Millennials are being officially ousted as the new kids on the block. By 2020, Generation Z (Gen Z) will make up 20% of the total workforce and here’s what you need to know about them.

Pay and work conditions have always been important factors when it comes to obtaining top talent in the workplace. However, employee engagement has been shown to be one of the key factors when it comes to retaining that top talent.

Now, more than ever, it is important for organizations to understand that the face of today’s active job seeker has changed. Most notably, as unemployment continues to decline, reaching an all-time low at 4.4% in Ohio, the number of active job seekers has also decreased. This requires companies to take a more proactive and creative look at how to attract top talent.

With recruiting talent constantly on the do-list for most organizations, the laundry list of recruiting tools in Figure 1 below probably looks familiar. In short, employers are most likely using a healthy combination of online recruiting, relationship based recruiting, and connections to the career services centers at higher education institutions to search for their talent.  

You’re filling out a job application and just as you’re about to hit “submit”, you see the dreaded “Please provide the salary for your current position” question. Plus, it has a little red asterisk next to it, so you know you are going to have to answer it to even be considered. Well in recent years a combination of case law and statewide and local statutes are beginning to change that practice, or at least removing that pesky red asterisk.

Recruiting and retaining people in stigmatized occupations can be difficult for many organizations. Stigmatized occupations are jobs that may be seen by society as being physically or socially tainted.¹

Recruiting and hiring the right people for the right position is an essential piece of an organization's success. Employee selection is much more complex than an impressive resume and a feeling that they're a cultural fit. When your employee selection is approached incorrectly, it may result in high turnover, low morale, increased stress, and decreased productivity.

When it comes to hiring, looking at the competencies of a candidate can support your talent management strategies. Looking at job-related competencies helps with selection, promotion, training and development, performance management, career planning, and succession planning. 

It is true that becoming a “great workplace” doesn’t happen overnight. But instead of getting overwhelmed by a seemingly endless list of programs and offerings (and money...being “great” must cost so much money!) that so called “great workplaces” should all have, let’s take a look at what it means really to be “great”—with a few practical bite-sized pieces that you might be able to tackle at your organization right now sprinkled in for good measure.

We tend to see a lot of negative connotations and stereotypes surrounding “Millennials” in the workplace. Even though they aren’t the newest generation to enter the workforce, there is still a lot to be assumed about their work ethic and lifestyle choices from their coworkers. Recently there is a new term to describe this generation that is rather fitting. Due to their unconventional and multi-faceted career paths, Millennials have been defined as the “Slash Generation”. Not every Millennial identifies with having a ‘slash’ career, but it is becoming a very prominent trend among this generation.