IOMA's findings about recruiting and hiring (a summary is presented in this issue beginning on page 1 ) will provide you with some insights. Other research findings add to these: A survey conducted in the late spring by Robert Half International and CareerBuilder found that in the next 12 months, 53 percent of the employers polled plan to hire full-time employees; 40 percent will hire contract, temporary, or project workers; and 39 percent will hire part-time employees. More than 500 hiring managers and more than 500 employees participated in the survey. In the fifth annual Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations Report, employers reported that technology, customer service, and sales are the top three areas where they expect to add jobs first as the economy rebounds. In the current economy, hiring managers consider customer service the function most critical to their organization's success, followed by sales, marketing and creative, and technology. Public relations and communications, business development, and accounting and finance round out the list of the most important functions.

And despite having many potential employees, six in 1 0 employers said they are willing to negotiate with qualified candidates for higher compensation.

One reason for the optimism is the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Four in 1 0 employers expect ARRA to create jobs in their companies over the next two years.

When hiring starts to increase, the most new opportunities will be available to entry- and staff-level workers: Thirty-two percent of hiring managers plan to hire staff-level professionals, while 28 percent will hire entry-level workers. Companies may be looking to restore positions affected by layoffs or hiring freezes while continuing to rely on existing staff to occupy leadership positions.

"Companies already are identifying the key skill sets they will need in new hires to take advantage of the opportunities presented by improving economic conditions," said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International. "Firms that cut staffing levels too deeply may need to do significant rebuilding once the recovery takes hold."

Employers are still having trouble finding qualified talent. On average, they said 44 percent of resumes they receive are from unqualified candidates. Fortyseven percent of hiring managers cited underqualified applicants as their most common hiring challenge, followed by the reluctance of qualified candidates to leave secure positions (22 percent).

Employers are open to paying more for hard-to-find talent. Sixty- one percent of hiring managers said their companies are willing to negotiate higher compensation for qualified candidates.