SkyWater Blog

If you’re like most employers, you might be underinvesting in this critical hiring and retention tactic.

According to a 2021 Gallup article, 70% of employees who would rate their new employee onboarding experience as “exceptional” also say they are in “the best possible job.” Yet, according to that same article, nearly 20% of employees say their recent onboarding experience was either poor or nonexistent. What do these statistics tell us? At a macro level, it seems obvious: employer onboarding practices are almost universally abysmal. But at the individual employer level, they point to a real opportunity. In this age of employee attrition, labor shortages, and general uncertainty about future staffing stability, these numbers suggest that there is a reason for optimism for any organization that is willing to invest in robust, multi-level onboarding practices.

According to a recent survey by Magnify Money, half of all full-time workers are expecting a year-end bonus this year.  That, just on its own, is a compelling statistic. But as we near the end of an incredibly busy, often unpredictable year of executive recruiting in the Twin Cities, I’d like to offer a few observations – and words of caution – to employers, starting with this:

This time last year, millions of Americans had lost their jobs. Millions more remained employed but fearful of what the future might hold. For employers, it was an equally strange and unpredictable time. Hiring managers routinely saw competitive offers rebuffed by candidates who might have been tempted but were ultimately unwilling to risk leaving the relative stability of their current positions.

A trend is emerging among mid-market, publicly traded companies that we'd like to share: The perfect candidate profile for a Chief Financial Officer is shifting. I'll explain who we're being asked to find, why, and how this impacts you...

While the events of the past eighteen months have driven major disruptions to hiring and staffing processes throughout the business world, few leadership roles have been as impacted as that of the CFO. Today, as organizational leaders continue to sort through the lessons learned from this challenging and unprecedented time, there is growing recognition of the importance and influence of the CFO position.

In a recent post, I talked about how the post-COVID economic recovery has intensified the battle for FP&A talent throughout the Chicago area. My focus was on how today’s successful hiring managers are moving decisively, rapidly, and engagingly to fill open positions, from the moment a top-tier candidate’s resume is received, through onboarding.  Those who don’t move fast lose out.

6 Elements of a Perfect New Employee Announcement

If you’re hiring, here’s something you already know: you’re competing with other top employers for a handful of superior candidates. 

But if you’re not currently hiring, here’s something you may not have considered:  you’re still competing.  Every day.  And the competition is fierce.  All of your employees, from new hires to old-timers want to feel welcome, engaged, challenged, successful, and appreciated.  Every day.  If they don’t, greener pastures are just a recruiter’s email away.

What happens when your number one job candidate turns down your best offer?  Here’s what happens:  you’re suddenly breaking all speed records to reach back out to Finalists Two and Three (and maybe Four).  But if they were so great, they may no longer be available.  And if they’re no longer interested, you’re starting all over again, re-working your network for the same job. The repeat calls, emails, postings, conversations and negotiations cost you time, money and credibility.

Why the concept of “Radical Self-Care” is the real key to healthy work re-entry.

As vaccinations become more widely available in MN, offices that have been operating with most, or all employees working remotely, are making plans to re-open their doors. In many ways, a return to a routine of leaving the house each morning for work is welcomed. However, for many of us, working from home presented an opportunity for greater self-care. 

As many of us prepare to re-enter the daily grind, how can we take what we've learned from our time at home with us back into the re-opening world?

Try to schedule job interviews on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, between the hours of 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM or 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM.

Our recommendations for choosing the best time to schedule an interview are both based on our own observations and on solid research. In fact we've written on this topic before in our article "Is There Really A Best Time To Schedule An Interview?".

If you are a leader in your organization or a manager of a team, there is a very good chance that your employees are more stressed out over the events of 2020 than they're admitting to you. Racial inequality, the pandemic, contentious presidential election, financial gaps between classes, the pressures of parenting, navigating education offerings, the list goes on. 2020 brought many challenges and placed them in the center of our living rooms.