MISTAKE #1:

NOT BEING FLEXIBLE

NOT BEING FLEXIBLE

MISTAKE #1:

NOT BEING FLEXIBLE

NOT BEING FLEXIBLE

As an employer hiring talent, it is easy to believe that you have all the control in the hiring process. However, in today’s job market, it is unlikely that you will find a candidate that checks off all of your boxes. While it’s important to know what you want, it is also critical to be realistic in the hiring process. Hiring decision makers often want to find that “perfect fit,” meeting high standards in all of these areas:

EDUCATION

+ EXPERIENCE

CULTURAL

FIT

PERSONALITY

+ SOFT SKILLS

TECHNICAL

SKILLS

COMPENSATION

+ BENEFITS

However, employers today are struggling to find qualified applicants. And as the skills shortage continues to grow in the U.S., employers are finding that the “perfect candidate” is rather elusive. 

54% of employers reported ‘lack of qualified applicants’ as their biggest challenge leading into 2022
 2022 Hiring OutlookOpens in a new window.

However, employers today are struggling to find qualified applicants. And as the skills shortage continues to grow in the U.S., employers are finding that the “perfect candidate” is rather elusive. 

54% of employers reported ‘lack of qualified applicants’ as their biggest challenge leading into 2022

2022 Hiring Outlook

Opens in a new window.

However, employers today are struggling to find qualified applicants. And as the skills shortage continues to grow in the U.S., employers are finding that the “perfect candidate” is rather elusive. 

54% of employers reported ‘lack of qualified applicants’ as their biggest challenge leading into 2022

2022 Hiring Outlook

Opens in a new window.

However, employers today are struggling to find qualified applicants. And as the skills shortage continues to grow in the U.S., employers are finding that the “perfect candidate” is rather elusive. 

54% of employers reported ‘lack of qualified applicants’ as their biggest challenge leading into 2022
 2022 Hiring OutlookOpens in a new window.

To find the right person for the job, it requires you to stay flexible and open-minded about other possibilities. To do so, start with these strategies:

1. Look for potential

As the skills shortage continues to grow, employers must adapt their hiring practices as well. Rather than a candidate who is qualified for every aspect of the job, look for the candidate who can grow into the role and whose personality can be advantageous to the team.

of recruiters say when a hire doesn’t work out, it usually comes down to a lack of soft skills
SHRMOpens in a new window.

As the skills shortage continues to grow, employers must adapt their hiring practices as well. Rather than a candidate who is qualified for every aspect of the job, look for the candidate who can grow into the role and whose personality can be advantageous to the team.

of recruiters say when a hire doesn’t work out, it usually comes down to a lack of soft skills

SHRM

Opens in a new window.

When you place more emphasis on a candidate’s soft skills and ability to add value, this allows you to widen your focus and look for the person who is a driven problem-solver and is willing to learn—qualities that will ultimately make an excellent long-term fit. Not only does focusing on these attributes benefit you as the employer, but providing meaningful professional development for your new hire will help you develop a trusting relationship and establish loyalty. To effectively “hire for potential,” look for qualities like:

critical-thinking

CRITICAL

THINKING SKILLS

drive-to-learn

DRIVE TO LEARN

NEW SKILLS

ABILITY TO ADAPT

TO CHALLENGES

1. Look for potential

As the skills shortage continues to grow, employers must adapt their hiring practices as well. Rather than a candidate who is qualified for every aspect of the job, look for the candidate who can grow into the role and whose personality can be advantageous to the team.

of recruiters say when a hire doesn’t work out, it usually comes down to a lack of soft skills
SHRMOpens in a new window.

As the skills shortage continues to grow, employers must adapt their hiring practices as well. Rather than a candidate who is qualified for every aspect of the job, look for the candidate who can grow into the role and whose personality can be advantageous to the team.

of recruiters say when a hire doesn’t work out, it usually comes down to a lack of soft skills
SHRMOpens in a new window.

When you place more emphasis on a candidate’s soft skills and ability to add value, this allows you to widen your focus and look for the person who is a driven problem-solver and is willing to learn—qualities that will ultimately make an excellent long-term fit. Not only does focusing on these attributes benefit you as the employer, but providing meaningful professional development for your new hire will help you develop a trusting relationship and establish loyalty. To effectively “hire for potential,” look for qualities like:

critical-thinking

CRITICAL

THINKING SKILLS

drive-to-learn

DRIVE TO LEARN

NEW SKILLS

ABILITY TO ADAPT

TO CHALLENGES

2. Consider hiring from within

The idea of internal mobility is often overlooked by organizations. However, the greatest potential may lie within your existing workforce. Promoting growth from within not only provides employees opportunities for learning and development (which they crave), but it can also help them

feel valued and more engaged.

Less than 1/3 of companies had
internal mobility strategies 
to attract + retain talent in 2021 

icims

Opens in a new window.
To address the skills and labor shortage head on, consider how an internal mobility program can help benefit your organization. To get started, ensure you are:
  • Nurturing your current employees for growth within your organization

  • Considering the skills of your workforce for future roles

  • Allocating resources to ensure your employees are aware of open or soon-to-be open roles

2. Consider hiring from within

The idea of internal mobility is often overlooked by organizations. However, the greatest potential may lie within your existing workforce. Promoting growth from within not only provides employees opportunities for learning and development (which they crave), but it can also help them

feel valued and more engaged.

Less than 1/3 of companies had
internal mobility strategies 
to attract + retain talent in 2021 

icims

Opens in a new window.
To address the skills and labor shortage head on, consider how an internal mobility program can help benefit your organization. To get started, ensure you are:
  • Nurturing your current employees for growth within your organization

  • Considering the skills of your workforce for future roles

  • Allocating resources to ensure your employees are aware of open or soon-to-be open roles

3. Find personalized solutions

When you find a candidate that would work well with your team and adapt to the demands of the role, it can be difficult to recognize that it’s time to stop looking. However, you may risk losing a great candidate while you’re out looking for the “perfect” candidate. Because the competition is fierce, it is important to take an individualized approach to an offer; what worked for your last employee may not work for their replacement, after all, the workplace has forever been changed. This could mean compromising on many things, including:

compensation
COMPENSATION
training-opportunities
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
leadership

LEADERSHIP

TIMELINE

benefit-offerings

BENEFIT

OFFERINGS

scheduling
SCHEDULING

For example, your top candidate may demand more remote work days than you’re currently allowing for. If you’re able to be flexible in these offerings, you can stand out among other employers competing for this candidate.

4. Utilize the temporary workforce 

Being flexible not only means flexibility in your hiring practices, but also flexibility in your overall hiring strategy. While many employers feel that full-time staff is most appropriate, today’s job market and ever-changing technological landscape requires more agility in a hiring strategy.

38% of employers plan on increasing their use of contract, consulting, or freelance hiring this year

Being flexible not only means flexibility in your hiring practices, but also flexibility in your overall hiring strategy. While many employers feel that full-time staff is most appropriate, today’s job market and ever-changing technological landscape requires more agility in a hiring strategy.

38% of employers plan on increasing their use of contract, consulting, or freelance hiring this year

2022 Hiring Outlook

Opens in a new window.

Whether you’re struggling to fill an open role or you’re scaling your business quickly, this dynamic workforce can help you remain competitive and keep you from spreading full-time employees too thin. Contract, consulting, and freelance professionals can be utilized for:

system-implementations
SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATIONS
project-management

LARGE PROJECTS THAT

REQUIRE EXTRA HANDS

specialized-skillset

SPECIALIZED ROLES THAT

REQUIRE A SPECIFIC SKILLSET

seasonal-roles

SEASONAL

ROLES

4. Utilize the temporary workforce 

Being flexible not only means flexibility in your hiring practices, but also flexibility in your overall hiring strategy. While many employers feel that full-time staff is most appropriate, today’s job market and ever-changing technological landscape requires more agility in a hiring strategy.

38% of employers plan on increasing their use of contract, consulting, or freelance hiring this year

Being flexible not only means flexibility in your hiring practices, but also flexibility in your overall hiring strategy. While many employers feel that full-time staff is most appropriate, today’s job market and ever-changing technological landscape requires more agility in a hiring strategy.

38% of employers plan on increasing their use of contract, consulting, or freelance hiring this year

Whether you’re struggling to fill an open role or you’re scaling your business quickly, this dynamic workforce can help you remain competitive and keep you from spreading full-time employees too thin. Contract, consulting, and freelance professionals can be utilized for:

project-management

LARGE PROJECTS

system-implementations
SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATIONS
specialized-skillset

SPECIALIZED

ROLES

seasonal-roles

SEASONAL

ROLES

1. Look for potential

As the skills shortage continues to grow, employers must adapt their hiring practices as well. Rather than a candidate who is qualified for every aspect of the job, look for the candidate who can grow into the role and whose personality can be advantageous to the team.

of recruiters say when a hire doesn’t work out, it usually comes down to a lack of soft skills
SHRMOpens in a new window.

As the skills shortage continues to grow, employers must adapt their hiring practices as well. Rather than a candidate who is qualified for every aspect of the job, look for the candidate who can grow into the role and whose personality can be advantageous to the team.

of recruiters say when a hire doesn’t work out, it usually comes down to a lack of soft skills
SHRMOpens in a new window.

When you place more emphasis on a candidate’s soft skills and ability to add value, this allows you to widen your focus and look for the person who is a driven problem-solver and is willing to learn—qualities that will ultimately make an excellent long-term fit. Not only does focusing on these attributes benefit you as the employer, but providing meaningful professional development for your new hire will help you develop a trusting relationship and establish loyalty. To effectively “hire for potential,” look for qualities like:

critical-thinking

CRITICAL

THINKING SKILLS

drive-to-learn

DRIVE TO LEARN

NEW SKILLS

ABILITY TO ADAPT

TO CHALLENGES

1. Look for potential

As the skills shortage continues to grow, employers must adapt their hiring practices as well. Rather than a candidate who is qualified for every aspect of the job, look for the candidate who can grow into the role and whose personality can be advantageous to the team.

of recruiters say when a hire doesn’t work out, it usually comes down to a lack of soft skills
SHRMOpens in a new window.

As the skills shortage continues to grow, employers must adapt their hiring practices as well. Rather than a candidate who is qualified for every aspect of the job, look for the candidate who can grow into the role and whose personality can be advantageous to the team.

of recruiters say when a hire doesn’t work out, it usually comes down to a lack of soft skills
SHRMOpens in a new window.

When you place more emphasis on a candidate’s soft skills and ability to add value, this allows you to widen your focus and look for the person who is a driven problem-solver and is willing to learn—qualities that will ultimately make an excellent long-term fit. Not only does focusing on these attributes benefit you as the employer, but providing meaningful professional development for your new hire will help you develop a trusting relationship and establish loyalty. To effectively “hire for potential,” look for qualities like:

critical-thinking

CRITICAL

THINKING SKILLS

drive-to-learn

DRIVE TO LEARN

NEW SKILLS

ABILITY TO ADAPT

TO CHALLENGES

2. Consider hiring from within

The idea of internal mobility is often overlooked by organizations. However, the greatest potential may lie within your existing workforce. Promoting growth from within not only provides employees opportunities for learning and development (which they crave), but it can also help them

feel valued and more engaged.

Less than 1/3 of companies had
internal mobility strategies 
to attract + retain talent in 2021 

icims

Opens in a new window.
To address the skills and labor shortage head on, consider how an internal mobility program can help benefit your organization. To get started, ensure you are:
  • Nurturing your current employees for growth within your organization

  • Considering the skills of your workforce for future roles

  • Allocating resources to ensure your employees are aware of open or soon-to-be open roles

2. Consider hiring from within

The idea of internal mobility is often overlooked by organizations. However, the greatest potential may lie within your existing workforce. Promoting growth from within not only provides employees opportunities for learning and development (which they crave), but it can also help them

feel valued and more engaged.

Less than 1/3 of companies had
internal mobility strategies 
to attract + retain talent in 2021 

icims

Opens in a new window.
To address the skills and labor shortage head on, consider how an internal mobility program can help benefit your organization. To get started, ensure you are:
  • Nurturing your current employees for growth within your organization

  • Considering the skills of your workforce for future roles

  • Allocating resources to ensure your employees are aware of open or soon-to-be open roles

3. Find personalized solutions

When you find a candidate that would work well with your team and adapt to the demands of the role, it can be difficult to recognize that it’s time to stop looking. However, you may risk losing a great candidate while you’re out looking for the “perfect” candidate. Because the competition is fierce, it is important to take an individualized approach to an offer; what worked for your last employee may not work for their replacement, after all, the workplace has forever been changed. This could mean compromising on many things, including:

compensation
COMPENSATION
training-opportunities
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
leadership

LEADERSHIP

TIMELINE

benefit-offerings

BENEFIT

OFFERINGS

scheduling
SCHEDULING

For example, your top candidate may demand more remote work days than you’re currently allowing for. If you’re able to be flexible in these offerings, you can stand out among other employers competing for this candidate.

4. Utilize the temporary workforce 

Being flexible not only means flexibility in your hiring practices, but also flexibility in your overall hiring strategy. While many employers feel that full-time staff is most appropriate, today’s job market and ever-changing technological landscape requires more agility in a hiring strategy.

38% of employers plan on increasing their use of contract, consulting, or freelance hiring this year
2022 Hiring Outlook

Being flexible not only means flexibility in your hiring practices, but also flexibility in your overall hiring strategy. While many employers feel that full-time staff is most appropriate, today’s job market and ever-changing technological landscape requires more agility in a hiring strategy.

38% of employers plan on increasing their use of contract, consulting, or freelance hiring this year
2022 Hiring OutlookOpens in a new window.

Whether you’re struggling to fill an open role or you’re scaling your business quickly, this dynamic workforce can help you remain competitive and keep you from spreading full-time employees too thin. Contract, consulting, and freelance professionals can be utilized for:

system-implementations
SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATIONS
project-management

LARGE PROJECTS THAT

REQUIRE EXTRA HANDS

specialized-skillset

SPECIALIZED ROLES THAT

REQUIRE A SPECIFIC SKILLSET

seasonal-roles

SEASONAL

ROLES

4. Utilize the temporary workforce 

Being flexible not only means flexibility in your hiring practices, but also flexibility in your overall hiring strategy. While many employers feel that full-time staff is most appropriate, today’s job market and ever-changing technological landscape requires more agility in a hiring strategy.

38% of employers plan on increasing their use of contract, consulting, or freelance hiring this year

Being flexible not only means flexibility in your hiring practices, but also flexibility in your overall hiring strategy. While many employers feel that full-time staff is most appropriate, today’s job market and ever-changing technological landscape requires more agility in a hiring strategy.

38% of employers plan on increasing their use of contract, consulting, or freelance hiring this year

2022 Hiring Outlook

Opens in a new window.

Whether you’re struggling to fill an open role or you’re scaling your business quickly, this dynamic workforce can help you remain competitive and keep you from spreading full-time employees too thin. Contract, consulting, and freelance professionals can be utilized for:

project-management

LARGE PROJECTS

system-implementations
SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATIONS
specialized-skillset

SPECIALIZED

ROLES

seasonal-roles

SEASONAL

ROLES