BUILDING THE

WORKFORCE
OF THE FUTURE.
A survey of hiring managers
and workers.

A hiring.careerbuilder.com
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 3

SECTION I
Skills 4

Skills-based hiring 5
Closing the skills gap 6

SECTION II
Prioritizing personnel 7

Pay as a motivator or dealbreaker 8

Employers must adapt to their workers’ personal lives 9
The push for DE&I 10

SECTION III
Technology in the hiring process 11

Technology makes hiring faster and easier 12

Preserving the human touch amid tech advancements 13

METHODOLOGY 14

ABOUT CAREERBUILDER 15

2 hiring.careerbuilder.com
 INTRODUCTION
A decade-long threat is now engulfing the job market – the
skills gap. The growing divide between employers’ needs and
job seekers’ skills has been accelerated by the pandemic
through shutdowns and eliminations of lower-wage jobs.
By 2030, it is estimated that 1 in 16 workers will need to find
a different occupation, a rate that is 12% higher than what
was estimated pre-pandemic, and many of them will need to
transition to higher-wage roles.1 Even as overall employment
has improved from the height of the pandemic, permanent
losses in the job market are stacking up:

• There are often 10, 20, or even upwards of 360 open roles
per single candidate, according to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
• A key small business index is showing a similar trend: 44%
of small businesses are reporting job openings they can’t
fill, compared to a 48-year average of 22%.2

Current solutions only address pandemic-induced problems,

rather than the root cause of the imbalance: the growing
skills gap and a lack of investment in training. To uncover
the impact of this, CareerBuilder partnered with The Harris
Poll to survey hiring managers and workers. We found that
these groups see eye to eye on many topics, but creating the
workforce of the future will take investment and focus in key
areas: skills, technology, and evolving worker preferences.

Key Takeaways
• Both employers and employees are hungry for more training and
professional development.
• Engaging with each employee on a personal level and accommodating
their needs is essential.
• Technology is part of the solution, but it can’t undermine the role
people play in the hiring process.
1.
1. The
The Future
Future of
of Work
Work After
After COVID-19
COVID-19 Report,
Report, McKinsey
McKinsey GlobalFebruary
Global Institute,
Institute, February 2021.
2021.

2.
2. NFIB
NFIB Small
Small Business
Business Jobs
Jobs Report,
Report, April 2021.
April 2021.

3 hiring.careerbuilder.com
 SECTION I

SKILLS
Closing the gap for new
candidates and existing
employees.

4 hiring.careerbuilder.com
 Skills-based hiring.
An immediate action item, with soft skills and upskilling at the
forefront of the process.
Skills

Hiring managers’ top priority for recruitment and human capital management in
SECTION I

2021 is skills-basedhiring practices (31%). Moving forward, the majority (85%) will
focus less on candidates’ prior titles and more on their skills and experience, and
68% of workers say they determine which jobs to apply for based on the skills or
experience required.

When evaluating candidates, hiring managers overwhelmingly say soft skills and
experience are important, with more than half saying each is very important.
These are on par with the top factors that workers say should be important when a
company evaluates candidates.

IMPORTANCE WHEN EVALUATING CANDIDATES

Soft skills Experience in previous roles

HIRING MANAGERS 39% 55% 39% 54%

WORKERS 43% 52% 35% 59%

0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100

Ability to translate skills to the job at hand Communication skills in emails or interviews

HIRING MANAGERS 34% 60% 35% 58%

WORKERS 39% 56% 38% 55%

0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100

Somewhat important Very important

The strong majority of hiring managers say they currently upskill candidates by
providing job-specific training, which is a dramatic change from just two years ago
in 2019 when 62% had ever hired a candidate who didn’t have the skills required for
a position with plans to train them. With upskilling increasingly common among
employers, most workers report they would be comfortable being upskilled.

Within a few years, most hiring managers (80%) say hiring candidates with strong
soft skills and upskilling them for a specific job will be the norm. More specifically,
over the next two to three years, 32% who currently upskill candidates by providing
job-specific training envision doing so more often.

88% 89%
of hiring managers currently hire candidates of workers would be comfortable starting a job
who demonstrate strong soft skills and then based on their soft skills and being upskilled
upskill them by providing job-specific training. by the company through job-specific training.

5 hiring.careerbuilder.com
 Closing the skills gap.
Workers want training and additional skills to advance, but
employers need to help.
Skills

The majority of hiring managers (69%) are concerned about Workers feel they do not have all of the skills
SECTION I

necessary to advance in their career in the

the growing skills gap3 in the U.S., and this concern has future (%agree).
increased from 63% in 2016. To this point, more than 2 in 44%
5 workers feel they do not have all of the skills necessary 50 �
to advance in their career, and this sentiment has nearly 40 �

doubled since 2019.4

30 �

Some employers are taking action to address the skills 20 �

gap, but less than one-third of workers (31%) strongly agree

10 � 23%
their company provides good training opportunities for
employees to continually update their skills. 0 �

2019 2021
Without other options, employees have taken on this
responsibility: COMPANY OFFERINGS TO
• 65% of workers have taken a class or workshop outside ADDRESS THE SKILLS GAP
of the office to learn new skills that would help them in Training during work hours
their job.
53% HIRING MANAGERS
• 85% of workers believe it is their own responsibility to find
programs to expand their skills on their own time and 62% 64% WORKERS
0 20 40 60 80 100

of hiring managers agree this burden lies with employees.

Internships/Mentorships

26% HIRING MANAGERS

Hiring managers, however, strongly believe an
increased emphasis on training and development would 26% WORKERS

be beneficial to all employees (89%); workers also

0 20 40 60 80 100

Stipends of financial assistance for current

overwhelmingly agree with this sentiment (91%) and employees to pursue educational opportunities
are ready for the help. Almost all workers (91%) say it is 19% HIRING MANAGERS
important for them to continually learn new skills that
31% WORKERS
could advance their career. 0 20 40 60 80 100

3. Definition provided to
survey respondents: Where
the skill sets workers have
are not matching available
jobs.

4. Qualified employees in
the 2019 survey had little
or no involvement in hiring
decisions at their company.

Training and development have never been

more important. Greater employer investment is
essential to build the workforce of the future.

6 hiring.careerbuilder.com
 SECTION II

PRIORITIZING
PERSONNEL
Employers must do it well or
lose good people.

7 hiring.careerbuilder.com
 Pay as a motivator or
Prioritizing personnel

dealbreaker.
Employees expect annual salary increases, while others are left
SECTION II

relying on gig work.

Salary (54%) and benefits (39%) are often what workers use to determine which
jobs to apply for. The top dealbreaker when interviewing for a job is learning
the starting salary is lower than what was posted on the job description (48%)
and among those who have ghosted a new employer5, two-thirds (66%) say it is
because they found a job with higher wages or better benefits.

More than one-third of current workers expect more than a 5% salary increase
each year, but nearly twice as many look for this when switching jobs. Employers
may be reacting to this – 62% of hiring managers plan to increase initial job offers
for new employees in 2021 compared to 2020.

Among hiring managers who have minimum wage workers, 56% plan to pay them
$15 or more per hour, with the largest companies (5,001+ employees) the most
likely to report this (68%). Further, 51% anticipate their organization will raise their
minimum wage in 2021.

Some are more likely to depend on gig work:

• Have a household income below $50K (49%)
• Work in a blue-collar role (50%)
• Work in the construction and extraction industry (57%)

Further, nearly one-fifth of workers (19%) are currently working more than one job,
and 69% of them say they rely on gig work just to make ends meet.

39% 36% 67%

of workers have to rely on gig expect more than a 5% salary would look for more than a 5%
work (i.e., side jobs) for extra increase from their company increase when switching jobs.
money just to make ends meet. each year.

5. Definition provided to
survey respondents: Did
not show up for the first
day of work after accepting
an offer.

8 hiring.careerbuilder.com
 Employers must adapt to their
Prioritizing personnel

workers’ personal lives.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaped workforce expectations, as both workers
SECTION II

(78%) and hiring managers (75%) report their company has made long-term
changes in response to employee requests during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A driving factor for these changes may be that 80% of hiring managers believe
there will be higher employee turnover in the future if employers do not
accommodate employees’ personal lives.

Top five aspects workers look for while switching jobs:

45% 43% 43% 41% 31%

Ability to work Ability to have Short commute. Paid parental leave or In-house training
remotely. flex time. family member care. opportunities.

However, these adjustments are no easy feat:

• 65% of hiring managers say employee requests during the
COVID-19 pandemic pose challenges.

��� ���
HIRING MANAGERS
• 61% agree their company would like to accommodate new
employee requests as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
(e.g., remote work, flex time, more training, etc.) but does 65% 37%
(of 65%)
not have the resources to do so.
have remote have an issue with
Work-life balance is also top of mind for the workforce of the employees. employees unable to
set boundaries and
future. Nearly 2 in 5 hiring managers feel their company has disconnect outside
an issue with remote employees being able to disconnect of work hours.

outside of work hours, but even more remote workers agree

��� ���
WORKERS
they struggle with this. Although companies are taking
action to help employees set boundaries and disconnect
outside of work hours (75% hiring managers, 77% workers), 64% 49%
(of 64%)
workers are struggling more than employers recognize.

ever work agree they are unable

emotely. to set boundaries and
disconnect outside
of work hours.

9 hiring.careerbuilder.com
 The push for DE&I.
Prioritizing personnel

Workers are open to leaving if their employer does not do

what is right.
The majority of hiring managers (69%), and even more Top three DE&I areas that workers want more
SECTION II

action on and companies plan to address

workers (80%), say that diversity, equity, and inclusion over the next two to three years.
(DE&I) is at least a moderate priority at their company.
Many companies are already addressing DE&I areas, but Acceptance and respect

more could be done – around 3 in 10 workers would like their 29% HIRING MANAGERS

company to address some of these more over the next two 32% WORKERS
to three years. 0 20 40 60 80 100

Gender equality

Among hiring managers who address DE&I, these efforts 26% HIRING MANAGERS
are driven by a desire to have multiple perspectives within 31% WORKERS
the organization (56%). Some also have long-term DE&I 0 20 40 60 80 100

goals to create a fully accepting workforce (41%) and have a Ethnic/Cultural differences
diverse employee population (35%). This sustained focus on 25% HIRING MANAGERS
DE&I is key as most workers say inclusivity is important and
32% WORKERS
they would be likely to switch jobs if their company was not 0 20 40 60 80 100

prioritizing DE&I.

During the hiring process, employers must tread carefully to

81%
of workers say it is important to them
not discourage candidates: personally that their company be inclusive.
• When looking for a job, 26% of workers say their biggest
41% 40%
frustrations are being asked sensitive questions on the 0 20 40 60 80 100

Somewhat important Very important

application, either about their race/ethnicity, gender or
sexual identity, or disability status.
• When interviewing, 47% say a dealbreaker is being 61%
asked inappropriate questions (e.g., about their of workers would be likely to switch jobs if
they felt their company was not prioritizing
personal life, religion, etc.) and 41% say experiencing DE&I efforts.
bias about their personal traits (e.g., gender, race/
ethnicity, age, etc.). 61%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Employers must react to employees’ personal

needs through evolving compensation, benefits,
and diversity efforts.

10 hiring.careerbuilder.com
 SECTION III

TECHNOLOGY
IN THE HIRING
PROCESS
Essential, if done right.

11 hiring.careerbuilder.com
 Technology in the hiring process

Technology makes hiring

faster and easier.
As long as people remain at the center of the process.
SECTION III

Workers overwhelmingly look for jobs online (84%), which

has increased significantly since 2019 (74%). While the 78%
of hiring managers believe technology could
vast majority (84%) are satisfied with the technology they be used to improve HCM processes at their
currently use to look for and apply to jobs, 90% say certain company.
tools would be helpful in this process.
78%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Among those who have already automated parts of the hiring

process, they have done so for scheduling interviews (43%), 71%
tracking applicants (43%), or pre-screening applicants of workers agree that automation in the job
search and hiring proess makes it impossible
(42%). There is room for advancement, though, as 80% say to know if the company’s culture is the right
additional parts of the hiring process would be helpful to automate, fit for them.
and a similar proportion believe technology could improve 71%
recruitment and human capital management (HCM) processes. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Although automation frees up employers to personally

interact with candidates throughout the hiring process, too
much tech is a concern for job seekers. Keeping people at
the forefront of automated processes should be an area of
major priority for employers.

Helpful tools while looking for a job:

45% 42% 41% 35% 35% 35%

Ability to search Customized job One click apply Previously A way to differ- A feature to
and apply from recommenda- option.6 applied compa- entiate myself search by salary.
mobile tions. nies are hiring from other
websites/apps. alerts. candidates.

6. Definition provided to
survey respondents: Allows
you to submit an application
to online job ads with a
single click.

12 hiring.careerbuilder.com
 Technology in the hiring process

Preserving the human touch

amid tech advancements.
Using communications to prevent candidate drop-off.
SECTION III

Communication during the hiring process can be make-or- Poor communication leads to candidate
drop-off.
break for employers. The most common cause of workers’

��� ���
frustration when looking for a job is poor communication
(51%), including:
• Employers leaving them in the dark about where they stand 38% 69%
(of 38%)
as a candidate (38%).
• Employers not acknowledging receipt of their application (30%).
dropped off in say they dropped off
the application due to poor
Further, one-quarter (25%) have felt frustrated by process. communication.
companies’ lack of response when looking for a job. Among

��� ���
workers who have dropped off in the hiring process,
the top reason for doing so is poor communication
– either it took too long to hear from the company or 28% 56%
(of 28%)
their communications about next steps were vague or
automated and not personalized.
dropped out of say they dropped out
the interview due to poor
Employers are just as frustrated. Candidate drop-off7 is a process. communication.

real problem, but there are a few simple solutions, including

improving outreach. Some employers are prioritizing this
strategy: to avoid being ghosted by a new employee8,
68%
of hiring managers think drop off in the
35% are increasing contact with the candidate between application process is a significant problem.
offer and start date – but there is a need for more focus on
33% 35%
communications in the hiring process. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Major-moderate Minor problem

7. Definition provided to
survey respondents: A
candidate only completes
a partial application or
submits an application and
then does not respond to
company outreach.

8. Definition provided to
survey respondents: When
a new employee does not
show up for their first day of
work after accepting
an offer.

With technology in the hiring process, employers can

focus more on the candidates, the skills they offer,
and their potential for growth through upskilling.

13 hiring.careerbuilder.com
 METHODOLOGY
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll
on behalf of CareerBuilder between March 31 and April 23, 2021 among 2,100
employers (defined as adults ages 18 and over in the U.S. who are employed
full-time, not self-employed, and have full or significant involvement in hiring
decisions at their company) and 3,107 employees (defined as adults ages 18 and
over in the U.S. who are employed full-time and not self-employed or who were
employed full-time in the last 12 months but not self-employed and are actively
looking for a job). Data for employers were weighted where necessary by company
size and data for employees were weighted where necessary by age by gender,
race/ethnicity, region, income, education, size of household, and marital status to
bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

About The Harris Poll

The Harris Poll is one of the longest running surveys in the U.S. tracking public
opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963 that is now part of Harris
Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers
social intelligence for transformational times. We work with clients in three
primary areas; building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand
strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public
relations research. Our mission is to provide insights and advisory to help leaders
make the best decisions possible.

To learn more, please visit www.theharrispoll.com

14 hiring.careerbuilder.com
 ABOUT
CAREERBUILDER
CareerBuilder is a global HR company that provides talent acquisition solutions to
help employers find, hire and onboard great talent, and helps job seekers build new
skills and progressive careers as the modern world of work changes. CareerBuilder
has 25 years of experience as a talent company using technology to place people
in jobs, and it is the only company with both the technology, through its online
platform, and the candidates via its job site, to create a connected end-to-end
experience. We operate in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia and are the
largest provider of AI-powered hiring solutions serving the majority of the Fortune
500 across five specialized markets.

Connect with a rep now

877 345 5256 | Hiring.Careerbuilder.com

15 hiring.careerbuilder.com