Are you weighing the merits of different retained search firms, trying to decide which one to hire - or even whether or not your company needs their services? As the national unemployment rate skyrockets, job recruiting is becoming a more relevant topic than ever before. It pays to stay on top of the latest trends and keep your finger on the pulse of the marketplace. Here are a few recent trends in recruiting that should be iof interest to any employer or human resources manager:

• Job boards are declining in popularity. More employers are finding that job boards are simply not "exclusive" enough, offering too few screening tactics and resulting in an overload of unsuitable applicants for positions. As joblessness continues to rise, job seekers often resort to applying for positions to which they are not suited - and employers are the ones who pay the price.
• Social recruiting is on the rise. Social networking websites, including MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and even Twitter are helping employers and retained search firms alike approach the recruiting process in new and exciting ways. These sites and others like them allow information to be exchanged almost instantaneously, and they give employers a better idea of an applicant's overall personality and background.
• "Too few qualified candidates" is seen by many as the biggest recruiting challenge to come over the next five years. More than anything else, this problem illustrates the need for talented, passionate, well-connected recruiters who can help employers find only the best and the brightest for their important positions. Trying to find a fantastic applicant can feel like searching for the needle in that proverbial haystack - don't make the mistake of trying to go it alone! There are a number of excellent retained search firms out there to help guide you toward the new hire of your dreams.

Recruiting is a complicated process that can be confusing for many, but it doesn't have to be that way. Hire a professional recruiter and find out what a difference it can make for your company.