COVID-19

There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the workforce. Here is a collection of blogs that discuss how the Coronavirus is impacting the workplace and information on how to make the best of this situation. We also share job search tips to help you navigate the job market during the viral outbreak. At Johnson Service Group, we work hard, we work together and we work for you.

How To Address COVID-19 In A Job Interview

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In the job search world, COVID-19 can feel like the giant elephant in the room. Whether you are on the front lines, working from home, or laid off, everyone’s jobs have been impacted in some way or another. As a result, you will encounter it during an interview. And while it may seem challenging to navigate, we have a few recommendations on how to handle it. Here is exactly how you should address COVID-19 in a job interview.

Focus on the Positives

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has created numerous challenges and obstacles both personally and professionally. However, a job interview is not the environment in which to dwell on the negatives. Of course, you can address any adverse effects such as losing your job, working under strenuous conditions, etc., but always aim to end with a positive outcome. Perhaps these problematic situations led you to reprioritize your career, achieve growth, or seek out new opportunities. With so much continued uncertainty, employers value team members who can maintain a positive outlook and flexibility.

Highlight Soft Skills

Speaking of flexibility, soft skills have become a hot-button topic since COVID-19 hit. Hiring Managers are seeking candidates that are flexible, effective communicators, team players, and self-motivated. Now more than ever, these capabilities have moved to the top of every company’s wish list. Be ready to highlight your soft skills and provide examples of when they assisted you in a work environment.

Ask About COVID-19 Policies

Every company in the world has been forced to completely overhaul policies due to the pandemic. Thus, it is essential that you understand how they handled it from the beginning. What safety precautions are in place if the position is in-office? Is job flexibility offered? Have their PTO policies evolved to accommodate time for mandated quarantines? While it can feel like you are putting the Hiring Manager on the spot, it’s important to understand their policies and if they align with what you are comfortable with.

COVID-19 has completely changed the workforce and hiring processes along with it. Use these guidelines to address COVID-19 in a job interview, and you’ll find that you’re much more comfortable broaching the subject with confidence.

How to Avoid Work from Home Burnout this Year

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Many of you have been working from home for nearly a year. The days can start to get fuzzy, and your workday and personal life quickly begin to blend. Some of you may even be working from home permanently because of the pandemic, causing workers to balance their daily work duties and personal responsibilities simultaneously. As a result, people are on the edge of burnout. If you are in this position or nearing it, there are a few simple things you can do to take back control and mitigate these anxious feelings. Here are five things you can do to avoid work from home burnout this year.

Identify what is making you feel overwhelmed

First of all, it is essential to identify what is making you feel overwhelmed while working from home. Is it the never-ending emails? Or is it the persistent feeling to always be available? Whatever is causing your burnout, address the issue head-on, and work towards a solution. If the cause of this feeling is more significant, have a one-on-one meeting with your manager to resolve it.

Schedule “quiet hours”

Scheduling “quiet hours” is a great way to focus on essential tasks for an hour or to take an uninterrupted lunch break. If Microsft Teams notifications or emails are distracting you, snooze your notifications for a bit to complete an important deadline or task. You can also set up these quiet hours when you log off for the day to prevent you from feeling the need always to be connected to work. It only takes a few moments to set up these quiet hours, and you can even schedule them to turn on daily to help avoid work from home burnout.

Create a dedicated workspace

Creating a dedicated workspace helps working from home feel more like work. It forms a boundary between your home and personal life from your work. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a home office to work out of, but it will help create that work-from-home division if you have a dedicated workstation. Whether it’s your dining room table, a tv tray, or a card table in your living room, keep your work there and avoid venturing to other areas of your home. If you aimlessly work throughout your home, you will struggle to fight the feeling of always being at work. If you can set up a dedicated workspace, it will help you avoid feeling burnt out.

Treat your day like any other workday

When working remotely, it is crucial to treat your workday like any other day. Take a few short breaks throughout the day, take a lunch break, or take a few minutes to step away from your desk. If there is a routine you do while working on-site, try to mimic that at home. If you take a 30-minute lunch break at the office, do so at home. Step away from your computer for that time, eat some lunch, go for a walk, or whatever it is you do on your break. If you treat your WFH day like a typical workday, it will help you fight the feeling of burnout.

Take that much-needed time off

Finally, to mitigate the feeling of work from home burnout, take that much-needed time off. It may not be as tempting with a lack of places to spend your vacation time, but it is essential to step away from work. Taking time off from work will improve your mental health, help improve your work satisfaction, and help you feel rejuvenated and more productive when you return. There is nothing wrong with taking a stay-cation to enjoy a break from work!

These are just five ways you can avoid the feeling of burnout when working from home. If you are still feeling overworked or unhappy with your current career, it may be time to move on. If you are in this position, check out our job board. Your next career opportunity awaits!

3 Signs You’re on The Verge of A WFH Burnout

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Show of hands: how many of you remote workers thought you would still be working from home in November? Yeah, neither did I. It has been a long eight+ months for most of us, and what seemed like a nice treat might be the bane of your existence. Working from home can be fantastic, but millions of remote workers are on the edge of a burnout. However, with a few tweaks in your day and good habits, you can combat this feeling and keep productivity rolling strong. Here are three signs you are on the verge of a WFH burnout (and how to avoid them).

You haven’t established WFH boundaries

Not everyone has the luxury of a quiet, at-home office to work from. In reality, you are probably working on your dining room table or the couch. And while your temporary setup might have been nice in the beginning, the lack of boundaries is starting to diminish your productivity. However, you may not have that leisure if you are also trying to facilitate your children’s distant learning or keep your dog entertained.

No matter what your work setup is, you have to set boundaries for yourself. Establish working hours (if possible) and create a space where all you do is work. If your entire home and day consist of working, you will quickly start to feel burnt out. Create healthy boundaries for yourself to improve your mental health, productivity, and job satisfaction.

You feel the need to respond instantly

While working from home, it is easy to feel the guilt of not responding to an IM or an email right away, even if it’s after your “working hours.” I get it; it’s hard to resist the urge to reply to a co-worker when you are off work but just a few feet away from your laptop. This is where you need to exercise self-control. It’s okay to read the message, but that doesn’t mean you have to respond right away. Of course, if it’s a work emergency, go ahead and reply. However, if it’s just a normal message, it can probably wait until tomorrow.

So many remote workers are on the verge of a burn out by always being available. It’s easy to do so or just think to yourself, “it will only take a few minutes. I can respond to that now.” But after eight months, that mentality starts to take a toll on you. Just like when working in the office, you are not always available, and that is okay. We must realize that we don’t need to instantly respond to every message to prove that we are working. If you struggle with this, put your email on do not disturb, or set quiet hours so that you don’t even see the messages come through at a time you set for yourself.

You don’t take any time off

It can be challenging to take time off right now. Let’s be frank; there isn’t a whole lot to do as far as vacations go. Regardless of our current circumstances, it is essential for your mental health and productivity to take time off. We earn vacation and PTO days for a reason; don’t be afraid to use those days to take a step away from all the chaos and relax. Even if you are just hanging out at home, taking a day off here and there is so rewarding. It makes you feel refreshed when you return to work and will help avoid WFH burnout.

And this doesn’t have to be a week-long vacation. This can be taking a Friday off to make a long weekend or taking a half-day to go enjoy some nice weather. So, if you have the time off, don’t be afraid to use it. The longer you put off carving out time for yourself, the closer you will be to a WFH burnout.

The Cities With The Highest (and Lowest) Workforce Confidence

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The coronavirus has hit cities in waves. Some are thriving, while others are seeing a spike in cases, and as a result, a higher unemployment rate. Over the last eight long months, workers’ confidence in their finances, job stability, and long-term career prospects have fluctuated. LinkedIn’s most recent Workforce Confidence Index surveyed over 33,000 people across the country and examined their confidence in their current and future career outlooks. Here are the cities with the highest (and lowest) workforce confidence.

 The ten most confident cities

The workforce confidence for some cities is strong, with Colorado Springs, CO, Provo, UT, and Tampa, FL leading the way. Many of these top ten cities are in the Sunbelt, which is currently benefiting from steady population growth. These markets are emerging as logistics hubs with new construction, creating thousands of jobs, and attracting both employers and job seekers to these areas. An interesting note is that none of the cities in the top ten are major metro markets, such as New York City, Seattle, or LA.

Here are the top 10 most confident cities, according to LinkedIn:

workforce confidence

The ten least confident cities

On the other side of the coin, workforce confidence in larger, more industrial cities in the Midwest and Westside are feeling much less confident in their career outlooks. Tucson, AZ, Milwaukee, WI, and Las Vegas are cities with notable lower confidence ratings. These are all cities that are lagging behind the rest of the country’s recovery rates.

An intriguing note is that the least confident cities all have unemployment rates above the national average. For example, Nevada’s unemployment rate is 12.4%, which is no surprise given the tourism business generated by Las Vegas.

Here is a list of the least confident cities:

  • Tucson, AZ
  • Milwaukee, WI
  • Grand Rapids, MI
  • Las Vegas, NV
  • Chicago, IL
  • Cincinnati, OH
  • Portland, OR
  • Austin, TX
  • Orlando, FL
  • Sacramento, CA

Some states have a better environment for the pandemic

Naturally, some states were better suited to the social and economic changes that were brought on by the pandemic. One of these is a new trend in outdoor seating for bars and restaurants. Restaurants, pubs, and eateries can have a larger capacity, and therefore, more business with outside seating accommodations. This trend has forced many restaurants to shift their space to allow more outdoor seating. However, with cold weather well on its way, it will be harder for some cities to continue this trend. As a result, this will make it harder for some of these local businesses to survive.

In the end, this list will fluctuate as some cities and states overcome the obstacles caused by the pandemic better than others. It will be interesting to see how these cities adjust in the fourth quarter and into the new year.

Jobs with The Most Demand in October

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As we are now well into the last quarter of 2020 and with the holiday season lurking around the corner, new waves of jobs are in high demand in October. With holiday sales such as Prime Day already in full swing, hiring pushes for essential workers will keep growing. Here are the jobs with the most demand in October.

The jobs with the most demand in October

As retailers and big shopping giants prepare for the influx of foot traffic brought by holiday shopping, security officers and retail sales specialists are in huge demand. According to LinkedIn, security officers are the fastest-growing job this month with a month-to-month increase of 361%. Retail sales specialists are the third fastest-growing positions with a growth rate of 144%.

Delivery specialists are the second fastest-growing job this month, with a growth rate of 176%. This spike is no surprise as postal workers and other distribution companies like UPS and FedEx beef up their staff for a surge in online purchases.

Also, employers are doubling down on their digital-first strategies as we are now 7+ months into the pandemic. Application developers (+69%), SEO specialists (+37%), and translation specialists (+34%) are all in high demand as companies look for new ways to reach consumers online.

Healthcare positions continue to grow

Before the pandemic, the healthcare industry was one of the fastest-growing business sectors, which hasn’t changed in 2020. According to Indeed, seven of the most in-demand jobs this month are healthcare-related. These include home health aides, nurses, physical therapy professionals, medical technologists, and health services administrators. LinkedIn’s job postings echo this trend with registered nurses becoming the job with the second-largest demand. This trend has obviously been active throughout the pandemic as healthcare professionals are in desperate need.

Are you searching for a new job?

If you are on the job market, it can be overwhelming. Job searching is a stressful process, and our current economic circumstances are not making your search any easier. If you feel stuck in the mud, why not try working with a recruiter? We have hundreds of exciting job opportunities across North America with employers in need of hardworking professionals like you. Check out our job board today, and let’s work together to find your next career!

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Four Industries That Are Pandemic Proof

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Economists, politicians, and everyone in between have discussed how the country is entering a two-track recovery process. Some industries are really struggling to survive throughout the pandemic, while others are flourishing with the social and economic changes. Some industries are even on a hiring spree and are, quite frankly, booming during the coronavirus crisis. Here are four industries that are currently labeled pandemic proof.

IT Industry

IT companies of all kinds are experiencing rapid growth as they try to keep up with the demand of millions of remote workers. Companies like Zoom and Microsoft are thriving right now as they work hard to keep everyone connected virtually. Other IT companies are hard at work, ensuring their customers’ safety and protection of their information. More and more cyber-attacks are occurring as employers battle with employees on less-than-secure home internet networks. Plus, it was easier for tech employees to shift to a remote work environment than other employers.

Ecommerce

The Ecommerce giants have experienced record-breaking growth throughout this challenging year. As consumer spending habits shift to more online-heavy shopping routines, companies like Walmart, Target, and Amazon are booming. If you can buy it online, many consumers are switching to a “safer” online shopping experience to avoid the virus. Thus, warehousing and distribution centers are starting their seasonal hiring surges early to keep up with this swelling demand.

The Mortgage and Finance Industries

Mortgage and finance companies desperately need fresh talent as they struggle to serve a massive influx of new customers. With our current economic turmoil and record-low mortgage rates, financial institutions and other mortgage companies are on a hiring binge. For example, according to Chip Cutter, A Wall Street Journal Report, Fidelity Investments’ hiring is already up 40% on the year, and they need another 4,000 finance professionals. Other companies are in the same boat as customers look to prepare for a messy tax season, make changes to their retirement plans, and refinance their homes. This trend will likely spill over well into next year, illustrating how pandemic proof these two industries are.

Entrepreneurship is also on the rise

For years, enrollment in graduate programs for business was declining. However, a recent report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center claims graduate enrollment for the Fall semester of 2020 is up 3.9%. Additionally, about 1.5 million new businesses filed with the IRS in the third quarter this year – that’s up 82% from the previous quarter, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. So, while there are many different startups and business ventures that can be formed, it is encouraging to see a revitalization in entrepreneurship.

4 COVID-19 Hiring Trends

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There’s no denying that the Coronavirus pandemic has changed almost everything about our day-to-day lives over the past year. So, it should not come as a surprise that COVID-19 has significantly impacted hiring trends. If you’re trying to land a job or hire a new team member in 2020, you must understand these four COVID-19 hiring trends.

Remote Hiring Process

Following months of mandatory stay-at-home orders, companies have had to pivot to remote working scenarios. In fact, many have extended their remote work policies through the summer of 2021. As a result, they have also moved their hiring process online.

As a candidate, this means you need to be prepared for a hiring process that will be entirely online. Brush up on your video interview skills, refresh your LinkedIn, and make sure your technology is up to par.

Increase In Remote Positions

Now that hiring managers are more comfortable with having a remote team, they are also changing some positions to be fully remote. If you have wanted a remote position, now is your time to shine! LinkedIn data shows that remote job listings have increased by 2.8x since March 2020.

As a candidate, this means you need to show off your remote working skills. Just because more companies are hiring for more remote candidates doesn’t mean they will hire just anyone. They will be looking for candidates with remote work experience and advanced remote working skills.

Faster Hiring Processes

One of the benefits of COVID-19 hiring trends and entirely remote hiring processes is that they tend to go much faster! It is much easier to schedule remote interviews. Additionally, there are a lot of incredible candidates on the market right now, so hiring managers are more likely to move quickly to secure the talent they need.

As a candidate, this means you must be ready to move! If you have scheduling issues or don’t make a hiring process your priority, there’s a good chance you could lose out on the position to someone more accommodating.

Increase In Temporary Hiring

Because of how COVID-19 has affected the economy, some companies are wary of bringing on permanent employees. This is why temporary contract workers are a perfect fit for 2020. Hiring managers can hire talented candidates on a temporary basis, and maybe even convert them to permanent employees down the road.

As a candidate, this means you’re more marketable if you’re flexible. By sharing that you’re open to contract positions, it makes you more valuable. Be sure to list any previous contract or temporary positions along with any applicable skills.

Have you seen an increase in these COVID-19 Hiring Trends? Whether you’re a candidate looking for a position, or a company interested in bringing on talent, contact us today!

3 Things To Add To Your 2020 Resume

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I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a year unlike any other. That being said, your resume should reflect that! No matter what ups and downs your career has experienced this year, there are changes you can make to your resume. Here are three things that you need to do to craft a 2020 resume.

Explain Any Layoffs/Furloughs

Even in a year as crazy as this one, hiring managers will still expect you to explain any short stints of work or why you are looking for a new position. To jumpstart and take ownership of the conversation, add a quick bullet point explaining any layoffs or furloughs. No need to go deep into details; simply state why and when your employment ended.

Example:

Product Manager

ABC Company | Boston, MA | September 2019 – March 2020

  • Laid off in March 2020 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic
  • Analyzing sales data to review, plan, and assist with inventory management

Add Your “Quarantine Skills”

While millions of people were cooped up at home due to mandatory stay at home orders earlier this year, many sought to beef up their professional development. Whether you took a free online course, finally got around to teaching yourself Photoshop, or even learned new technology due to working remotely, be sure to add it to your 2020 resume. Not only do these skills make you more valuable, but they also help push you through tricky Application Tracking Systems and reflect that you use your free time productively. Again, keep it simple on your resume. You can explain further in your cover letter or during your interview!

Example:

Skills

Photoshop, Zoom Video Conferencing, Google AdWords, Social Media Marketing….

Include A Summary or Objective

Now, we’ve gone back and forth on whether you should include a resume summary or objective. However, during uncertain times, a summary or objective can give your resume focus. Additionally, its an opportunity to provide additional context to your current situation. Because so many professionals are pivoting their careers during this time, writing a succinct summary or objective gives the hiring manager a heads up as to why you would be a good fit for their position. (Even if your previous work history doesn’t exactly match what they’re looking for!)

When crafting your summary or objective, specifically highlight skills or personality traits that will be valuable right now. Some great examples are flexibility, remote work experience, or self-motivation.

Example:

Self-motivated Human Resources professional with five years of experience in driving results and improving the internal communication process for large-scale companies.

Final Thoughts

Now, more than ever, it’s essential to customize your resume. For more resume and job-search advice, explore our candidate resources!

Relocating During the Pandemic Can Hurt Your Wallet

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Back in July, we wrote an article speculating how remote work will affect salaries. We discussed how relocating during the pandemic to the suburbs or more rural locations could potentially impact your salary while working remotely. Software company VMware is one of the first real indicators of this phenomenon. A new report from Bloomberg reveals that they are allowing some of their staff to work from home permanently. However, there is a catch: if they relocate from their headquarters in Palo Alto, CA, they must accept a pay reduction to compensate for a lower cost of living. So, how will relocating during the pandemic hurt your wallet?

How much will a relocation affect your salary?

In this same report from Bloomberg, they spoke to anonymous workers from VMware. They reported that if they were to leave from Silicon Valley to Denver, they would take an 18% salary cut. And if they just moved to nearby San Diego or LA, their annual salary would take an 8% hit. And although the cost of living in these locations is cheaper, those are considerable decreases in an employee’s annual salary.

Other companies, mostly large tech firms, are considering similar approaches to relocations for remote employees. Twitter is considering a “competitive” approach to localizing compensation, while Facebook blatantly said it might cut their employees’ salaries, depending on where they relocate.

Other companies are taking a different approach

Another report indicates that Stripe, a financial services and software company, is handling remote relocations a little differently. It is rumored that Stripe is offering a $20,000 “relocation” bonus for those relocating from the Bay Area, NY, or Seattle, but is requiring a pay decrease up to 10%. This seems like a more promising approach to receiving a pay cut due to a cheaper cost of living.

There may be other relocation agreements with workers and their employers; however, we may start to see salaries decrease in bigger markets as a result.

What will be the long-term effect?

So, this begs the question: what will the long-term effect be of remote workers relocating? Would you take a pay cut to move to another location with a better cost of living and a smaller population? If you are considering relocating to a cheaper area or to one less densely populated to avoid the virus, here are some of the best places to restart your career after the pandemic.

Jobs with the Most Demand in September

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As the economy and job market continue to recover, jobless claims are finally declining. Last week (ending September 11th), new jobless claims fell by 33,000 to 860,000. Employers have replaced nearly half of the 22 million jobs lost this spring due to the pandemic. However, some industries are rebounding faster than others, resulting in robust demand for numerous positions. Here are the jobs with the most demand in September.

Industries with the most growth

Retail, accounting, and cloud computing are three of the industries with the largest month-over-month growth. According to LinkedIn, retail positions make up five of the top ten fastest-growing jobs, from August to September. The demand for retail associates (+790%), service associates (+190%), sales advisors (+150%), retail specialists (+140%), and sales specialists (+140%) are all in high demand right now. Many stores and brands are on a hiring spree right now to accommodate the new waves of customers generated by the pandemic.

The demand for tax associates is up 600%, as many organizations are preparing for a messy and confusing post-COVID tax season. And cloud engineers are up 220% as companies expand their work from home capabilities.

The most in-demand jobs in September

Below are the jobs that are currently in high demand:

 

jobs with the most demand in September

As you can see, salespersons and software engineers are the jobs with the highest demand. These positions were already in strong demand, and the pandemic hasn’t changed that one bit, especially since these professionals can more readily work remotely. Also, RNs, cashiers, and other essential workers are still in high demand, and probably will continue to top the charts throughout 2020. Tax associates made a massive jump in August (up 69 spots) as companies and individuals prepare their taxes in this tough economy.

Do you need help securing a new opportunity?

If you are currently on the job market, it can be a little daunting. The market is competitive, and companies are now in the driver’s seat. We have gathered a fantastic group of resources for job seekers across the U.S. and Canada. Check out our blog for interview advice, job searching tips, and resume pointers. If you are ready to take the plunge into your next opportunity, we have hundreds of attractive jobs available. Review or job board today, and let’s work together.

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