Odds and Ends for December 2018

As 2018 comes to a close, I thought it was a good time to share some thoughts related to the staffing world.  For better or for worse, here they are:

• Hiring managers are slowly catching on to the fact that low unemployment equates to a smaller pool of people readily available to select from.  Alternatives are to consider training someone with related skills to do your specific tasks or to consider raising salaries enough to attract those who are gainfully employed.
• Most gatekeepers at companies have minimal time to read resumes on the first pass.  Candidates need to keep it simple and gimmick free to stand a better chance of moving on to the next step.
• While the number of people gainfully employed is up significantly, pay rates lagging behind and many analysts feel this will not change significantly in the short term.
• From personal experience as a recruiter, numerous companies are either dropping work-from-home as an option or are limiting the number of weekly hours  which can be completed off site.
• While less companies seem fixated on mandatory degrees or level of education, those that still do appear to have become increasingly inflexible.
• Small and mid-sized businesses continue to be more flexible when reviewing candidates for open slots than the large, global organizations are in part because someone with two feet on the ground locally has a better pulse on what is needed than does someone located off-site.
• On a lighter note, if you have struggled to get ahead in your career path, check out the recently released film, Second Act!  It should definitely give you a source for hope.

Wishing all much success, growth, health, and happiness in 2019!