BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS — On the heels of CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett stating that full implementation of the Single Market and Economy (CSME) is slated for March of this year, the chief executive of a leading recruitment firm is urging employers to start making sure they’re prepared now.

“If you’re looking to hire and want to appeal to skilled workers who may be looking to move once CSME comes onboard, you don’t have to wait until they arrive in the country,” says Joseph Boll, CEO of Caribbean Employment Services Inc., a market-leading, fully-digital recruitment firm and talent acquisition service that operates throughout the Caribbean region.

While acknowledging that CSME’s full implementation has been discussed without full implementation perhaps even longer than it has been eagerly awaited by governing bodies, businesses, organizations, and citizens of participating Member States, Boll cautions that it’s better for employers to be prepared ahead of time if they wish to reach the best of the talent pool before their competitors. Additionally, the success of several staggered phases over the past year alone has been promising that 2024 could finally be the year that sees the programme reach its full potential.

Full implementation of CSME could create dozens of job opportunities through direct employment as well as business opportunities for entrepreneurs, the CEO notes. This could mean a fresh wave of top candidates who may be open to opportunities from multiple participating Member States and not just one. As such, while the talent pool could become larger, competition could also be ramped up across the board.

“This is one of the reasons we at Caribbean Employment have repeatedly urged businesses, and jobseekers, to modernize their recruitment process,” Boll says. “Especially if an employer is open to hiring talent from CSME countries, being able to advertise your open roles and start the process online is a strategic way to maximize efficiency while still ensuring you’re attracting the best possible candidates.”

Boll’s organization specializes in such services, with a full-service suite of HR professionals who can assist employers with finding the ideal candidates for their roles. It also offers talent acquisition services free of charge to Caribbean jobseekers, helping them to find and easily apply for job opportunities that best match their areas of interest and unique skill sets. The CEO reminds employers and jobseekers to take full advantage of the multiple resources available to them.