2010 Employment Outlook Cause for Concern

Philadelphia, PA — December 21, 2009 — With three in four employers not hiring in Q1 and total employment projected to increase only 10 percent over the next 10 years, the job market will continue to be highly challenging for job seekers. Job seekers who network and use new social media tools to stand out will be the ones who achieve the greatest amount of success. This means being active on social networks as 99% of HR professionals use these sites to source talent. Right Management is the talent and career management expert within Manpower, the global leader in employment services.

“Time over, networking has proven to be the best source for finding new employment. Job seekers would be well served to invest time in leveraging social networks as part of their networking strategy,” advised Douglas J. Matthews, President and COO for Right Management. “Seventy-two percent of hiring managers find social networking sites to be an effective recruitment tool.”

Manpower’s Employment Outlook Survey found that 73% of more than 28,000 employers surveyed expect no change in hiring plans. Twelve percent anticipate an increase in staff levels, while 12% expect a decrease in payrolls, resulting in a Net Employment Outlook of 0%.

“Faced with weak hiring demands, using social networks is a great way to showcase your talents and gain the attention of prospective employers. But it’s not just about a slick profile. Your networking strategy should include joining professional groups, participating in industry- or function-related discussions, or writing a blog to showcase your expertise,” advised Matthews.

Matthews advised that a strong professional network, both traditional and online, is particularly effective for tapping the hidden job market — those jobs that aren’t even advertised. “Increasingly, we are seeing that professional online networking is growing in use and effectiveness, both by job seekers and recruitment and hiring managers.”

The Best Sources for New Opportunities

— 40% of candidates find new positions through networking
— 16% find jobs through internet job boards
— 12% find new positions through search firms
— Other job sources included responding to advertisements (10%), direct approach (10%) and other means not disclosed (12%)

“Job seekers need a finely tuned job search strategy to hone their efforts for the best results,” said Matthews. “Social networks are the beginning of a new era of relationship-building approaches to acquire talent. If executed properly, online networking allows smart employees to effectively elevate their visibility in the job market and demonstrate added value by sharing knowledge and expertise.”

Right Management surveyed 30,803 outplacement candidates in North America between January 1 and November 30, 2009 to learn the source for landing new positions. In addition, Right Management surveyed over 2,400 HR professionals and hiring managers via an online poll on LinkedIn in April 2009 to learn about the effectiveness of online networking sites to identify new hires.

About Right Management

Right Management is the talent and career management expert within Manpower, the global leader in employment services. Right Management helps clients win in the changing world of work by designing and executing workforce solutions that align talent strategy with business strategy. Our expertise spans Talent Assessment, Leader Development, Organizational Effectiveness, Employee Engagement, and Workforce Transition and Outplacement. With offices in over 50 countries, Right Management partners with companies of all sizes. More than 80% of Fortune 500 companies are currently working with us to help them grow talent, reduce costs and accelerate performance.

This press release was distributed through PR Web by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.