News & Events

When it comes to Artificial Intelligence (AI) there is no shortage of hyperbole with the emerging technology put by many somewhere between the discovery of fire and the invention of the wheel.

It’s not just the fringe beating the drums for AI with Accenture in March releasing a report that says that generative AI “will transform work and reinvent business” and that “everything from science to business to society itself will be transformed. The positive impact on human creativity and productivity will be massive.”

People Analytics has emerged as a powerful tool for HR professionals, enabling evidence-based decision-making and strategic workforce management which has led to improved talent acquisition, employee experience, and overall organizational performance.

“Over the last several years, companies have spun up a flurry of activity, establishing or attempting to advance their people analytics strategy,” wrote Eric Lesser and Peter DeBellis for Deloitte last year. “Whether to gain insight into the productivity of a more distributed workforce, understand and address retention challenges, or inform more sophisticated workforce planning, companies have been investing in a range of people analytics solutions and technologies.”

When it comes to job interviews, it’s not just candidates that need to make a good impression as employers must make sure their interview behavior attracts the right employees and doesn't scare away those who could make a great fit to their team.

“Overselling. Oversharing. Avoiding Eye contact. Watching the clock. Using loaded phrases such as “We have a fast-paced culture”, which should have been axed years ago,” wrote Dana Wilkie for SHRM in May 2023. “Managers who behave in these ways while interviewing job applicants run the risk of causing potentially valuable employees to run for the hills.”

A study released last month shows that pay transparency in job postings has more than doubled during the pandemic, increasing 137 percent between February 2020 and February 2023.

“Heightened employee expectations and new laws requiring disclosure in some parts of the country mean more employers are adding salary information to their job postings,” wrote Kathryn Mayer for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

On one side of the American economy, tech companies almost daily announce new layoffs, while in other sectors, such as shipbuilding, companies cannot hire workers fast enough.

There were mixed signals with the release of the June JOLTS report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as job openings fell by over 600,000 to 10.7 million, but for the 13^th consecutive month more than 4 million workers voluntarily left their jobs.

“The drop in job openings marks the third month in a row of declines, indicating that labor shortages are beginning to ease, although levels remain nearly twice as high as the pre-pandemic norm,” wrote Roy Maurer for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary (JOLTS) for June 2022 released on August 2, 2022, showed that, while down slightly, “the number of quits was little changed at 4.2 million.”

In a perfect world your hiring managers would only select top talent to join your organization.

These are not perfect times, however, as HR teams must navigate one of the tightest labor markets in memory while being buffeted by external factors such as the pandemic and rising inflation which have changed both workplace and salary expectations.

In this challenging environment, assembling your team with “A” and “B” players is harder than ever. While business leaders never want to see their positions go unfulfilled, settling for less-than-stellar hires can be a costly move.

Much of the HR playbook has been rewritten, if not completely run through the shredder, since the COVID-19 pandemic started, and talent acquisition is certainly no exception.

Hiring experts at the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) recent Talent Conference & Expo 2022 highlighted a shift in HR tactics during a historically tight labor market.

“The experts on the panel agreed that the typical recruitment practice of screening out—or eliminating candidates because they don't meet all criteria—is not workable in the present environment,” wrote SHRM’s Roy Maurer. “Instead, talent acquisition teams should practice more “screening in” or hiring for competencies and training on the particular role.”

The Great Resignation, far from abating, hit historic levels in March as a record 4.5 Americans quit their job while employers posted a record 11.5 million job openings.

“A gap between the number of job openings and of people unemployed but seeking work has persisted since last spring. In February, there were 1.79 job openings for every unemployed person, according to Labor Department data,” reported the Wall Street Journal.

When software engineer Mike Conley posted a rant on LinkedIn recently about a broken hiring process where he was being asked to do nine rounds of interviews, it hit a nerve with job seekers everywhere.

His viral post racked up nearly two million views, 40,000 “likes”, and a whopping 4,000 comments, almost all supportive.