Standing Out From the Competition in an Uncertain Labor Market

TROY, MI--(Marketwire - February 6, 2008) - With the growing uncertainties in the U.S. economy -- will there be a recession, and if so how serious -- it is more important than ever that successful companies find exactly the talent they need at every position in order to maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. But in the extremely competitive U.S. job market, companies and highly skilled job seekers may be limiting their success by not making a great first impression. So, they may miss out on the job they want, and companies may miss out on the talent they need.

The Kelly Global Workforce Index sought the views of more than 115,000 people in 33 countries, including more than 14,000 in the United States, on a wide range of issues about how they find work and how they deal with aspects of the job search process.

Even though the task of applying for jobs and facing an interview can be daunting, it's not the worst part of the job search process according to candidates.

The worst aspect of the job search process, nominated by 44 percent of respondents, was waiting for a response, followed by searching for jobs (20 percent), attending interviews (15 percent), filling in applications (14 percent), and preparing resumes (8 percent).

"Companies often overlook the importance of creating a positive experience for candidates during the hiring process, and miss the opportunity to strengthen their employment brand among highly skilled candidates," said George Corona, executive vice president for the Americas Region of Kelly Services. "Ensuring the candidate experience is one that produces a connection between the employer and job seeker will provide a competitive edge in the tightening labor market."

The most common method used by respondents to find their most recent job was word-of-mouth, cited by 25 percent of people, followed by a direct call from an employer or recruiter (23 percent), 'other' methods (18 percent), an online advertisement (16 percent), a direct approach to an employer (10 percent), and a newspaper advertisement (7 percent).

"Although usage of web-based recruitment tools continues to grow, word-of-mouth remains the greatest driver of a company's employment brand. Continuous communication with candidates through the recruiting process creates a positive experience and favorable employment brand," said Corona. "Otherwise, the highly sought-after candidates will quickly secure positions with organizations that are high-touch and offer a sense of belonging."

The workplace survey also has found that more than half of American job seekers feel that their resumes may not be presenting their skills and experience to employers in the best possible way, while more than a quarter have concerns about how they perform during face-to-face job interviews.

Fifty-two percent of survey respondents were unsure or did not believe their resumes represented them in the best possible way. While 74 percent of respondents said they performed well during face-to-face job interviews, 14 percent said they did not, and 12 percent were unsure.

While most job seekers understand the need for a well-crafted resume, many do not realize the significant impact technology plays in their job search efforts. As more companies use technology to manage the tremendous volume of applicants in the recruiting process, candidates must tailor their resumes to reflect the position qualifications and incorporate industry-specific keywords to effectively promote their skills and experience.

In today's highly competitive job market, job seekers that use keywords in their resumes and web-based employment applications will significantly increase the likelihood of their resume being electronically matched to the position requirements which can lead to the all important conversation with a recruiter.

Despite the uncertainties on the part of some candidates about their capacity to perform well, most feel that they get a fair hearing from employers. When asked if they felt employers treated them fairly in the interview process, 76 percent said they did, 22 percent said sometimes and only one percent said never.

About Kelly Services, Inc.

Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA) (NASDAQ: KELYB) is a world leader in human resources solutions headquartered in Troy, Michigan, offering temporary staffing services, outsourcing, vendor on-site and full-time placement. Kelly operates in 37 countries and territories. Kelly provides employment to more than 750,000 employees annually, with skills including office services, accounting, engineering, information technology, law, science, marketing, creative services, light industrial, education, and health care. Revenue in 2007 was $5.7 billion. Visit www.kellyservices.com.

Contact Information: Media contact: Renée T. Walker (248) 244-4305