The Seattle Job Conditions Report offers a comprehensive view of the Seattle job market. This study highlights online job postings and candidate resume activity across Seattle and focuses on Seattle professionals and recruiters looking to hire Seattle talent.
Gain insight on online recruitment trends, supply and demand conditions, and how job seeker characteristics mesh against employer needs. Plus, see what Seattle professionals reveal about their careers in Seattle, job search obstacles, and most valued skills and qualifications.
This report provides:
* An overall look at Seattle supply and demand, together with a comparison of job seeker characteristics and employer requirements
* A look at recruiters and hiring managers and their plans for acquiring Seattle talent in 2011
* Insight on Seattle professionals and their careers, job search obstacles and valued qualifications and skills
Understanding the Pakistan Budgeting Process: Basics and Key Insights
Seattle Job Conditions Report, 2011
1. LOCAL MARKET
SEATTLE
2011 JOB CANDIDATES
Insights and Analysis from Professionals,
Recruiters and Hiring Managers
Brought to you by Monster Intelligence
2. 2
SEATTLE – 2011 JOB CANDIDATES
Seattle professionals should find an improving economy and labor
market in 2011. Major components of Seattle‟s labor force include jobs
in Information Technology, International Trade, and Professional
Services, each of which are forecasted to expand in 2011.
A recent survey by the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce polled
1,200 local businesses and found “we are beginning to emerge from
the economic doldrums, but we are not out of the woods yet.” Forty-one
percent of surveyed companies plan to hire in 2011, with a majority of
1
the jobs stemming from companies with six to 100 employees.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overall, Seattle‟s employment picture is moving in a positive direction
yet will continue to experience bumps and take time to fully recover. Hiring Talent in 2011 3
Employers will remain cautious and keep budgets constrained until Seattle Talent 3
confidence and economic performance is restored. Career Talent 4
Education Talent 4
Monster leveraged nearly half a million Seattle resumes coupled with Experienced Talent 4
online job postings for Seattle talent in order to gain insight into Job Search Conditions 5
candidates and employers. Data is current through February 2011
unless otherwise noted. Additionally, Monster surveyed active Seattle
Market Conditions 6
professionals, HR professionals and hiring managers to present a
Market Overview 6
snapshot of activity within the United States. The surveys were
Unemployment Rate 8
conducted between November and December 2010.
Payroll Change 8
Online Recruitment Trends 9
Recruitment Activity 10
Hiring Conditions 11
Supply and Demand Analysis 12
Labor Performance Matrix 14
Career Level Requirements 16
Education Level Requirements 16
Experience Requirements 16
Job Type Requirements 17
Job Status Requirements 17
Qualifications and Benefits 18
Compensation 19
Conclusion 20
Monster Intelligence 20
1
Dunphy. Stephen. “Seattle businesses like 2011 prospects.” Crosscut.com. 11/10/10.
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transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of
Monster, Inc.
3. 3
HIRING TALENT IN 2011
Seattle Talent Skills
The following data analyzes the supply (resumes) of Listed in the chart below are the top skills made
Seattle professionals on Monster. It provides a current available by Seattle candidates on their Monster
picture of available Seattle talent. accounts. Microsoft Office products and Customer
Service top the list followed by Leadership and
Listed below are the top ten Seattle occupations in Communications, the two most popular soft skills.
supply and their share of volume. These occupations
account for 88 percent of Seattle‟s talent.
Management - 23%
Office and Administrative Support - 21%
Computer and Mathematical - 14%
Business and Financial Operations - 7%
Sales and Related - 7%
Architecture and Engineering - 4%
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media - 4%
Production - 3%
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair - 3%
Life, Physical, and Social Science - 2%
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transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of
Monster, Inc.
4. 4
The charts below give a detailed profile of Seattle talent found on Monster from March 2010 to February 2011 including
career experience, education level and work experience. Seattle candidates found on Monster are typically Mid-Career
with at least a Bachelor‟s degree and more than fifteen years of experience.
Career Level
Career Talent
Forty-five percent of Seattle job seekers are Mid-Career. Student Executive
Entry Level 6% 5%
Thirty-eight percent are Managers or above while 17 11%
percent are emerging into today‟s workforce. Manager
33%
Mid Career
45%
Education Level
Education Talent
Certification
Forty-eight percent of Seattle job seekers have at least a -Vocational Masters or
Bachelor‟s degree. Thirty percent have an Associate‟s 6% Above
degree or some college experience. 14%
High School
16%
Bachelors
Associate/ 34%
Some-
College
30%
Years of Work Experience
Experienced Talent
The majority (22 percent) of Seattle job seekers have more More than 15 Years
than fifteen years of work experience, closely followed and
10+ to 15 Years
balanced by those with two to five years of experience (20
percent). 7+ to 10 Years
5+ to 7 Years
2+ to 5 Years
1+ to 2 Years
Less than 1 Year
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
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transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of
Monster, Inc.
5. 5
Job Search Conditions
In a recent Monster survey of more than 400 Seattle professionals, respondents were asked if they were actively
searching for a new opportunity and why they were looking. The primary reason Seattle professionals are looking for a
job is due to layoffs that occurred and continue to occur in the region, which shows that despite improvements in the
economy, uncertainly and frustration still exists.
The top five reasons Seattle professionals are searching for a job include:
1. Layoffs occurring/occurred (25 percent)
2. Salary is not as desired (19 percent)
3. Limited or no potential for upward mobility (18 percent)
4. Seeking a career change (17 percent)
5. Re-entering the workforce (17 percent)
Factors less likely to drive candidates to look for a job were „relationship with a peer or manager‟, „business is closing‟
and „healthcare benefits are not as desired‟.
Seattle professionals report that they are somewhat
finding success in meeting their expectations and
requirements. Thirty-eight percent are finding „Good‟ to
„Excellent‟ conditions.
Those respondents that reported „Average‟ to „Poor‟
conditions were asked “What makes it challenging
looking for a job?”
The two primary reasons job seekers had a difficult
time finding Seattle positions was „getting an employer
or recruiter to contact them‟ and „finding a job that
matches what they want (e.g., salary, locations, etc.)‟.
In Monster‟s recent survey to Seattle professionals, the
majority of respondents (76 percent) are most
comfortable with going to online job boards to search
for opportunities and post their resume.
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transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of
Monster, Inc.
6. 6
Market Conditions
Since Seattle was later than most in feeling the effects of the recession, its recovery is delayed as well. Initial signs of
recovery emerged in 2010 and the area‟s economic and employment market should continue to slowly turn around in
2011.
Market Overview
Seattle is home to a mix of companies ranging from transportation to service and high tech to manufacturing and
ranging from older industrial companies to new start-ups and “green” focused companies. Local companies with
headquarters in Seattle include Amazon, Starbucks, and Nordstrom; Microsoft and Costco are established in
surrounding towns. Boeing, once headquartered in Seattle, is still one of the area‟s largest employers. The Port of
Seattle is the second largest handler of container cargo in the country and despite being challenged by the recent
2
recession, is still one of the area‟s key economic drivers.
Government is Seattle‟s second largest employer and represents 16 percent of total employment. The sector has
recently reported layoffs and is forecasted to make more layoffs as it works to balance constricted budgets.
3
In January 2011, Seattle had 1.7 million employed, 171,500 unemployed, and a 9.1 percent unemployment rate.
4
Seattle‟s key employment industries are the following :
Industry Percent of Seattle
Employment
Trade, Transportation, & Utilities 19%
Government 16%
Professional & Business Services 14%
Education & Health Services 13%
Manufacturing 10%
Leisure & Hospitality 9%
Financial Activities 5%
Information 5%
All other industries 9%
From January 2010 to January 2011, Seattle added 14,200 jobs, after adding a solid 34,000 jobs from December 2009
to December 2010. In January, the employment sector benefited from continued growth in Professional and Business
Services (+7,100), Trade, Transportation & Utilities (+6,100 jobs), and Education & Health Services (+4,400). The most
significant job loss was in Construction (-5,300), which has now lost over 55,000 jobs since its peak in 2007.
Government lost 2,800 jobs over the year.
Moody‟s Economy.com February 2011 forecast predicts a 1.8 percent expansion in Seattle jobs over the next twelve
months. All sectors are predicted to be steady or expanding with the exception of Government, which is forecasted to
constrict by 4.1 percent.
2
Wikipedia.org
3
Bureau of Labor Statistics
4
Seattle Workers Employed by Industry; Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2011 data
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transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of
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7. 7
Seattle‟s housing market is still depressed and constricting. A report from Zillow.com revealed that at the end of 2010
over one-third (34 percent) of all single-family homeowners in the Seattle area owe more on their mortgage than their
homes are worth, up 23 percent from a year prior. The annual losses in home value are shrinking, but are still very
significant: $59 billion in 2008, $28 billion in 2009, and $25 billion in 2010. In December, the city‟s Case-Schiller House
Price Index, which tracks changes in the residential housing market, was down -6.0 percent for the year and -2.0
percent from November to December. In comparison, the U.S. National Index was down -4.1 percent and -3.9 percent,
5
respectively).
Seattle‟s overall employment picture for the next year is one of slow recovery, reflecting the growth driven by renewed
investment, business expansion, and growing consumer confidence offset by uncertainty in the government sector and
constant fluctuations of the national economy. A recent local magazine predicted limited growth in 2011 and forecasted
“the breakout year for the regional economy is now slated to be 2012…..but full recovery from the Great Recession –
6
when employment returns to its 2007 peak – will not occur until late 2013.”
A recent Monster survey of over 150 Seattle recruiters and hiring managers supports the conservative optimism.
Respondents were asked “How many positions do you intend to fill in the next six months?” and “What percent of the
positions you expect to fill are new openings vs. replacement positions?”
Of the 92 percent of employers that plan to hire in the next six months, a majority are filling a limited number of roles (50
percent plan to hire less than ten positions) and very limited new roles (56 percent plan that less than 25 percent of
positions will be new).
5
The Federal Reserve Board’s Beige Book, 1/11; Zillow.com
6
Conway, Dick. “Economic Forecast 2011: The Economic Bind.” Seattle Business Magazine. January 2011.
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transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of
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8. 8
Unemployment Rate
Though Seattle‟s unemployment rate rose from its December 2010 rate of 8.8 percent to 9.1 percent in January 2011, it
is improved from the 9.5 percent peak reported in January and February 2010. The area‟s unemployment rate lays in-
7
line with both the state‟s rate of 9.1 percent and nation‟s of 9.0 percent (8.9 percent in February).
The unemployment rate is a lagging measure that indicates both joblessness and strength of the economy. National and
state figures are seasonally adjusted.
Payroll Change
Job creation in the Seattle metro area rose 0.9 percent in January, continuing the improvement trend reported
throughout 2010. Again, Seattle‟s expansion is close to both Washington‟s (+0.7 percent) and the nations‟ (+0.8
8
percent; +1.0 percent in February).
Payroll change is a key measure of new job creation (or loss), as it measures the total number of people employed in an
area every month.
7, 8
Bureau of Labor Statistics
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transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of
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9. 9
Online Recruitment Trends
The Monster Employment Index (MEI) is a leading indicator of labor market trends as it tracks online recruitment activity
by location, occupation, and industry. As seen below, online job recruitment activity in the Seattle metro area returned to
positive expansion in 2010 after reporting significant declines in 2008 and a flat 2009, a positive sign for this metro area.
In February 2011, the Seattle MEI gained 8 percent (+8 points) from January and 16 percent (15 points)
compared to the year prior. The Index hit its low point of 84 points in January 2010.
During February, four of the 21 occupational categories monitored by the Index showed a decline in online
demand for workers from a year prior: Healthcare Practitioners and Technical; Protective Service; Healthcare
Support; and Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance. The greatest percentage improvements were
seen in Architecture and Engineering (+49 percent or +40 points) and Production (+45 percent or +34 points).
The Monster Employment Index presents a monthly snapshot of employer online recruitment activity nationwide for 28 of the
largest metro areas, and is generally regarded as a key indicator of demand in the labor market. The Index is based on a real-
time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and
job boards, including Monster. Using a baseline value of 100, the Index can be used to compare hiring trends across local
markets and occupational groups. As such, a higher Index figure means stronger growth in online job availability.
Seattle opportunities across all major online job boards reported a strong 2010 expansion (+27 percent) following a
9
difficult 2009 (-33 percent). Postings maintained their positive momentum in 2011, rising 21 percent in January.
9
Wanted Technologies, New Online Ads, Jan’09-Jan’11
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10. 10
Recruitment Activity
The companies posting Seattle jobs on Monster from March 2010 to February 2011 varied across industries. Listed
below are the top twenty (out of more than 800 industries) not including staffing or temporary employment agencies that
may post for a variety of industries. The top 20 industries posted nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of the Seattle jobs on
Monster; Catalog and Mail-Order Houses generated a majority (12 percent) of the opportunities. Overall, a wide
assortment of companies has posted roles, including computer, telecommunications and business services (e.g.
management consulting, business services, etc.).
12% - Catalog and Mail-Order Houses 2% - Business Consulting
8% - Computer Services 1% - Engineering Services
6% - Computer Programming Services 1% - Computer Systems Design
6% - Highway and Street Construction 1% - Insurance Agents, Brokers and Services
4% - Radiotelephone Communications 1% - Prepackaged Software
4% - Holding Companies 1% - Computer Processing and Data Preparation
4% - Management Consulting 1% - Industrial and Personal Service Paper
3% - Accounting, Auditing, Bookkeeping 1% - Cable and Other Pay Television Services
2% - Business Services 1% - Fire, Marine and Casualty Insurance
1% - Medical, Dental and Hospital Equipment and
2% - Telephone Communications
Supplies
The types of roles Seattle companies posted over the past year include roles primarily for IT (23 percent), Finance (20
percent), and Sales (14 percent) type roles.
Seattle Job Postings by Category % Total Job Postings
IT/Software Development 23%
Accounting/Finance/Insurance 20%
Sales/Retail/Business Development 14%
Engineering 5%
Medical/Health 4%
Administrative/Clerical 4%
Business/Strategic Management 4%
Logistics/Transportation 3%
Manufacturing/Production/Operations 3%
Customer Support/Client Care 3%
All Other 17%
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transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of
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11. 11
Hiring Conditions
Recruiters surveyed by Monster predict filling Seattle roles will move fairly quickly. Nearly half (45 percent) of
respondents expect it will take between 31 and 60 days to fill a position and 34 percent predict each opportunity will
take fewer than 30 days to fill. 21 percent plan for more than 60 days.
With the excess of candidates looking for work, it is no surprise that recruiters are having a relatively easy time finding
qualified candidates. 74 percent of respondents said their ability to find Seattle candidates was “Good” to “Excellent”.
Those few respondents that reported „Average‟ to „Poor‟ conditions were asked “What makes it hard to find
candidates?”
The primary reasons recruiters and hiring managers had a difficult time recruiting for Seattle positions was the extensive
time required to hire as well as the increased workload, most likely due to the surplus of resumes that they must review
to find the ideal candidate.
When looking at the challenges of the candidates
themselves, responses reveal that recruiters are
frustrated with the types of candidates they are seeing.
Even though there is a surplus of available candidates,
recruiters still noted there were under-qualified and not
enough candidates. Next in importance, they noted
compensation was below candidate expectations.
Recruiters ranked the top areas with planned hiring in
Seattle as:
1. Sales (48 percent)
2. IT (36 percent)
3. Engineering (29 percent)
4. Customer Service (14 percent)
5. Manufacturing/Production (14 percent)
6. Marketing, Media & PR (14 percent)
Monster‟s recent survey to Seattle recruiters and hiring managers found that a majority of respondents (83 percent) are
most comfortable with going to online job boards to source candidates, the first choice for candidates searching for a
job.
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transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of
Monster, Inc.
12. 12
Supply and Demand Analysis
As defined here, the Seattle area encompasses counties surrounding the city and only in the state of Washington. A
comparison of Monster job seekers seeking employment in the market compared to the volume of job postings in the
area reveals higher supplies of talent in the counties of Douglas and Chelan, denoted by the darker green areas in the
map below. Recruitment for candidates in lighter green counties such as King, Snohomish, and Grays Harbor may be
more competitive as the ratio of resumes per job posting is lower than in other Seattle areas.
The types of roles these candidates are seeking span a wide range of areas with the highest volume targeting
IT/Software Development (10 percent) and Administrative/Clerical (10 percent) opportunities followed by
Sales/Retail/Business Development (9 percent).
Seattle Job Seekers by Category % Total Job Seekers
IT/Software Development 10%
Administrative/Clerical 10%
Sales/Retail/Business Development 9%
Customer Support/Client Care 7%
Accounting/Finance/Insurance 5%
Project/Program Management 5%
Manufacturing/Production/Operations 5%
Marketing/Product 5%
Business/Strategic Management 4%
Medical/Health 4%
All Other 36%
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13. 13
The remainder of this report will focus on key Seattle professions and how supply and demand measures up when
recruiting in this dynamic area.
Job Seekers
Employers
1. General/Operations Managers, 6% 1. Computer Software Engineers, 14%
2. Computer Software Engineers, 5% 2. Accountants and Auditors, 4%
3. Secretaries/Administrative Assistants, 3. Human Resources Specialists, 4%
5% 4. Marketing/Sales Managers, 4%
4. Marketing/Sales Managers, 5% 5. General/Operations Managers, 3%
5. Customer Service Representatives, 6. Financial Analysts/Advisors, 3%
4% 7. Financial Managers, 3%
6. Other Managers, 3% 8. Computer Systems Analysts, 3%
7. Computer Systems Analysts,3% 9. Bookkeeping/Accounting/Auditing,
8. Human Resources Specialists, 2% 3%
9. Supervisors/Managers of Office and 10. Computer Programmers, 2%
Administrative Support Workers, 2% 11. Customer Service Representatives,
10. Sales, 2% 2%
● ● ●
● ● ●
Over one-third of the supply (37 percent) and nearly one-half of the demand (45 percent) in Seattle are for the top ten
occupation clusters listed above. Six of the top ten opportunities in demand may be found among the top candidates in
supply. Several of the roles most in demand but not on the top ten supply list include finance jobs, showing recruiters
might have a challenge finding qualified candidates for these roles.
Listed below are the top 20 out of over 2,700 job titles in which Seattle job seekers are interested. These 20 job titles
accounted for 22 percent of the Seattle talent and have a strong selection of administrative, customer service, and
manager-level roles.
# Job Titles (1-10) # Job Titles (11-20)
1 Customer Service Representative 11 Retail Salesperson
2 Administrative Assistant 12 Software Quality Assurance Engineer
3 Manager 13 Receptionist
4 Project Manager 14 Business Systems Analyst
5 Sales Representative 15 Office Assistant
6 Software Engineer 16 Director
7 Program Manager 17 Marketing and Sales Manager
8 Office Manager 18 Assistant Manager
9 Executive Administrative Assistant 19 Customer Service
10 Office and Administrative Support Workers, Other 20 Sr. Software Engineer
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14. 14
The top 20 (out of more than 2,100) Seattle job titles posted on Monster.com from March 2010 to February 2011 are
dominated by IT and finance roles and accounted for nearly one-quarter (24 percent) of all job titles.
# Job Titles (1-10) # Job Titles (11-20)
1 Software Engineer 11 Sales Executive
2 Lead J.D. Edwards Architect 12 Data Entry Clerk
3 Sales Representative 13 Product Manager
4 Customer Service Representative 14 Accounting Manager
5 Cost Accountant 15 Sr. Accountant
6 Executive Recruiter 16 Accounting Clerk III
7 Accounts Payable Clerk 17 Sr. Software Engineer
8 Financial Analyst 18 Software Quality Assurance Engineer
9 Compensation Analyst 19 Finance Manager
10 Accountant 20 Executive Administrative Assistant
Labor Performance Matrix
The Labor Performance Matrix below and on the next page compares job posting and resume performance within
the key Seattle occupation clusters.
The size of the circle represents the supply based on the ratio of resumes per job from March 2010 through
February 2011. A large circle indicates a large pool of talent in comparison to the demand, and a smaller circle
represents areas where the demand may outweigh the supply.
How to Read the Matrix:
Talent Surplus
Not enough jobs to match supply
Plan for increased volume of candidates
Focus on skills migration
Incubator Opportunities (Growth Areas)
High growth potential
High Performance
High volume in jobs and talent
Focus on keeping talent and generating jobs
Talent Shortage
Not enough talent to meet demand
At risk for competition
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15. 15
Talent Surplus
Administrative and Customer Service sit squarely in the Talent Surplus quadrant. These categories show a strong
supply of resumes and fewer job opportunities to meet job seeker needs. Recruiters need to plan for additional time and
resources to help screen increased volumes of candidates and could consider retraining or other workplace
development programs to ensure the surplus of candidates are put to work, particularly in Sales, IT and Finance roles,
which are showing a need for talent.
Incubator Opportunities (Growth Areas)
The growth occupations span a wide range of categories and are prime for candidate and/or job opportunity expansion.
High Performance
Sales and IT are in the High Performance quadrant, demonstrating an ample volume of both job postings and seeker
resumes. The small circle size, however, indicates that demand may outweigh supply. Recruiters need to actively and
continuously recruit qualified candidates in order to fill these types of roles.
Talent Shortage
Finance is in the Talent Shortage area, showing a strong volume of opportunities and weak volume of candidates. The
very small circle size further confirms the lack of qualified candidates.
The matrix below summarizes occupational supply and demand from March 2010 through February 2011.
Talent Surplus High Performance Zone
Incubator
Zone Talent Shortage
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16. 16
In the following analysis, we compare Seattle talent demand (job postings) with talent supply (resumes) across a range
of characteristics. The comparisons reveal the similarities and disparities between the available jobs and the searching
seekers. This analysis provides direction for recruiters and employers in setting their expectations and development
areas.
Career Level
A significant 78 percent of job postings are for mid-career
talent compared with 45 percent of new resumes. Due to
this imbalance, recruiters may need to be flexible in their
career requirement, most likely finding an excess of over-
qualified Manager-level candidates.
Education Level
Seattle recruiters are concentrated in searching for
candidates with at most a Bachelor‟s Degree (63
percent). As the talent supply pool is more distributed
across education levels, recruiters could be challenged to
fill roles as many seekers are either under or over-
qualified.
Experience Level
A high 63 percent of job opportunities are for candidates
with 2 to 7 years of experience compared to the 34
percent of available seekers. Some recruiters will need to
settle on candidates with more years of experience than
desired which may lead to higher compensation.
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17. 17
Job Type Requirements
Only 64 percent of Seattle job postings are for permanent positions and the remaining 36 percent are for temporary and
intern work. The volume of temporary work roles, which typically expand the fastest post-recession as employers
conservatively hire for the short-term, is high compared to other regions. This trend could indicate underlying weakness
in the city‟s business climate, the high percentage of IT roles which typically hire contract candidates, as well as be
influenced by the other types of roles available.
With 74 percent of job seekers desiring permanent employment and 26 percent willing to step into either a permanent or
temporary role, employers might be convincing some workers to take a temporary position in lieu of a permanent one.
Job Status Requirements
Ninety-six percent of job postings are for full-time employment and only 4 percent for part-time, while 78 percent of
candidates are open to full-time employment, 2 percent for part-time and 20 percent for either. Employers should have
an ample pool of talent to meet their needs within these criteria.
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18. 18
Qualifications and Benefits
As employers look through reams of resumes, the qualifications Seattle professionals place the greatest importance on
when applying for opportunities is „type(s) of work experience‟ (73 percent) and „years of work experience‟ (72 percent).
Recruiters agree that work experience is the most critical qualification, ranking „type‟ and „years‟ in the same order (89
percent and 82 percent, respectively.)
Listed below are the most important factors Seattle professionals consider when evaluating a job opportunity. Note that
these characteristics have been influenced by the recessionary economy and corporate scandals over the past few
years as the top two include „stability of position‟ and „salary‟.
Recruiters were asked how they would rate the same list of factors in terms of their importance to recruiting talent. The
top two items were the same, though ordered: „salary‟ (94 percent) and „stability of position‟ (92 percent).
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19. 19
Compensation
Compensation expectations for recruiters and candidates are in fairly close alignment giving encouragement that
recruiters can easily satisfy a potential recruit‟s salary expectations. The median salary offered from March 2010 to
February 2011 was $62,500 and the median salary candidates were seeking was $52,000. The discrepancy could be
due to the types of jobs and candidates available, as well the salary requirements may represent total compensation for
some job seekers and only a base salary for others.
The vast majority (32 percent) of Seattle job postings on Monster offer a salary ranging from $20-40,000. Most job
seekers (30 percent) expect to earn the same amount.
The chart below shows how closely Seattle employers and professionals compensation requirements are. For example,
67 percent of both employers and seekers expect to earn at least $40,000.
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20. 20
Diversify Your Recruitment Strategy in 2011
As the nation emerges from challenging times, recruiters should keep in mind the following points when planning for the
next 12-months.
Network to strengthen your brand: Networking has always been a fundamental aspect of establishing a presence
and sourcing candidates. Today's recruiters must actively network across the Internet to get a more holistic view of the
applicant. With Monster’s 20 network communities integrated into its core site, experts are better able to help individuals
access advice from industry experts and keep on top of trends. These communities also offer employers access to a
pool of targeted candidates.
Play a smart matching game. Have processes and paper work in place, be diligent about screening, and communicate
frequently with hiring managers. Many recruiters are using technology to help quickly match candidates to jobs and
eliminate unqualified applicants. Monster’s semantic 6Sense™ search technology powers our Power Resume Search
application, sorting and ranking candidates so the best are at the top. Using these types of sorting programs, recruiters
save time and money sourcing candidates that precisely match their positions.
Spend accordingly. As budget managers remain cautious, leverage as many benefits as possible that attract and
retain employees yet require minimal investment. Keep on top of what is most important to job seekers by leveraging
Monster’s free online resources at the Resource Center (http://hiring.monster.com.) The site offers actionable reports
and webinars covering the most current issues facing not only job seekers, but recruiters as well.
Monster Intelligence
As the premier digital employment solution, Monster has consistently maintained a leadership position in defining and
driving innovative products and services to champion digital recruitment. We see tremendous value in providing our
clients, the online recruitment industry, and the public at large with analysis on both job seeker and employer behaviors,
as well as general employment market trends. In direct response to our customers‟ needs for strategic human capital
intelligence, Monster created an initiative, entitled Monster Intelligence, that is focused on providing business leaders
and HR Executives real-time insight into market trends that will guide them in future recruitment planning.
As a market leader, Monster is uniquely positioned to provide strategic information on employment trends to Corporate
Executives and Hiring Managers. These tools provide our customers with views into the labor market and
comprehensive information to further their employment strategy.
More details are available at the Monster Resource Center at: http://hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-best-practices.aspx. We
welcome your insight and comments on the monster intelligence reports and encourage you to let us know your
thoughts by providing feedback at Intelligence@monster.com
Monster is the primary source of information for this report; it should only be interpreted as a definitive activity report on
Monster and its subsidiaries. Monster‟s in-depth data-driven approach improves on typical survey-based methodologies
by dramatically increasing the depth and breadth of information collected as well as by capturing actual behavior rather
than intended behavior. Data is current through February, 2011 unless otherwise indicated.
Copyright @ 2011 by Monster, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of
Monster, Inc.
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Copyright @ 2011 by Monster, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of
Monster, Inc.