Hiring Resources

With the technological shift in using more video based communications, there has been a new hiring trend where top candidates and job seekers create video versions of their resume in order to grab the attention of hiring managers. The purpose of a video resume is to change the monotony of the traditional way of applying for jobs. The video would serve as a supplement to the traditional resume similar to a cover letter. Based on a survey conducted by LinkedIn, the majority of the U.S. hiring manager respondents appear to be open to the concept, where “76% of more than 1,000 respondents said that a pre-recorded video of a potential candidate would be useful”. A video resume allows you, the candidate, to be able to talk about your workforce experience, exhibit your personality, and differentiates you from the other candidates through initiative and creativity by making the video. This concept is still fairly new and underutilized by several job seekers due to either limitations to editing abilities or are completely unaware of the concept at all.

If you’re looking to fill the roles you have, you may have to look to an underskilled workforce to identify transferable talent. Consider the restaurant/hospitality industry with excellent customer service skills and repurpose them into other roles created by the pandemic, such as contact tracers and temperature checkers.

Is your organization feeling pressed for right-sized staffing, but given the volatile past year, feeling hesitant to fully staff up with permanent employees? We can tell you one thing, you are not alone. There is one specific solution to this predicament that can work well for both your company and job seekers; gig work.

There is positive momentum afoot as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic, but its impact will undoubtedly be felt for many months to come. When it comes to hiring practices, candidates will continue to seek information about how employers address pandemic-related workplace safety to ensure it aligns with their needs and expectations.

Some of the industries hit hardest by the pandemic-induced recession rely on travel and tourism for the vast majority of their business. According to the AHLA State of the Hotel Industry 2021, the hospitality industry workforce is down nearly 4 million jobs compared to this time in 2019. 53.4 percent of job losses in this industry were experienced by women, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and people of color and older workers This sector added 355,000 new jobs in February, making up most of the nonfarm payroll gains in the market, and another 200,000 jobs are expected to be filled this year, though half of U.S. hotel rooms are projected to remain empty in 2021. Airlines have resumed hiring and training new workers as well.

The home improvement retail chain Lowe’s has announced a hiring spree of 50,000 front-line workers this spring in addition to $80 million in bonuses to their existing team of front-line workers in North American stores. Rival chain Home Depot has not made any such announcement in 2021, though last year they announced a more ambitious goal of hiring 80,000 employees around this time.

For the last several months, the American economy and job market have been slowly progressing back towards pre-pandemic levels. New changing demands for workplace policies have opened up acceptance for home accommodations and flexible hours. Once it is generally safe for employees to return to the workplace across the board, consumer attitudes and expectations of top talent will continue to shape hiring strategies.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report in December 2020 outlining the state of the labor market, and sales numbers from the holiday retail season have confirmed predictions about the explosion in the e-commerce sector. The holiday season brought some new shifts in the kinds of jobs available.