2006 Trends to Watch Part IV: The Talent Crunch
According to the most recent White House estimates, the U.S. economy should grow at a healthy rate of 3.4 percent amid tame inflation in 2006. Naturally, as the economy heats up, so may the job market. Employers could add two million or more new jobs in 2006, economists say, putting it roughly on par with this year. Of course these numbers apply to a swath of industries. However, when you consider what the market is like just in technology and marketing, I can tell you anecdotally that it's very tough to find talent.
In 2006 blogs will play a bigger role in how companies find and retain key talent. Smaller companies that might normally have a tough time positioning themselves as cutting edge places to work will use transparency to compete for top talent. At the same time, large company bloggers who establish a foothold as subject matter experts will find themselves increasingly wooed. Finally, a small group of companies will turn their talent loose in the blogopshere to keep them motivated and engaged... and visible.
