Transitioning Back to the Office: A Legal Perspective for Michigan Employers

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590774650609{margin-bottom: -50px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1590774405045{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 50px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_single_image image=”27728″ img_size=”300×300″ alignment=”center” el_class=”aaron-head”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590774666033{margin-top: -50px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1590777055054{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 50px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;}” el_class=”box-shadow-without-border”][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text]

Transitioning Back to the Office: A Legal Perspective for Michigan Employers

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Featuring Michigan Attorney A. Vince Colella[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Plans for the future of working life vary immensely from company to company. Some organizations have announced permanent work from home plans, while others have announced their intent to return to the office in waves or shifts. Some are sticking with remote work until they have more information, planning to make decisions sometime next year.

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1590778470616{padding-top: 25px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]

Given how much is at stake, we reached out to A. Vince Colella, founding partner of Moss & Colella, P.C., a Southfield, Michigan-based law firm, for his legal perspective on the issue.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”27726″ img_size=”” css=”.vc_custom_1592580031380{margin-right: 20px !important;margin-left: 20px !important;}”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]Are employers liable if an employee gets COVID-19? What if a visitor to the office contracts it? How should employers handle employees who don’t want to return to the office?

Without further ado, here’s what we learned:

 

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590774666033{margin-top: -50px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1590776796912{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 50px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;}” el_class=”box-shadow-with-border”][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_column_text]

How do I protect my employees’ health and mitigate my liability as an employer?

 

“If you do open the office, you’ll need to follow guidelines from the CDC and OSHA closely,” Colella says. “To protect your employees and any visitors to your offices, and to mitigate your liability, you’ll need to take temperatures, keep health logs, disinfect surfaces, wear masks, practice social distancing, and so on. In Michigan, you’ll find all relevant guidelines under Executive Order 2020-70, section 11a.”

You can find the Executive Order here.

If you follow all the guidelines, being held liable for the contraction of COVID-19 by any of your employees or visitors will be unlikely. Why? As long as you’re following the recommended procedures, you’ll have done everything reasonably expected of you.  Not to mention – it would be very hard to prove that your office is the ONLY place a person could have contracted the virus.

Colella adds: “Just because you won’t be held liable doesn’t mean your employee won’t be taken care of in the case that they contract the virus. They’ll be covered by the Worker’s Compensation statute.” Their medical expenses will be covered, and you’ll hold their job for them until they recover. Once they do, you restore them to their job, and they won’t be able to sue you for pain and suffering.

Colella goes on: “Of course, you’ll want to weigh your options. Will the benefits of returning to the office justify the expense and disruption brought on by new safety procedures?” For some offices – especially the really large ones – the rigors of the safety procedures may make it impossible to bring everyone back. In many cases, sticking to remote work may be the more reasonable option until the threat of COVID-19 passes.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590774666033{margin-top: -50px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1590776817170{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 50px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;}” el_class=”box-shadow-with-border”][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_column_text]

How should employers handle employees who don’t feel comfortable returning to the office?

 

As you make the transition back into the office, you can expect some employees to voice concerns. Colella explains: “First, you’ve got to take their concerns seriously. People may have co-morbidities that make returning to the office a scary prospect.”

Even without co-morbidities, many people are working through a lot of fear. So, how tolerant do you need to be of people who want to stay remote? The answer depends on how reasonably you can accommodate them.

“If productivity depends on employees’ physical presence, then it’s reasonable to require their return,” says Colella. “If their job can be done remotely – and in the past few months, it’s been proven that many jobs can be done remotely – then it’s in your best interest as an employer to accommodate them.”

 

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590774666033{margin-top: -50px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1590776824259{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 50px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;}” el_class=”box-shadow-with-border”][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_column_text]

When can we expect work life to return to normal?

 

Of course, it’s the standard answer: we have no crystal ball. But be sure to check on the CDC and OSHA guidelines periodically, as they will change and presumably relax as the virus becomes less of a threat. In Michigan, Colella points out, the executive order incorporates the CDC’s and OSHA’s guidelines into law – so, if you follow the guidelines (however they change over time), you’ll be following the law.

 

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590774666033{margin-top: -50px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1590777063235{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 50px !important;background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}” el_class=”box-shadow-without-border”][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1590776664778{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

let us know if we can help

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1571085449280{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]

SEND US A MESSAGE

[/vc_column_text][wpforms id=”27272″ title=”false” description=”false”][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Will We Work from Home Forever?

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590774650609{margin-bottom: -50px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1590774405045{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 50px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_single_image image=”27710″ img_size=”300×300″ alignment=”center” el_class=”aaron-head”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590774666033{margin-top: -50px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1590777055054{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 50px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;}” el_class=”box-shadow-without-border”][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text]

Will We Work from Home Forever?

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]by Aaron Chernow  •  06/01/2020

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]There’s nothing like looking up after a few hours of deep focus—head still very much in the work—only to be yanked back into reality by a request to take out the garbage.

Over the past couple of months, work and personal life have co-mingled more than ever.

I think “work-life balance” has never been a useful concept. Achieving work-life balance is a lot like trying to balance time spent thinking with time spent breathing. Work is not separate from life – it’s a part of life.

That’s always been true. But we feel it more now.

There’s a great quote attributed to James Michener:

 

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1590778470616{padding-top: 25px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27716″ img_size=”200×150″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]The specifics of our lives shift – where and how we spend our time can change from second to second. But when we’re the masters of our lives, all our activities in their many forms are bound together and made cohesive by our “vision of excellence.”

Or, in other words, by our foundational values.

On a practical level, the order of our priorities fluctuates from day to day according to urgency and importance. If an employee calls me and needs my help, I’m going to help, whether it’s outside work hours or not. And when important personal events happen during working hours, I’ll shift to give them my full attention.

Feeling good about how you prioritize comes down to being sure that you have clear values.

Our values as leaders, employees, and as people have been put to the test. Some values we held closely before the pandemic are going to fade, while others have already begun to loom larger and larger.

Here’s a set of (obvious) conflicting values: how do you weigh the power of in-person community against the fear of disease?

Your answer will also color your response to this question: Will the office return to its central position in our working lives, or are will we mostly work from home… forever?

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590774666033{margin-top: -50px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1590776796912{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 50px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;}” el_class=”box-shadow-with-border”][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_column_text]

The last couple months have put the #WFH movement to the test.

 

True, it hasn’t been a clean experiment. The Coronavirus and all its consequences are confounding variables. The virus has dragged all sorts of fear, hardship, and grief into our lives (and home offices) that aren’t usually there. When people are productive working from home in these circumstances, it’s despite many, many obstacles.

But I wonder, as many have: once stay-at-home orders are lifted and the economy opens back up, how will our newly formed fears and desires reshape the workplace? Will we give up the office and embrace distributed teams as a permanent and logical way to operate?

Before the pandemic, I never fully embraced the WFH movement because I thought it would lead to too many losses – of energy, culture, community.

For some leaders, working from home is a scary proposition because they think accountability disappears as soon as employees know their boss can’t surprise them by walking in the room. But that’s really a hiring problem, not a remote work problem. This time has certainly proven that I have the right people on my team.

My concern has more to do with understanding the people with whom I work and sharing in the collective energy. I love walking around my office, reading people’s faces and body language. Management by walking around – for me – isn’t about making sure people are at their desks working. It’s about intuiting their wellbeing, figuring out if they need something to help them thrive, and sharing in the momentum of the group.

I miss being able to do that.

As an “essential” worker, I’ve spent many hours over the past 7 weeks at an office that usually houses 120 employees, but instead has had only 4. The experience has thrown into sharp relief what a difference a community makes – without one, there’s so much less spirit and drive.

The Brightwing team has already spent so much time together building relationships, and that has made the abrupt transition to remote work easier. We have video calls. We even use Zoom or FaceTime to be together while working separately. Telepresence has absolutely helped us through this big change.

But it’s a very different story when teambuilding is virtual from the start.

 

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590774666033{margin-top: -50px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1590776817170{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 50px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;}” el_class=”box-shadow-with-border”][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_column_text]

The WFH movement has had its ups and downs over the last few decades.

 

IBM had a highly distributed work force from the 1980s until they worked to bring them back on-location in 2018. Yahoo had a remote work policy until Marissa Mayer ended it in 2013. #WFH evangelists are shouting from the rooftops, now, about how finally we’ll all experience what they’ve been preaching.

On one hand, it’s been shown that remote workers are on average more productive than their in-office peers.

But on the other hand, sharing an office allows for spontaneous collaboration and innovations that could outweigh gains in productivity (named the “water cooler effect”).

Distributed teams allow you to cut overhead costs, but team- and culture-building become significantly more difficult.

A hybrid model may be the right solution. We’ve had a flexible model at Brightwing for years, but it’ll require some tweaking as we re-open the office.

Here are a few considerations:

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/5″][vc_single_image image=”25199″ img_size=”75×75″ alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1590779058574{padding-bottom: 15px !important;}”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”4/5″][vc_column_text]WFH days could be reserved for deep work and in-office days for collaboration and coordination.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_separator][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/5″][vc_single_image image=”25200″ img_size=”75×75″ alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1590779052198{padding-bottom: 15px !important;}”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”4/5″][vc_column_text]Company- or department- wide WFH schedules may be set. When everyone can choose their own WFH day(s) of the week, the office can feel half-empty every day. If everyone works from home on Wednesdays, the office is full and energetic for the other 4 days.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/5″][vc_single_image image=”25196″ img_size=”75×75″ alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1590779042192{padding-bottom: 15px !important;}”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”4/5″][vc_column_text]Make your sick day policy generous, and genuinely encourage staying home at even the first sign of illness.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590774666033{margin-top: -50px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1590776824259{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 50px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;}” el_class=”box-shadow-with-border”][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_column_text]

I do know this – whatever answer we arrive at for Brightwing, it won’t be permanent.

 

Like we’ve learned and recently felt so acutely, circumstances change quickly. And we need to recognize the change and respond as well as we can.

In a month we may mix remote and office work, and in a year, we may need to throw in options for working from the moon. But as a team with a clear set of values, I know we’ll rise to the occasion.

 

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590775991071{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1590774666033{margin-top: -50px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1590777063235{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 50px !important;background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}” el_class=”box-shadow-without-border”][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639426930921{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

let us know if we can help

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1571085449280{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]

SEND US A MESSAGE

[/vc_column_text][wpforms id=”27272″ title=”false” description=”false”][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

3 #WFH Tips from the Experts

,

[vc_row gap=”35″][vc_column width=”8/12″ css=”.vc_custom_1585147951750{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Everyday, we hear another announcement that a tech giant’s employees can expect to work from home permanently.

Even for those who still plan to return to the office, the road back may be longer than we thought.

How do we adapt to our new circumstances?

Watch the video below for 3 pieces of advice from the experts. And keep scrolling for some of the best resources on how to thrive in remote work.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QKLfPxMfbI”][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_column_text]Transcript of the Video

Remote work isn’t going anywhere. And that raises a lot of questions.

How do you avoid burnout over the long term? How do you strengthen team bonds? How do you motivate (and stay motivated)?

Here are 3 pieces of #WFH advice from the experts…

 

1.  It’s all about the boundaries, baby!

 

The pre-pandemic commute was useful. It helped you shift mental gears.

Dr. Sara Perry of Baylor University says you need to preserve that mental shift when you’re at home — “even if you’re just moving from one spot on the couch to the other.” Set a time to end the workday, and stick to it! Put your work things away and make room for home life.

Dr. Perry says it’s critical to do this because “you’re already being challenged in terms of your personal resources. You still have to take that recovery time from work.”

(Jen A. Miller, “How to Work From Home, If You’ve Never Done It Before,” NY Times)

 

 

2.  All you have to do is call… you’ve got a friend!

 

“When there’s no office to influence spontaneous informal communication, you must be intentional to weave it into your day.

Create an always-on video conferencing room that your team can work from. (And remember, in a remote setting, it’s OK to look away!

Schedule regular virtual coffee chats and happy hours using a video call.”

(The Remote Playbook from the largest all-remote company in the world, Gitlab)

 


3.  Eyes on the prize!

 

“In remote work, we don’t need micromanagers. We need ‘macromanagers‘ to highlight our contribution to the team and reinforce the broader purpose of our work. One of the most meaningful parts of a manager’s job is making other people’s jobs more meaningful.”

(Adam Grant, Organizational Psychologist at Wharton School of Business)

As a leader, connect projects to the larger story. Why is it important? How does it get us closer to achieving our goals? What progress have we made?

As a team member, ask the questions that get you (and the rest of the team) to see the “why.”

 

 

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”150px”][vc_column_text]

Great Resources for Remote Work

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_column_text]

 

 

Do you have your own #wfh tips? Let us know and join the conversation![/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/12″ css=”.vc_custom_1585148386924{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}” offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_column_text]

contact us:

[/vc_column_text][wpforms id=”27251″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585077239375{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27540) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639173732696{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

talk to a brightwing recruiter

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1571085449280{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]

SEND US A MESSAGE

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][wpforms id=”27272″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

How to Build Trust & Confidence in the Virtual Hiring Process

,

[vc_row][vc_column width=”4/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1585081315933{margin-right: 20px !important;margin-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]The interview and hiring process has gone completely virtual.

For most, this marks a big change in the way hiring gets done. Sure, we’re all used to preliminary screening phone calls and even first interviews over video conference calls. But the process usually culminates with an in-person meeting.

In the recent past, we’ve had the means to hire virtually, but not the will.

Why? We often avoided going all-virtual because some of the data we process when we make hiring and career decisions comes from non-verbal cues that are easier to decipher in person.

We ask: How well would we get along with this person? How well would they get along with the team? And the answers can depend a lot on the quality of in-person interactions.

Now that hiring needs to happen virtually, how can employers learn enough about their candidates to feel confident making an offer?

And on the other side, without visiting the office and meeting the team in person, how can candidates get comfortable enough with a new employer to accept an offer?

 

 

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_column_text]

Getting to the Offer

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_separator][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]The basics of an excellent hiring process remain the same, virtual or not.

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1586893838228{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-left: 10px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”5/12″ css=”.vc_custom_1586894385955{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_id=”box-shadow”][vc_single_image image=”27603″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1586895993812{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1586893371065{background-color: #f4f4f4 !important;}”]

FOR EMPLOYERS

[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” el_width=”20″ accent_color=”#cecece”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1586896135481{padding-right: 22px !important;padding-left: 22px !important;background-color: #f4f4f4 !important;}”]

Get very clear on which skills and strengths are most important in the role; use assessments to check on required skills; check references and use interviews to assess soft skills and personality fit.

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/12″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”5/12″ css=”.vc_custom_1586894377488{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_id=”box-shadow”][vc_single_image image=”27604″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1586896065247{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1586893617608{background-color: #f4f4f4 !important;}”]

FOR CANDIDATES

[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” el_width=”20″ accent_color=”#cecece”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1586896138847{padding-right: 12px !important;padding-left: 12px !important;}”]

Know what your strengths are and what you need in an employer to perform at your best; use the interview process to investigate what the employer’s goals are and discover how you would help to achieve them as part of the team.

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/12″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1587132077084{margin-top: 40px !important;padding-bottom: 100px !important;}”]Here’s what’s changed: with virtual hiring, the hard part is getting comfortable with the “get to know you” part.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1586897102280{margin-top: 100px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”]

Building Trust Virtually

[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1586896844548{margin-top: 50px !important;margin-bottom: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 50px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”27614″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Video calls can be awkward – people accidentally talking over each other, unnatural pauses, accidental distractions. Whatever you do, don’t rush. Give yourself the time to get to know the person on the other end of the call. Start with a short video interview – enough to get a first impression. Then, with your best candidates, schedule a longer video call.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1586896834006{margin-top: 50px !important;margin-bottom: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 50px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”27615″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]When you’re in the same room, it’s a bit easier to get an understanding of what someone is like. Even without explicit questions, you can sense their communication style and respond to their body language. In a video call, you don’t have access to that kind of non-verbal data. So sub in a different but similar data set: ask them about their interests and about what they do in their free time and volunteer that information about yourself.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1586896838426{margin-top: 50px !important;margin-bottom: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 50px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”27616″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Adjustments to your video call technique will help you come across as more engaged and present. It’ll also bring the virtual interaction closer to the real thing, and comfort on both sides of the interview will increase.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]

  1. Get the set up right. If you’re using a laptop, put it on a box or a stack of books and set it a bit back. You want your head and shoulders in the frame so that it feels like you’re sitting across the table from each other. Natural light is best, and make sure you’re not backlit. That way, the other person can see your face and read your expressions easily.
  2. Minimize distractions. That means not only silencing your phone, but also turning off email notifications, as well as anything else that could interrupt your conversation. Wearing bright, solid colors helps your face to pop on camera. Patterned or shiny fabrics work fine in in-person interviews, but in the two-dimensional world of virtual conversations, they siphon attention away from what you have to say.
  3. Perfect your video call body language. It’s natural when you’re on your computer to sit back and curve your head and shoulders toward the screen. In an interview, don’t. Whether you’re the one asking or answering the questions, you want to exude a strong presence. Sit on the edge of your chair. It’ll be easier to have good posture and project your voice.
  4. Eye contact on a video chat can be tricky. For more natural-feeling conversation, it’s easy to look at the other person’s face. But to simulate true eye contact, you’d have to look directly into the camera. Consider looking into the camera when you’re talking and looking at the screen when the other person speaks.

See the subtle but powerful difference it makes:[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1586898028620{margin-top: 15px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”27613″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”27611″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/12″ css=”.vc_custom_1586980478575{background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}” offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_column_text]

contact us:

[/vc_column_text][wpforms id=”27251″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078267198{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639175168089{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

let’s talk your career

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1571085449280{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]

SEND US A MESSAGE

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][wpforms id=”27272″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[VIDEO] How NOT to Lose a Millennial in Two Years

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1574868853781{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column_text]

contact us:

[/vc_column_text][wpforms id=”27251″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1573242552154{margin-right: 20px !important;margin-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/qtql_ybRRJY”][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_column_text]

Jonathan Gourwitz, Brightwing’s VP of Sales & Delivery, weighs in on how to retain Millennial talent:

 

The recruitment of Millennials is a hot topic in our industry right now. Every couple of years a new generation gets carved out, and there’s a great deal of analysis in terms of “How do we hire these individuals?” and “What are they looking for?”

 

Here are some key takeaways:

→ Millennials don’t expect to be in the same role, or even in a similar role, for more than 2 or 3 years

→ Develop a zig zag growth path that will keep Millennials engaged in your organization over the next 10 or 15 years, instead of just the next two.

→ Clearing the way for upward and sideways mobility will be worth the investment. The alternative—replacing talent every two years—is expensive.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_separator][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_column_text]

Get to know more about Brightwing

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1579270472578{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27160″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/employers/information-technology/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27161″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/employers/engineering-design/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27162″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/employers/finance-accounting/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1579270467585{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27159″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/employers/operations/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27185″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/who-we-are/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27182″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/careers/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078379796{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639173573273{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

let’s get to know each other

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1571085449280{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]

SEND US A MESSAGE

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][wpforms id=”27272″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[VIDEO] Will Millennials Kill the Traditional Office?

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1574868853781{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column_text]

contact us:

[/vc_column_text][wpforms id=”27251″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1573242552154{margin-right: 20px !important;margin-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1txf_eTFuTk”][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_column_text]

Jonathan Gourwitz, Brightwing’s VP of Sales & Delivery, weighs in on Millennials’ influence on the American workplace:

 

“If a job does not need to be done in a traditional 9-5 environment, then Millennials want to go to work on their time, in their way, in whatever location they want to work.

I don’t think that it’s just Millennials that want to operate that way. I think that it’s become something that many generations are looking for.

But what’s funny is we also find that there is a strong desire to be a part of a team. And so while very often Millennials want to work independently and remotely, they also don’t want to be alone. So they like teamwork. 

 

People want flexibility. But they also have a strong desire to be a part of the community. The key is to give employees the power to decide where to work, instead of mandating it.

 

Years ago I was with an organization, and we hired several Millennials. We built an office space for them that was really kind of a hotel space where they had the option of coming in every single day or working remote every single day.

Our expectation was that we would never see these Millennials again once we brought them onboard.

What we found very quickly was about 80% of them showed up to that office every single day because they liked the community, they liked the team environment.

They also liked the ability to not be there every single day and to have the flexibility, but they liked the fact that it was their decision. It wasn’t mandated. They had the ability to determine what their career looked like.

I think we spend too much time focusing on flexibility. I think it’s something people want, but I think that there’s also still a strong desire to be a part of the community, to be a part of a team, and to have that interaction  

 

The best organizations are going to find a healthy balance of remote work and in-person community building.

 

It’s very difficult to recognize your purpose when you don’t see the rest of the organization.

To understand how you fit in and how you contribute if you never see your colleagues or  your bosses in person — it’s difficult to do.

So I think the best organizations are going to understand what work can be done remote, but always give the option to let their employees come in and be with each other every single day.

There’s value in team building, there’s value in relationship building, and I think the goal for every organization moving forward is to find that healthy mix — flexibility along with community building [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_separator][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_column_text]

Get to know more about Brightwing

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1579270472578{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27160″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/employers/information-technology/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27161″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/employers/engineering-design/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27162″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/employers/finance-accounting/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1579270467585{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27159″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/employers/operations/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27185″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/who-we-are/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27182″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/careers/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078401474{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639175382229{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

let’s get to know each other

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1571085449280{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]

SEND US A MESSAGE

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][wpforms id=”27208″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

47 Years Disqualifying Candidates & Clients: Why Brightwing May Not Be For You

,

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1574868853781{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column_text]

contact us:

[/vc_column_text][wpforms id=”27251″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1573242552154{margin-right: 20px !important;margin-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]

Brightwing is not for everyone.

 

And everyone is not for us.

Why? Because expertise requires focus.

We know the difference between a good candidate and a great one. Between hiring managers that will do what it takes to get what they need, and those that won’t. Between the workplaces that are the right fit for our candidates, and those that aren’t. And we’ve got the gumption to act on what we know and stand for.

We say no to clients who don’t value bringing on the right people or won’t commit to the in-depth process honed over 50 years that will get them there.

We say no to candidates that wouldn’t do us proud.

And the same is true for the way we build the team at Brightwing.

→  We hire people who are driven to stretch their abilities and accomplish their goals.

→  We work with companies that make their way in the world with purpose and care.

→  We fight to give candidates opportunities to realize their potential.

 

Handpicking clients and candidates since ‘73

 

With the launch of the new Brightwing brand and website, we are aiming a spotlight at what it means to rule out opportunities.

We are laser-focused on delivering the most value for our clients and for our talent. We choose which opportunities to pursue carefully, always asking “will our expertise and approach drive the kind of results they need?”

We know to say no when it’s the right thing to do. Because saying yes to less lets us do more.

#DisqualifyOrDie[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_separator][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_column_text]

Get to know more about Brightwing

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1579270472578{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27160″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/employers/information-technology/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27161″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/employers/engineering-design/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27162″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/employers/finance-accounting/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1579270467585{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27159″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/employers/operations/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27185″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/who-we-are/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27182″ img_size=”235×235″ onclick=”custom_link” css_animation=”flipInX” link=”https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/careers/#!/”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078420929{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639173316164{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

let’s get to know each other

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1571085449280{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]

SEND US A MESSAGE

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][wpforms id=”27272″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[VIDEO] How to Hire as the 4th Industrial Revolution Launches

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1574868853781{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column_text]

contact us:

[/vc_column_text][wpforms id=”27251″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1573242552154{margin-right: 20px !important;margin-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]

How will AI and automation change work life? How do you prepare as an employee and potential jobseeker? As an employer? Watch as Brightwing VP of Sales & Delivery Jonathan Gourwitz gives his take.

 

We are on the cusp of what many are referring to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. So what is the Fourth Industrial Revolution? It’s automation, robotics, AI, blockchain, the internet of things. Essentially anything that can be automated. Any duty that is highly transactional and repetitive is no longer going to be done by a human being, it’s going to be done by software. 

 

“The Fourth Industrial Revolution – the proliferation of AI – will mean that the most valuable employees and candidates will be the ones with the strongest strategic and analytical skills.”

 

We are no longer hiring based on duties you’ve performed in the past. We’re hiring based on your ability to be strategic, to analyze and have strong analysis skills. Because the idea of sitting at a transactional job in the next ten years is probably going to go away. But we’re going to see a tremendous amount of data. It’s going to free up a lot of time for individuals. Being able to take the information we get from these systems and then analyze and be strategic and put that into play, that’s really what companies are looking for right now. 

 

“The savviest companies aren’t hiring based on duty experience anymore. Instead, they’re focusing on deliverables – what you can do with the information given to you.”

 

So it’s less about the duties you’ve performed in the past. It’s really more a matter of how you can take stock of what’s going on in an organization and the data that you’re seeing, then do analysis and be strategic and put that into play in an organization. Not every company is operating that way right now, but the more savvy organizations are no longer looking strictly at duty experience. It’s really more a matter of deliverables and what can you do with the information provided to you and how can you then analyze and put that into play.

 

 

Brightwing has always known that having a cutting-edge tech stack is good, but it’s not enough to make a recruiting firm great. Our recruiters are ready for the future of hiring. Are you? Let’s talk.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078443520{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}” el_class=”kd-news-cta-holder”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639428729590{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

let’s get to know each other

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1571085449280{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]

SEND US A MESSAGE

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner content_placement=”middle”][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][wpforms id=”27272″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[VIDEO] As AI & Automation Take Hold, What Will Happen to Recruiting?

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1574868853781{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column_text]

contact us:

[/vc_column_text][wpforms id=”27251″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1573242552154{margin-right: 20px !important;margin-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]

Watch Brightwing VP of Sales & Delivery Jonathan Gourwitz discuss how technology will change recruiting.

 

The more certain parts of our jobs are automated, meaning the resume screening, the sourcing – the high-touch transactional parts of our role are going to go away. It’s going to be done by software and technology.

 

“As transactional tasks are automated away, the most successful recruiters will be focused on building connection.”

 

The individuals that are going to be successful in recruiting moving forward are going to be the ones that are very good at building connection with their clients and their candidates. Building that relationship to understand everything that can’t be found in a resume, everything that can’t be found in an employment history.

 

“You are not just an accumulation of the jobs you’ve done in the past. You’re also your potential ability moving forward.”

 

You are not just an accumulation of jobs you’ve done in the past. You’re also your potential ability moving forward, and that’s where we want to be spending our time. The recruiters that have a high interest in building relationships and understanding what somebody is looking for, and really making it their passion to go out and deliver that, that’s the future of our industry. Much less a matter of calling 50 resumes and doing a quick, you know, do you have the skill set screen.

 

“The future of our business is going to be even more relationship-driven than it has been in the past.”

 

It’s really more a matter of we know you have the skill set now, what more are you looking for aside from the duties you’ll be performing and the pay you’ll be making. Because when somebody accepts a job, it’s always more than that. It’s company culture, it’s how they interact with their manager, it’s: do their ethics align with the organization’s ethics? And while there are going to be ways technology can help us with that, it will never do as well as a human-to-human interaction will. So, the future of our business is even more so relationship-driven than it has been in the past. I think that’s a great thing.

 

Brightwing has always known that having a cutting-edge tech stack is good, but it’s not enough to make a recruiting firm GREAT. Our recruiters are ready for the future of hiring. Are you? Let’s talk.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078526715{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639428692913{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

let’s get to know each other

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1571085449280{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]

SEND US A MESSAGE

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][wpforms id=”27272″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[VIDEO] Meet Jeff & Jeff from Brightwing DFW

, , ,

[vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1574868853781{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column_text]

contact us:

[/vc_column_text][wpforms id=”27251″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1573242552154{margin-right: 20px !important;margin-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zkYunpKMFw” el_width=”70″][vc_column_text]

Meet Jeff Borra and Jeff Genovich, co-managers of Brightwing’s Dallas-Fort Worth office.

 

What’s most exciting about the Dallas-Fort Worth market?

 

Jeff B: It’s a really diverse market.

 

Jeff G: What isn’t there to be excited about the Dallas market?

 

Jeff B: It actually has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the entire country. It had the most amount of jobs in the last year alone in any city in the country, too. So there’s a lot going on. A lot of growth, a lot of opportunity and a lot of people we can help.

 

What do you love about the Dallas team?

 

Jeff G: I just like how well we get along together outside the office and inside the office. We’re more than willing to have tough discussions with each other and work hard together and hold each other accountable. But at the end of the day we’re just one big happy family. That’s what I love most about our team.

 

What motivates you?

 

Jeff B: When you work with clients, you’re trying to solve problems, you’re trying to solve issues that they’re having. And if you can resolve those by finding that next great candidate, once you do it’s a really rewarding feeling. And even when you’re working with candidates and they may already have a job, they may be in the market looking, but once you find that new opportunity… I mean, your job outside of your family is one of the most important things, and it’s great having a huge impact on people like we do.

 

Jeff G: That’s the candidate and client side, but our team. Just making sure that they can provide for their families and helping them develop and grow and just watching them blossom is very, very rewarding for both of us.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”join the brightwing team” style=”custom” custom_background=”#ffc600″ custom_text=”#0a0a0a” shape=”round” size=”lg” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com%2Fcareers%2F|title:Brightwing%20Careers||”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078540319{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639422885902{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

let’s get to know each other

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1571085449280{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]

SEND US A MESSAGE

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][wpforms id=”27272″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

3 Recruiting Insiders on Urgency in Hiring

,

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1574868853781{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column_text]

contact us:

[/vc_column_text][wpforms id=”27251″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1573242552154{margin-right: 20px !important;margin-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Here are tips from 3 Brightwing talent consultants on what it takes to meet urgent needs in this candidate-driven market…

 

1. How to beat the competition when the clock is ticking for in-demand talent…

 

“Earlier this year, I worked with a client whose hiring process unfolded SO WELL that I need to call it out.

A software engineering manager from a major tier 1 auto supplier reached out to me about a candidate I’d posted about on LinkedIn. She took my call even though she was in China on business.

→ #1: she didn’t sleep on good talent (literally!) Turns out the candidate had another offer on the table, but wasn’t 100% sold. So, the hiring manager had one shot. I gave her some guidance: 1) Gather every decision maker including HR, and let’s get everything done in a single interview; 2) Move fast!! The next day, they bring in our candidate to meet with all stakeholders in a single interview.

→ #2: they adapted the hiring process to match the urgency of the situation. After the interview, they made their decision quickly. The candidate had an offer in-hand (for exactly what he was asking for) by the end of the following day.

→ #3: They took decisive, quick action! The client’s flexibility, speed and fair offer landed them an A+ candidate who is currently thriving within their organization. That’s how hiring should work…every time.”

– Steve Ermak, Engineering Talent Consultant

 

2. How to qualify client needs properly to land the talent who fits best…

 

“I was recently in discussions with a VP of Finance about her hiring needs for the coming year. Problem was, I’d heard whispers about the company’s bad reputation.

And bad reputations are problematic on a bunch of levels.

But whispers are one thing, and first-hand knowledge is another. So I go out to meet the team in person.

Why? We need to learn about the culture, the day-to-day atmosphere, in person. We need to meet the people that our candidates could potentially be working for… 1 – to weed out the opportunities that we wouldn’t feel good about matching candidates with 2 – to understand the environment so we can qualify the candidates who’d thrive there 3 – to be able to pitch the company well to candidates.

Turns out – the bad reputation was based on a misperception about their industry. The more I talked to them, the more excited I got about their mission. They were doing something valuable and didn’t deserve the bad rap at all. Digging deeper not only let me find a client worth partnering with – but it also put me in a great position to get candidates as excited about the opportunity as I was. Goes to show: qualifying with the intention of DISqualifying can lead to surprising – and great – results.”

– Joe Dombles, Finance & Accounting Talent Consultant

 

3. How to use “working interviews” after proper qualification of both the client and candidate…

 

” ‘I need a bookkeeper yesterday.’

I had a client in a tough situation. The bookkeeper put in her 2 weeks’ notice. He really wanted to find a replacement before she left so they could get some training. The office couldn’t manage without a bookkeeper for any extended period of time.

Enter: the working interview.

Because of the crazy time crunch, we sent a candidate we were super confident about to work for a day at the office.

The candidate had the time & was excited: career change is a big deal. Spending time with your new potential team is a great way to know whether it’s a good move. The client was happy to give it a shot: if it worked out, problem solved! If not, the risk was ours – Brightwing would pay for the day.

A day after the working interview, I got some seriously happy messages from the client & candidate. They’d decided to take the leap together and make it official. Not the answer for every situation, but in the right circumstances, working interviews are a very effective way to make a decision for everyone involved.

– Dan Start, Finance & Accounting Talent Consultant[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078553380{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639422591928{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

let’s get to know each other

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1571085449280{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]

SEND US A MESSAGE

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][wpforms id=”27272″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[VIDEO] The Power of Organizational Alignment

,

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1574868853781{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column_text]

contact us:

[/vc_column_text][wpforms id=”27251″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1573242552154{margin-right: 20px !important;margin-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]

Brightwing President George Opitz draws on the example of the mission to the moon to illustrate ideal organizational alignment.

 

Back in 1962, JFK was touring NASA. NASA was the organization that was going to meet his mission. And their mission was to go to the moon.

 

He’s going through the building, and as he is being toured through the building, he sees a janitor with a mop. And so he stops and asks the janitor what he was doing.

 

And the janitor actually looked at him and said: “I’m helping put a man on the moon.”

 

That’s alignment. From the top down.

 

From the president of the United States who announced the mission, all the way down to the janitor at the building in NASA.

 

They were all wanting to get a man on the moon and they knew it.

 

That’s alignment.

 

 

Looking to build your team? At Brightwing, our Talent Acquisition Approach is one-part relationships, one-part insight, and one-part results. We know it’s a recipe that can work for you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078593589{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639423711016{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

let’s get to know each other

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1571085449280{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]

SEND US A MESSAGE

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][wpforms id=”27272″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[VIDEO] The Biggest Mistake Managers Make

, ,

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1574868853781{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column_text]

contact us:

[/vc_column_text][wpforms id=”27251″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1573242552154{margin-right: 20px !important;margin-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]

 

Watch Brightwing President and Management Consultant George Opitz talk about the power of exit interviews and onboarding while building your employee engagement strategy.

 

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made while building employee engagement?

 

GEORGE: We didn’t always have it right. You grow into this. I said this before. It’s not like: “We’re going to have an initiative for a quarter or for a year to create employee engagement.” It really is a commitment.

 

We interviewed this young lady to come into our organization as a recruiter. We loved her when we interviewed her. Everybody did. We brought her on board… and she quit. In her exit interview, which is also important –because when you want to learn and build engagement, you need to exit interview your employees so you understand where the missteps were. If we hadn’t heard this, we never would have gone in the direction we went in.

 

And what happened was even though everybody liked her, everybody was very tight. She had trouble breaking in. She had trouble making connections once she was here because everybody else was already so connected. And we didn’t have a process to help with that. And that’s where we came up with what evolved into our onboarding program.

 

And part of our onboarding program is that everybody who comes into our organization has a mentor that they get assigned to. And that mentorship has nothing to do with their particular job. It has to do with helping them connect with the organization and who the organization is.

 

We would never have figured that out without the exit interview. And I feel real bad that that’s what happened to this individual, but as good as we thought we were already in our assessment of bringing people on board, we had missed something. We had built a great, connected organization. We hadn’t figured out how to bring new people into it. And that’s what we learned out of that.

 

Looking to build your team? At Brightwing, our talent acquisition approach is one-part relationships, one-part insight, and one-part results. We know it’s a recipe that can work for you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078607262{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639423736265{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

let’s get to know each other

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1571085449280{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]

SEND US A MESSAGE

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][wpforms id=”27272″ title=”false” description=”false”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[VIDEO] One Simple Tool for Driving Employee Engagement

, ,

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

 

Watch Brightwing President and Management Consultant George Opitz talk about the power of one-on-ones.

 

 

THE TAKEAWAY

 

Managers should sit down with their direct reports once a week or every other week to find out how things are going and how they can help. Why? It’ll align and engage the organization from top to bottom, making it far likelier that you’ll get where you need to go.

 

Treat one-on-ones as an opportunity to check-in with your employee. Get a gauge on how they’re feeling, what roadblocks they may be facing, what they’re excited about. Let your questions be open-ended and your responses authentic.

 

If you check in only once a month – or quarter, or year, – the utility of the check-in fades away. You want to be able to talk in concrete terms about the work they just completed or have straight ahead of them. That way the conversation is substantive and doesn’t require too much recall. Infrequent touchpoints become abstract all too easily.

 

The key? Make one-on-ones a top priority. Don’t let them fall to the bottom of your list. As a manager, it’s one of the most important tools you have to keep your people on board and your team on track.

 

 

Looking to build your team? At Brightwing, our talent acquisition approach is one-part relationships, one-part insight, and one-part science. We know it’s a recipe that can work for you.

LET’S PARTNER UP. WE CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

 

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Brightwing Wins Crain’s 2019 ‘Cool Place to Work in Michigan’ Award

, ,

 

 

Brightwing, a specialized recruiting and staffing firm headquartered in metro Detroit, recognized for standout company culture by Crain’s Detroit for fourth consecutive year

 
TROY, Mich. (PRWEB) August 08, 2019
 

Brightwing, a specialized recruiting and staffing company headquartered in Troy, Michigan, is happy to announce that they have been recognized as one of Crain’s 2019 Cool Places to Work in Michigan. This is the fourth consecutive year that Brightwing has won the award.

 

“We believe that every person has a right to feel successful at work every day. And so, we’ve worked hard to build an organization that provides people the support and the space to realize their potential,” comments Aaron Chernow, CEO of Brightwing. “We’re honored to be recognized as a great place to work and grateful to our employees for coming in and giving their best every day.”

 

Crain’s coolest places award program was created to recognize companies with outstanding cultures. To measure culture, they weighed the results of an employee survey alongside company benefits and policies. The survey aimed to uncover how well employees understand their company’s long-term strategy, as well as whether they feel they are being trained and prepared for promotion within the organization.

 

“Brightwing culture is not only fun, but it’s also the kind of place that sticks with you in the long term,” notes Brightwing Director of Talent Acquisition Jason Hochstein. “One of our core values is ‘build relationships for life,’ and we apply that not only to our clients and candidates, but also to the team we work side by side with, day after day, year after year.”

 

About Brightwing

 

Founded in 1973, Brightwing is a recruiting and staffing agency dedicated to championing human potential. Brightwing specializes in engineering, information technology, and finance/accounting positions. Brightwing is headquartered in Troy, MI, with offices in Plano, TX, and Davie, FL.

Why You’re Not Closing Job Offers …and 5 Ways to Fix It

, , , ,

 

There are plenty of obvious things that make a job offer attractive. Competitive or above-market pay, bonus opportunities, and benefits all play a part. And it’s all the better when the compelling compensation package comes from an organization with a strong employer brand.

 

But there are also subtle dynamics that attract and repel candidates on the way to the offer. To maximize offer acceptance, you’ve got to help candidates imagine a future where they love working for you and with you.

 

68% of candidates believe that the way you treat them during the hiring process is a direct window into the way you’d treat them as an employee. That means: the experience you gift (or inflict on) your candidate is part of the offer you put on the table.

 

To maximize offer acceptance, you’ve got to help candidates imagine a future where they love working for you and with you. Here are 5 keys to making it nearly impossible to turn down your offer…

 

  1.       Assume there aren’t many good fish in the sea.

 

Of course, you’re interviewing many candidates for just one opening. But never slip into the false impression that the hiring party holds all the power, the job seeker, none.

You’ve got choices, and so does the job seeker.

There isn’t an infinite supply of excellent candidates (even though it may sometimes feel like it). You’ve got to look for what makes each candidate different, and then move fast when you find someone great.

 

  1.       Aim for honesty, not transparency.

 

100% transparency is not the goal. There are plenty of facts or details that don’t need to be passed on to the candidate.

But you should over-communicate progress or lack of progress.

If the process isn’t unfolding the way you said it would, say so and revisit the plan. Be up front and direct about pertinent facts – snags in the timeline, feedback, obstacles – and candidates can imagine a healthy future working relationship predicated on trust and honesty.

 

  1.       Give the gift of your full attention.

 

You’ve got to make the most of the time you’re given with each candidate. That means: you brush up on candidates’ backgrounds before speaking with them. You let interviews run only as long as you both agreed to. And you give candidates your full attention during your discussions. As tempting as it is to sneakily check your phone under the table, that signals to candidates that either you don’t adequately value their time or that you are overwhelmed or distracted as a manager. Neither interpretation is flattering.

Team members thrive when they’re given their managers’ attention. If you take the time to be present with a candidate and get to know who they are as a person and a professional, then you’ll have set the stage for an engaged employee.

 

  1.       Articulate a clear (and shared!) vision of the opportunity.

 

All stakeholders in the process should generally agree about the role and its purpose, and the formal job description should reflect the same line of thought. Of course, there will be variations in the way different people discuss or understand the opportunity. But if a program manager describes goals for the role that have absolutely nothing to do with how a VP describes the same thing, you’re in trouble.

When there are jarring discrepancies between each interviewer’s account of a position, candidates have trouble picturing themselves in the role. That’s the opposite of the desired effect.

You want candidates to be able to envision the contributions they’d make to your organization, so make sure not to let organizational misalignment sully their view.

 

  1.       Give candidates a taste of company life outside the interview room.

 

There’s no doubt you’ve made promises about what your company culture is like – on your website, social media, in conversations, etc. Since you talk the talk, candidates will want to know if you walk the walk.

So, have candidates meet other people both on and off the team. Give them a tour of the office. With a glimpse of the coffee or game room, candidates can envision colleagues that turn into friends. The buzz of a busy office can conjure up thoughts of happy productivity. Give candidates enough data for them to extrapolate the rest of the pretty picture. It’ll help nudge them in the right direction once they’ve got your offer in-hand.

 

 

 

At Brightwing, our talent acquisition approach is one-part relationships, one-part insight, and one-part results. We know it’s a recipe that can work for you.

LET’S PARTNER UP. WE CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

3 Ways to Fail at Employee Onboarding (and How to Avoid Them)

, , ,

 

Nearly a quarter of all new employees leave within a year. And up to 20% of turnover happens within the first 45 days of employment. In the war for talent, poor retention is as good as a dull spear.

 

So how do you stem the tide of early exits? Part of the answer lies in making sure you hire the right people in the first place. The other key, of course, is building, measuring, and continuously improving your onboarding program. A good onboarding program gets your new hires productive, faster. A great program helps turn new hires into loyal, longstanding employees.

 

Here are three ways to botch onboarding, along with examples of how to create a better new hire experience… 

 

Mistake #1:   Encourage new hires to focus solely on their own responsibilities. 

 

On the surface, it may sound logical that new hires should have tunnel vision. It may seem like a faster route to productivity. But if you push them to keep their eyes on their own work, new employees will have a hard time getting a sense of context for their role and finding a sense of purpose for their efforts. 

 

Instead, put thought into how to give new hires as much exposure to other parts of the business, as quickly as possible. Invite new employees to sit in on meetings in other departments. Have them observe client meetings or other types of customer interactions. The point is not for them to understand every detail of what they observe. Instead, early exposure to other parts of the business gives new hires access to a bigger picture. In the long run, understanding the greater business context will empower new hires to contribute more.

 

At Brightwing, for example, no matter what kind of position they’re in, every new hire observes a client meeting and a candidate meeting as part of their onboarding. Building relationships with our candidates and clients is at the heart of our business. It’s important that every single team member understands what that looks like, even if their daily tasks will never put them face-to-face with candidates or clients again.

 

Mistake #2:   Forget the small wins. Ignore the milestones.

 

Who cares if a new hire just mastered a process? Or reached their first goal? It’s expected of them, so why make a fuss about it?

 

There are a few good reasons to make a big deal out of small wins, one of which is psychological: celebrating smaller successes is motivating. It helps people to feel valued and like they’re making progress. Another reason is practical: it brings the team together. 

 

At Brightwing, every new hire gets a welcome bag that includes an onboarding “Passport.” You get a stamp for each milestone you achieve: attending your “Meet & Greet” luncheon, having lunch with your mentor, observing a client visit, beginning cross-training, and the list goes on.

 

At the point of your first-year anniversary, you’re asked to give a presentation at the company monthly meeting reflecting on your experience.

 

The first year is charted out in a fun and manageable way, so that new hires can feel rooted in the team and the culture quickly.

 

Mistake #3:   Depend on a new hire’s manager to do all the heavy lifting.

 

The responsibility of ramping up a new hire rests squarely on the manager’s shoulders. It’s their job to support and develop the team, so involving others is unnecessary, right?

 

Wrong. Not only will that approach burn out your managers, but it will also be less effective for your new hires. Onboarding is best tackled as a broader team exercise.

 

For example, Microsoft recently implemented an “onboarding buddy” pilot program where they paired new hires with peers. They found that the buddy system helped provide context, accelerated speed to productivity, and improved new employee satisfaction.

 

At Brightwing, every new hire is paired with a mentor. The formal relationship lasts for 6 months, but many extend informally beyond that. Mentors and mentees meet once a week so that new employees can get a better understanding of Brightwing’s values and how we live them out. It’s also an opportunity to dive deeper into how the organization functions. We’ve seen that the deliberate relationship-building helps new employees feel more comfortable and confident, faster.

 

At Brightwing, we’re focused on helping our clients build teams that perform at high levels and last for the long haul. Let us help you find amazing people that fit your culture. Let’s partner up. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Why Our Employees Stay 75% Longer Than The Average

, , , ,

You’ve got an incredible Systems Engineer. As a sole contributor, his performance is stellar, and his manager couldn’t be happier. The only problem is, your prized Systems Engineer has his sights set on next steps. He wants to become a program manager and then a people manager.

 

Losing this engineer’s output would be a tough hit for the team. And his manager knows how difficult it would be to replace him. To avoid the expense and lost time, his manager whisks his career ladder away and out of sight. So, Mr. Systems Engineer is trapped in his role with no way up.

 

Naturally, he begins to look for ways out.

 

 

Poor retention begets even poorer retention.

 

Companies don’t promote high performers to management roles because they don’t want to lose their contributions. Those same high performers leave because they want career advancement but can’t get it. Because companies no longer tend to invest in robust training and development programs, there is no rising cohort to take on the vacant roles. Instead, the vacancies are filled by peers poached from competitors. And the cycle goes on. (HBR)

 

The absence of development programs creates a vicious turnover cycle. It also leads to a growing epidemic: employee disengagement. The problem of employee disengagement is far spread and costly: “Gallup estimates disengagement runs companies about a third of the disengaged worker’s salary in lost productivity. Actively disengaged employees cost the U.S. economy $483 billion to $605 billion each year in lost productivity.” (Gallup)

 

 

Breaking the cycle.

 

Organizations stand to gain a lot from improving their engagement and retention rates. When managers feel they have growth opportunities, they become more engaged, which in turn increases their productivity. What’s more – good managers are not only likelier to stay themselves when they’re engaged, but they’re also likelier to keep their team on board.

 

We may never return to a point where people spend their entire careers at one corporation – we may not want to – but we should aim to extend average tenure. The median tenure for employees age 25 to 34 is just over 3 years. Extending that median to 5 to 10 years not only saves organizations on the cost of turnover, but it also makes it easier for organizations to grow. The sales pitch to prospective employees is so much stronger when you can point to teams of people who value your mission and culture enough to stay longer than just a couple of years.

 

 

brightwing employees

How Brightwing does employee retention.

 

When prospective employees find out the average tenure of a Brightwing team member is 8 years, they’re often surprised and intrigued. What is it about Brightwing that keeps people engaged enough to stick around so long?

 

Jason Hochstein – Brightwing’s Talent Acquisition Director – was recently asked that same question. Here’s how he tells the story (see his original LinkedIn post here):

 

 

 

[Full text of Jason’s post]: “The other day I was catching up with a recruiter from another firm. She stopped me mid-sentence: “People usually stay for a year or 2. How is it even possible that people stay at Brightwing for 8 years ON AVERAGE?”

 

The sound of her curiosity (& anger) made me pause.

 

Good question. “We keep the beer fridge stocked at all times, KAREN.”

 

Just kidding. Didn’t say that.

 

I’ve been thinking about it, though. A lot of orgs pay lip service to the same core values. But most DON’T hire & fire by them. Most DON’T reinforce them except at yearly review time. At most orgs, the core values are framed on the wall, but have nothing to do with our lives.

 

When we say “Always be Growing” is a core value, we mean it. It’s baked into the way things work. Managers have regular 1:1s with their people to tackle not just the immediate workload, but also to ask the bigger questions. Where do you want to go? How can we get you there? I see colleagues nominate each other for awards for going out on a limb. I see leadership working with team members to carve out a path that makes sense for them.

 

I think the way we practice “always be growing” keeps people at Brightwing.

 

What keeps you at a job? What prevents you from staying for more than a few years?”

 

Jason captures the essence of how we approach employee retention and engagement. Here’s a little more about our approach to developing our employees:

 

 

We customize development opportunities to fit the needs of each individual.

 

As an organization, we’re committed to our people. That means we invest in them. All of our managers consistently talk to their team members about opportunities to grow.

 

What do these growth opportunities look like? Well, that depends on the person.

 

We have one marketing coordinator, for example, who was performing above and beyond expectations. In their 1 on 1’s each week, her manager gauged her feelings about her weekly tasks and asked her to think about a skill she’d like to focus on developing. Turns out, when she faced limitations with website design in the past, she’d really enjoyed teaching herself how to adjust the CSS and HTML here and there. And she’d gotten the hang of it pretty quickly. So, together with her manager, she identified web development as a key area to focus on. Because they knew she learned best by doing, they found a self-paced online coding course she could work on every Friday. Thanks to her training, she was able to design and launch a new website – an accomplishment she refers to today with pride and satisfaction.

 

A pair of recruiters arrived at a development path quite differently. After being promoted to team leads, these two recruiters were ready for leadership training. We identified a training course that we could bring in-house, and the pair sat down with our Director of HR every week to digest the material and discuss real-life scenarios they encountered as they began to manage their teams. 

 

We have a business development manager who has embraced one-on-one coaching with a sales trainer. We have directors who have chosen to attend seminars on how to have critical conversations with their employees.

 

The point is – professional development is not a one-size fits-all program. Weekly or bi-weekly check-ins allow managers to understand their team members’ goals and progress, and a flexible approach allows us as an organization to find the best focus area and delivery mechanism to suit each individual.

 

 

We embrace non-linear growth paths.

 

What does “career path” mean in today’s market? Most often, there’s not an obvious answer. Depending on the individual’s strengths, interests, and circumstances, each recruiter or business development manager could go one of many ways forward. Whether they’re headed toward a leadership role or not, it’s important for that person to have open doors in front of them.

 

We understand “growth” to be a mindset, rather than a goal you can check off your list. That means as leaders we need to be open to possibilities in whatever form they appear to us.

 

One of our lead recruiters started at Brightwing as an intern 14 years ago. She transitioned into recruiting, then sales, then marketing, and then back into recruiting where she rose in the ranks. Her path was a zig zag. And that’s not an accident. By learning about herself and the business through this variety of roles, she became the incisive, high performing lead recruiter she is today. Her growth as an individual didn’t take an obvious course, but both she and Brightwing benefited from her creativity and flexibility as a professional.

 

 

We give our people the opportunity to put their learning into practice.

 

Professional development is pointless if you don’t give people the opportunity to use it. Theory can only take your organization so far – you need to trust your people to practice it in ways both big and small.

 

Take the case of these two Brightwingers. A business development manager and a recruiter had 10 years at Brightwing between them. An ambitious pair, they wanted to manage and grow a Brightwing branch. Completing a leadership training program at a local university helped them on their way to realizing that goal. The leadership team recognized their potential, and today, they run a fast-growing, fast-paced, and fun branch office.

 

Developing your people is certainly a long-term endeavor. But the return is well-worth the investment. Movement up and around the organization helps our people stay engaged. High employee engagement helps us stay successful in an evolving marketing. And for that all to work, we’ve found a customized approach to employee training and development to be key.

 

 

 

LOOKING TO FIND A JOB WORTH COMMITTING TO? JOIN A COMPANY THAT GIVES YOU THE SUPPORT TO REALIZE YOUR POTENTIAL. BECOME A BRIGHTWINGER! CHECK OUT OUR CAREERS PAGE TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK HERE.

 

 

Does Employer Brand Outweigh …Comp Packages?

, , ,

 

two thirds of candidates scrutinize your brand

 

 

Our brains are designed to compute split-second impressions of people and things. We then drop those impressions into one of many preset categories as a way to shortcut decision-making.

 

In the wild, for example, bright colors usually mean poison. We could take the time to work out the logic every time we come across a bright color in nature. (What do those bright red berries, poison dart frogs, and vibrant snakes have in common? Poison and bright colors!) But instead, our brains make the leap: Bright colors? Stay away!

 

These snap judgments are how we discern what to trust and what not to trust quickly enough to avoid danger.

 

The interesting thing is, we think this way even when our survival does not hang in the balance. When we come across brands, the same almost subconscious process unfolds. Indicators of culture — both subtle and obvious — stir certain instinctive responses in us. 

 

Long before you’re even aware of their existence, a job seeker either accepts or rejects your company based entirely on your brand and reputation. 

 

A job seeker’s first impressions of your company will make or break their decision to accept a job offer — or to even apply to an opening at your company.

 

The results from our recent Brightwing Talent Insights Survey confirm this. 62% of professionals rank brand and reputation as the most important factor while they decide whether to apply to a job or accept an offer.

 

And the internet has multiplied the number of opportunities everyone has to make judgments about your brand.

 

How Your Employer Brand Impacts Your Recruiting

 

The rise in popularity of social platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, on top of mega-networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, has raised the stakes when it comes to employer branding. Social media is where most candidates are already “hanging out.” So, it’s the first place they’ll look for your brand when applying to or interviewing with a company.

 

If your social brand is engaging, you’ll certainly catch their eye. If, on the other hand, your social brand is unappealing or, worse, nonexistent, you’ll be out of the running almost immediately.

 

These platforms enable you to showcase your employer brand in action. Sharing fun photos of company events, timely memes about the state of your industry, or insightful articles can help you appeal to your audience of potential employees.

 

Social media isn’t the end, though. Your website (especially your careers page) and the messaging your talent acquisition team uses in emails, ads and job postings are all reflections of your brand.

 

What Role Candidate Experience Plays in Your Brand

 

Research shows that a large majority of candidates believe the candidate experience indicates how a company values its people. Yet less than half say employers treat candidates with the same level of respect as their current employees. This is a massive disconnect that poses a risk to a company’s overall employer brand.

 

From the moment a candidate interacts with your company via email, phone, or social media, the experience must be positive, respectful, and engaging. This should continue throughout the screening and interview process, all the way through to a candidate’s first day and beyond.  

 

How do these interactions impact your brand? Consider how and where candidates may share their experiences of your hiring process. According to our Brightwing Talent Insights survey, the second most important factor for professionals considering a potential employer is online reviews, via sites like Glassdoor and Great Recruiters. Job seekers will often leave transparent reviews of their candidate experience on these websites. If their experience was less than stellar, that will be a red flag to future candidates, negatively impacting your brand.

 

How Your Brand Is Reflected in Your Company Culture

 

Your company culture is what brings everything full circle. From how it is showcased in your social media accounts and via online review sites to how it is perceived during candidate interviews, your culture is inextricable from your brand.

 

You could have the best marketing in the world with a beautiful website, social feed, and messaging, but if your culture is unappealing, your brand is still negatively impacted. If you’re struggling to attract and retain top talent, it may be time to reevaluate more fundamental aspects of your culture: how do your teams function? how are your core values lived out day-to-day?

 

When components like compensation, benefits, and career path are comparable, it’s your brand and reputation that may make or break a job seeker’s decision. Where do you stack up against the competition?

 

At Brightwing, we advocate for your business, finding you amazing people that fit your culture and delivering the insight you need to truly shine as an employer. Let’s partner up. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Are All Hires Now Purple Squirrels? Recruiting in a 0% Unemployment Market

, , , , ,

 

From the Desk of Jason Hochstein, Director of Talent Acquisition at Brightwing

Your firm just got hit with a great job req (.NET Developer? Corporate Accountant? Quality Engineer? You pick!), and it’s a client you can’t afford to disappoint. Only problem is, every trick up your sleeve and tool in your shed may not be enough to find the right person.

 

That’s the reality of recruiting in a zero-unemployment market: a great – but otherwise ordinary – job req can turn into a hunt for a purple squirrel.

 

You’ve seen with your own eyes the hundreds of amazing jobs out there – with no one there to fill them. With such a ridiculously low unemployment rate, finding the right candidate takes a massive network and a ton of time (not to mention intuition and experience). It’s the reason employers need stellar recruiters more than ever.

 

Here’s what it takes to become the go-to recruiter when there are more jobs than candidates to take them.

 

1. A Brand You Believe In

 

The hardest part of recruiting in a zero-unemployment landscape is that candidates are picky. They’re in the driver’s seat, going full-throttle, with the radio blasting their favorite tune. Most recruiters won’t be heard – or seen – unless they’ve got something truly spectacular to offer.

 

First impressions are everything. Candidates accept or reject you based on your brand and reputation before you even know they exist. As a recruiter, that means your work is cut out for you: your personal brand and your firm’s brand and your client’s brand all matter. A lot.

 

If you really want to attract and recruit amazing candidates, you have to choose to work for a firm that has a brand, vision, and purpose you truly believe in. And you need to choose a firm that’s intentional about the clients they choose to work with. For example, I chose Brightwing because their mission is my mission: we fight for our candidates and clients because we believe in them and because we’re committed to helping them realize their potential. That covers my first two brand bases.

 

The last piece to manage is your personal brand. You probably don’t need me to tell you to be active on LinkedIn – every recruiter knows that. But make sure you post your own take on what’s happening in your field, and that you participate and even land speaking opportunities at conferences, local events and meetups. Get your name out there, and the best professionals will know to come to you when they’re looking for something new.

 

2. A Candidate Experience You Can Be Proud Of

 

Here’s an eye-opening story. In 2014, over 130,000 candidates applied for jobs with Virgin Media. 18% of those candidates were existing customers. But the candidate experience was so bad that more than 7,500 of those customers-turned-candidates canceled their subscriptions, costing the company an estimated $5.4 million in lost revenue – not to mention lost opportunity.

 

Today’s jobseekers have little to no patience for less-than-stellar experiences. You may not be able to choose the ATS your firm uses or decide the steps of the hiring process, but from the moment a candidate interacts with you – through email, LinkedIn, or the phone – you are in charge of the experience.

 

What does that experience look like? It starts with the basic stuff – don’t misspell their name in an email, provide timely follow-up – you know the drill.

 

But what makes for a truly great experience is the time you take to understand and advocate for a candidate’s career goals, help them navigate rejection, walk through negotiations, and more.

 

3. Relationship-Building You Rock At

 

You’ve probably heard of the “post-and-pray” tactic that many recruiters have turned to in desperation. Post a job ad on every available job board and pray to the recruiting gods that the right candidate will magically show up.

 

I’m all for job boards when they’re a part of a comprehensive recruiting strategy, but you need to work the big picture. Our 2019 talent survey revealed that many professionals choose to work with industry-specific recruiters and network on social media instead of digging through job boards.

 

Why? Because recruiters have the kind of intuition and insight that search algorithms don’t.  

 

But candidates won’t get a sense for the value you bring to the table if you approach job placements like transactions.

 

If you work to build relationships with candidates, they will come to learn about the natural advantages you offer. Maybe the first position you approached them about doesn’t sway them, but when another req comes across your desk that’s a better fit, don’t you want them to pick up your phone call? Better yet, when they’re ready to make a move, don’t you want them to call YOU?

 

Building a relationship means spending a little extra time with each candidate to find out what makes them special. The beauty of it is – the extra time works its magic in both directions, and candidates will see what makes you a special recruiter.

 

Recruiting in a zero-unemployment market isn’t easy. But if you are armed with the right resources, attitude, and approach, you’ve got it made.

 

 

Jason is our Director, Talent Acquisition and has been a Brightwinger for 8 years. When he’s not helping people land their dream job, you can find him playing cards, camping, or spending time with his family. Learn more about him here.

 

 

Feeling held back in your current position? Join a company that gives you the resources, tools, and environment to really make a difference in this challenging market. Become a Brightwinger! Check out our careers page today for more information about what it’s like to work here.

 

4 out of 5 Employees May Switch Jobs in 2019: What Does That Mean for Your Organization?

, , , , ,

4 out of 5 Employees May Switch Jobs in 2019

 

Want to take these insights with you? Download the PDF.

 

Brightwing Talent Insights Survey Results 2019

Brightwing recently invited its talent network to participate in a survey to gain an inside perspective of the candidate market. For employers, this is important data to help them understand what candidates are looking for in a new opportunity and how companies should adjust their processes accordingly. Read on!

 

We like to get inside people’s heads. Find out what makes them tick, what makes them jump for joy or groan with boredom.

 

Nowhere is this truer than when it comes to jobseekers.

 

Making the perfect match between a professional and their future employer isn’t a game of throwing resumes at the wall to see what sticks. It’s about getting to the core of what really matters, building a relationship based on trust and intuition.

 

That’s why we reached out to our talent network to find out more about their experiences, hopes, and strategies in the job search. Turns out, this is profound information to help employers shape their recruitment strategies in ways that truly engage top talent.

 

Let’s dive in.

 

Only 1 in 5 employees are committed to staying at their current job

So, there’s good news and there’s bad news.

 

Only 1 in 5 employees are committed to staying at their current job

The good news is that if you’re actively hiring, there may be more available talent than what appears at first glance.

 

Chasing down those “passive” jobseekers – the 40% of people who are interested if an opportunity presents itself – will be particularly valuable in this case. If your employer branding game is on point and you know how to market your company and open positions in engaging ways, the chance you’ll be able to attract the right people is strong.

 

However, the bad news is that you may need to be concerned about retention. Most companies probably have a few employees who are either actively searching for a new job or at least willing to entertain a new opportunity should it present itself. Can you afford to lose them? Are you prepared to hire replacements? Can your team cover the gap if someone leaves? These questions probably make you nervous, but a strong retention strategy should reduce the chance that you’ll actually need to face these questions head-on.

 

Job boards, recruiters, and social networks are popular job search resources

 

Job boards, recruiters, and social networks are popular job search resourcesWhere are you looking for candidates to expand your talent pool?

 

Posting a job description to your website is simply not enough. Neither is posting to CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, or any of the other prominent job boards out there. While you could make the accurate assumption that many candidates are searching these job boards, more than 3 out of 5 are actually looking in other places.

 

Many candidates are connecting with recruiters in their industry. This is often the case with those “passive” job seekers who are employed full-time and don’t have the spare hours to search on their own. They also recognize that a recruiter’s network is much deeper than their own and they have the tools to gather information that the candidate couldn’t obtain on their own. Have you considered working with a staffing company to gain access to their candidates?

 

Another significant resource that candidates are using in the job search is social media – especially LinkedIn. Complete with its own job board, LinkedIn gives jobseekers the power to research companies, connect with peers and leaders, and showcase the details of their resume, skills, and accomplishments. Are you reaching candidates where they are?

 

56% of Jobseekers Prefer Email Communication

 

56% of Jobseekers Prefer Email Communication

 

A decade ago, employees everywhere feared for their job in the wake of the economic recession. At that point, they probably had little preference how a potential employer contacted them.

 

Today, we’re all too aware that it’s a candidate’s market. Top talent is regularly inundated with messages from both corporate and agency recruiters. Plus, they’re simply busy. So, it’s little surprise that they’re picky about which messages they give their attention.

 

More than half of surveyed talent are more likely to initially engage with a potential employer through email.

 

With subscriptions and spam typically sent to secondary folders (thanks Gmail), people have more control of the content of their inbox than any other avenue. Algorithms control their social feeds, telemarketers won’t cease their phone calls, but your inbox is your own. That said, 2 out of 5 candidates do still prefer a phone call. In this case, then, your method of communication depends a little bit on trial-and-error for each individual candidate. Your choice.

 

Two Thirds of Jobseekers Are Checking on Your Reputation

Two Thirds of Jobseekers Are Checking on Your ReputationThere are plenty of opportunities out there for most candidates these days. As such, they’re not applying to every job they see or accepting the first job offer that comes their way. They’re doing their research first.

 

What makes a company attractive to apply to or accept a job with?

 

Almost two thirds of survey respondents view the company’s brand or reputation as the most important factor. Quite frankly, that’s a massive number. If a company isn’t on top of brand/reputation management, they may be falling short without even realizing it. Every factor that builds a brand – website, social presence, advertising, partnerships, thought leadership, quality of products/services, customer service, and more – must be aligned with how a company is portraying itself as an employer. If a piece of the puzzle is missing or damaged, candidates may dismiss the thought of ever applying for a job.

 

The second most popular factor in applying to or accepting a job with a specific company is their Glassdoor (or similar) reviews. The insights of both current and former employees (and any responses from the employer themselves) tell a candidate what it’s like to work there. This information is gold. Do you know what people are saying about you? How are you responding?

 

Jobseekers Crave Skills Growth and Opportunity

In today’s competitive candidate market, many companies are willing to pay top dollar to win talent. However, money isn’t always the answer. In fact, compensation ranks a joint third place (with company culture) as the most important factor in accepting a job offer.

 

Jobseekers Crave Skills Growth and Opportunity

Candidates crave growth more than money.

 

Skills development and a projected career path are critical to engaging your employees – and attracting new ones. Without these opportunities, employees grow stagnant, bored, and disengaged. They don’t want that – and neither should you. Smart jobseekers ensure that these opportunities will be available to them before they sign the employment contract. Can you deliver?

 

Almost as important is an employee’s work-life balance, and this ranks second in the survey. How are you providing your teams flexibility? Consider remote work opportunities, flex hours, unlimited PTO, or other alternatives. Make sure you regularly evaluate each team member’s workload to diminish burnout and ensure they don’t feel overwhelmed.

 

Follow Up Within One Week or Risk Losing Top Candidates

Even though top talent can seem scarce, that doesn’t mean you won’t be inundated with resumes and applications the minute you post a job description online – a majority of which will be underqualified. It’s no wonder that sorting through and screening those applications can take days if not weeks to find the right people.

 

 

Unfortunately, you simply don’t have weeks. More than one third of survey respondents said they were willing to wait no longer than one week for a response after they’d applied. And two out of five responded with 3-5 days! A more generous 30% replied with 2 weeks, and, in the minority, 12% said 3+ weeks. It’s clear, then, that prompt follow up is critical to retaining top candidates before they move on to other opportunities.

 

Flex Time and Healthcare Benefits Are Equally Important

 

Flex Time and Healthcare Benefits Are Equally Important

 

An almost identical number of people ranked flex-time/work-from-home and healthcare as the number one most important employer benefit. Though these benefits are very different in nature, they both speak to an employee’s sense of wellbeing – both mental and physical. These are followed by paid vacation and retirement benefits in 3rd and 4th place. Can you meet their expectations?

 

 

Counteroffers Rarely Work

Counteroffers Rarely WorkIf you’re worried about losing top employees – or if you’re worried about losing top candidates to their current employers – you need to know that only 6% of survey respondents are very likely to accept a counteroffer after they’ve given their resignation. A quarter of them may consider a counteroffer only if it’s significant. But about two thirds of jobseekers are unlikely (though that’s not to say not tempted) by a counteroffer.

 

This confirms that most people are simply not motivated by money. While everyone has bills to pay, when it comes to spending eight or more hours doing the same job in the same place with the same people, there are several more important factors prompting them to either stay or leave.

 

Brightwing Talent Insights 2019

With four out of five employees open to new job opportunities this year, it’s likely that if you’re not already hiring, you will be soon. We hope this survey data helps provide some insight for honing your recruitment strategy, as well as any employee engagement and retention initiatives.

 

Finally, with two out of five candidates choosing to use a recruiter in their job search, we can’t help but ask whether you’ve considered partnering with a staffing and recruiting firm. At Brightwing, our talent acquisition approach is one-part relationships, one-part insight, and one-part results. We know it’s a recipe that can work for you.

 

Let’s partner up. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Save these insights straight to your desktop by downloading the PDF. 

Will Your Marketing Team Thrive or Fail Under These 3 Trends?

, , ,

Will Your Marketing Team Thrive or Fail Under These 3 Trends?

Have you seen our recent 2019 Hiring Insights in Marketing yet? We’ve got the research you need to prepare for your 2019 hiring initiatives. Be sure to check it out, then rejoin us back here.

 

You’ve seen first-hand the exponential growth in the digital marketing industry. Unfortunately, the high demand for marketing talent who can address this transformation of the industry has revealed a tangible shortage of candidates. As a result, even leading marketing teams acknowledge that they aren’t reaching their recruitment goals. The hunt for marketing candidates is often in vain.

 

However, we believe that the core trends influencing the marketing industry are simultaneously changing the hiring profile of the best marketing talent. Understanding these trends will inevitably change the way you recruit the professionals who can successfully address your business objectives.  

 

1.      The Power of “Whole-Brained” Talent

You’ve probably heard someone described as left-brained or right-brained, but have you heard of a person referred to as “whole-brained”? According to a recent study by McKinsey, many companies have begun searching for talented individuals with left- and right-brain skills in an effort to more deeply integrate different marketing functions. In this new approach, creativity and data are equal partners.

 

Historically, data and creativity have been at odds. You might know this as the “ideas vs. numbers” or “emotion vs. logic” dilemma – the first is hard to measure from a business perspective, but the second struggles to be relevant and engaging to an increasingly demanding audience. However, as the marketing industry has advanced, the idea that creativity and data are adversaries has become outdated.

 

Today, “whole-brain” marketing professionals, who have the skill to integrate data and creativity in a single role, are innovating the marketing department. These are individuals who are simultaneously creative and logical – and they’re also nimble enough to interface with colleagues of a variety of different backgrounds and functions. It’s a combination that enables them to more effectively drive brand growth, improve performance, and engage the customer experience.

 

This fundamentally changes the hiring profile of most marketing functions. Hiring a creative director or a data scientist with traditional backgrounds and perspectives simply isn’t enough. A “whole-brained” marketing professionals has elements of both functions even if they lean more heavily towards just one. This will change where companies look for talent and how they assess their skillsets. Adjusting their recruitment strategy accordingly is critical for success.

 

2.      The Growth of Cross-Functional Teams

Breaking down the walls between creative and logical skillsets is also a trend at the team-level. Many companies are pushing the envelope on what it means to enable collaboration between creatives and technologists, choosing an agile marketing model in which they create small, highly-focused, cross-functional teams.

 

These high-performance teams are staffed with talent from a traditional marketing background as well as people in fields such as IT and operations. Tasked with executing on one specific business objective, they’re simply faster, thanks to a unified view of the customer, eliminated data siloes, reduced inter-departmental bottlenecks, and more seamless testing and integration. Ultimately, new ideas can more quickly be brought to market.

 

This agile model is especially well suited for the growing trend of personalized marketing. Although personalization has been a buzzword in the marketing industry for years, 2019 could be the year marketers finally deliver more mature personalized marketing strategies, thanks in part to the collaborative effort between creatives and data-focused functions.

 

While there are many benefits to the cross-functional agile model, searching for marketing talent suited to this unconventional structure can be challenging. Although their experience may be more traditional, qualities like curiosity, emotional intelligence, and natural leadership ability should be top of mind, as these skills will enable them to successfully integrate into diverse teams. Overall, cross-functional marketing teams are here to stay, and adapting your talent search to this new model will be essential to staying competitive in the digital marketing environment.  

 

3.      The Rise of Ethical Marketing

Finding the right balance between creativity and data is critical, but we can’t mention the increase of data in marketing without also considering its consequences. Used right, data can massively improve the reach of marketing strategies, but companies must gather a comprehensive knowledge of consumer data privacy and security. A growing number of regulations acknowledge that customers want to know how their data is protected and how it is used.

 

At this point, everyone should be familiar with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that was implemented in 2018. Similarly, California’s 2020 privacy law requires companies to meet certain principles and conditions regarding data collection and storage. With continuing data privacy concerns and increased regulation likely, companies that implement data privacy protections now will be better prepared for future success.

To earn consumers’ trust, marketers should be focused on ethical data collection and management. However, this is still a relatively new area of expertise, and many companies have been slow to adjust their hiring profiles accordingly. Making the change and recruiting talent with knowledge of data security will help guide companies’ ethical data management strategies.

 

The landscape of the marketing field continues to shift under the weight of powerful trends. Proactively building a team with talent who can withstand this transformation and pioneer a way forward is critical to the success of your business.

 

At Brightwing, we believe that finding the kind of individuals who can achieve your marketing goals depends upon relationships, intuition, and experience – we call it “recruiting, reimagined.” We’re on the forefront of the market, keeping in touch with trends like these so we can bring you insights and advice to help you stay competitive.

 

For more research, check out the Brightwing 2019 Hiring Insights in Marketing guide today.

Why You Won’t Find Millennials Working in Accounting & Finance

, ,

Millennials in Finance Accounting - Banner

Did you check out our recent 2019 Hiring Insight in Finance and Accounting yet? We’ve got the research to prepare for your 2019 hiring initiatives. Go ahead and read it; we’ll be waiting here for you.

 

The accounting and finance sector has long been dominated by an older generation with little room for flexibility and a limited capacity for innovation. It’s an image that, coupled with the still-recent memory of the economic downturn, makes for an unappealing stereotype. As a result, most employers find it difficult to attract younger generations – an increasingly serious problem given the state of today’s market landscape.

 

47% of CFOs believe their teams are too shorthanded to meet future industry demands. Those demands include an estimated 773,800 new jobs added to the finance and accounting marketplace by 2026. But new jobs are only part of the problem; as Baby Boomers continue to retire in droves – and with Generation X being too small to replace them – hundreds of existing roles are suddenly vacant and a wealth of knowledge is in process of being lost.

 

So where are the Millennials to fill these roles? They are, after all, the largest generation in the US, and the vast majority have already entered the workforce.

 

Where Are the Millennials in Finance & Accounting Careers?

Research shows you’re more likely to find Millennial workers in tech than in finance and accounting. One recent study found that just 10% of over 4,000 surveyed young adults were interested in finance as a career option, down from 22% a decade ago. Even top MBA grads are increasingly choosing career paths outside of finance, which is a new and unsettling reality for employers who historically rely on fresh new talent to grow their F&A workforce.

 

Of Millennials who already find themselves in the finance and accounting sector, a massive 48% are looking for new opportunities – and often in a completely different industry. Why the lack of loyalty? It’s mostly a result of compromise. Many of these workers graduated into a less-than-certain economy, leading them to accept roles that fell short of their initial expectations and desires. For example, 48% say they accepted a lower-than-expected salary, and an overwhelming 83% say they gave up work-life balance. These compromises perpetuate the negative stereotype of the finance and accounting workforce, which was already negatively impacted by the financial crisis of 2008.

 

As a result, the Institute of Management Accountants reports that 62% of senior finance professionals say recruiting Millennials is the biggest challenge for their business. Meanwhile, almost half of all Millennials who are in finance and accounting stay at each job just 1-3 years, creating massive turnover. It goes without saying that this is a costly challenge, not only economically but also from a knowledge transfer perspective. And where positions sit empty for too long, the pressure falls on remaining workers, whose bandwidth is already tight and their morale decreasing.

 

In short, Millennials in finance and accounting careers are few and far between. Attracting andN retaining more of them is going to take major table stakes and careful strategy.

 

What Do Millennials Want in Their Career?

Employers of finance and accounting professionals must consider the generational differences of their workforce. Few Baby Boomer finance professionals worry about work-life balance, for example, as opposed to their Millennial counterparts.

 

But work-life balance is only a fraction of Millennial’s priorities in the workplace. A Deloitte study suggests that this generation is much more concerned with a company’s impact on the society and environment, capacity to create innovative ideas, commitment to job creation and career development, and emphasis on diversity and inclusion.

 

However, these same individuals report that their current employers are instead focused on generating profit, driving efficiency, and selling their products and services. To the Baby Boomer finance leader, these values make business sense; this is how a company grows, after all. But that growth can’t happen without a loyal, growing workforce, and that means paying attention to what Millennials want in their career.

 

Beyond their core values, the Deloitte study reports that Millennials have a unique “wish list” when considering an organization to work for. At the top of that list is financial reward and benefits. As a generation that grew up watching their parents struggle with the realities of the economic recession, this desire makes sense – even if it seems at odds with their values in impact, innovation, and diversity. They are financially responsible and want to protect themselves against future downturns.

 

The desire for money is following closely by a positive workplace culture, flexibility, continuous learning, well-being programs, reputation for ethical behavior, diversity and inclusion, and, finally, the opportunity to make a difference in their community. This wish list belongs to Millennials in general, across industries, but in finance and accounting specifically, it’s clear that Millennials also value a defined career path. However, data from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants reveals that only 26% of young workers see a clear career path in their current role.

 

It’s clear that many companies need to evaluate what they have to offer this growing generation.

 

Attracting Millennials to the Finance and Accounting Workforce

Redefining company values and reinvigorating your workplace culture to meet the demands of the Millennial generation is no small feat. It’s not as simple as writing bigger paychecks or establishing an “employee of the month” program (though these may be part of the overall strategy).

 

A good place to start, in alignment with Millennials’ “wish list,” is to assess how your workplace processes and workflows fit into the big picture, and find ways to enable greater flexibility accordingly. Look at other, similar ways to introduce more work-life balance and create a more positive culture.

 

Professional development programs and training opportunities are additional ways that organizations can proactively attract Millennials to their finance and accounting workforce. Initiatives like these do require that leaders are genuinely interested in the goals and challenges of their workers, checking in to receive (and give) frequent feedback and leveraging opportunities to mentor and coach young professionals. Millennials want to make a difference and understand the impact they are making in their roles; thus, nurturing a culture that can provide meaning is also key to retaining this generation of workers.

 

Promoting diversity and inclusiveness should also be top of mind for organizations trying to fill finance and accounting talent shortages. It’s encouraging to see that 85% of CEOs in the financial services sector are already promoting talent diversity and inclusiveness, with mentoring programs and leadership training among other strategies.

 

Finally, finance and accounting leaders should consider how these initiatives to attract Millennials fit in with other industry trends, such as digitalization and automation. While this younger generation is often considered the first “digital natives,” the influx of technology in the finance space shouldn’t overshadow their need to personally connect and collaborate. Ideally, AI-powered finance tools should simultaneously help to automate transactional accounting and finance tasks while generating actionable insights to inform business decisions – all while leaving more complex, strategic (and meaningful) work to human minds.

 

Recruiting Millennials in Finance and Accounting

At the end of the day, it’s imperative that organizations see past the status quo and acknowledge that the financial and accounting world is shifting. Creating the right culture and workplace to empower these younger generations is essential, but knowing where to find and recruit these professionals is also key. For example, 51% of employers say that getting employee referrals is the most successful practice in recruiting Millennials.

 

At Brightwing, we believe that a reimagined approach to recruiting is also indispensable. No longer can employers simply post a job and let their automated recruiting tools do the work. It’s about relationships, intuition, and experience. We’d love to share more insight about how we’re recruiting Millennials in today’s business landscape – chat with us today.

 

Read our Brightwing 2019 Hiring Insights in Finance and Accounting for more research and information.

Research on the Engineering Talent Shortage Says We Should Start Worrying

, , ,

Research on the Engineering Talent Shortage Says We Should Start Worrying (1)
Did you check out our recent 2019 Hiring Insights in Engineering yet? We’ve got the research to prepare for your 2019 hiring initiatives. Go check it out, then meet us back here.

 

The talent shortage.

 

A long-time buzzword in the engineering and manufacturing sectors – one you’d be tempted to tune out by now. Except it hits too close to home to ignore; your productivity, growth, customer service, and innovation are just a handful of areas that vacancies will negatively impact – and the talent shortage ensures that those vacancies will take at least three months to fill, according to surveyed manufacturers.

 

By 2028, a continued shortage will translate to a potential loss of $454 billion in economic output – a massive 17% of the forecasted manufacturing GDP in the US.

 

For many companies, it’s tempting to throw money at the problem and forget about it – offer higher salary packages to attract the right talent or invest in automation technology to relieve the demand for transactional labor. But it’s not enough.

 

Take a look at this graphic from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute. Can money really fill the gap of 2.4 million manufacturing vacancies by 2028?

 

 

The engineering and manufacturing talent shortage isn’t just a buzzword. Its impact is both global and local. The need to tackle this challenge is not dependent upon revenue size, organizational demographics, or reach. It’s a commitment needed by every company.

 

We dig into more detail below. Grab a cup of coffee and read on.

 

Why Is There an Engineering and Manufacturing Talent Shortage?

The engineering and manufacturing industries are contending with historically-low unemployment rates in combination with the industry’s significant contribution to economic expansion. The result is the tightest labor market in recent history. But the root causes of this talent shortage go deeper.

 

Shrinking Immigration

The STEM workforce in the US has long been home to a significant portion of talented foreign-born workers – about 20-25% according to the American Immigration Council. However, the number of international students has declined a massive 17% in recent years – primarily due to changes in visa regulation. Furthermore, while large organizations in the manufacturing/engineering fields have historically been the biggest sponsors of H-1B visas for foreign workers, that number has similarly decreased.

 

Companies are left to turn to domestic talent, which is a far smaller pool of professionals.

 

Aging Workforce

A SHRM report suggests that almost 27% of workers in the manufacturing sector will retire within the next decade. Baby Boomers – and even some older members of Generation X – are out the door, taking their knowledge and skills with them. Not only are many companies lacking sufficient succession planning and knowledge transfer strategies, but there simply isn’t enough talent to fill the gap.

 

Decline in STEM Interest

Last year, the number of teenage boys interested in a STEM career dropped from 36% to 24% while the number of teenage girls is stagnant at just 11%. Only 3 in 10 parents consider advising their child to go into manufacturing. Some claim that an unfavorable perception of the industry is the root cause of this disinterest.

 

Consider the automotive industry, one expert points out; the emotional response tied to the Big Three automotive brands is nowhere near as exciting as that tied with Tesla, known for its innovation. But Tesla is not what people initially think of when considering a career in manufacturing. In fact, less than half of surveyed Americans believe that manufacturing jobs are “interesting, rewarding, clean, safe, stable, and secure.” With such a dismal view of the industry, it’s little wonder why enrollment in these fields is stagnant or, worse, declining.

 

Lack of Women in Engineering and Manufacturing

As mentioned, only 11% of teenage girls are interested in STEM careers. The number of female engineering graduates is higher – at 24% – but that’s still drastically uneven, despite the fact that women outnumber men in overall graduate school enrollment. Studies show that the US manufacturing workforce consists of just 29% of women workers. This lack of women in engineering and manufacturing is certainly perpetuating the talent shortage.

 

Overcoming the Engineering and Manufacturing Talent Shortage

Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to address the talent shortage in the engineering and manufacturing fields.

 

The right solution depends upon a number of factors, including regional differences in skills demand and current STEM offerings, to name a couple. That said, we’ve seen companies find success in some of the following solutions. 

 

Investing in STEM Development

Getting involved at the college and high-school levels to promote STEM careers is one of the most proactive approaches to solving the talent shortage. Not only are you able to build your long-term talent pipeline, you’re also building employer brand awareness, which is highly valuable in attracting greater numbers of candidates.

 

For example, global manufacturer Cummins, Inc. created its own initiative to address the skills gap, called the Technical Education for Communities program (TEC). It’s a program that works with schools to identify and supplement gaps, helping them standardize teacher training, market-relevant curriculum, classroom tools and systems, and career guidance. It’s an extensive investment, but one that pays off by improving overall STEM education and sparking greater career interest.

 

Hand-in-hand with STEM education investment is the opportunity to get more girls interested in careers in fields like engineering and manufacturing. A Microsoft general manager Shelley McKinley points to studies that show girls need more role models: “Where are the women STEM teachers? Girls are more interested in hands-on experience; they want to see the life applications of what they are learning.” Companies can take a proactive approach in getting the right role models in front of this young audience to boost their interest in STEM.

 

Creative Compensation Packages

Many organizations hear the phrase talent shortage and act in a reactive manner, throwing money at the problem to gain the talent they need. Higher wages and sign-on bonuses are common strategies – and Deloitte reports a 68% positive impact from companies who go this route. It seems like a viable solution – for now.

 

But it’s a short-term fix. It doesn’t guarantee that the people lured in by the money will stay for the long haul or that the future talent pool will miraculously grow as a result. Plus, it’s expensive. The average US engineer wage sits at $91,010, reaching even higher depending on experience level and regional bias. How long will this strategy remain valuable?

 

Flexible Skills Requirements

Sometimes, the talent pool only seems limited because a company’s long list of requirements is so stringent.

 

Finding the perfect candidate in the current market is going to prove highly difficult. However, a more flexible approach to requirements will result in a wider range of available candidates. We’ve seen the success of this strategy first-hand. An automotive client spent six months trying to find a highly technical engineer with extensive experience in a long list of very specific skills. We helped them pare that list down and expanded the search from local to national (introducing a relocation package), resulting in a wider array of highly qualified people who fit the job.

 

Training Junior Professionals

Not only will getting more flexible on requirements help, but intentionally hiring more junior people can also open up the talent pool.

 

This strategy goes hand-in-hand with valuable training programs as well as knowledge transfer initiatives – especially as your oldest generation of workers gets ready for retirement. To aid in this effort, some manufacturers have already implemented short-term project opportunities for retiring individuals, allowing them to work in a smaller capacity in order to increase (or maintain) headcount while enabling greater knowledge transfer to junior employees.

 

Implementing Automation

Automation does not solve the engineering and manufacturing talent shortage, but it does help address the challenge in the meantime.

 

The World Economic Forum suggests that by 2022 42% of total task hours will be managed by machines and algorithms. As such, one in three manufacturers are already using these tools and technologies to supplement low-skilled jobs in order to focus their recruiting efforts on higher-skilled roles. As a result, 64% of executives have found that automation helps them overcome the challenges of the talent shortage.

 

* * *

 

At the end of the day, it’s clear that leaders in the engineering and manufacturing fields cannot remain silent about the talent shortage. Industry growth and demand are opening up more and more employment opportunities – and the only way to fill those positions is to be proactive about filling your talent pipeline.

 

For more research, check out the Brightwing 2019 Hiring Insights in Engineering Guide today.