President’s Letter

Every new year, it’s natural to review what we’ve accomplished and assess future challenges. As we begin 2023, the lack of qualified talent for open positions remains a major challenge for employers nationwide.

The American Staffing Association’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey shows the depth of this issue. Since mid-2021, there have been more than 10 million jobs that companies cannot fill. For perspective, that’s 1.7 job openings for every unemployed job seeker!

In addition to this surplus of jobs, the U.S. is facing record inflation and general economic uncertainty. So how is so difficult to find employees?

The answer isn’t simple, but the return-to-office debate is a large part. Employees want more flexibility, while employers worry about the effects of remote work on both operations and company culture. This is a tricky balance that each company must handle based on its own circumstances.

Yet one sticking point doesn’t account for 10 million unfilled positions. In this issue of HR Insights, James Moul writes about “What Employees Want in 2023.” Besides flexible work options, workers are looking for clear communication, stability, and empathy. At Employment Enterprises, we aim to build trust through consistent messaging to our employees. For job seekers, we are transparent about pay and our nearly 43-year history speaks of our stability. Above all, we encourage our leaders to be empathetic in every situation.

It’s clear that 2023 will bring similar challenges to 2022. Will we all be willing to try new things and compromise to put more people to work?

Lovey Hammel, President