SkyWater Blog

Have You Checked Your Own Perceptions of “Military Skills” Lately?

In a recent report for CBS News, Norah O’Donnell and Olivia Rinaldi highlighted an issue that has confounded me for years: the underemployment of our nation’s military veterans.  Even as employers struggle to attract and hire talent, these extraordinarily qualified individuals continue to be overlooked.

For years, the military, veteran organizations, and multiple large employers have invested in veteran employment programming. These are important and helpful programs.

“The biggest challenge businesses face in their adoption of digital technologies is lack of capable talent…” KPMG Global Tech, September 2022  

If you're a tech employer – and today, just about every company is a tech employer - you know the drill: you pour countless hours and endless effort into recruiting and onboarding the best and brightest talent, only to watch them exit through a revolving door that seems to be spinning out of control. It's a vicious cycle, one that's becoming difficult to break. Yet, the stakes couldn’t be higher for organizations coming off a two-year big spend on new technology and infrastructure. Intended to improve agility, security, collaboration, and market growth, these investments now sit largely underused, their potential not nearly actualized, simply due to a dearth of skilled talent.

It may be time to rethink your Executive Assistant Recruiting Strategy

According to a very recent Deloitte study, 57% of employees report that they want to quit their current jobs to find an employer that “better supports their well-being.”

That’s a staggering statistic, given that the Great Resignation has been going on for more than two years.

But check out this far more stunning – and sobering – finding: nearly 70% of C-suite leaders say that they, too, are actively considering leaving, for the same reason. As an executive recruiter, I’m not surprised by the number. Twin Cities organizations, like those throughout the country, are struggling to attract, hire, and retain talented senior leaders. (It’s a reality that keeps me incredibly busy.) But we should all be alarmed by the reasons for these vacancies.

Permanent Placement and Contract recruiting both serve important functions. But beware of the firm that tells you they can do both.

Is it just me, or have you been sensing a little pessimism creeping into the “talent wars” conversation lately? For some hiring managers, the goal seems to be shifting away from building organizational bench strength, toward something that might appear more achievable: just fill the empty seat, asap.

It's a tempting pivot, particularly within the engineering, accounting and finance, and IT fields, where hiring battles run especially hot right now. I get the argument. If you give up on your hiring goal and engage a “contract recruiter” instead, you stand a good chance of having a temporary professional in that seat within a few weeks or even days.

But is switching to a contract approach a good idea? Sometimes. Before going there, though, consider the differences between a permanent recruiting firm and a contract one. Then ask yourself the 3 key questions I outline below.

If you’ve been questioning whether your current job is really “the one” for you, you’re hardly alone. It’s been a long, often exhausting two years of upheaval. Many – I might even say most – Twin Cities professionals have experienced at least a few moments in doubt about their job and whether their work-life is in sync with their life’s priorities, values, and goals.  

Today, as we honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans, all of us at SkyWater Search Partners would like to put a spotlight on one particularly powerful way you can recognize the skills and strengths of those who have served in our military: Hire a veteran.

Working from home has been a wildly varied experience for Twin Cities attorneys since the onset of COVID. For some, it’s been a time of newfound efficiencies and a welcome break from daily commutes. But for others, it has been an exhausting moment of truth. Not surprisingly, these very different pandemic experiences can be neatly organized along gender lines.

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.

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.