Anthony Petitti has worked in executive recruiting since 2018, when he joined Pinnacle Search Partners LLC of Sandy Springs, Ga.
At Pinnacle, Petitti has worked with his father, Richard, who has more than 30 years of recruiting experience in the plastics industry. Pinnacle's plastics clients have included materials firms BASF SE and RTP Co.
Before joining Pinnacle, Anthony Petitti worked in player development for the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He recently took some time to answer questions about the current labor market.
Q: What are the main challenges to hiring right now for plastics or other manufacturing companies?
Petitti: That's a great question. The main obstacle right now is the talent supply available in the market. It's the tightest I've seen in the past six-plus years. There are just simply not enough qualified people who are willing to make a career jump at the moment.
Employees are comfortable where they're at, and to make a move the opportunity would need to really be special, career wise and financially. Otherwise, they're OK to stand pat and keep earning their paycheck. It's "the devil you know is better than the one you don't" type rationale.
Q: Is the work from home trend still impacting hiring? Has the situation changed at all?
Petitti: From our standpoint, not so much. Since we work on a large number of commercial related openings, most employees are already working from home (plus traveling) and companies seem to be OK with that dynamic.
Even for some production or engineering or operational personnel, organizations are getting more flexible on working remotely at least one day per week.
Q: Have employers changed what they're looking for in job candidates? Are job seekers looking for different things now?
Petitti: For employers, the answer is no. Organizations still want the best talent out there, talent that comes with relevant and relatable experience in the plastics space. As the talent market gets tighter, it will be interesting to see how flexible companies will get in their "ideal candidate". If they get too picky, they will miss out on some quality talent that can still perform even though they may only check eight out of ten of the boxes.
Job seekers continue to look for the same things - stable and steady organizations with runway for growth. In evaluating a new opportunity, strong benefits, culture and work-life balance is expected by job seekers.
More and more candidates strive for an environment where they can be heard and given an opportunity to really move up one day, into a role with more responsibility and, of course, more money. This is the big key - if they don't see anything on the horizon in a new role, odds are they will not pursue it with enthusiasm. This is especially true with people in their 20s and 30s.
I feel like this is a job seekers market because of the lack of supply of quality talent. Employees can be particular and wait it out for a really special opportunity that checks a lot of boxes. If you're semi-unhappy where you're at today, it could be an opportune time to look around a bit. You have leverage.
Q: How is the current economic situation — higher interest rates etc. — going to affect hiring?
Petitti: It's tough to tell right now. Borrowing money is obviously more expensive, so it's tempering down on wide-spread company expansions and additions.
We're staying busy. Our clients are moving forward and continuing to hire. Economic conditions are always a factor, but right now, organizations seem to be in growth mode and are unphased by any red flags in economic data.
As people continue to retire and phase out of the market, hiring should remain a constant moving forward.