Some employers are struggling to find talent to fill key positions, even in this slow economy. With the national unemployment rate sitting at 9.1 percent, there are plenty of people looking for work, but that doesn't necessarily mean employers are finding the right job candidates, says Erin Peterson, recruitment process outsourcing practice leader of Aon Hewitt.

"What we know about job applicants these days is that quantity does not necessarily mean quality," Peterson says. "Employers are really faced with high volumes of candidates they have to sort through and overall fewer people who are an actual fit for what they are looking for. We've even seen some percentages as high as a recruiter who is spending 90 percent of their time handling unqualified candidates, leaving only 10 percent of their time to figure out how to push the qualified candidates through the process."

The struggle to fill jobs is especially strong for critical-skills positions, says Laury Sejen, global head of rewards at Towers Watson. According to a recent Towers Watson survey, only 13 percent of employers are finding it difficult to attract general employees, but that number takes a significant jump to 59 percent for critical-skill employees.