FPC of Huntsville-Nationwide Technology Industry Recruiting

The IPC released it’s April stats a few weeks ago with the headline of a decline in April 2023 to April 2024 shipments. However, the book to bill ratio was also interesting – a continuing upward trend to 1.41. The highest since 2022. That is a 33.6% increase year over year and a 16% increase from March. If I knew exactly what to do with those stats I wouldn’t share it; but, there is positive news below the headline.

New employees cost an average of $4,425 to onboard, according to SHRM. Most teams spend about 36 days trying to fill a position. And 1 in 5 employees leave after the first week. The math is real. Hiring is always expensive and often a risk. You can hedge your bets in hiring by working with a recruiter that knows your company and your industry. We reduce risk by matching skills and culture.

I talk to EMS professionals every day and do my best to keep up with the pulse of the industry. The landscape is changing and I think we are entering a “great reshuffling.” Companies that were trapped with underperforming or undercapitalized EMS partners the past few years are beginning to weigh their options. With the supply chain loosening, EMS companies are finding that many of their customers aren’t nearly as sticky as they thought they were. The market is not shrinking but it is shifting. If you are an EMS company that executes well, now is a great time to aggressively pursue new business. If you are not, it is time to fix things. Thoughts?

98% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs, according to a 2024 study from mentorcliQ. But what does it mean to be a mentor? Some mentors are valuable because they are company insiders who know all about company culture, politics and processes. They get mentees “in the know.” Others mentor in a more traditional apprentice-type arrangement, teaching valuable skills that mentees will need in their careers. Mentors might also be valuable because of their industry clout, their networking skills or their influence. But one of the most valuable types of mentors I’ve come across is the “peer mentor” who is not that far ahead of their mentee on the career path. This type of mentor is particularly helpful with understanding what short-term goals should be and how best to meet them. They understand the role of the mentee as it currently stands — not as they may have experienced it decades ago. This sort of up-to-date ability to relate helps them exercise better judgment in their advisory role. Whether you’re a company leader, HR professional or a manager, take a look at your own mentorship program — and if you don’t have one, think about how you can implement one ASAP.

Having trouble hanging onto new hires? You might be interviewing wrong. Too many hiring managers cling to the old ways when it comes to interviewing. They focus on skills and experience — things that have already been clearly laid out in the resume. Skills must be addressed but there is more to the process. Instead of scrutinizing the resume, use the time to assess the candidate’s alignment with the actual job and your company culture. Do they seem motivated about this particular job? Is it a good cultural fit? Will they be happy in the role? Will other people like working with them? Skills are important but ultimately cultural fit is a giant factor in whether a new hire stays with you for a long time.

Franklin Templeton’s Voice of the American Workplace Survey has three critical takeaways for hiring managers and HR. 1 - The biggest challenges today are employee turnover, outsized expectations and declining loyalty 2 - Employees are under tremendous financial stress, and that influences how they make job decisions 3 - Employers think they’re addressing employee needs, but they’re not always doing a great job This last point is especially important for HR leaders to consider. You might be able to rattle off a list of perks and benefits you offer your employees. But are they the right ones? And are employees actually taking advantage of them? I talk to people every day looking for new jobs, and leaving companies that seem great on paper but aren’t delivering what employees expect. Make sure you know what your employees need and make sure you deliver rather than just talking about it.

Why do ghost job ads exist? Companies are hiring internally but have a compliance obligation to post the job publicly anyway. There is no job; the company is just “always open to new people” if the perfect person comes along. Collecting good applicants “just in case” of turnover seems smart. One researcher recently found 1.7 million potential ghost jobs listed on LinkedIn in the US alone. So how is a for-real candidate supposed to parse the ghost jobs from the actual openings? One great way is to work with a good recruiter. We know (usually) what jobs are real, and we can connect you with the right people to land them.

Most people think of recruiters when they need to hire a key role quickly. But what about your succession planning? This is another area in which a recruiter can be a key asset. Recruiters can help in very specific ways… - Leadership talent scouting to find talent with future leadership potential - Internal candidate assessment to help you evaluate your own talent marketplace - Succession strategy consulting so your plan aligns with your long-term business strategy As well as the obvious — executive search and placement. While it can be hard to widen your view of talent enough to engage in proactive succession planning, a recruiter can help manage the process so you’re better prepared for the future of your leadership.

If you want to get better at a vocation, you hire a professional to train you. If you need legal help, you hire a lawyer. And if you’re hoping to hire a stellar, above average, candidate - hire a recruiter. A good recruiter has the specific skills and the broader network to help you tap into the right candidate pool and take the appropriate steps to launch an interviewing and vetting process. A recruiter also provides a reasonable buffer between you and potential hires so that you can make informed, methodological decisions without emotional component. If you’d like to launch a new search or even just have an exploratory conversation, let me know.