shrm recession poll 2011

SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Overall Financial Health and Hiring

November 22, 2011

SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Overall Financial Health and Hiring ©SHRM 2011 2

Introduction

This is part one 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. Overall financial health and hiring. Global competition and hiring strategies.

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.


Key Findings

What percentage of staff have organizations laid off since the U.S. and global recession began in December 2007? Overall, 77% of organizations indicated they had lost 10% of employees or less in 2011, whereas in 2010 65% of organizations reported losing less than 10% of employees.

How does organizations’ financial health compare to where it was 12 months ago? Results in 2011 were very similar to 2010 results. Two-thirds of organizations reported either no change (24% in 2011, 25% in 2010) or experiencing a mild to significant recovery (42% in 2011 and 2010), while one-third were in a mild (26% in 2011, 24% in 2010) or significant decline (8% in 2011, 9% in 2011).


Key Findings

Are organizations currently hiring? Nearly three out of four organizations (73%) were currently hiring full-time permanent staff. Larger organizations (500 to 24,999 employees) were more likely to be hiring compared with smaller organizations (1 to 499 employees).

For what type of positions are organizations hiring? Most hiring is at nonmanagement levels (72% for hourly and 71% for salaried positions), and more than one-half (54%) of organizations are hiring for management positions such as directors and managers. About one out of five organizations (22%) is hiring at the executive/upper management level.


Key Findings

Are organizations creating new positions or replacing jobs lost? In 2011, more organizations (58%) are mainly hiring direct replacements of jobs lost than they were in 2010 (41%), while fewer organizations (30%) are hiring for completely new positions in 2011 than they were in 2010 (47%). The proportion of organizations that are adding new duties to the jobs lost has remained unchanged at 12%. The smallest organizations (1 to 99 employees) are more likely to be hiring for completely new positions than are larger organizations (100 or more employees).

Do completely new positions require new and different skill sets compared with the skills required for the jobs lost since the recession began? More than one-half (57%) of organizations require a mixture of new skills and the same type of skills for new positions, whereas 15% require completely new and different skill sets and 28% require approximately the same types of skills as those required before the recession. When these positions required at least some new skills, 63% of organizations reported difficulty recruiting, especially among small organizations (1 to 99 employees).


Thus far, what percentage of full-time permanent jobs have been lost at your organization since the U.S. and global recession began in December 2007?

More than 50% of staff

21% to 50% of staff

11% to 20% of staff (2011 data) * 10% to 20% (2010 data)

10% or less (2011 data) *Less than 10% (2010 data)

6% to 10% of staff

1% to 5% of staff

Not applicable—did not lay off any staff

2%

11%

22%

65%

3%

9%

12%

77%

18%

28%

31% 2011 (n=2,273)

2010 (n=2,342)

Note: Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. *2010 data had different categories than 2011 data: “Less than 10% of staff” and “10% to 20% of staff”.



Federal government (46%)Finance (45%)

…are more likely tohave had NO layoffs

than...

Construction, mining, oil and gas (20%)Manufacturing (21%)

State and local government (31%)Services—professional (30%)

High-tech (29%)

Comparisons by industry

The federal government and the finance industry are more likely to have had no layoffs than the construction, mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, state and local government, professional services, and high-tech industries.

The construction, mining, oil and gas industry is more likely to have lost more than 50% of staff than the federal government, finance, manufacturing, and professional services industries.

Construction, mining, oil and gas (10%)…is more likely to

have lost more than 50% of staffthan...

Federal government (1%)Finance (0%)

Manufacturing (2%)Services—professional (2%)



Smaller organizations Larger organizations Differences based on organization staff size

1 to 99 employees (37%)100 to 499 employees (34%)

500 to 2,499 employees (24%)2,500 to 24,999 employees (25%)

Smaller organizations > larger organizations

Comparisons by organization staff size

Smaller organizations (1 to 499 employees) are more likely than larger organizations (500 to 24,999 employees) to have had NO layoffs.

Smaller organizations (1 to 99 employees) are more likely than larger organizations (100 to 24,999 employees) to have laid off more than 50% of staff.


1 to 99 employees (6%)

100 to 499 employees (2%)500 to 2,499 employees (1%)2,500 to 24,999 employees (1%)



In relation to the U.S. and global recession, would you say your organization's overall financial health is declining or recovering compared with 12 months ago?

In a significant decline

In a mild decline

No change compared with 12 months ago

In a mild recovery

In a significant recovery

9%

24%

25%

35%

7%

8%

26%

24%

33%

9% 2011 (n=2,277)

2010 (n=2,333)


In relation to the U.S. and global recession, would you say your organization's overall financial health is declining or recovering compared with 12 months ago?

Construction, mining, oil and gas (9%)Finance (11%)


High-tech (14%)

…are more likely tobe in a significant recovery

than...

Federal government (2%)State and local government (1%)


The construction, mining, oil and gas, finance, manufacturing, services—professional, and high-tech industries are more likely to be in a significant recovery than the federal government and state and local governments.

The finance industry is more likely to be in a mild recovery than the federal government, health, state and local government, and high-tech industries.

Finance (46%)…is more likely to

be in a mild recoverythan...

Federal government (12%)Health (23%)

State and local government (25%)High-tech (29%)


Is your organization currently hiring full-time permanent staff?

Yes; 73%

No; 27%

Note: n = 2,286.


Is your organization currently hiring full-time permanent staff?

Health (88%)…is more likely to

be currently hiring full-time staffthan...

Construction, mining, oil and gas (66%)Federal government (66%)

Services—professional (71%)


The health industry is more likely to be currently hiring full-time staff than the construction, mining, oil and gas, federal government, and professional services industries.

The high-tech industry is more likely to be currently hiring full-time staff than the construction, mining, oil and gas, and federal government industries.

High-tech (80%)…is more likely to

be currently hiring full-time staffthan...



Larger organizations (500 to 24,999 employees) are more likely than smaller organizations (1 to 499 employees) to be currently hiring full-time staff.



500 to 2,499 employees (85%)2,500 to 24,999 employees (89%) Larger organizations > smaller organizations


At what level(s) is your organization hiring?

Executive/upper management (e.g., CEO, CFO)

Other management (e.g., directors, managers)

Nonmanagement salaried employees

Nonmanagement hourly employees

22%

54%

71%

72%

Note: n = 1,660. Percentages do not total 100% because respondents were able to select multiple response options. Only respondents whose organizations were currently hiring full-time staff were asked this question.


At what level(s) is your organization hiring?

Health (40%)

…is more likely tobe hiring executive/upper

management staffthan...

Construction, mining, oil and gas (15%)Finance (20%)


High-tech (16%)


The health industry is more likely to be hiring executive/upper management employees than the construction, mining, oil and gas, finance, manufacturing, professional services, and high-tech industries.

The high tech industry is more likely to be hiring nonmanagement salaried employees than the construction, mining, oil and gas, federal government, finance, health, manufacturing, state and local government, and professional services industries.

High-tech (91%)

…is more likely tobe hiring nonmanagement salaried

employeesthan...


Finance (68%)Health (60%)

Manufacturing (64%)State and local government (66%)

Services—professional (79%)


At what level(s) is your organization hiring? (continued)


The finance, health, manufacturing, and state and local government industries are more likely to be hiring nonmanagement hourly employees than the federal government, professional services and high-tech industries.

Finance (77%)Health (90%)

Manufacturing (85%)State and local government (79%)

…are more likely tobe hiring non-management hourly

employeesthan...

Federal government (58%)Services—professional (59%)

High-tech (51%)


Larger organizations (500 to 24,999 employees) are more likely than smaller organizations (1 to 499 employees) to be hiring executive/upper management staff.



500 to 2,499 employees (23%)2,500 to 24,999 employees (39%) Larger organizations > smaller organizations


At what level(s) is your organization hiring? (continued)




500 to 2,499 employees (61%)2,500 to 24,999 employees (70%)25,000 or more employees (71%)

Larger organizations > smaller organizations

Larger organizations (500 to 25,000 or more employees) are more likely than smaller organizations (1 to 499 employees) to be hiring other management-level employees (e.g., directors, managers).

Larger organizations (2,500 to 24,999 employees) are more likely than smaller organizations (1 to 2,499 employees) to be hiring nonmanagement salaried employees.


1 to 99 employees (58%)100 to 499 employees (66%)500 to 2,499 employees (74%)

2,500 to 24,999 employees (85%) Larger organizations > smaller organizations


Which of the following best describes, in general, the nature of full-time positions your organization is currently hiring?

Note: Only respondents whose organizations were currently hiring full-time staff were asked this question.

Direct replacements of jobs lost (e.g., due to layoffs, attrition) since the recession began

New duties added to jobs lost (e.g., due to layoffs, attrition) since the recession began

Completely new positions

41%

12%

47%

58%

12%

30%

2011 (n=1,640)2010 (n=1,378)



State and local governments (80%)

…are more likely tobe hiring direct replacements of jobs

lost since the recession began than...


Finance (60%)Manufacturing (54%)

Services—professional (48%)High-tech (39%)


The state and local governments are more likely to be hiring direct replacements of jobs lost since the recession began than the construction, mining, oil and gas, federal government, finance, manufacturing, professional services, and high-tech industries.

The high-tech industry is more likely to be hiring for completely new positions than the federal government, finance, health, and state and local government industries.

High-tech (46%)

…is more likely tobe hiring for completely new

positionsthan...

Federal government (27%)Finance (29%)Health (21%)

State and local government (13%)





1 to 99 employees (48%)500 to 2,499 employees (60%)2,500 to 24,999 employees (63%) Larger organizations > smaller organizations

Larger organizations (500 to 24,999 employees) are more likely than smaller organizations (1 to 99 employees) to be hiring direct replacements of positions lost since the recession began.

Smaller organizations (1 to 99 employees) are more likely than larger organizations (100 to 25,000 or more employees) to be hiring for completely new positions.



100 to 499 employees (32%)500 to 2,499 employees (25%)2,500 to 24,999 employees (24%)25,000 or more employees (22%)



Compared with the skills required for jobs lost since the recession began, do these completely new positions require any of the following skills?

Note: n = 467. Only respondents whose organizations were hiring full-time staff for “completely new positions” were asked this question.

Approximately the same types of skills

A mixture of new skills and the same types of skills

Completely new and different skills

28%

57%

15%


Compared with the skills required for jobs lost since the recession began, do these completely new positions require any of the following skills?





Larger organizations > smaller organizations

A mixture of new skills and the same types of skills for completely new positionsLarger organizations (100 to 24,999 employees) are more likely than smaller organizations (1 to 99 employees) to require a mixture of new skills and the same types of skills for completely new positions .

Approximately the same types of skills for completely new positionsSmaller organizations (1 to 99 employees) are more likely than larger organizations (100 to 24,999 employees) to require approximately the same types of skills for completely new positions.


1 to 99 employees (45%)100 to 499 employees (27%)500 to 2,499 employees (17%)2,500 to 24,999 employees (22%)



If the new jobs being created by your organization require new and different skill sets, how easy or difficult do you think it will be or has it been thus far to find qualified individuals for those positions?

Note: Only respondents whose organizations were hiring full-time staff for positions with “new duties added to jobs lost” or “completely new positions” that required either “a mixture of new skills and the same types of skills” or “completely new and different skills” were asked this question.

Very difficult

Somewhat difficult

Somewhat easy

Very easy

3%

36%

45%

16%

7%

56%

32%

5%2011 (n=528)

2010 (n=749)


If the new jobs being created by your organization require new and different skill sets, how easy or difficult do you think it will be or has it been thus far to find qualified individuals for those positions?


Smaller organizations (1 to 99 employees) are more likely than larger organizations (500 to 24,999 employees) to report that it will be or has been very difficult to find qualified individuals for jobs requiring new and different skill sets .





Demographics: Organization Industry

Health

Federal government

High-tech

Construction, mining, oil and gas

Services--professional

Finance

Manufacturing

State and local government

4%

8%

10%

14%

14%

15%

16%

20%

Note: n = 2,286. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.

SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Overall Financial Health and Hiring ©SHRM 2011

Demographics: Organization Sector

Other

Government sector

Nonprofit organization

Privately owned for-profit organization

Publicly owned for-profit organization

2%

24%

8%

47%

19%

25

Note: n = 2,187.


Demographics: Organization Staff Size

25%

31%

23%

17%

4%

26

Note: n = 2,161.


Demographics: Other

27

U.S.-based operations only 74%

Multinational operations 26%

Single-unit company: A company in which the location and the company are one and the same.

38%

Multi-unit company: A company that has more than one location. 62%

Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices 52%

Each work location determines HR policies and practices 3%

A combination of both the work location and the multi-unit headquarters determine HR policies and practices

44%

Is your organization a single-unit company or a multi-unit company?

Are HR policies and practices determined by the multi-unit corporate headquarters, by each work location or both?

Does your organization have U.S.-based operations (business units) only or does it operate multi-nationally?

n = 2,196. n = 2,226.

n = 1,442.

Corporate (company wide) 69%

Business unit/division 19%

Facility/location 12%

n = 1,444.

HR department/function for which you responded throughout this survey

Note: Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.


SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession

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

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Methodology

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