the most difficulty hiring in the third quarter were overwhelmingly skilled professionals, distantly followed by skilled manual workers.

Finally, a November survey of HR professionals shows that in many industries, new jobs require new skills—in some cases, almost completely new and different skills compared to jobs lost in the recession.

Many HR and staffing professionals have noticed the irony of having a harder time recruiting while unemployment levels remain so high. The more specific the skills requirement, the more difficult recruiting has been.

“For entry-level jobs, it’s completely different.  But from a skilled jobs perspective, people are in lockdown. They are fearful to make that change,” says John Hasna, manager of talent acquisition at TD Ameritrade in Omaha, Neb., and a member of SHRM’s Staffing Management Special Expertise Panel.

“Even if your company’s balance sheet looks good, there is so much uncertainty.”

According to Hasna, this uncertainty is making many potential job candidates much choosier about accepting job offers. Even unemployed candidates are more reluctant to relocate.

“We’re getting, ‘Maybe at a later time when things are more stable.’ They’re not willing to take the risk.”

Until hiring rates improve and the global economy gains sustainable momentum, this lack of confidence in the future job market is likely to influence both employers and job seekers.

Says Hasna, “There’s a cycle that needs to be broken.”