This document summarizes the findings of a SHRM survey on global competition and hiring strategies. Key findings include: - Over half of organizations used social media to deal with recruiting challenges, followed by collaborating with educational institutions and expanding advertising. Larger organizations were more likely to use these strategies. - 14% of organizations believed they faced global competition for hard-to-fill jobs, with high-tech most likely to see this. One-fifth sponsored foreign workers and 8% hired through other visas to fill positions. - 64% of organizations hired US veterans, up from previous years. Government agencies were most likely to hire veterans for hard-to-fill roles. The document analyzes

1. SHRM Survey Findings: 2014 Economic Conditions—
Global Competition and Hiring Strategies
October 30, 2014

2. • This is Part 3 of a series of SHRM survey results about the state of jobs and skills in the current economic
condition, which relates to a SHRM survey series about the ongoing impact of the U.S. and global
recession from 2007 to 2012. Overall results will be reported separately in three different topic areas:
» Overall financial health and hiring.
» Recruiting and skills gaps.
» Global competition and hiring strategies.
• Overall results for 2013 will also be reported separately for California.
• Industry-specific results for the nine industries that were included in the sample will also be reported for
each question throughout the report. The nine industries are:
» Accommodation and food services, retail/wholesale trade.
» Construction, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction.
» Educational services.
» Finance, insurance, real estate and rental and leasing.
» Government agencies.
» Health care and social assistance.
» High-tech.
» Manufacturing.
» Professional, scientific, and technical services.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 2
Introduction

3. • What strategies have organizations been using to deal with recruiting challenges for full-time
regular positions? Of the 50% of organizations that indicated they were having difficulty
recruiting for full-time regular positions, more than one-half (54%) used social media to deal with
such challenges, followed by collaborating with educational institutions (48%) and expanding
advertising efforts (41%). Organizations have also applied strategies that focus on using current
employees, including training existing employees to take on the hard-to-fill positions (39%) and
increasing retention efforts (37%).
» Larger organizations were more likely to report using social media and collaborating with
educational institutions to deal with recruiting challenges compared with smaller
organizations.
» Organizations in the high-tech and the professional, scientific, and technical services
industries were most likely to use social media to deal with recruiting challenges (74% and
65%, respectively).
» The most effective strategies for dealing with recruiting challenges included using social
media (51%), expanding advertising efforts (51%), using a recruitment agency (51%) and
training existing employees to take on the hard-to-fill positions (49%).
• Are organizations facing global competition when recruiting applicants for hard-to-fill jobs?
Fourteen percent of organizations believe they are facing global competition for qualified applicants
for jobs they are having difficulty filling, similar to 13% reported in 2012.
» Organizations in the high-tech industry (37%) were more likely than those in other industries
to believe that they are facing global competition for hard-to-fill jobs.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 3
Key Findings

4. Key Findings (continued)
• Have organizations been hiring workers from outside the U.S. for jobs that have been
difficult to fill? One-fifth (20%) of organizations have sponsored foreign nationals for H-1B visas in
an attempt to fill key full-time regular positions that have been difficult to fill with qualified U.S.
employees. For O visas, TN visas and other visas, the percentages were 2%, 8% and 7%,
respectively.
» Overall, larger organizations were more likely than smaller organizations to have sponsored
foreign nationals for various types of visas.
» The high-tech industry is more likely than other industries to have hired workers from outside
the U.S. and to plan to continue in an attempt to recruit for hard-to-fill jobs (51% for H-1B
visas and 25% for TN visas, respectively).
• Have organizations been hiring U.S. veterans for jobs that have been difficult to fill? Almost
two-thirds (64%) of organizations reported hiring U.S. veterans for full-time regular positions in the
last 12 months, an increase from 39% in 2011 and 58% in 2012.
» Larger organizations were more likely than smaller organizations to have hired U.S. veterans
in an attempt to recruit for hard-to-fill jobs.
» Government agencies (73%) were more likely than organizations in other industries to have
hired U.S. veterans in an attempt to recruit for hard-to-fill jobs.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 4

5. What Do These Findings Mean for the HR Profession?
• In their desire to find workers with skills that match their organization’s job openings, HR
professionals should consider partnerships or some form of outreach with local educational
institutions. Private-sector collaboration with vocational schools, which can involve developing
curricula that help build skills required by local employers, has become a popular approach in some
U.S. cities. Nearly half of the respondents to this survey said they have collaborated with
educational institutions to deal with recruiting challenges.
• Recent research by SHRM has shown that many employers have cut back on funding for some
forms of professional and career development, such as tuition assistance and cross-training for
employees. This runs counterintuitive to efforts to find properly skilled individuals for open positions,
and may be due only to economic conditions that have caused some employers to tighten their
budgets. Nonetheless, professional development assistance should be an important tool for HR
professionals to strengthen the skills of their employees. Two-fifths of respondents to this survey
said training existing employees for hard-to-fill positions was effective when dealing with recruiting
challenges.
• Across all industries, high-tech appears to have the greatest demand for highly skilled workers. The
sector has been a strong performer in the U.S. economy, but HR professionals in that industry
should make concerted efforts to train employees and develop partnerships to recruit and retain
high-skilled workers. The high-tech industry was most likely to recruit globally for hard-to-fill
positions, and its HR professionals, more frequently than in all other sectors, identified global
competition for talent as a recruiting challenge for their organization.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 5

6. Strategies Organizations Used to Deal with Recruiting
Challenges for Full-Time Regular Positions (All Industries)
54%
48%
37%
41%
39%
33%
39%
37%
32%
37%
33%
32%
47%
21%
Note: Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question. Respondents who
answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
*Response was not included in the 2012 survey.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 6
Using social media*
Collaborating with educational
institutions
Expanding advertising efforts
Training existing employees to take
on the hard-to-fill positions
Using a recruitment agency*
Increasing retention efforts
Expanding training programs to
help improve skills of new hires
Targeting passive job seekers*
Seeking talent from nontraditional
sources (e.g., veterans, retirees)*
2013 (n = 2,900)
2012 (n = 1,635)

7. Strategies Organizations Used to Deal with Recruiting Challenges for
Full-Time Regular Positions (All Industries, continued)
30%
26%
24%
23%
19%
14%
7%
Note: Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question. Respondents who
answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
*Response was not included in the 2012 survey.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 7
3%
7%
36%
22%
24%
5%
5%
8%
Expanding geographic search
region
Using/enhancing employee
referral program*
Improving compensation*
Offering more flexible work
arrangements
Providing monetary incentives to
candidates (e.g., signing bonus)
Improving benefits package*
Offering new job perks
Other
None; no recruiting strategies
used
2013 (n = 2,900)
2012 (n = 1,635)

8. Strategies Organizations Used to Deal with Recruiting
Challenges for Full-Time Regular Positions (All Industries)
Comparison by organization staff size
• Organizations with 100 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 99 employees to indicate
that they are expanding the geographic search region to deal with recruiting challenges. Organizations with 500
to 24,999 employees were more likely than organizations with 100 to 499 employees to indicate that they are
expanding the geographic search region to deal with recruiting challenges.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 8
20%
27%
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
34% 39%
33%
1 to 99 employees 100 to 499
employees
500 to 2,499
employees
2,500 to 24,999
employees
25,000 or more
employees
• Organizations with 500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 99 employees to indicate
that they are using social media to deal with recruiting challenges. Organizations with 2,500 or more employees
were more likely than organizations with 100 to 499 employees to indicate that they are using social media to deal
with recruiting challenges.
45%
52% 57% 62% 65%
1 to 99 employees 100 to 499
employees
500 to 2,499
employees
2,500 to 24,999
employees
25,000 or more
employees

9. Strategies Organizations Used to Deal with Recruiting Challenges for
Full-Time Regular Positions (All Industries, continued)
Comparison by organization staff size
• Organizations with 100 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 99 employees to indicate
that they are collaborating with educational institutions to deal with recruiting challenges. Organizations with
2,500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 499 employees to indicate that they are
collaborating with educational institutions to deal with recruiting challenges.
47% 52% 57%
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 9
34%
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
66%
1 to 99 employees 100 to 499
employees
500 to 2,499
employees
2,500 to 24,999
employees
25,000 or more
employees
• Organizations with 100 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 99 employees to indicate
that they are seeking talent from nontraditional sources (e.g., veterans, retirees) to deal with recruiting
challenges. Organizations with 2,500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 2,499
employees to indicate that they are seeking talent from nontraditional sources (e.g., veterans, retirees) to deal
with recruiting challenges.
19%
27% 34%
42%
58%
1 to 99 employees 100 to 499
employees
500 to 2,499
employees
2,500 to 24,999
employees
25,000 or more
employees

10. Strategies Organizations Used to Deal with Recruiting Challenges for
Full-time Regular Positions (All Industries, Continued)
Comparison by organization staff size
• Organizations with 500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 99 employees to indicate
that they are increasing retention efforts to deal with recruiting challenges. Organizations with 2,500 or more
employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 499 employees to indicate that they are increasing
retention efforts to deal with recruiting challenges.
29% 34% 40% 43%
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 10
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
51%
1 to 99 employees 100 to 499
employees
500 to 2,499
employees
2,500 to 24,999
employees
25,000 or more
employees
• Organizations with 500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 99 employees to indicate
that they are providing monetary incentives to candidates (e.g., signing bonus) to deal with recruiting
challenges. Organizations with 2,500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 499
employees to indicate that they are providing monetary incentives to candidates (e.g., signing bonus) to deal
with recruiting challenges.
12%
17% 20%
27% 30%
1 to 99 employees 100 to 499
employees
500 to 2,499
employees
2,500 to 24,999
employees
25,000 or more
employees

11. Strategies Organizations Used to Deal with Recruiting Challenges for
Full-Time Regular Positions (All Industries, continued)
• Organizations with 1 to 99 employees were more likely than organizations with 500 to 24,999 employees to indicate
that they are improving the benefits package to deal with recruiting challenges.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 11
Comparison by organization staff size
19%
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
12% 11%
13%
1 to 99 employees 500 to 2,499 employees 2,500 to 24,999
employees
25,000 or more
employees

12. Strategies Organizations Used to Deal with Recruiting
Challenges for Full-Time Regular Positions (by Industry)
Note: Respondents who answered "don't know" were excluded from this analysis. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 12
Using Social
Media
Collaborating with
Educational
Institutions
Expanding
Advertising
Efforts
Training Existing
Employees to Take on
the Hard-to-Fill
Positions
Using a
Recruitmen
t Agency
Increasing
Retention
Efforts
All industries (n = 2,900) 54% 48% 41% 39% 39% 37%
Accommodation and food services,
retail/wholesale trade (n = 280)
60% 51% 38% 49% 33% 43%
Construction, mining, quarrying, and
oil and gas extraction (n = 290)
50% 51% 41% 42% 47% 37%
Educational services (n = 305) 48% 39% 52% 26% 20% 30%
Finance, insurance, real estate and
59% 49% 38% 37% 50% 40%
rental and leasing (n = 267)
Government agencies (n = 463) 44% 39% 45% 39% 15% 27%
Health care and social assistance (n =
53% 55% 46% 42% 37% 48%
301)
High-tech (n = 137) 74% 56% 28% 38% 61% 45%
Manufacturing (n = 365) 50% 56% 41% 48% 60% 38%
Professional, scientific, and technical
65% 46% 34% 32% 47% 39%
services (n = 410)

13. Strategies Organizations Used to Deal with Recruiting Challenges for
Full-Time Regular Positions (by Industry, continued)
Note: Respondents who answered "don't know" were excluded from this analysis. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 13
Expanding
Training
Programs to
Help Improve
Skills of New
Hires
Targeting
Passive Job
Seekers
Seeking Talent
from
Nontraditional
Sources
Expanding
Geographic
Search
Region
Using/Enhancing
Employee
Referral Program
Improving
Compensation
All industries (n = 2,900) 37% 33% 32% 30% 26% 24%
Accommodation and food services,
45% 32% 38% 24% 34% 30%
retail/wholesale trade (n = 280)
Construction, mining, quarrying, and
oil and gas extraction (n = 290)
42% 36% 41% 33% 31% 26%
Educational services (n = 305) 33% 18% 31% 31% 9% 16%
Finance, insurance, real estate and
rental and leasing (n = 267)
37% 39% 27% 23% 35% 27%
Government agencies (n = 463) 33% 16% 32% 28% 6% 19%
Health care and social assistance (n
37% 32% 22% 25% 27% 22%
= 301)
High-tech (n = 137) 34% 57% 35% 42% 47% 34%
Manufacturing (n = 365) 40% 37% 36% 34% 25% 27%
Professional, scientific, and technical
38% 49% 29% 34% 37% 26%
services (n = 410)

14. Strategies Organizations Used to Deal with Recruiting Challenges for
Full-time Regular Positions (by Industry, continued)
Note: Respondents who answered "don't know" were excluded from this analysis. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 14
Offering More
Flexible Work
Arrangements
Providing
Monetary
Incentives to
Candidates
Improving
Benefits
Package
Offering New
Job Perks
Other
None; No
Recruiting
Strategies Used
All industries (n = 2,900) 23% 19% 14% 7% 3% 7%
Accommodation and food services,
23% 19% 20% 10% 2% 5%
retail/wholesale trade (n = 280)
Construction, mining, quarrying, and
oil and gas extraction (n = 290)
20% 25% 20% 8% 2% 5%
Educational services (n = 305) 15% 8% 11% 5% 5% 11%
Finance, insurance, real estate and
26% 21% 14% 7% 2% 7%
rental and leasing (n = 267)
Government agencies (n = 463) 25% 5% 8% 5% 5% 13%
Health care and social assistance (n
20% 28% 11% 4% 2% 5%
= 301)
High-tech (n = 137) 36% 39% 20% 12% 4% 4%
Manufacturing (n = 365) 15% 21% 13% 6% 4% 5%
Professional, scientific, and technical
29% 25% 15% 8% 2% 6%
services (n = 410)

15. Recruiting Strategies Organizations Feel Are Most Effective
(All Industries)
51%
51%
51%
49%
42%
42%
41%
40%
37%
Note: n = 102-1,571. Respondents who answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis. Respondents were asked only about those recruiting
strategies that their organizations were using and were allowed to select up to three options. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response
options.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 15
Expanding advertising efforts
Using a recruitment agency
Using social media
Training existing employees to take on the hard-to-fill
positions
Targeting passive job seekers
Using/enhancing employee referral program
Improving compensation package
Offering more flexible work arrangements
Collaborating with educational institutions

16. Recruiting Strategies Organizations Feel Are Most Effective
(All Industries, continued)
37%
33%
33%
31%
29%
27%
12%
31%
Expanding training programs to help
improve skills of new hires
Expanding geographic search region
Increasing retention efforts
Providing monetary incentives to
candidates (e.g., signing bonus)
Improving benefits package
Seeking talent from nontraditional sources
(e.g., veterans, retirees)
Offering new job perks
Other
Note: n = 102-1,571. Respondents who answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis. Respondents were asked only about those recruiting
strategies that their organizations were using and were allowed to select up to three options. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response
options.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 16

17. Recruiting Strategies Organizations Feel Are Most Effective
(by Industry)
Note: Respondents who answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis. Respondents were asked only about those recruiting strategies that
their organizations were using and were allowed to select up to three options. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
“-” Percentage was not reportable due to small sample size (n < 30).
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 17
Expanding
Advertising
Efforts
Using a
Recruitment
Agency
Using Social
Media
Training Existing
Employees to
Take on the Hard-to-
Fill Positions
Targeting
Passive
Job
Seekers
Using/Enhancing
Employee
Referral Program
All industries (n = 102 - 1,571) 51% 51% 51% 49% 42% 42%
Accommodation and food services,
51% 40% 53% 45% 46% 39%
retail/wholesale trade (n = 52 - 169)
Construction, mining, quarrying, and
oil and gas extraction (n = 57 - 149)
45% 57% 47% 48% 43% 54%
Educational services (n = 32 - 158) 66% 36% 53% 53% 45% -
Finance, insurance, real estate and
rental and leasing (n = 37 - 156)
49% 55% 52% 53% 44% 46%
Government agencies (n = 37 - 207) 61% 29% 54% 60% 34% -
Health care and social assistance
(n = 32 - 165)
55% 44% 50% 53% 29% 49%
High-tech (n = 39 - 101) 31% 47% 55% 31% 44% 37%
Manufacturing (n = 48 - 219) 35% 68% 43% 49% 45% 29%
Professional, scientific, and technical
44% 49% 52% 45% 45% 46%
services (n = 34 - 267)

18. Recruiting Strategies Organizations Feel Are Most Effective
(by Industry, continued)
Note: Respondents who answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis. Respondents were asked only about those recruiting strategies that
their organizations were using and were allowed to select up to three options. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
“-” Percentage was not reportable due to small sample size (n < 30).
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 18
Improving
Compensation
Package
Offering More
Flexible Work
Arrangements
Collaborating
with
Educational
Institutions
Expanding
Training
Programs to
Help Improve
Skills of New
Hires
Expanding
Geographic
Search
Region
Increasing
Retention Efforts
All industries (n = 102 - 1,571) 41% 40% 37% 37% 33% 33%
Accommodation and food services,
retail/wholesale trade
39% 39% 34% 42% 27% 43%
(n = 52 - 169)
Construction, mining, quarrying, and
oil and gas extraction (n = 57 - 149)
41% 32% 39% 32% 30% 26%
Educational services (n = 32 - 158) 47% 51% 51% 44% 31% 36%
Finance, insurance, real estate and
44% 36% 28% 45% 30% 34%
rental and leasing (n = 37 - 156)
Government agencies (n = 37 - 207) 55% 46% 37% 37% 46% 29%
Health care and social assistance
(n = 32 - 165)
35% 42% 43% 41% 34% 38%
High-tech (n = 39 - 101) 45% 33% 27% 23% 33% 35%
Manufacturing (n = 48 - 219) 41% 38% 37% 34% 30% 25%
Professional, scientific, and technical
31% 36% 37% 32% 27% 32%
services (n = 34 - 267)

19. Recruiting Strategies Organizations Feel Are Most Effective
(by Industry, continued)
Providing Monetary
Incentives To
Candidates (e.g.,
Signing Bonus)
Improving
Benefits
Package
Seeking Talent From
Nontraditional Sources
(e.g., Veterans, Retirees)
Offering New Job
Perks
All industries (n = 102 - 1,571) 31% 29% 27% 12%
Accommodation and food services,
29% 29% 34% -
retail/wholesale trade (n = 52 - 169)
Note: Respondents who answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis. Respondents were asked only about those recruiting strategies that
their organizations were using and were allowed to select up to three options. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
“-” Percentage was not reportable due to small sample size (n < 30).
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 19
Construction, mining, quarrying, and oil
and gas extraction (n = 57 - 149)
31% 28% 27% -
Educational services (n = 32 - 158) - 38% 28% -
Finance, insurance, real estate and rental
and leasing (n = 37 - 156)
25% 27% 21% -
Government agencies (n = 37 - 207) - 41% 43% -
Health care and social assistance
34% 25% 24% -
(n = 32 - 165)
High-tech (n = 39 - 101) 25% - 25% -
Manufacturing (n = 48 - 219) 30% 42% 20% -
Professional, scientific, and technical
services (n = 34 - 267)
33% 21% 18% 9%

20. Do You Believe That Your Organization Is Facing Global Competition (i.e.,
Competition from Other Countries) for Talent for Hard-to-Fill* Jobs? (All
Industries)
2012
Note: Respondents who answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis.
* Question stated “for full-time regular positions that your organization has been having difficulty filling.”
2013
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 20
Yes
23%
No
77%
2011
Yes
13%
No
87%
Yes
14%
No
86%
n = 720 n = 1,492 n = 2,253

21. Do You Believe That Your Organization Is Facing Global Competition
(i.e., Competition from Other Countries) for Talent for Hard-to-Fill* Jobs?
(by Industry)
14%
37%
22%
20%
18%
12%
11%
9%
8%
8%
8%
All industries (n = 2,253)
High-tech (n = 104)
Construction, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas
extraction (n = 269)
Manufacturing (n = 312)
Professional, scientific, and technical services (n = 354)
Educational services (n = 265)
Accommodation and food services, retail/wholesale
trade (n = 240)
Finance, insurance, real estate and rental and leasing
(n = 232)
Health care and social assistance (n = 282)
Government agencies (n = 431)
Other industry (n = 64)
Note: Respondents who answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis.
* Question stated “for full-time regular positions that your organization has been having difficulty filling.”
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 21

22. Sponsorship for Foreign Nationals for Key Full-time Positions That
Are Difficult to Fill with Qualified U.S. Employees (All Industries)
H-1B visas
Note: Respondents who answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis.
O visas
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 22
20%
7%
2%
71%
2% 1%
3%
94%
Have recruited and
plan to continue
Have recruited but
do NOT plan to
continue
Have not recruited
but plan to in the
next 12 months
Have not recruited
and do NOT plan to
in the next 12
months
n = 2,560 n = 2,261

23. Sponsorship for Foreign Nationals for Key Full-Fime Positions That
Are Difficult to Fill with Qualified U.S. Employees (All Industries,
continued)
TN visas
Other visas
Note: Respondents who answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 23
8%
2%
3%
88%
7%
2%
2%
89%
Have recruited and
plan to continue
Have recruited but
do NOT plan to
continue
Have not recruited
but plan to in the
next 12 months
Have not recruited
and do NOT plan to
in the next 12
months
n = 2,301 n = 2,131

24. Sponsorship for Foreign Nationals for Key Full-Time Positions That
Are Difficult to Fill with Qualified U.S. Employees (All Industries)
• Organizations with 500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 499 employees to indicate
that they have sponsored foreign nationals for H-1B visas in an attempt to fill key full-time regular positions that
have been difficult to fill with qualified U.S. employees. Organizations with 2,500 or more employees were more
likely than organizations with 1 to 2,499 employees to indicate that they have sponsored foreign nationals for H-
1B visas.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 24
Comparison by organization staff size
9% 12%
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
24%
39% 36%
1 to 99 employees 100 to 499
employees
500 to 2,499
employees
2,500 to 24,999
employees
25,000 or more
employees
• Organizations with 500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 499 employees to indicate
that they have sponsored foreign nationals for TN visas in an attempt to fill key full-time regular positions that
have been difficult to fill with qualified U.S. employees.
3% 4%
8%
18% 16%
1 to 99 employees 100 to 499
employees
500 to 2,499
employees
2,500 to 24,999
employees
25,000 or more
employees

25. Sponsorship for Foreign Nationals for Key Full-Time Positions That Are
Difficult to Fill with Qualified U.S. Employees (All Industries, continued)
• Organizations with 500 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 499 employees to indicate
that they have sponsored foreign nationals for other types of visas in an attempt to fill key full-time regular
positions that have been difficult to fill with qualified U.S. employees.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 25
Comparison by organization staff size
3% 4%
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
10%
13%
17%
1 to 99 employees 100 to 499
employees
500 to 2,499
employees
2,500 to 24,999
employees
25,000 or more
employees

26. Sponsorship for Foreign Nationals for Key Full-Time Positions That
Are Difficult to Fill with Qualified U.S. Employees (by Industry)
H-1B visas (specialty occupation workers)
Have Recruited
and Plan to
Continue
Have Recruited
but Do NOT Plan
to Continue
Have Not
Recruited but Plan
to in the Next 12
Months
All industries (n = 2,560) 20% 7% 2% 71%
Accommodation and food services,
13% 5% 2% 80%
retail/wholesale trade (n = 233)
Note: Respondents who answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Have Not
Recruited and Do
NOT Plan to in the
Next 12 Months
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 26
Construction, mining, quarrying, and oil and
gas extraction (n = 259)
22% 8% 2% 68%
Educational services (n = 269) 31% 9% 2% 57%
Finance, insurance, real estate and rental and
15% 6% 1% 78%
leasing (n = 227)
Government agencies (n = 408) 8% 2% 2% 88%
Health care and social assistance
15% 7% 3% 74%
(n = 269)
High-tech (n = 130) 51% 7% 3% 39%
Manufacturing (n = 327) 20% 9% 2% 69%
Professional, scientific, and technical services
28% 10% 3% 60%
(n = 369)

27. Sponsorship for Foreign Nationals for Key Full-Time Positions That Are
Difficult to Fill with Qualified U.S. Employees (by Industry, continued)
O visas (individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement)
Have Recruited
and Plan to
Continue
Have Recruited
but Do NOT Plan
to Continue
Have Not
Recruited but Plan
to in the Next 12
Months
All industries (n = 2,261) 2% 1% 2% 94%
Accommodation and food services,
1% 0% 2% 97%
retail/wholesale trade (n = 215)
Note: Respondents who answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Have Not
Recruited and Do
NOT Plan to in the
Next 12 Months
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 27
Construction, mining, quarrying, and oil and
gas extraction (n = 223)
1% 2% 3% 93%
Educational services (n = 221) 5% 1% 4% 90%
Finance, insurance, real estate and rental and
0% 0% 1% 98%
leasing (n = 206)
Government agencies (n = 388) 1% 1% 2% 97%
Health care and social assistance
2% 1% 3% 94%
(n = 244)
High-tech (n = 92) 8% 2% 3% 87%
Manufacturing (n = 289) 2% 1% 2% 96%
Professional, scientific, and technical services
4% 2% 3% 91%
(n = 317)

28. Sponsorship for Foreign Nationals for Key Full-Time Positions That Are
Difficult to Fill with Qualified U.S. Employees (by Industry, continued)
TN visas (Treaty NAFTA visas for Mexican and Canadian businesspeople)
Have Recruited
and Plan to
Continue
Have Recruited
but Do NOT Plan
to Continue
Have Not
Recruited but Plan
to in the Next 12
Months
All industries (n = 2,301) 8% 2% 3% 88%
Accommodation and food services,
0% 1% 1% 97%
retail/wholesale trade (n = 211)
Note: Respondents who answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Have Not
Recruited and Do
NOT Plan to in the
Next 12 Months
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 28
Construction, mining, quarrying, and oil and
gas extraction (n = 239)
14% 2% 3% 82%
Educational services (n = 225) 8% 2% 2% 88%
Finance, insurance, real estate and rental and
4% 0% 1% 94%
leasing (n = 205)
Government agencies (n = 385) 2% 0% 1% 97%
Health care and social assistance
5% 1% 2% 91%
(n = 243)
High-tech (n = 103) 25% 4% 5% 66%
Manufacturing (n = 297) 8% 3% 3% 86%
Professional, scientific, and technical services
14% 3% 5% 79%
(n = 328)

29. Sponsorship for Foreign Nationals for Key Full-Time Positions That Are
Difficult to Fill with Qualified U.S. Employees (by Industry, continued)
Have Recruited
and Plan to
Continue
Have Recruited
but Do NOT Plan
to Continue
Have Not
Recruited but Plan
to in the Next 12
Months
All industries (n = 2,131) 7% 2% 2% 90%
Accommodation and food services,
9% 1% 1% 89%
retail/wholesale trade (n = 207)
Note: Respondents who answered “don't know” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Have Not
Recruited and Do
NOT Plan to in the
Next 12 Months
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 29
Construction, mining, quarrying, and oil and
gas extraction (n = 208)
5% 4% 1% 89%
Educational services (n = 211) 12% 1% 3% 83%
Finance, insurance, real estate and rental and
4% 1% 1% 95%
leasing (n = 196)
Government agencies (n = 370) 3% 0% 1% 95%
Health care and social assistance
5% 0% 1% 93%
(n = 228)
High-tech (n = 89) 19% 3% 3% 74%
Manufacturing (n = 274) 8% 1% 2% 89%
Professional, scientific, and technical services
10% 3% 2% 84%
(n = 289)
Other visas

30. Organizations That Hired U.S. Veterans for Full-Time Regular Positions
in the Last 12 Months (All Industries)
64%
24%
9%
4%
Note: n = 2,561. Respondents who answered "don't know" were excluded from this analysis. Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 30
Yes
No
No, but we are considering it
No, but we have plans to do so in the next 12 months

31. Organizations That Hired U.S. Veterans for Full-Time Regular Positions
in the Last 12 Months (by Industry)
Yes No No, but we are considering it No, but we have plans to do so in the next 12 months
64%
70%
69%
60%
50%
73%
64%
61%
69%
49%
24%
19%
18%
24%
36%
28%
23%
16%
38%
Note: Respondents who answered "don't know" were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.
11%
19%
9%
4%
7%
4%
10%
8%
6%
5%
6%
5%
12%
11%
9%
2%
3%
3%
4%
4%
4%
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 31
All industries (n = 2,561)
Accommodation and food services,
retail/wholesale trade (n = 256)
Construction, mining, quarrying, and oil and
gas extraction (n = 278)
Educational services (n = 250)
Finance, insurance, real estate and rental and
leasing (n = 220)
Government agencies (n = 423)
Health care and social assistance (n = 247)
High-tech (n = 111)
Manufacturing (n = 344)
Professional, scientific, and technical services
(n = 362)

32. Organizations That Hired U.S. Veterans for Full-Time Regular Positions
in the Last 12 Months (All Industries)
• Organizations with 100 or more employees were more likely than organizations with 1 to 99 employees to have
hired U.S. veterans for full-time regular positions in the last 12 months. Organizations with 500 or more employees
were more likely than organizations with 100 to 499 employees to have hired U.S. veterans for full-time regular
positions in the last 12 months. Organizations with 25,000 or more employees were more likely than organizations
with 500 to 2,499 employees to have hired U.S. veterans for full-time regular positions in the last 12 months.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 32
Comparison by organization staff size
28%
56%
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
81%
87%
92%
1 to 99 employees 100 to 499
employees
500 to 2,499
employees
2,500 to 24,999
employees
25,000 or more
employees

33. Demographics
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 33

34. Demographics: Organization Industry
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 34
Note: n = 3,335. Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.
Percentage
Accommodation and food services, retail/wholesale trade 10%
Construction, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 10%
Educational services 11%
Finance, insurance, real estate and rental and leasing 9%
Government agencies 16%
Health care and social assistance 10%
High-tech 5%
Manufacturing 12%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 14%
Other industry 3%

35. Demographics: Organization Sector (All Industries)
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 35
n = 3,335
45%
20%
20%
15%
Publicly owned for-profit
Government
Privately owned for-profit
Nonprofit

36. Demographics: Organization Sector (by Industry)
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 36
Note: Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Privately Owned
For-Profit
Government
Publicly Owned
For-Profit
Nonprofit
All industries (n = 3,335) 45% 20% 20% 15%
Accommodation and food services,
63% 0% 36% 2%
retail/wholesale trade (n = 330)
Construction, mining, quarrying, and oil
and gas extraction (n = 336)
71% 0% 28% 1%
Educational services (n = 367) 9% 39% 4% 48%
Finance, insurance, real estate and rental
56% 0% 24% 19%
and leasing (n = 307)
Government agencies (n = 537) 0% 100% 0% 0%
Health care and social assistance
(n = 349)
32% 0% 9% 59%
High-tech (n = 156) 54% 0% 44% 2%
Manufacturing (n = 404) 63% 0% 36% 1%
Professional, scientific, and technical
76% 0% 19% 5%
services (n = 458)
Other industry (n = 91) 57% 0% 22% 21%

37. Demographics: Region (All Industries)
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 37
n = 3,022
39%
23%
22%
16%
South
West
Midwest
Northeast

38. Demographics: Region (by Industry)
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 38
Note: Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.
South West Midwest Northeast
All industries (n = 3,022) 39% 23% 22% 16%
Accommodation and food services,
37% 29% 20% 14%
retail/wholesale trade (n = 287)
Construction, mining, quarrying, and oil
and gas extraction (n = 304)
44% 25% 18% 13%
Educational services (n = 330) 36% 18% 26% 20%
Finance, insurance, real estate and rental
33% 19% 25% 23%
and leasing (n = 279)
Government agencies (n = 494) 48% 24% 21% 6%
Health care and social assistance
(n = 323)
37% 22% 23% 18%
High-tech (n = 142) 30% 36% 12% 23%
Manufacturing (n = 365) 36% 16% 33% 16%
Professional, scientific, and technical
42% 24% 17% 17%
services (n = 418)
Other industry (n = 80) 39% 23% 16% 23%

39. Demographics: Organization Staff Size (All Industries)
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 39
Note: n = 2,945 . Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.
21%
31%
22%
20%
7%
1 to 99 employees
100 to 499 employees
500 to 2,499 employees
2,500 to 24,999 employees
25,000 or more employees

40. Demographics: Organization Staff Size (by Industry)
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 40
Note: Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.
1 to 99
Employees
100 to 499
Employees
500 to 2,499
Employees
2,500 to 24,999
Employees
25,000 or More
Employees
All industries (n = 2,945) 21% 31% 22% 20% 7%
Accommodation and food services,
retail/wholesale trade (n = 278)
14% 27% 17% 19% 24%
Construction, mining, quarrying, and
oil and gas extraction (n = 301)
23% 33% 20% 20% 3%
Educational services (n = 318) 10% 29% 32% 25% 3%
Finance, insurance, real estate and
29% 31% 20% 14% 6%
rental and leasing (n = 279)
Government agencies (n = 470) 13% 32% 30% 21% 4%
Health care and social assistance
15% 29% 23% 24% 9%
(n = 314)
High-tech (n = 143) 27% 27% 16% 21% 9%
Manufacturing (n = 355) 17% 32% 22% 23% 6%
Professional, scientific, and technical
40% 32% 11% 13% 5%
services (n = 409)
Other industry (n = 78) 23% 36% 17% 17% 8%

41. n = 3,092
Demographics: Other (All Industries)
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 41
U.S.-based operations only 71%
Multinational operations 29%
Single-unit organization: An organization
in which the location and the organization
are one and the same.
31%
Multi-unit organization: An organization
that has more than one location.
69%
Multi-unit headquarters determines HR
policies and practices
48%
Each work location determines HR policies
and practices
3%
A combination of both the work location and
the multi-unit headquarters determines HR
policies and practices
49%
Is your organization a single-unit organization or a
multi-unit organization?
For multi-unit organizations, are HR policies and practices
determined by the multi-unit headquarters, by each work
location or by both?
Does your organization have U.S.-based
operations (business units) only, or does it
operate multinationally?
n = 3,116
n = 2,223

42. 42
SHRM Survey Findings
Survey Methodology
• Response rate = 13%
• 3,335 HR professionals participated in this survey from a randomly selected sample of SHRM’s
membership from nine different industries:
» Accommodation and food services, retail/wholesale trade.
» Construction, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction.
» Educational services.
» Finance, insurance, real estate and rental and leasing.
» Government agencies.
» Health care and social assistance.
» High-tech.
» Manufacturing.
» Professional, scientific, and technical services.
• Margin of error +/-2%
• Survey fielded December 16, 2013 - January 16, 2014
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014

43. Additional SHRM Resources
• SHRM Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE)
» http://www.shrm.org/research/monthlyemploymentindices/line/pages/default.aspx
• SHRM Jobs Outlook Survey (JOS)
» http://www.shrm.org/research/monthlyemploymentindices/lmo/pages/default.aspx
• SHRM Metro Economic Outlooks
» http://www.shrm.org/research/monthlyemploymentindices/pages/metroeconomicoutlooks.aspx
• SHRM’s Workforce Readiness Resource Page
» http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/staffingmanagement/articles/pages/workforcereadiness.aspx
• SHRM Foundation: What’s Next: Future Global Trends Affecting Your Organization, Evolution of Work
and the Worker
» http://www.shrm.org/about/foundation/shapingthefuture/documents/2-
14%20theme%201%20paper-final%20for%20web.pdf
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 43

44. About SHRM Research
For more survey/poll findings, visit shrm.org/surveys
For more information about SHRM’s Customized Research Services, visit
shrm.org/customizedresearch
Follow us on Twitter @SHRM_Research
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 44
Project lead:
Tanya Mulvey, researcher, SHRM Research
Project contributors:
Alexander Alonso, Ph.D., SPHR, vice president, SHRM Research
Evren Esen, director, Survey Programs, SHRM Research
Yan Dong, Survey Research Center, SHRM Research
Christina Lee, researcher, SHRM Research
Qikun Niu, intern, SHRM Research
Jennifer Schramm, manager, Workplace Trends and Forecasting, SHRM Research
Copy editor:
Katya Scanlan, SHRM Knowledge Center

45. Founded in 1948, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the
world’s largest HR membership organization devoted to human resource management.
Representing more than 275,000 members in over 160 countries, the Society is the
leading provider of resources to serve the needs of HR professionals and advance the
professional practice of human resource management. SHRM has more than 575
affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China, India and
United Arab Emirates. Visit us at shrm.org.
Economic Conditions—Global Competition and Hiring Strategies ©SHRM 2014 45
About SHRM