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Gen Z Wants More At Work – Here’s How You Can Attract Them

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Gen Z is the latest generation to enter the workforce, and they have some demands. The job market has changed significantly over the past few years, and this group is taking notes. Unlike generations that have come before them, Gen Z prioritizes more than just salary. And they’re on the move! 25% of this take-charge generation plans to leave their current employers within the next six months. So, here is what Gen Z wants from their employer and how you can attract them.

Common Mission & Values

A whopping 80% of those hoping to land a new job will be searching for something that better aligns with their values. If you want to capture these talented and motivated young workers, you’ll need to put your company (and team)’s mission and values on display. According to Deloitte, “To win the hearts of Generation Z, companies and employers will need to highlight their efforts to be good global citizens. And actions speak louder than words: Companies must demonstrate their commitment to a broader set of societal challenges such as sustainability, climate change, and hunger.”

Gen Z has been raised during a time of evolution regarding diversity and inclusion. They have witnessed radical and historic progress being made, and they expect the companies they work at to be involved. And company commitment should extend beyond just race and gender. Gen Z values representation for identity and orientation across the board. So, if you want to hire these change-makers, be prepared to talk the talk AND walk the walk.

Ongoing Education

Consider that this generation has been raised in a world that never stops innovating. Every day there is a new tool, social network, and technological advancement. They are hungry for knowledge and recognize that learning never stops. That’s why 76% of Gen Z will be on the hunt for opportunities that offer ongoing education.

Your team needs to offer continuous training programs so that your Gen Z employees can expand their skillsets and experience. Lean on your current employees of the Millennial, X, and Boomer generations to mentor and guide newcomers through their careers. Additionally, have scheduled check-ins with your team members to ensure they have access to all the tools and education they desire. (This will significantly help your retention rate overall!)

Growth Opportunities

Last but not least, 61% of Gen Z will be on the lookout for more opportunities to move up or increase responsibilities. Throughout the hiring process, make sure to map out the growth opportunities. Include it in the job description, walk candidates through it during the interviews, and share real success stories! Let current employees know that there is an open-door policy regarding inner-company mobility so that they feel comfortable having those conversations.

Gen Z is quickly becoming an integral part of today’s workforce, and they are going to bring innovation, progression, and motivation. However, they are going to be a tricky group to attract! They are demanding companies change for the better, so make sure to put your best foot forward. Looking for more hiring advice? Browse our exclusive client resources.

How To Hire For Soft Skills

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It’s easy to list the required experience and certifications in a job description. However, it is much more challenging to define and evaluate the soft skills that would make someone successful in that position. Indeed outlines 11 soft skills other employers were looking for in 2021. Let’s focus on the top 3:

Communication, leadership, and teamwork

These three soft skills are integral to a healthy work environment, no matter the size of your company. Communication benefits both the client and coworkers, even if your employee will not have an outward-facing role. Team members with strong communication skills will streamline business and make your company more put-together and intelligent overall. 

Though it would be ineffective to have a business full of people trying to take charge, it is important to empower your employees. Every person on your team should possess the confidence and creative thinking skills necessary to lead if needed. A team of leaders lifts each other up throughout the week. Make sure they are capable! 

Teamwork is extremely important, even if a company is a one-person show, because you always work with clients. Employees need to have the humility and communication skills to work with others, whether their peers, clients or managers. These soft skills are crucial to running an efficient business.

How to test for them

ASK OPEN-ENDED BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS! Instead of using the age-old “tell me a story about the time you. . .” prompt, give them a specific scenario that actually happened at your workplace where someone could demonstrate these soft skills and ask them how they would respond. Try to remain as neutral as possible so as not to lead them one way or another. If the candidate has some work experience on their resume that seems to signal the strength of one of these soft skills, ask them to elaborate. How did the experience play out, and did they like it? This can be very telling as to whether the candidate gained the soft skills necessary from that experience.

Though it can be hard to assess a candidate’s soft skills, you can usually get a general feel for what kind of person they are in an interview. Determine what’s most important, then ask in-depth behavioral questions to discover which candidates will be a good fit.

How To Write A Compelling Job Description

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Accurately portraying your expectations of the position you are trying to fill can make all the difference in who applies to work for you. With the right job description, you can draw the applicants you most want to see at your company. Read further for some tips on how to craft a compelling job description.

Set clear expectations

While you do not need to write an entire essay about what your job entails, make the basics of the job clear to applicants. Where will they be working? (On location? Traveling? Remote?) Explain in detail the work they will be doing each day. What hours are expected of them? Will they be interacting with clients face to face? In some instances, it can be helpful to quantify the work they will be doing (e.g., “installing roughly ten units per day”). Giving these clear and concise expectations can help reduce the number of applicants that aren’t a good fit and draw in those who would be a good fit for the job.

Make your job appealing

People want to work for great companies. Through your compelling job description, make sure to highlight the positives of working at your company. Do your employees thrive on working together to complete projects? Include that! Avoid typical buzzword phrases like “collaborative work,” “like a family,” etc. These are vague and do not really tell the applicant anything about your unique company. Be specific! Tell them how your employees work together or why your company feels like a tight-knit group. This will catch the applicant’s attention and make them want to read more.  

Outline general benefits

Applicants like to have a general idea of what to expect regarding salary and benefits. Once again, this weeds out applicants who aren’t in the range of salary/benefits you are offering. This saves both parties’ time. Give a salary range to allow flexibility, depending on this applicant’s experience and qualifications. Specify what benefits are available—401k? Dental? Vision? Tell your applicants what they can expect when they work for you.

When you craft a compelling job description, it sets up the search for an employee for success. And in the end, it saves time for everyone involved. Choosing your words carefully and being specific can better represent your company and attract the type of employees you want on your team.

Next up: Interviewing. Wondering what questions you should be asking candidates to quickly determine if they’ll be a good fit? Start with these behavioral questions to develop a more in-depth interview and personal experience. Then, follow our tips on how to hire over video to ensure you get these great candidates in the door!

Different Types of Recruiters & How They Can Help You Find a Job

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You probably know that a Recruiter can help you find a job. But what does that mean exactly? First, it’s important to understand that Recruiters work for companies, NOT for candidates. Thus, you should never have to pay for a Recruiter’s services. There are four major types of recruiters, and we’re breaking them down and giving a definition of each. So next time a recruiter contacts you or you’re looking for a job, you’ll know which partnership is right for you.

Corporate Recruiter

A Corporate Recruiter works internally at the company they recruit for. They typically have direct lines of communication with the Hiring Managers. A Corporate Recruiter’s job entails distributing and advertising jobs, sourcing candidates, screening resumes, and potentially conducting first-round interviews. In most companies, Corporate Recruiters coordinate the hiring process for the entire company. As a result, they have a lot on their plates. A Corporate Recruiter is not who you partner with if you’re hunting for a new position.

Retainer-Based Recruiter

A retainer-based Recruiter is a third-party partner hired by the company to recruit higher-level positions. They receive payment upfront to find candidates with specific, hard-to-find experience. Sometimes these searches can take months to find just the right fit. Also, a retainer-based Recruiter will come to you if you match the requirements they are looking for. You may not even be searching for a job and a recruiter working on a contain basis can reach out to you!

Contingency-Based Recruiter

A contingency-based Recruiter is what you typically run into at a staffing agency. They receive compensation for successful candidate placements. Additionally, a contingency-based Recruiter is usually competing against other firms. As a result, a contingency-based Recruiter is highly motivated to help you get the job. Thus, they are a useful advocate and tool for landing your next position. Contingency-based Recruiters typically have a large network of qualified candidates in their industries

Full-Cycle Recruiter

A full-cycle Recruiter can work on a retainer or contingency basis. The difference is that they work directly with the hiring manager in addition to the candidates they submit. Full-cycle Recruiters are the unicorns of the staffing world. Not only do they have a direct line of communication with the Hiring Manager, but also a deep understanding of the company, position, and the skillsets required. If you establish a relationship with a full-cycle Recruiter, they may even be able to champion you to your dream company.

At JSG, we employ all four types of recruiters. We know the ins and outs of our clients and the positions they are looking to fill. We have a thorough knowledge of the industries we work in and the companies we partner with. So, if you’re ready to take the next step in your career, partner with a JSG recruiter. Get started today!

Why You Should Phone Interview Everyone

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Okay, maybe you shouldn’t phone interview everyone, but what about those people on the cusp? The candidates whose resumes you review and think, “they’re so close but….” Our recruiting professionals have partnered with hundreds of clients and talked with thousands of candidates, and their biggest tip for staying competitive in today’s hiring market? Invest 15 minutes into a phone interview. Don’t simply discount someone because they don’t check every box. You could be missing out on incredible candidates with great attitudes, motivation to achieve, and passion for your work.

Your wish list might be unrealistic

When you craft a job description, you include all skills and experiences that you think are necessary. But have you ever stopped to take a closer look at what are your true must-haves? JSG Senior Vice President, Perry Paden, elaborates, “In today’s market, clients need to realize that the candidate that meets all the must-haves and the wish list may not be obtainable in today’s market. When a client looks at a resume and doesn’t see a particular skill, does not mean the candidate doesn’t have the skill or possess the ability to learn it quickly.”

Not everything fits on a resume

Many professionals’ careers are complicated webs of qualifications and experiences intricately woven together to make them who they are today. A simple resume can’t always display hundreds of projects and those subtle nuances that make all the difference. “You shouldn’t discount candidates based only on a resume because that doesn’t show the full picture!” shared Hayley Kancius, Recruiting Team Lead at JSG. “Often, people have been told to have a 1-page resume, and it can be challenging to fit 5+ years of experience and qualifications on 1 page.”

There’s always more to the story

A resume only tells a portion of someone’s story. Matt Owens, Business Development Manager at JSG, clarifies, “From a recruiting standpoint, we deal with a lot of hiring managers who focus a lot on employment gaps and/or job-hopping and don’t want to interview someone based on that. We fight for them since you never know the circumstances. Someone could have had a child and wanted to be home with their baby, medical reason, or just wanted a year off to go find out what they want to do, travel, etc.”

“Resumes only tell half of the story, and it’s up to you to complete the rest!” Kancius agreed.

People are more than their resumes

Many factors make a person hirable beyond their qualifications on paper. Kancius explains, “People have special projects, volunteer experience, and skills that are sometimes left out of a resume. Plus, you can’t show personality on a resume!”

Owens elaborated, “Some of the best resumes in the world don’t translate to being a good fit. (Soft skills are huge in the business world!).”

What traits do you value most when you look at your current team? We’d be willing to bet you’d list a variety of soft skills like passion, self-motivation, and communication. So, when you add your next employee, why not prioritize those same traits? “There are a tremendous number of candidates on the market that may fit the attitude, desire, and drive to make an impact, and if companies would invest in a 15-minute conversation, I think they would be surprised they may have uncovered a great employee. A team member that can adapt, has a thirst for knowledge and mentorship, and will impact a company’s bottom line,” Paden explains.

Have a conversation

As you seek to compete in an unprecedented hiring market, it can only benefit you to take a deeper look. Kancius concludes, “Hopping on the phone and taking a few minutes out of your day to prescreen a candidate is always worth the time.”

Still not convinced? Think of it from a different perspective as Owens explains, “As a hiring manager in my previous employment, I always wanted to interview someone. My philosophy is I always test drive a car before buying, no matter how good it looks on paper….why wouldn’t you do the same with a potential employee?”

We understand that you’re busy and can’t spend all day conducting phone interviews. That’s what we’re here for. Partner with JSG to fill your critical roles, and we will help whittle down candidates to the best fit for your company, team, and position. We look beyond the resume and have those conversations, so when we submit a candidate, you can trust that they will be a great fit. Ready to get started? Contact us today!

How To Hire Better In 2022

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It’s no secret that hiring was challenging in 2022. As nearly 20 million workers resigned last year alone, competition in the hiring market was as tough as it’s ever been. However, this trend does not have to continue into the new year. You can do three things to hire better in 2022 starting today. Let’s discuss.

Be more flexible

According to LinkedIn data, over 35% of entry-level jobs require at least three years of experience. Wait, what? How did we get so turned around? Your chances of hiring hard-working, motivated employees will increase tenfold if you are more flexible with requirements. Entry-level jobs should require absolutely no experience (that’s why they’re entry-level!), and even higher-level positions should be more lax in requirements. Instead, think about the skills and traits that are truly necessary for success in this role. So much of what employees do is trainable!

Hire faster

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: time kills all deals. LinkedIn data shows that the average hiring process took 49 days in some industries over the past year and a half. So, from the day a candidate applies to the day they start is two months! In a job market like today’s, that is plenty of time for your competition to swoop in and make a more substantial offer. Instead, speed up the hiring process as much as possible. Make it a priority to schedule interviews and follow up with candidates immediately. Find someone you like? Offer them the job! Gone are the days of multiple rounds of phone, video, and in-person interviews. To hire better in 2022, we’ll need to speed things up significantly.

Pay more

Over the past two years, inflation has skyrocketed. Salaries? Not so much. One of the reasons people are quitting in droves is to seek out better pay. It’s no longer acceptable to pay employees the bare minimum. Ensure your HR team is up to speed on local minimum wage increases, market salary rates, and competitive benefits. The bottom line is: if you pay people, they will come!

2022 is looking to be another rollercoaster year. Stay ahead of hiring obstacles by implementing these three changes now. And don’t be afraid to adapt as the year goes on to hire better in 2022. Looking for more advice on hiring and interviewing? Explore our client resources here.

How To Hire Over Video

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In today’s competitive market, you don’t have time to hesitate when it comes to hiring. Long gone are the day of multiple rounds of in-person interviews. To remain competitive while securing your next team member, here’s how to hire over video.

Ask the right questions

When you think about it, hiring over video isn’t so different from hiring in person. You have the opportunity to get the exact same information; it’s all about asking the right questions! Video interviews can stunt back and forth conversation, so you have to make sure to continue pushing the conversation. Ask various behavioral questions that allow you to envision the candidate on your team. Practice active listening so you can ask follow-up questions and fuel that conversational vibe.

Get personal

On that note, it’s important to get to know your candidate beyond their resume. Who are they as a person? What makes them happy? What do they like to do for fun? Don’t get so caught up in checking off boxes that you forget the human element. Of course, make sure to stay compliant with local and federal laws and guidelines when it comes to interview questions!

Make your best offer

When you hire over video, it’s an expedited process. As a result, your offer should be the best you have right off the bat. Explain every facet of the compensation package – from salary and bonuses to healthcare and retirement. Leave the lines of communication open and allow your candidate to reach out with any questions.

Give a timeline

While it’s not expected that someone accepts an offer right on the spot during a video interview, you should put a timeline on their decision. Let them know when you need an answer, and then share your expectations for the remainder of the hiring process and onboarding. When is your desired start date? What will the onboarding process look like? Will it be virtual or in-person?

Having the ability to hire over video opens the professional world to endless possibilities. However, it also creates unique challenges. There is no reason to be intimidating by hiring an employee virtually as long as you are prepared! Looking for more hiring tips and advice? Explore our client resources here.

Employees Are Quitting In Droves, Here’s How To Keep Yours

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Over 4.2 million Americans left their positions in October. (That’s around 2.8% of the overall workforce in the United States!) Simultaneously, job openings bumped up close to a record high at 11 million. This leaves many companies struggling to stay afloat following an already impossibly difficult year. If you want to avoid falling victim to the great resignation, beat your competition to offering your team members what they really want. Here’s how to keep your employees from quitting.

Reevaluate Wages

A steep rise in inflation has completely negated any economic progress employees might have made in the past year. So, as prices increase around them, employees are quickly feeling left behind. Now is the perfect time to do a salary audit and bring employees up to market prices.

Offer Flexibility

Many workers are still feeling the pressures of child and family care amidst the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. Others still experienced a taste of remote work and increased work-life balance that has left them wanting more. Offering work flexibility – remote, hybrid, or fluid hours shows that you listen to employees’ needs. Need advice on how to implement it at your company? Check out our post here.

Don’t Let Your Team Get Behind In Hiring

This might seem counter-productive, but the further you get behind in hiring, the more your current employees feel it. Many are burdened by balancing their former peers’ workload on top of their own. So, hire quickly to replace key team members! Some great ways to do this are partnering with a recruiting firm to discover talent, requiring less experience right off the bat, and making offers virtually over video.

Workers have more job listings to browse than ever, and employers are making incredible offers as they are desperate to hire. So, to avoid losing your best employees, make them an offer they can’t refuse before they even try to leave! Looking for more hiring and retention advice? Browse our client resources here.

Why (and how) You Should Always Respond to A Recruiter

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If you have a LinkedIn profile, you have probably received a message from a recruiter inquiring about a position they are working hard to fill. Sometimes, this opportunity can be your next career move. Other times, the job can miss the mark and not align with your career goals. These recruitment messages either come from an internal recruiter or a third-party recruitment specialist from a staffing firm. Regardless of your interest in the position, it is crucial to respond to the recruiter, and here is why.

They can put your resume in their CRM

First of all, if a recruiter reaches out to you and you want to learn more about the job opportunity, they will ask you for your resume. Once they have your resume, they will upload it to their company’s CRM system, where they keep all of their candidate records. This system helps them keep track of candidates’ qualifications, notes, contact details, and other important information. However, if you have no interest in the position, don’t just leave the recruiter left on read. Reach back out to them, thank them for thinking of you, and send them your resume. The first place most experienced recruiters look for potential candidates for a new opportunity is the CRM system.

If you are not in their system, you could miss out on other opportunities in the future! Here’s an example of how to respond to a recruiter in this situation:

“Hi [Recruiter’s Name],

Thank you for reaching out to me about this position. This sounds like an exciting opportunity, but I am not currently exploring new jobs at this time. However, can I send you my resume if you have another opportunity in the future?

Thank you, and I look forward to connecting with you.”

You can build a relationship with the recruiter

If you don’t respond to a recruiter when one reaches out to you, it’s challenging to build a relationship with them. Recruiters are no strangers to low response rates. Thus, if you take the time to reply to them, they will likely remember you when another opportunity comes up that better matches your skillset and career goals. Also, you should connect with them on LinkedIn so you can remain on their radar as they work on other requisitions. Plus, recruiters often work on exclusive job orders that you won’t find anywhere else, so fostering a relationship with them can open new doors!

Your job situation may change one day

As we all learned throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, your job situation can change in the blink of an eye. Whether that’s restructuring, department changes, mergers/acquisitions, or even your company suddenly shutting its doors, your employment situation today may look a lot different in the not-so-distance future. Therefore, we always recommend responding to a recruiter and connect with them if your job situation shifts.

Looking to connect with a recruiter?

So, you hopefully understand the value of responding to a recruiter when they reach out to you. Even if you don’t have an interest in that particular position, you never know what roles they may have available in the future. If you are interested in keeping a recruiter in your back pocket, review our job board and signup for our Talent Network! You can upload your resume and create job alerts that match your skills, career interests, and location to find the next step in your career. We look forward to connecting with you!

4 Tips For Successful Recruitment Strategy

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Finding the best candidates to fill your open positions is no easy task. There are a ton of excellent candidates looking for a new opportunity right now, and it can be tough to hire the right one. With remote interviews, social distancing, and other safety protocols, ensuring you hire the best candidate is even trickier. You must improve your hiring activities to ensure your team makes the right hiring decisions. Here are four tips to craft a successful recruitment strategy.

Pair down your applicants

The first step in establishing a successful recruitment strategy is narrowing down your job applicants. We are in a candidate-saturated market, thanks to the coronavirus. As a result, there are a ton of qualified (and not so qualified) candidates on the market. You can pair down your candidate pool in several different phases of the hiring process. Start by crafting a detailed job description to weed out candidates that may not be interested. Then, add application requirements such as a cover letter or samples of work. Asking for resources beyond a resume will instantly trim out some of the fat and make your recruitment practices leaner. Next, you can weed out candidates in the initial interviewing stage by asking behavioral interviewing questions. Asking the right interview questions will help you identify the candidates that are more qualified and a better fit for your team.

Make a decision quickly

When it comes time to make a hiring decision, don’t dilly dally. If you know who you want to add to your team, present them your best offer. Yes, we are in a candidate-heavy market, but that isn’t going to last long as more employers ramp up their hiring efforts this summer. With the unemployment rate currently at a pandemic-low of 6%, more employers are actively hiring. If you don’t want to miss out on your best candidates, make a decision quickly. If they accept your offer, immediately send out the offer letter to get it signed. The sooner the deal is official, the more likely they will not accept another employer’s offer.

Keep your backup candidates until the deal is done

Before you turn away your runner-up candidates, wait for the hire to be official. No, you don’t have to wait until they actually start working, but don’t turn away your backup candidates until your number #1 choice has signed on the dotted line. If you turn your runner-ups away, you run the risk of starting the hiring process over again if your top candidate backs out. Wait until the background check comes through and the offer letter is signed to turn away any secondary candidates. Holding on to your secondary candidates is an essential part of building a  successful recruitment strategy.

Enlist the help of a recruiter

One of the simplest ways to implement a successful recruitment strategy is to partner with a recruiter. If you are struggling to fill a couple of your roles or need quality candidates quickly, working with a professional recruiting firm is a smart move. Top-tier recruiting agencies, like Johnson Service Group, thoroughly vet our candidates before we submit them. If you work with us, you will never receive a resume from a candidate we haven’t screened. If you want to take your recruiting strategy to the next level, reach out to us today! We have customized staffing solutions to meet your team’s individual hiring needs.