It’s how a candidate feels they’ve been treated throughout the recruitment process and how that treatment makes them feel about the organization.

Job Seekers Still Feel Fully in Control

When it comes to the current labor market, more than half of all job seekers (51%) believe that finding a job is easy, and 58% believe the current job market favors candidates. More than two-thirds (68%) believe their job search will take one to three months, and 41% would even feel comfortable quitting without having another job lined up.

Candidates feel confident that they are still in the driver’s seat of the job market, and organizations would do well to respond to these perceptions by focusing on areas that can speed the hiring process, better nurture candidates, and cater to worker priorities. Here’s the top reasons why candidates are starting the job search:

Candidate Expectations Through Recruiting

Job seekers have high expectations when it comes to the candidate experience and their interactions with recruiters. An overwhelming majority of workers expect to work with either a recruiter working on behalf of the company (47%) or a corporate recruiter (34%) during the recruiting process.

In some industries, such as financial services, manufacturing, and retail, recruiters working on behalf of the company are more common than corporate recruiters (approximately 20 percentage points more likely than corporate recruiters). This is affirming news for organizations that outsource part or all of their recruiting process to strategic RPO partners.

Within the candidate experience, job seekers believe there are areas of the recruiting process that should be deprioritized. These may be areas that candidates feel are unnecessary, don’t give an accurate picture of who they are, or even lengthen the hiring process. Job seekers believe that recruiters and hiring managers should focus less on:

Candidates Push Back on the Pain Points of Hiring

There are several areas of the recruiting process job seekers dislike. But for employers, this provides a list of opportunities within the job search, application, interview, and offer stage to improve, optimize, or transform.

Whether it’s a lack of transparency, a slow process, or outdated technologies, identify areas your company can seek to improve to bolster the candidate experience and connect with quality talent to drive your business forward.

Candidates Say: Communication is Key

Once a job seeker has applied for a job, they have expectations about what kinds of communication they should receive from an employer.

Nearly half (49%) believe they should either receive an automated email from the company or a personal email from the recruiter. Less than one in five job seekers have no expectations for communication.

Given many candidates prefer messaging from employers throughout the recruiting process, companies that prioritize timely, personalized messaging can better engage prospects for open roles.

Organizations must take the opportunity to improve their communication with candidates and deliver higher-quality experiences.

The Positive Candidate Experience Checklist

A great candidate experience means providing active and passive job seekers with engaging content, a fast application process, streamlined communications, consumer-grade technologies to answer questions quickly, and prompt feedback throughout their experiences.

Whether it’s making them feel valued during the application process, providing helpful feedback or communication, or treating them with professionalism and respect after their candidacy has ended, the candidate experience encompasses every interaction a job seeker has with an employer.

If you’re looking to improve your candidate experience, the key is to always keep the candidate at the heart of everything you do.

By nurturing each individual and prioritizing candidate engagement at every step of their journey, you’ll be well on your way to building stronger relationships with top talent that will deliver results for your business.

Top candidate experiences include:

• Consistent employer brand messages
• Automated messaging with recruiters
• Personalized job recommendations
• Feedback loops at each hiring stage
• AI-powered chatbots to optimize candidate interactions
• Easy to schedule interviews
• Mobile-optimized career sites
• Seamless job application process
• Tailored content and experiences
• Easy to find information

Make the Candidate Experience a Priority

Providing a quality candidate experience allows companies to find and recruit top talent to impact the success of the business. A solid candidate experience also ensures organizations can build a robust talent pipeline and employer brand that strengthens their reputation relative to competitors.

For employers today, understanding job seeker mindset and behavior is critical to connecting with them more effectively and staying competitive in a tight labor market. Based on the findings from Employ’s research, candidates are likely to fall into one of four quadrants in their job-seeking behavior.

See the full Job Seeker Quadrant and get other valuable insights on the job market in the Employ Q1 Quarterly Report. Examining Employer and Job Seeker Realities in the Current Job Market: How Employers Can Respond to Candidate Preferences, Perceptions, and Personas.

The post Candidate Expectations You Need to Know in 2023 first appeared on Jobvite.

According to Employ data, 45% of job seekers today want employers to actively focus on social justice and DEI. And 38% of candidates would turn down a job offer if the company lacked diversity in its workforce or had no clear goals for improving diversity.

Employers Should Pay Attention to DEI

Companies that focus on DEI in the workplace increase employee commitment and engagement, and drive greater levels of performance. Those organizations with a diversity of representation in employee ability, gender identity, ethnicity, neurodiversity, familial status, personal beliefs and other areas are more likely to succeed in their industries compared to others that lack this crucial component.

This wider diversity of representation across the organization increases innovation, a sense of belonging, employee happiness, and even the bottom line. It’s become a key metric for success that it’s now an evaluation category for the Fortune 500 list.

Workers today also want their employer to have an active voice in moral and social justice conversations. And they do their homework. Employ data reveals:

• 81% of candidates check a company’s website for their stance on DEI before applying
• 71% of candidates review job postings to ensure inclusive language is used
• 65% of candidates research a company’s stance on social issues
• 64% of candidates check the company’s website for diversity stats
• 57% of candidates ask the employer about the culture of DEI at the company in the interview process.

In such a competitive hiring market that favors candidates, companies must clearly communicate their commitment to DEI and demonstrate program effectiveness to attract top talent.

If companies do not prioritize diversity recruiting and create an inclusive culture, it makes them less attractive to potential candidates. So what can employers do to bolster their DEI programs and enhance the inclusiveness of their workforce?

How to Improve DEI in Your Organization

Committing time, resources, and a budget to prioritize DEI can seem challenging at first, but any talent team can improve their organization with the right resources. Here are five key strategies your company can use to increase the diversity of candidate slates and create a more inclusive workplace this year.

#1: Prioritize DEI at Every Level

To create a supportive and inclusive workplace environment, company leaders must come together with recruiting teams to prioritize DEI at every level across the organization. Recruiting strategies should reflect this priority for the business and include a wide variety of employee and community voices. The good news is this year, 51% of HR decision makers plan to increase their technology investments in DEI.

#2: Measure and Improve DEI Effectiveness

Before you commit to trying an entirely new DEI investment, start gathering data and analyzing DEI in your organization. Learn where your hiring practices are successful in recruiting diverse candidates, and where they are not. Measure key recruiting metrics like source of candidate, conversion rates, and candidate engagement to get to know your talent pool. Metrics help to easily pinpoint areas of improvement as well as create tangible goals for DEI in the organization.

#3: Use Inclusive Job Descriptions

Employers and recruiting teams can miss the mark when it comes to posting inclusive job descriptions. Sometimes, job postings feature language that may be offensive or exclusive to diverse candidates. Make sure to prioritize creating more inclusive job descriptions that reduce biased language. Tap into job description grading tools that analyze your job posting and help you overcome recruitment obstacles to attract the best applicants.

#4: Focus on Sourcing Efforts with the DEI Lens

Prioritize finding candidates who are from diverse backgrounds. Look for intelligent sourcing tools that eliminate bias and identify qualified candidates from a variety of sources. Focus on finding diverse candidates from specific groups like veterans, recent college graduates and interns, or active military. Broadcasting your requisition to a variety of job boards and channels will also help ensure a wide range of applicants.

#5: Prioritize and Showcase Inclusive Content

With candidates focusing on the recruitment content presented by employers, make sure all your recruitment marketing messages on career sites, social media, and other forms of outreach demonstrate inclusivity. Prioritize telling employee stories of diverse workers, share community stories, and tap into a variety of viewpoints and lived experiences to showcase your company’s DEI commitment.

Keep DEI a Priority for Your Business

Whether your team is looking to expand an already robust DEI program or is learning how to make it a priority as part of your recruiting efforts, remember, DEI is a journey, not a destination. Ensure you are investing in the people, processes, and technologies to move the needle on your DEI programs and showcase to candidates — and current employees — that you take building a more inclusive, equitable workplace seriously.

For more tips and actionable insights on bolstering DEI in your company, download the new eBook: Why Your Company Should Double Down on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives This Year.

The post Five Strategies for Building a More Inclusive Workforce first appeared on Jobvite.

Based on the latest job seeker data, Employ has identified four key personas that recruiters and hiring teams should look for when evaluating candidates to optimize their hiring process. By understanding these four categories of job seekers, talent acquisition teams can better understand their ideal candidates and, therefore, better engage with them.

The Job Seeker Quadrant: Establishing Four Candidate Personas

Based on Employ’s research, candidates fall into one of four quadrants in their job-seeking behavior. The four types of job seekers are:

• Diligent/High-Volume Job Seekers
• Sporadic/High-Volume Job Seekers
• Diligent/Selective Job Seekers
• Sporadic/Selective Job Seekers

Diligent/High-Volume Job Seekers

Candidates who make up this persona are likely to look internally in their organizations for new jobs and make up just one in 10 job seekers. They are motivated by job alerts they receive or by overall economic concerns in the current market. Frequently updating their resume, these candidates will apply even if they doubt the employer is hiring.

They can get frustrated with the job application process and abandon it if it takes too long. Most of these candidates are optimistic it will take them less than one month to find a new job and will apply for a job with a large salary range.

These candidates are racially diverse and seek new roles with strong company leadership. Concerned about the company’s financial position, these job seekers often use social media and subscribe to job advertisements. The way to make a big impact on these candidates is by offering an easy interview scheduling process.

Sporadic/High-Volume Job Seekers

Candidates characterized by this persona are the most satisfied in their current job and make up one-quarter of all job seekers. They are most likely to apply with no intention of taking a new job. These job seekers are also most likely to look internally for new roles within their current company and to frequently update their resumes.

While these candidates skew younger in age, they are also most likely to apply for a job with a large salary range. Candidates in this group have typically taken a new job in the past 12 months, and one of their primary motivations is looking for career advancement opportunities. These individuals are also highly in tune and concerned with the company’s financial position.

From a job search perspective, they regularly search via job boards, are impressed by easy scheduling, and abandon job applications if they require registration. Most are acceptable if they don’t hear back from employers for jobs they’ve applied to, but typically receive the greatest number of automated and impersonal rejection notes.

Diligent/Selective Job Seekers

Candidates who fall into this persona make up the largest number of job seekers currently. They are less likely to look internally within their current organization for new roles and less likely to apply for a new job if they believe an employer won’t hire them for the position. They are more likely to abandon a job application if it takes too long.

Half of these job seekers are unlikely to apply for a job with a large salary range. While these candidates expect to work with an outsourced recruiter, they have a low likelihood of ghosting recruiters in general.

This group of job seekers also typically attributes explaining a company’s mission and values as a good candidate experience. And from a job application perspective, they are more likely to look and use a company’s website in applying for roles than other personas.

Sporadic/Selective Job Seekers

Candidates characterized as this persona are the least likely of any candidate type to apply internally for open roles. They expect to submit the fewest applications to get a new job and are least likely of any group to use social media to update their resumes for an application or apply to a job with a very large salary range.

This group of job seekers has a greater proportion of older workers, including Baby Boomers and Generation X, and are least likely to apply for a role if they believe the employer won’t hire them. Candidates in this category are also unlikely to put significant amounts of time into an application or to have learned a new skill in the past 12 months.

While unlikely to be ghosted by a recruiter or to ghost a recruiter themselves, they are also least accepting of not hearing back from an employer. These candidates also believe the hiring process takes too long and want personal rejection notes, emails, or notices if not selected for a role.

Applying Personas in the Job Seeker Quadrant

The Job Seeker Quadrant and the persona descriptions provided here serve as a guide for companies and talent acquisition teams as they seek to get to know the motivations, triggers, characteristics, and behaviors of candidates looking for new roles in the current labor market.

By understanding the different motivations and needs of each persona type, employers have a better chance of matching their hiring process with those expectations.

Continue Exploring New Job Seeker Insights

As employers face unfamiliar territory in the current labor market, they need guidance and the latest insights to support their hiring efforts. The Q1 2023 Employ Quarterly Insights Report examines employer data across Employ’s 18,000 customers, while exploring the motivations, similarities, and differences of workers based on findings from a survey of more than 1,500 workers. Download your copy of the report here.

The post The Job Seeker Quadrant™: Four Candidate Personas Based on the Current Labor Market first appeared on Jobvite.

• Budget for Self-Development
• Support “Workations”
• Allow a Pet-Friendly Office
• Offer Life Insurance
• Provide a Comprehensive Compensation Package
• Assist With Housing
• Permit Flexible Working
• Plan for Light Months
• Help Pay Student Loan Debt
• Create a Paid Volunteer Work Program
• Invest With Your Team

Budget for Self-Development

At LiveCareer, we aim to hire talented people willing to challenge the status quo. To attract this type of employee, our company offers a budget for self-development. It’s crucial that people working for us constantly look for new ideas, be innovative, and improve their knowledge.

If our employees want to learn new things, we want to support their development. After the trial period, employees can talk to their manager and brainstorm ways to fast-track their career development. Then, they can decide on any industry course to help them achieve their career goals.

Others should also offer such benefits because it shows that you want your employees to always look for something that increases their job satisfaction. Other perks can also be good, but ‌any job that gets boring after a while encourages people to look for growth opportunities at another workplace. So if you want to decrease employee turnover, invest in their development.

Dorota Lysienia, Community Manager, LiveCareer

Support “Workations”

A year ago, we introduced an opportunity to work from our office in Tenerife, with free accommodation and travel costs partly covered by the company. This kind of perk is still not widespread, so there is a lot of talent-attracting potential in it.

We noticed that incorporating it into our employer branding and marketing strategies gives a lot of attention to our brand and helps us stand out from other employers. Blog posts, press releases, and mentions from other blogs — all these channels generate a lot of interest in our company, and we have already hired some skilled experts who found out about us thanks to this benefit.

Leszek Dudkiewicz, Head of Marketing, US Passport Photo

Allow a Pet-Friendly Office

Having a pet-friendly office is one way that provides a more flexible work environment. By allowing employees to bring their pets to work, we give them the freedom and flexibility to take care of their pets while still fulfilling their job responsibilities.

This can lead to a better work-life balance, reduced stress levels, and increased job satisfaction, which can attract and retain top talents who are looking for a positive and supportive work environment.

Trey Ferro, CEO, Spot Pet Insurance

Offer Life Insurance

According to surveys, over 80% of employees would like their organizations to provide life insurance, but most times, they don’t. By offering group-term life insurance packages to our employees, we stand out from our competition, helping us to attract top talent.

We pay for our life insurance policies in bulk, covering all employees, resulting in significant cost savings. Our employees benefit from financial security, especially those with dependent children.

Shawn Plummer, CEO, The Annuity Expert

Provide a Comprehensive Compensation Package

An effective and comprehensive compensation package should include a wide range of components, such as salary, bonuses, stock options, health insurance, vacation time, and other benefits. Compensation packages are an important tool for recruitment and retention of desired talent, as we can tailor them to the specific needs of the employer and the employee.

A well-structured compensation package can provide them with the financial security and stability they need to perform their job duties. It also allows us to create a more attractive work environment. These packages should consider the qualifications of the employee and the job responsibilities. We should also update them periodically to keep up with market trends and changes in the job market.

Christa Reed, Head of Job Market Research, JobSearcher

Assist With Housing

One benefit that is widely underutilized is housing assistance. The University of Pennsylvania pioneered the use of housing assistance in the 1960s. The program had dual benefits; it helped the university keep its workers, while also revitalizing the surrounding neighborhood.

The program offered a mortgage guarantee for employees who had been with the university for three years and purchased a home within a three-block radius. This design not only ensured short commutes for its workers but also acted as an incentive to reduce turnover.

Since long commute time is one of the most common reasons someone leaves their job, the mentioned program helped the university attract employees interested in their community and then also retain these employees.

Atta Tarki, Founder and Author, ECA Partners

Permit Flexible Working

As a digital agency owner, I offer flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or flexible hours. This helps employees balance work and personal life effectively, leading to increased satisfaction and motivation.

It also results in lower turnover and higher productivity. Offering flexible work arrangements is a win-win for both me and my employees because it leads to a better work-life balance and job satisfaction for them, and a more successful and productive agency for me. I’d definitely recommend that other similar companies try this.

Shane McEvoy, MD, Flycast Media

Plan for Light Months

One unique benefit our company offers is light months. For two months a year, we give employees a fully-paid extra day off each week of their choosing in our take on a four-day workweek.

As a remote workplace, we already have flexible working hours and a work-from-anywhere option. This additional flex-time gives our staff the extra ability to rest and recharge, without causing too much disruption to surrounding staff’s schedules.

Grace He, People and Culture Director, TeamBuilding

Help Pay Student Loan Debt

Our company is looking into ways to assist employees in paying off their student loan debt, even while many businesses are investing in their employees’ continued education. Given that over 44 million former college students in the U.S. currently owe $1.5 trillion in student debt, it makes sense.

Because student loan debt affects many professionals, employers may use this employee benefit as a sizable recruiting tool for eligible candidates. Some firms have provided employees with a monthly stipend for loan repayment, frequently with a lifetime maximum in place.

Dayna Carlin, Director of Marketing and Sales, NovoPath

Create a Paid Volunteer Work Program

As a leader at my organization, we have seen tremendous success in offering paid volunteer work to our employees. Having this benefit at our organization shows that we are dedicated to the mission of giving back to our local community, and it naturally attracts candidates that are looking for this kind of altruistic environment.

Paid volunteer work can benefit others who may not have the financial ability to otherwise volunteer, and also provides incentives for employees that already choose to give back. It is important for companies to consider offers such as this since it speaks volumes about their priorities and values.

Nadzeya Sankovich, Regional Manager, Health Reporter

Invest With Your Team

As the CEO of a financial planning website, it is important for me to make sure that my employees are aiming for financial independence. The way I do it is by offering investment benefits, and I think more business leaders should do it.

After onboarding, I require my employees to open an online brokerage account of their choice. Then, I offer a monthly investment scheme in which our HR department would automatically deduct a portion of their salary to deposit in their brokerage account.

Of course, they can choose how much that would be. While I don’t force them to take part in the monthly investment program, if they do, I reward it by adding 10% of their deposit each month. Sometimes it comes out of my money, but most of the time it comes out as a business expense.

To date, I have helped a lot of my employees reach the five-figure mark in their investments, and it has helped me attract other talents as well.

Jonathan Merry, Founder, Moneyzine

Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published.

The post Looking to Hire? Marketing and HR Executives Share What Benefits Are Most Likely to Attract Talent first appeared on Jobvite.

Let’s break down the state of jobs in manufacturing based on the latest data, look at the challenges of hiring that recruiters and HR decision makers face, and explore how the right solutions can support larger manufacturing enterprises in streamlining their talent acquisition activities.

The Current State of the Manufacturing Labor Market

The manufacturing sector has experienced significant growth over the last several years, and for the first time since 2021, shed jobs — just 4,000 — in February. In the prior six months, manufacturing had seen a monthly gain of more than 21,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and had increased by more than 150,000 jobs since its previous peak in January 2019.

The BLS JOLTS Report released in March 2023 also recorded that the number of open jobs in manufacturing increased to 791,000 in January versus 730,000 in December 2022. While these numbers are lower than historical highs in April 2022, the number of current job openings in manufacturing is still almost double what it was in 2019.

In February 2023, computer and electronic product manufacturing added 2,800 positions, followed by chemical manufacturing  with 2,500. Other job gains in manufacturing included:

• Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments: 1,500 jobs added
• Nonmetallic minerals manufacturing: 1,500 jobs added
• Transportation equipment: 1,300 jobs added
• Petroleum and coal products: 1,000 jobs added

Those areas that lost jobs within the manufacturing sector last month included:

• Plastics and rubber manufacturing: 4,700 jobs shed
• Furniture manufacturing: 2,800 jobs shed
• Textile mills: 1,700 jobs shed
• Paper mills: 1,100 jobs shed
• Fabricated metals: 1,100 jobs shed

Dealing with Hiring Complexity in the Manufacturing Sector

Nearly two in three recruiters (64%) in the manufacturing industry say their job is more stressful today than it was just one year ago, according to Employ data. Between the high number of open roles and increased candidate expectations, recruiters are feeling more pressured than ever to find and hire quality talent. Some of the stress comes from recruiting teams not having the resources or support they need to hire in today’s complex market. An incredible 42% of hiring teams shared that they don’t have the resources they need to be successful.

On top of this, 67% of recruiting professionals in manufacturing said their current hiring volume is higher than last year, with 60% indicating their top priority is improving quality of hire.

There’s also an increasing disconnect between what company leadership assumes recruiters need and what they actually need to find and hire top talent. In fact, 58% of recruiters believe that leadership doesn’t understand their role in the organization, making it more difficult to do their jobs.

With the significant growth in manufacturing over the past several years, there is more hiring activity going on than ever before. And it means that qualified candidates are getting harder to find and are even harder to impress. This is reflected in the latest Employ data:

Recruiters in the manufacturing industry are trying to overcome the challenges of keeping pace with hiring demands and increased candidate expectations — not to mention tapped out talent pools. Hiring teams within manufacturing have had to adapt to the changing labor market to find and attract quality talent before they’re snagged by competitors.

Recruiting teams have had to source candidates from different places and even revisit some old standbys like posting on job boards. Using professional groups to source talent for highly technical roles that are hard to fill, like engineers, has provided more success for recruiters in looking for new sources of talent. These and other sourcing strategies are helping recruiters grow talent networks with qualified candidates for their manufacturing roles.

Hiring teams have shifted focus to increasing salaries, efficiencies, and offering more flexibility to open roles. Because job seekers considering roles in the manufacturing industry do not have significant amounts of time to engage with recruiters during the day, they need an intuitive hiring process that they can complete quickly on their own schedule. Recruiting teams in this industry must prioritize new technology and enhance the candidate experience to help find and hire qualified manufacturing talent.

What Manufacturing Job Seekers Want

The Great Reshuffle led to employees searching for better opportunities at companies that offer a better value proposition. It has put — and kept — candidates in the driver’s seat for job offer negotiations.

Job seekers in the manufacturing industry are looking for better all-around experiences and seeking employers that can provide them. Beyond compensation, active job seekers are looking for career advancement opportunities (52%), greater work flexibility (45%), better company leadership (31%), and a better company culture (28%), based on the Q1 2023 Employ Quarterly Insights Report. They’re also focused on finding:

• More paid time off (PTO)
• Better health insurance
• Better DE&I across an organization
• Employee bonus programs

How to Hire the Best Manufacturing Talent at Scale

Hiring in the manufacturing industry is challenging and requires a purpose-built, comprehensive, all-in-one solution that streamlines the hiring process for skilled talent and recruiting workflows. Jobvite’s Evolve Talent Acquisition Suite empowers manufacturing companies to amplify their recruiting capacity and deliver better hiring results to drive business performance.

With purpose-built TA solutions from the Evolve Suite, you can hire skilled workers, and streamline how your manufacturing company attracts, hires, onboards, and retains talent. Using the Evolve Talent Acquisition Suite, manufacturing companies can:

#1: Reduce Talent Acquisition Costs and Time-to-Hire

Ensure hiring compliance and expedite the recruiting process. Jobvite’s suite of tools for manufacturers streamlines recruiting, speeds hiring, eliminates unnecessary costs, and gets skilled talent up and running faster.

#2: Connect with Skilled Workers in Real Time

Built specifically for the complex needs of manufacturing companies, Jobvite offers tools like Intelligent Messaging to connect with skilled talent where they are. Leverage mobile capabilities and deliver a modern, streamlined candidate experience to engage and convert candidates faster.

#3: Remove Recruiting Roadblocks & Streamline Efficiencies

Pinpoint where roadblocks exist in hiring manufacturing workers. Streamline recruiting, onboarding, and retention efforts by leveraging automation and AI to eliminate bottlenecks, increase recruiter capacity, and keep talent engaged.

With powerful recruiting capabilities, strong integration with your existing tech stack, streamlined onboarding, and more efficient processes that can help manufacturers quickly identify and secure talent for their businesses, you can stay ahead of competitors for the short-and long-term.

Learn More About Jobvite Solutions for the Manufacturing Sector

There is a better way to tackle the challenges of finding skilled talent for open manufacturing positions. By streamlining complex talent acquisition activities with the Evolve Talent Acquisition Suite, companies in the manufacturing sector can ensure they get the best possible employees who will help drive their business forward. Learn more about Jobvite’s purpose-built solution for the manufacturing sector.

The post Using Purpose-Built Solutions to Tackle TA Challenges in the Manufacturing Sector first appeared on Jobvite.

On this International Women’s Day, we pause to remember women past, present, and future who have all made tremendous strides toward achieving equity through their own courage, resilience, and bravery. Let’s recommit ourselves to taking real action toward embracing equity for women by creating better working environments, where everyone feels included, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential.

While this celebration takes place annually, IWD recognizes that the focus of its efforts must occur throughout the year and requires a commitment of people and companies working together to promote the advancement of women every day.

As a woman, a mother, a wife, and a member of the labor force, I am thrilled to be part of this year’s celebration. I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the challenges we face collectively and the steps we can take to support women and advance their outlook in organizations today. Let’s first take a look at the participation of women in the U.S. labor market.

Looking at the State of Women in the Workplace

When the pandemic struck, more than two million women dropped out of the labor force virtually overnight. Now, three years later, the number of women working has almost fully recovered. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that the labor force participation rate of women is 57% as of January 2023, back to pre-pandemic levels.

While this represents a positive step for companies and working women everywhere, the fragility of women’s participation in the workforce was on full display, and the gains over the past 50 years were eliminated almost instantly. So what can employers do to move toward greater inclusion and support of women in the global workforce?

In the spirit of International Women’s Day, let’s strive in our companies for greater opportunities that support women where they are. Here are three areas where organizations can take specific actions to achieve greater inclusion and equity for women from all walks of life.

How to Effectively Support Women in Your Organization

#1: Recognize the Care Burden

A friend of mine once said women today are expected to work like they have no caregiving responsibilities and to serve as caregivers like they have no work. This paradox represents the reality many women are facing today. As a woman in the workforce, I have experienced first-hand the challenges associated with being a caregiver to children, once being forced to reduce my own work from full-time to part-time to keep up with the demands of both roles.

According to the Fidelity Investments 2022 American Caregivers Study, female caregivers who are also employed either full or part-time spend an average of 36.2 hours each week on caregiving, 35% more than men. Further, 59% of women were forced to leave their jobs in 2021 when caring for children versus 39% of men, 45% reduced their work hours, and 11% left the workforce for six or more months.

The same is true in caregiving for adults. Women are the predominant caregivers for the elderly, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, accounting globally for between 57% to upwards of 80% of all caregiving for the elderly.

And according to the same Fidelity Investments Study, this had a great impact on a caregiver’s ability to work. Thirty-three percent permanently lost or reduced their source of work income, and 24% fear this may be a long-term solution. Understanding that the burden of caring for others is real to women and has a tangible impact on them is the first step toward greater equity — not only within companies today, but in overall society.

#2: Provide Flexible Work & Supportive Programs

Addressing the burden that falls on women starts by creating a culture of inclusivity, flexibility, and accommodation. First, in relation to the caregiver burden, organizations can actively establish — and promote — flexible work hours, supportive leave policies, remote and hybrid work options, mental health services, counseling, and other employee assistance programs that directly affirm women in their roles and achieve greater equity.

A 2021 Fidelity Study reported that “64% of working caregivers said they had not asked their employer whether specific benefits or flexible work options were available,” but of that 36% who did ask, “61% reported their employer was willing to work to accommodate their needs.” This indicates the importance of actively having conversations and promoting these programs visibly within the organization.

Second, ensure that your company takes an active role in developing and promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. According to Employ data, 45% of workers want their employer to have an active voice in moral and social justice conversations. 38% would turn down a job offer if the company lacked diversity in its workforce or had no clear goals for improving diversity. Create a welcoming environment that is inclusive for all walks of life — from age, race, sex, gender, religious affiliation, parental status, disability status, military status, and neurodivergence.

Also, create opportunities for women in underrepresented sectors. Lean In reports that as of 2022, women make up 28% of the tech industry workforce, and only 15% of engineering jobs are held by women, making it the STEM field where women are most highly underrepresented.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, become a leader in relation to the disparity of women in the workforce. Work to actively change the tangible pay gap that exists, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, where women earn just 82 cents for every dollar a man earns.

Creating an environment where women feel welcome, supported, and recognized for their contributions both within the organization — and outside of work — will pay dividends for employee engagement, loyalty, productivity, and innovation.

#3: End the Employment Gap Bias

One inherent bias that exists for employers today is generalizing employment history gaps for those individuals seeking work. Long gaps in work service are seen as negative to organizations and may blind them to potential talent who were fulfilling home or familial obligations in a system that does not support caregivers. The Fidelity Investments Study found that 33% of caregivers permanently lost or reduced their source of income and, on average, women spend 3.6 years longer than men providing care for their loved ones.

This is the point at which the gap in work history becomes much harder to overcome. In fact, one study suggests interview chances significantly decreased for applicants with work gaps of three or more years. For women wanting to re-enter the workforce, particularly after a long pause, organizations must proactively support hiring women despite longer career breaks. They should advocate for systems and structures that support the demands placed on women and demonstrate their commitment to the value women add to the workforce.

Let’s Celebrate Today, Then Get to Work

International Women’s Day offers the moment organizations need to rally together, showcase the achievements of women, and support them in their efforts to create a more accepting, welcoming, and progressive workplace. Let’s dig in and do the work together where the workforce becomes a representation of our society and embraces equity by providing opportunities that support women in their jobs and in their lives.

For more insights, download Why Your Company Should Double Down on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives This Year. Get actionable strategies to create a more inclusive workplace. Or stay current on the latest trends in talent today when you subscribe to our blog.

The post Embracing Equity for International Women’s Day first appeared on Jobvite.

The start of 2023 reflects the tale of two hiring speeds, depending on organizational size. There is also a deceleration in the market, as evidenced by a pullback in the number of job postings, based on Employ data. It is likely that over time, deceleration in new job postings will begin to impact overall job openings in the wider labor market.

So, where do candidates fit into this? What are their current preferences, perceptions, and sentiments when it comes to looking for jobs? What are their motivations for seeking new roles and how do they go about looking for them? And how can employers respond in providing experiences that support job seekers and build a pipeline of talent for the future?

The Reality of the Job Market for Employers

Employ data reveals that organizations representing all segments, from SMB to large enterprise, saw an increase of 8.7% in average open jobs between Q1 and  Q4 2022. However, there has been a deceleration in the number of new job openings companies added last year and into January 2023. If this trend in new job openings continues, it is likely total open jobs will fall as new job openings are a leading indicator for all open jobs.

From an industry perspective, Employ data also indicates several sectors saw gains in total jobs open, while others saw notable losses. Construction and education both saw increases between January 2022 and January 2023, while total jobs open in healthcare were fairly flat.

Internet software and services saw job openings drop by nearly half from January 2022 to January 2023. Professional services also saw a decrease after significant growth in spring 2022. These data are similar to losses reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and indicate that software and services has likely seen a tremendous slowdown compared to other sectors.

Large enterprises have experienced a more significant drop in new job openings relative to small and medium-sized businesses in 2022, but stabilized earlier in Q4. SMBs continued to experience a deceleration in new job openings through the end of the year; however, in January 2023, job openings among SMBs sharply rebounded to eclipse 2022 levels, while large enterprises resumed the drop in new job openings.

The Reality of Job Seekers Right Now

Perceptions of the Job Market

U.S. workers are overwhelmingly satisfied with their current jobs: Nearly three-quarters are at least somewhat satisfied. Despite this, more than 8 in 10 are at least somewhat open to other job opportunities.

Half all job seekers believe that the current job market favors candidates and that finding a job in the labor market is easy. And while more than four in 10 workers are actively looking for a new job, the good news for employers is that a majority of them have looked for a new position at their current company. In addition to compensation, active job seekers are primarily motivated by career advancement and greater work flexibility or remote work opportunities.

Perceptions on Work Flexibility

Worker preferences for remote work over in-office work have remained steady over the past year. Approximately one-quarter of all candidates would decline a job if they were required to work full time on location, and two-thirds of workers consider the ability to work remotely important when considering whether to reject or accept a job.

However, one-fifth of active job seekers listed the ability to go into the office as a top reason for their job search. This is more than twice as likely as non-active job seekers. Full-time remote work is also on the decline. Preferences on work flexibility show a hybrid approach is preferred by a majority of workers.

Get More Insights Into Employers and Job Seekers

No matter what your company or industry is facing right now, one thing is certain. Job seekers believe they still have the upper hand when it comes to hiring. Whether this is true, or will remain true for the future, is unknown. But for now it’s critical to recognize what candidates are thinking and to leverage insights that will help your company better attract them and convert them into applicants for your open roles. 

By examining job seeker realities in the current labor market, you can better respond to and tackle the hiring challenges your organization faces. Remember to always keep candidates and job seekers central to your talent acquisition and recruiting strategies, so you can overcome short-term challenges and embrace long-term success in your business.

Get the full Q1 2023 Employ Quarterly Insights Report to learn more about employer and job seeker realities in the current job market.

The post Exploring the Changing Landscape of Employer and Job Seeker Realities in 2023 first appeared on Jobvite.

Businesses that have a wide diversity of representation in employee ability, gender identity, ethnicity, neurodiversity, familial status, and personal beliefs are more likely to succeed in their industries compared to others that lack this crucial component. It’s become a key metric for success that it’s now an evaluation category for the Fortune 500 list, reminding companies just how important it is to consistently improve their organizational DEI — and proving that the best lead by example.

Diversity Begins with Recruiting

A diverse company begins with recruiting and focusing on its importance cannot be overstated. Within talent acquisition, 80% of recruiting professionals said diversity hiring was a top priority last year. However, companies still struggle to build a diverse pipeline of talent to meet the standards job candidates expect.

In 2023, companies will likely find that overlooking the opportunity to find diverse candidates or minimizing DEI will make them less attractive to potential employees. But the critical point to remember is that modern DEI makes considerations for much more than ever before. Here are the eight ways to look at DEI across recruiting:

Racial diversity: The phrase DEI usually evokes thoughts of racial diversity, a vital component of inclusion plans in any organization. Race refers to a person’s grouping based on physical traits despite races not being biologically defined. Examples of racial identifications include Caucasian, African, and Asian.

Cultural Diversity: Cultural diversity can mean something different to everyone, but in this case, we’re using it to refer to culture in regard to ethnicity. There are a great many ethnic groups acknowledged worldwide, but examples include Black or African American, American Indian, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander.

Gender Diversity: Traditionally, gender has been depicted as either male or female. As the spectrum of gender is more inclusive, gender diversity can include cisgender, gender fluid, or agender individuals. Companies considering gender inclusion in their company will avoid gender-specific language in job descriptions and other content to avoid accidental discrimination or alienation of any particular identification.

Generational Diversity: Generational diversity is the concept of employing a wide range of generations within a company. Today there are likely four different generations in your talent pipeline: Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers.

Sexual Orientation: Diversity in sexual orientation means making space for individuals using classifications gathered under the acronym LGBTQIA+. This stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual, with the ‘plus’ indicating this list continues for many more characterizations.

Familial Status: Familial status refers to inclusion in the workplace regardless of a person’s role outside of the home. Supporting DEI regardless of familial status includes those with or without children and allows for multiple definitions of family.

Physical and Mental Disabilities: The disability community is diverse, but very often overlooked. Disability diversity may come in physical form, from wheelchair accommodations to audio aid for visually impaired people. But disability inclusion also includes Neurodivergence, which refers to cognitive functioning which is outside of what is considered ‘typical’. This can include conditions such as Autism, ADHD, Down Syndrome, Dyslexia, and many more.

Work Experience Diversity: Diversity of experience encompasses the breadth and depth of work experience across many roles, functions, types of organizations, industries, and more. Similarly, educational diversity demonstrates an understanding that not every role requires a certain level of education. Inclusion in this area means understanding the many different backgrounds and experiences that can make a person well-suited for a role, rather than a single line of promotions.

The State of DEI in the Workplace

When it comes to securing a job, employees often feel their race, gender or ethnicity had a major impact on their employment. Fifty percent of employees believe their race, gender, or ethnicity has hindered them in securing a job. Many employees have made an active effort to hide parts of their identity to increase their chances of getting hired, from removing profile pictures from LinkedIn to hiding their accent, physical disability, or natural hair to avoid bias. Unfortunately, many employees believe DEI is just a checkbox for their company, which is why many job seekers are becoming more diligent in discussing such matters.

Not only are candidates looking at what you say about DEI, but they’re also not shy about holding companies accountable. More than 4 in 5 (81%) of job candidates have checked a company’s website for their stance on DEI before applying. And 57% of employees ask their employer about the culture of DEI at the company in the interview. This data reveals that companies must clearly communicate their commitment to DEI, but also execute these programs well to attract (and keep) top talent.

Where Companies Are Hitting the Mark

Drastic improvements have been made over the last year, ranging from DEI-centered hiring to increased training for onboarding experiences. Compared to last year, companies have improved communications around DEI efforts, shared their DEI stats publicly, and required DEI training as a part of their onboarding experience.

Looking Forward with Promise

Many thought leaders in the industry believe that progress within DEI efforts starts with a diverse pipeline. While this is a major contributor to having a more diverse talent pool, the key to success is having a strong existing culture of inclusivity and belonging. The improvement of some findings year over year is a promising sign as we look toward the future.

For deeper insight into DEI across recruiting, download the comprehensive report: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Spotlight: Examining DEI Across the Talent Lifecycle

The post 8 Ways to Apply DEI Across Recruiting first appeared on Jobvite.

One key to speeding time to hire is ensuring that the offer generation stage is seamless for candidates and recruiters. Delays and bottlenecks during this time can result in talent accepting offers from other organizations; it can also significantly detract from your employer brand as candidates move from job seeker to new employee. Ensuring offers are signed correctly the first time, decreasing the back and forth with candidates, and providing a smooth experience for everyone involved requires a new approach.

Introducing eSignature: Jobvite’s New Tool for a Seamless Job Offer Signing Experience

To streamline and optimize the offer generation and signing process, Jobvite’s Evolve Talent Acquisition Suite has a new feature within its ATS & Onboard solution — eSignature. With Jobvite’s new eSignature capability, users can email a link to candidates that will direct them to their Jobseeker Portal.

Once the candidate logs into the portal, they can grant consent for eSignatures, and then view and easily sign their Offer Letter. eSignature enables companies to obtain legally binding electronic signatures from candidates on their offer letter as Jobvite complies with the ESIGN (Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce) and UETA (Uniform Electronic Transaction Act).

Here’s Why This New eSignature Feature Is So Incredible

With Jobvite’s new eSignature capability, employers can improve speed of hiring and ensure candidates are nurtured throughout this critical stage of the hiring process:

• Reduce errors, increase time-to-offer, and improve time-to-acceptance
  eSignature operates seamlessly in the Jobvite platform rather than relying on integration with another application. This decreases potential for errors and makes the offer stage faster for candidates and recruiters.
  
• Streamline interactions with candidates
  eSignature reduces redundant communication, and streamlines the offer and signature into a single communication with candidates. This ensures candidates can focus on the task at hand and avoid being prompted to register for a third-party account.
  
• Prioritize the candidate and recruiter experience
  eSignature ensures candidates have a seamless experience that prioritizes their time and captures their activity in a single candidate log. Recruiters can automate these essential tasks and ensure all documents are kept within one platform.
  
• Eliminate the need for third-party applications
  eSignature within Jobvite enables companies to take advantage of native electronic signatures without having to purchase expensive third party tools that require integrations and maintenance, and detract from the overall candidate experience.

See for Yourself What Makes eSignature Invaluable

We are thrilled to provide this new functionality to users of Jobvite’s ATS & Onboard solution as part of the Evolve Talent Acquisition Suite. Take advantage of this new, streamlined tool to simplify offer acceptance in your organization. For more information, talk to your customer success representative today.

If you’re looking to learn more about Evolve Talent Acquisition Suite, get started by watching the product tour here. Or stay informed on the latest product and recruiting insights by subscribing to our blog.

The post Evolve Talent Acquisition Suite Update: eSignature Is Now Available! first appeared on Jobvite.

Far from being just a hot topic or passing fad, organizations have demonstrated greater commitment and emphasis on creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce. In fact, building a diverse workforce is one of the most important steps any business today can (and should) take to respond to a market that is growing increasingly competitive and dynamic.

So what are tangible advantages of having a diverse and inclusive workforce? Below are some of the top benefits you should know when it comes to bolstering DEI initiatives in your company.

5 Benefits of Having a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce

#1: Diversity and Inclusion Inspire Creativity & Innovation

It’s been said that “great minds think alike,” but too much thinking alike can result in stagnancy and a lack of innovation. Having a number of different employees all bringing their own unique backgrounds and life experiences to the table is a great way to stimulate creativity and add new ideas to the mix.

If your business isn’t evolving, it’s in trouble; having a diverse and inclusive workforce ensures that you’re always growing, changing, and adapting to meet the challenges of the day.

#2: Diversity and Inclusion Help Increase Productivity

Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. The more diverse your workforce, the better equipped you are to balance out one person’s weaknesses with another person’s strengths.

With proper organization, you can leverage those strengths for all they’re worth, while reducing or eliminating any weaknesses.

This, in turn, makes your company more effective, and productive. It also provides you with access to a broader range of skills that can help streamline efficiencies and workflows.

#3: Diversity and Inclusion Are Vital for Employee Retention

Just as important as finding good, qualified employees is retaining them. The best way to do that is to make sure the people who work for you feel seen and fulfilled.

Valuing diversity and inclusion helps communicate to your employees that you care about them not just as workers, but as people. It helps boost morale and develop a richer, more vibrant employee community. Employees who are encouraged to show mutual respect and appreciation despite their differences build stronger bonds and more fruitful working relationships.

#4: Diversity and Inclusion Are Good for Your Reputation

One mistake that too many businesses make is not actively cultivating diversity in their workforce. Instead, they simply sit back and hope it takes care of itself. Unconscious bias is an insidious thing; not making an effort to actively overcome it can leave you open to making costly mistakes.

On the other hand, being proactive about fostering a diverse workforce demonstrates both to your employees and to the general public what really matters to you. A good reputation goes a long way towards attracting job seekers, while also appealing to potential clients and customers.

#5: Diversity and Inclusion Help Reach New Audiences

On a related note, it’s worth keeping in mind that your workforce isn’t just a reflection of who you are. It also holds a mirror up to your audience. If customers look into that mirror and don’t see themselves reflected back, they will likely search of a business that they feel does reflect them.

In other words, a more diverse and inclusive workforce appeals to a more diverse audience. It allows you to appeal to a much wider number of demographics and opens the door to new opportunities.

Build a More Diverse and Inclusive Workforce with Jobvite

Remember, diversity, equity, and inclusion is a journey, not a destination. Start building stronger teams and make your workforce more inclusive with Jobvite Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Hiring Tools. Put your DE&I goals into action with the right people, processes, and technologies that create opportunities for underrepresented communities and mitigate hiring bias.

If you want to go deeper on the importance of building strong DEI programs in your business, download our latest report: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Spotlight: Examining DEI Across the Talent Lifecycle. Find out new data and insights on DEI across each stage of hiring and get key strategies for tackling DEI in your organization.

The post Why a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce Is So Important first appeared on Jobvite.