How to Stay Sane in the Current Job Market
It’s no secret that this is a weird and wild job market.
Are you seeing it? Everyone’s in need of people, yet it seems no one’s hiring. Roles are urgently in need of filling, yet hiring processes are dragging on for weeks, sometimes even months.
Now more than ever it seems people are open to a change, so if you’re a company in need of great new team members, define your process and strike while the iron is hot!
Why are folks open to or seeking change?
Covid caused people to reassess their life, and their priorities
People want balance because they have realized “life is short”
Working parents (women in particular) want the ability to both be a parent and have a career
Remote work has opened up more opportunities than ever
People have choices – if they’re unhappy, underpaid, etc. – they’re more likely to seek alternatives than grin and bear it
TIPS FOR HIRING MANAGERS
Define your process before beginning. That is, identify who will be involved in the interviews, how many rounds there will be, how long the process will take – and communicate that to candidates (or your recruiting partner). Be realistic about what’s necessary – you probably don’t need 5 rounds of interviews for a service role. The number of interview touchpoints should be commensurate with the level of responsibility/pay of the position.
Determine your budget for the role – that is, the salary range and as well as hiring costs (fees to post on LinkedIn or Indeed, engaging a recruiter, etc.)
If you’re utilizing a recruiter, realize that oftentimes the best candidates are “passive” – that is, they are not actively looking for a role. That means you’ll need to have a strong value proposition to get them to leave their current role to join your team. You’re “selling” them just as much as they’re selling you.
When you find a great candidate – MOVE! Job searching is much like car shopping – a person might not be actively looking, but once they begin that process with one company, they will inherently find themselves poking around online looking at other opportunities to see how yours stacks up, and you can quickly find yourself in competition with another opportunity. If you feel strongly about a candidate, expedite the process to lock it down to help eliminate competition.
Develop relationships with insurance-specific recruiters and help them understand your wants, needs, goals, vision, etc – that way they can keep you in mind when they come across a great candidate who’d be an ideal fit for your team, even if you weren’t looking right at that moment. The best companies will find a place for top talent, rather than waiting until there’s an urgent need and then reacting.
Always remember that your interview process is the candidate’s first taste of what it’s like to work for your company. Don’t turn them off before they even walk through the door
TIPS FOR JOB SEEKERS
Update your LinkedIn profile – it’s your virtual resume, and every hiring manager you apply with will look at it. Be sure you have up to date info and a professional-looking photo. Include brief descriptions of your various positions with keywords so that you’ll come up in more searches (i.e. I’m often searching terms like: Large account, construction, employee benefits)
Consider having your resume revamped by a professional. Trust me, it’s money well spent.
Network with other folks in your industry. Make connections. If you’re interested in a specific job, scour your network for someone who might already work there that you can ask to refer you in – that will always get you more consideration than going in through an online application portal. (And, if you aren’t already in my database, submit your info here so I can reach out to you with future opportunities that might be a fit: https://www.nb-talent.com/jobs)
If you get a great offer, go for it – and don’t look back. Accepting a counter offer rarely ends well. Try not to stress - this isn’t a marriage! If the job ends up not being the right fit, it’s not the end of the world – you can always make a change. Go with your gut and don’t be afraid to try something new.
If you meet most of the criteria for a job, apply! You’d be surprised how rarely the candidate being offered the job checks every single box – it’s more often the candidate who checks most of the boxes and has an awesome personality that gets the offer, so don’t sell yourself short.
“Navigating this market as a hiring manager or a job seeker is enough to drive anyone a little batty. Insurance is such a great industry and one I’m so passionate about! If we work together to improve this process with better communication and a more common sense approach, we can create better outcomes for everyone, ensuring the independent agency system continues to thrive – and insurance remains a fun, rewarding, and lucrative career path for generations to come! ”