New research from talent solutions and business consulting firm Robert Half suggests hiring will keep pace for the remainder of the year. According to the company's State of U.S. Hiring Survey, 52% of companies report plans to add new permanent positions in the second half of the year. Another 43% plan to fill for vacated positions, and 57% said they plan to increase the number of contract professionals on staff, down 10 percentage points from the first half of 2024.

View a breakdown of hiring plans by specialization and city.

Hiring Challenges Persist
According to the survey, the top factors influencing hiring decisions include company growth (57%), employee turnover (47%) and project-based work requiring skilled talent (42%). However, most employers (86%) report hiring challenges, and their major areas of concern include: 

• Lack of applicants with the required skills (48%)

• Hiring quickly enough to land the best talent (48%)

• Meeting candidates' salary expectations (48%)

Given these challenges, nearly two-thirds (62%) of managers said they'd be willing to bend on years of experience if the candidate possessed the skills needed for the open role.

Read more about The Demand for Skilled Talent. 

"Today's workers are more selective when it comes to making a career move," said Dawn Fay, operational president of Robert Half. "Employers should have a strategic hiring plan in place and remain flexible in order to land in-demand talent and keep projects on track and workloads in check."

Attracting Talent Requires a Strategic Approach
To land the best talent and stand out from the competition, hiring managers are implementing proactive strategies and offering:

• Hybrid jobs where workers can spend time at home and in-office (41%)

• Windowed work, allowing teams to work outside of typical business hours (41%)

• Higher starting salaries (38%)

Fay emphasized, "While hiring remains a priority, employers shouldn't lose sight of their current workforce. Skilled talent is still in high demand, so it's crucial to prioritize retention strategies to keep your best employees on board."