In February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the federal unemployment rate had fallen to 5.5% – its lowest level since May 2008. While many argue that this number is deceiving, it’s clear that confidence is returning to the job market.

In fact, a recent survey of over 2,500 Nexxt members found that 47% of job seekers are confident that they will find a job in 2015 – a 9% bump from 2014.

They’re right to be confident. If there’s one hiring trend that experts can agree on, it’s that the balance of power has shifted to candidates for the first time in years. As companies ramp up their hiring and new jobs are created, competition for candidates – especially skilled workers – is on the rise. Today’s job seekers realize they have more leverage in the hiring process, and companies will need to take a hard look at their recruitment tactics if they want to stay competitive.

The much awaited Apple Watch is out! At Nexxt, we don't want to waste a second, so we've already started designing our Smartwatch Smartalerts. It may take a little while for technology and the market to catch up, but why not start considering the possibilities?

Dick Tracy was able to receive phone calls on his wrist, but if he decided he was ready for a career change, could he find his next job? Imagine--you are looking for a new job in sales, and the minute the perfect job is available, bang, there it is. One quick glance down, and you are on your way to a new future.

Of course, if you are looking WHILE you have a job, you'll have to explain to your boss why his meeting was interrupted by your phone suggesting you find a job somewhere else. But we can design around that. Perhaps bring back one of those "boss alert" screen saver apps that were popular on games way back in prehistoric days.

Years ago, in those grim days after the .com bubble imploded, I worked with an insanely talented and dedicated head of engineering. One day the fire alarm in our building went off. While most people scurried to grab their phones and wallets, Greg ran into the server room, grabbed two servers, and walked down nine flights of stairs with one server under each arm.

That's awesome. Sure, the official response is to follow procedure--evacuate before worrying about equipment. But, if I'm choosing my team I'll take the guy who's thinking about how quickly he can get the business up and running if the office burns down.

Similarly, last year in the Northeast we had a series of bad winter storms, and our office was without power for a few days. Our Art Director drove to the dark and closed office in her jeep so that she could grab a computer tower to take home to be more productive.

Recently I've been wondering, how do you screen for that dedication? Then it hit me. Maybe we already do.

Nexxt, recently surveyed over 4,000 job seekers across the country to better understand who would be searching for jobs in 2015.

Highlights from the Study Include:

• Who is searching for jobs
• What they plan to do to improve their searches
• How different types of candidates look for work

As an HR Pro or recruiter getting in front of the right candidates at the right time is critical and this [INFOGRAPHIC] can help. It illustrates exactly how candidates feel about searching for work and how they intend to go about it in the coming months. We hope you find it as valuable and interesting as we do.