What Do I Think of the Current Job Market?

I was recently asked, “What do you think of the current job market?”

This felt like a loaded question.

Honestly… terrible. The worst I’ve seen in all my years of running job boards and being in the recruiting space.

Trust in companies and recruiters has hit rock bottom. I don’t see this turning around and I feel like it will have lasting consequences for companies in the future. For retaining good employees and ensuring long term trust. Both of which have been seriously eroded in the past 2 years.

What I’m hearing from job seekers is they are not just frustrated. They’re drained, discouraged, and angry.

Employers and companies have made hiring processes a gauntlet. It’s not way to actually find “Top Talent” as they claim they want. Just a way to put up so roadblocks so that they can say that the hiring process ensures enough checks.

Companies and hiring managers have riddled the hiring process with false promises, incessant ghosting, and insane asks for projects and take home assignments.

I can tell you personally I’ve been asked to create entire Marketing Plans for companies as part of the hiring process. This type of work would take me a few weeks to solidly research competition, come up with a budget, and strategize properly.

People don’t put up with long and ridiculous hiring asks. They accept the first decent job offer and move on with their lives.

Companies are also offering salaries that don’t match reality to experience. Disheartening to job seekers and those employed still

Job seekers are telling me they feel the system is rigged against them.

Those that have been part of layoffs and workforce reductions feel like the market has completed shifted. It used to be you could find a new job with the skillset you spent years working on in a few or months at most.

If you are lucky to get interviews, the hiring process is taking maybe 6 months or longer. Mainly because you need to do so many more applications and so many more interviews.

Many feel ready to revolt against it as they are at their breaking point.

For those already in jobs but want to make a move, they feel right now is a massive gamble on the casino jackpot they are sitting on. People that are employed don’t want to risk any financial security. They see and hear what friends, old coworkers, neighbors, etc. are going through and that scares them.

When slimy recruiters call them with the BS about “exciting advancement opportunities” or “great pay” well… Satan himself might have called.

The general population feel recruiters word is about as good as a dog telling you they will do your taxes for you. I’m pretty sure dogs could do taxes better than most recruiters at finding “quality candidates” actually.

I say this as someone that has dealt with a lot of recruiters and “talent teams” running GreenJobs.com and other job boards.

On salaries… they are wildly low right now. What I’m seeing is companies are offering salary ranges that are 20% below competitive rates. Sometimes more than that.

They expect candidates to accept less pay while they are perfectly aware the cost of living keeps rising. Since these companies keep raising prices themselves.

Benefits, once a key way to attract great workers, are being cut too.

Employers are slashing benefits such as healthcare, reducing retirement contributions, and eliminating some life insurance offerings that used to attract great workers. They have shifted more financial burden onto employees in name of cost cutting and because they can.

The real question most are wondering… are companies actually hiring?

It’s happening but barely.

Budgets have been wiped out or cut, hiring freezes are in place, and job openings are fewer.

The jobs that are being posted many are wondering if those are ghost jobs. Meaning fake job postings companies only post to make it seem like they are growing and doing fine. Recruiters and HR teams claim they don’t exist, but they do.

The few roles that do exist seem to be bad contract roles. Ones that those between jobs take because that is the best option. Since it’s better compared to no options.

The job market is brutal and it is stacked against job seekers. Securing a job is so competitive for a decent positions, it feels like you might have hit that casino jackpot. Everyone knows job seekers, hiring managers, and recruiters know it too.

Job seekers are struggling to figure it out, recruiters are stuck trying to fill roles with insane expectations, and the employers really don’t care.

The whole job market is broken. It sounds cliche but it’s true. It’s failed almost at every level.

It’s been actively working against the people who need it most.

Anyway, that’s my rant.

What do you think of the current job market? What has your experience been?

Would be happy to hear your thoughts below.