Candidates market remains tight
The candidate market is still very competitive, as there are not enough skilled individuals to meet demand of open roles in several sectors such as accounting & finance, healthcare & life sciences, construction, logistics, and technology. A tight candidate market further drives the growing trend of skills-based hiring. Think about identifying retooling & training opportunities for your team. We believe thinking outside the box will be the way to win the war on talent.

To develop a strong skills-based process, start with assessments to evaluate the hard & soft skills needed within your organization. Then, begin mapping those skills to internal roles. This will allow you to set benchmarks, implement training, and evaluate success.

Additionally, as candidates make decisions, we are seeing hybrid and flexible work with a focus on employee well-being remain a top priority. This means organizations who offer flexibility and invest in employees remaining happy and healthy are often more competitive in securing top talent.

Role of AI
Continuing into this year and growing in Q1 are the use of AI and automation in the human resources function, including AI powered recruitment tools and real time analytics providing actional data for your talent pool. Today, nearly 2 of every 3 companies use AI to develop job descriptions, 42% use it to customize target audiences, and two-thirds use AI to review and screen applicants according to SHRM. If you haven’t begun evaluating how AI can support your organization, now is the time to start.

Post election regulatory shifts
While regulatory changes happen every year, the changes in early 2025 have potential to impact HR professionals and the policies they develop and enforce. It is best practice to find an internal subject matter expert, or an external consultant, who can help navigate these ever-changing waters.

Workplace culture
Last year, the Society of Human Resource Management launched a civility campaign, amid rising concerns of workplace conflict as it relates to political viewpoints, social issue differences, generational and cultural differences. Post election, it is safe to assume half of your team will be disappointed, as a leadership team or HR professional, it is more important than ever per James Atkinson, SHRM VP, Thought Leadership to “be clear about what workplace culture you want, and make sure that your leaders model it.”

Identifying opportunities in your workplace to bridge gaps and offer conflict resolution skills building will help create a more cohesive team with respect for differences while working toward a common business goal.

If you have questions about these insights or how our team can help you navigate the hiring market, please contact us today.

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Whether formal or informal, research on current executives shows that those who had a mentor at some point in their career are more likely to earn more money at an earlier age, are better educated, are more career-driven, and are happier with their job in the long term.  

A mentor can share first-hand knowledge and career advice. A more tenured employee can be a significant source of information throughout the early years of an employee’s career, making transitions smoother and success more attainable. Many employees who have a mentor in a specific field may continue in the same path their mentor did, leading to continued growth and commitment to that field as they gain genuine insight into the field. 

Additionally, having a mentor ensures that a mentee is provided with an ally for decision making and facing challenges. When an employee is facing a difficult situation or in need of direction with a career, having an established mentor who you can consult with gives you additional insight to make informed and well thought out decisions.  

A mentor relationship can shift perspectives and allow insight into different generations altogether for both parties involved. These relationships create opportunities to grow with each other and foster a personal connection with someone who may have different ideas and experiences than your own. This can work to break down the barriers of generational divide. 

At FGP, we understand the importance of mentorship and are excited to launch a new internal mentorship program in 2025. This program, “G.R.E.A.T. Connections”, is designed to support FGP employees through shared experience and connections with more tenured employees. Implementing this program into our workplace is a milestone in our continued success and dedication to our employee growth. We look forward to seeing the impact “G.R.E.A.T. Connections” will have on our team.  

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With the constant state of change in the market, companies today must focus on the latest people and culture trends to remain current and meet the needs of both their people and the business.

The midyear point is an opportunity to pause, evaluate, and adapt. To help us understand the current landscape and what businesses might expect in the second half of the year, we asked our Executive Vice President and leader of our Consulting Division, Vicki Peek, to share the top trends the HR Consulting team is seeing and key takeaways to consider as we finish 2024.

Hybrid is Here to Stay

As employees and candidates seek workplace flexibility, many companies have settled on a workforce model that seems to be a “win/win” for all – hybrid. Fully remote can be a barrier to culture building, team collaboration, and alignment, and we are seeing more companies move away from this and fully adopt a hybrid model as the standard. As you implement, a best practice is to have the team “in office” on the same day to promote team collaboration and alignment.

Talent Readiness for Critical Roles

Companies are putting a strong emphasis on planning for the future and discovering it’s never too early to begin thinking about the development and growth of “next level” talent. We often hear from companies that “succession seems conceptual” and can be hard to formalize. But, with a well-defined succession process, readiness assessments, and intentionality around development, companies can successfully prepare for expected or unexpected transitions of talent.

Compliance—Keep an Eye on the Latest

Two compliance areas that companies have a close watch on are the new overtime rule & the non-compete contracts ruling. It is important in both of these areas of compliance to work with your HR leaders or consultants as well as your legal counsel to make determinations and plans based upon the regulations in place and your unique workforce.

Leveraging AI Within the HR Function

To many small to medium-sized companies, AI has been something they have been aware of, but either don’t have knowledge of how AI can be helpful or have concerns about the risks associated with the use of AI. We expect that AI will be more of a focus over the next 12 months. Our clients utilize AI in several core HR areas to include but not limited to Talent Acquisition, Performance Management, Correspondence, Basic Training, and Safety. If you haven’t already done so, being to explore ways that AI can be a benefit to you.

Mental Health and Employee Wellness

Regardless of company size or industry, overall health, specifically mental health, is a growing need, and companies are prioritizing responding to the needs of their employees. We encourage companies to get creative and talk to your insurance broker about options to expand mental health benefits. Be proactive to provide expanded resources (i.e. mental health days, offering EAP, increase number of free visits for EAP calls, webinars, books, yoga classes, etc.).

Optimization of Core Processes

Companies are prioritizing process optimization as they are seeking to be more efficient and leverage people and tools to solve business needs and serve internal and external customers. One area that we are seeing as a focus within HR is optimization of benefit & payroll processes. There is a desire to integrate benefit & payroll processes making these more streamlined and less cumbersome while also ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

Streamline Your Hiring Process

The battle for top talent remains fierce despite shifts in the hiring market. Companies who want to secure top talent for open positions need to evaluate and refine their processes to ensure they are agile and can move quickly and efficiently to secure top talent before competitors. And don’t forget – the candidate interview experience matters – you are selling your brand and job opportunity as much as candidates are selling their knowledge and expertise.

If you are a part of your company’s HR or leadership team and would like to learn more about talent trends in the current market and how adapting can help you grow your business successfully, reach out to our team today!

The post Midyear Market Update appeared first on Find Great People.

As we navigate the labor market this year, focusing on employee retention and engagement will continue to be critical, and employee development plans are a great place to start your retention efforts. To kick off the webinar series, Shellie Haroski and Dennis Hughes, two of our Senior HR Consultants, led participants through a 30-minute session focused on how companies can prioritize structured development and growth opportunities to increase retention. Additionally, they reminded attendees that as employee growth and development increases, so does company growth and development.

Below you’ll find two key considerations to review as you assess how you can implement employee growth opportunities at your company.

Promotional v. Positional Growth

Growth looks different depending on your organization, so it’s important to assess what kind of growth you can offer your employees within your business structure.

Promotional growth is seen when organizations are able to offer a structured career path, or a tiered progression for an employee. This often looks like taking on additional responsibilities and management as they grow in a standardized way.

Positional growth is seen in less hierarchical, or “flat”, organizations. Positional growth provides opportunities for growth through additional responsibilities, but also through more “out of the box” opportunities like professional development, shadowing, and knowledge sharing.

Don’t forget: No matter which kind of growth you are structured to support, employee growth should be aligned with business and organizational objectives.

Employee Analysis & Development Plans

To start the growth planning process, begin by conducting an employee analysis to determine if skills or knowledge gaps exist with individual employees and within the organization. Once you have identified the needs of the employee – either through in-role growth or promotional growth – you can outline a plan, define objectives, set measurable goals, assign accountability partners, and begin implementing the plan.

Don’t forget: Developing the plan is only half of the battle – you need to measure and assess how the implementation is going using both tangible and intangible benefits, for both the company and the employee.

If you want to learn more about this topic, reach out to our team! We would love to share additional insights and resources with you. And, be on the lookout for an announcement and registration link for our next HR Consulting webinar. We hope that you will join us!

The post Webinar Recap: Retaining employees through structured development appeared first on Find Great People.

There are several trends within the hiring market that businesses will need to monitor this year. Our Vice President of Staffing & Business Development, Megan Graham, is breaking down 4 trends to watch.

Continuance of labor shortage

The labor shortage of 2022 and 2023 is likely to continue into and throughout 2024. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that jobs will grow by 13.6% from 2020 to 2040, but the talent pool will grow by only 6.2% during that time. This data supports the importance of employee experience and retaining top talent. As you think about plans for the year, focus on company culture as well as structured growth and development for your existing team.

Skills-based hiring

Due to the known labor shortage, we anticipate that skills-based hiring trends will continue to rise. When appropriate, companies should focus hiring efforts on skills and abilities rather than education or past titles. Data shows that skills-based hiring is more effective for identifying qualified candidates and helps build a diverse, inclusive workforce. Also, focusing on skills can increase your pool of candidates for certain roles.

Back in the office

In the back half of 2023 and into 2024, we saw a widespread trend of return-to-office work. Over 60% of employers require a minimum of three days onsite per week, with most requiring four. There continue to be niche areas, such as technology, in which this trend is not yet present, but most industries are returning to the office. Throughout this year, this will be a factor as organizations consider how to structure roles, employee retention, hiring needs, and company culture.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is predicted to have a larger seat at the table in the world of HR this year. As many organizations seek to build their business using the talent presently on their team, they are considering how AI might support an increase in productivity. The challenge though, for many businesses, is how to operationalize AI while keeping a human element ever present. AI algorithms bring the promise of doing more with less, which is a necessity in a shrinking talent pool. If you are considering how AI can be implemented in your business, we recommend starting small. Bring AI in strategically to help your teams with routine tasks that are more easily transitioned. This will help them embrace and become excited about the possibilities, rather than overdoing it and creating doubt.

Bonus tip: Generative AI is a great place to begin. It is a form of AI that can produce various types of content for the administration of employee engagement, benefit enrollment & management, and many other internal applications.

As you monitor market conditions throughout this year, we recommend focusing on two primary areas: your people and your organization’s financial well-being. Encourage your team, give them the confidence they need to do their jobs well, and invest in them so they feel valued and continue to grow. Ensure they are supported and have what they need to meet your business objectives to grow profitability. Supporting your team will ultimately help support your business.

Lastly, be open to innovation. We don’t know exactly what will come this year but keep moving forward. Don’t let your business stand still; it should be ever-changing, growing, and improving. If FGP can help support you this year through staffing, search, or consulting, please contact us today.

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To overcome the current workforce environment and build an effective HR strategy for the new year, our HR Consultants recommend focusing on the following four areas:

1. Leader and management effectiveness. Many people question whether leaders are made rather than born. At FGP, we believe some employees have an innate ability to lead, but most employees and leaders need consistent practice and skill-building to become accomplished and competent leaders. Skills to continuously develop include how to hold themselves and others accountable, providing valuable feedback to promote growth, adapting to change, building and developing teams, and showing recognition, appreciation, and empathy for the team. Organizations need leaders who can motivate, retain, engage, coach, and develop their teams.

2. Organizational Culture. Company culture is essential to attract, retain, and engage talent within your organization. An engaged workforce also comes along with other competitive advantages, including customer satisfaction, innovation, and profitability. Areas that can determine the state of your company culture include core values, leadership, relationships, authenticity, and overall employee satisfaction. These aspects can be evaluated through surveys or interviews with employees. After establishing a baseline, an action plan can be created to implement or improve company culture.

3. Compensation and Pay Transparency. Salaries have been rising continuously since the pandemic, and if organizations have not adjusted accordingly, they are most likely not competitive in their recruitment or retention of employees. Based on a survey from Mercer, organizations are projecting merit increases of 3.5% on average in 2024. Pay transparency is not something that we see disappearing anytime soon, so developing an approach that will put you ahead of the federal or state requirements will promote a culture of trust and ultimately help you to attract candidates and retain employees. A compensation study is a great way to start this process.

4. Individual Development Plans and Progression. According to a LinkedIn Report, internal recruiting will be an important factor shaping talent acquisition over the next 5 years. This means there needs to be further emphasis on developing talent that is already within the organization and communicating the opportunities that are or may become available. Areas to invest in include skills-based learning opportunities, individualized development & career plans, and building a growth mindset within the organization.

At FGP, our team of HR Consultants are dedicated experts in these areas and can help you and your team have a successful 2024 and beyond. Whether it is a compensation study, your next great hire, or your next career move, FGP has the solutions to help achieve your goals.

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Eleanor Dunlap, our Executive Organizational & Talent Consultant, has 30+ years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, joint ventures, and public-private partnerships. Eleanor has experience spanning a wide range of mission focus areas, and she is passionate about her work supporting nonprofits nationwide. We sat down with Eleanor in honor of National Nonprofit Day to learn more about her experience and her work.

How did you get started working with nonprofits?

My first job after graduate school was working for a small nonprofit in rural northern Greenville County doing home visits for a youth program. The experience was formative as I was proximate to the challenges that so many children and families face in their daily lives. As a result, I forged a commitment to seek ways to use my skills and experiences to make a difference in people’s lives. Since then, I have served in a variety of nonprofit and philanthropic roles and have spent my career building leadership, strengthening organizations, and improving communities.

What makes working with nonprofit organizations unique?

The nonprofit sector is essential. Communities rely on nonprofits to provide critical human services, protect and improve the environment, promote arts and culture, and support education and well-being. And, the people who work in nonprofits are passionate about what they do. They choose to work in this sector because they want to make lives and communities better. They are mission-focused and people-centered. This work requires compassion, empathy, humility, and trust, but also courageous leadership, systems thinking, strategy, collaboration, adaptability, and advocacy. As consultants, our people-supporting and organizational-building efforts demand these same capacities as we work alongside and with nonprofit and community leaders to propel impact. We are mission-building partners.

What are some of the challenges nonprofit organizations are facing?

Leadership recruitment, growth, and development have been on-going themes for nonprofits. As seasoned executive directors begin to consider retirement, they need to work with their Boards on succession planning, compensation alignment, and transition. Executive compensation has increased, especially post-COVID, and competitive salaries are critical to attracting high-impact leaders.  Nonprofit Boards need to examine compensation practices and ensure they are keeping pace with trends. Succession planning should also include identifying internal leadership potential and organization-wide staff development strategies. Nonprofits often lose talent to peer organizations when they fail to cultivate growth and advancement opportunities within. Building a strong organizational culture is also critical to ensuring alignment of leadership, retention of talent, effectiveness of policies, consistency of practices and leaning into organizational values. Last, the impact of COVID has demonstrated that nonprofits leaders must be adaptive and creative. The pace of change demands assessment and delivery of programs, creativity in revenue-generating strategies, collaboration around common goals and metrics, and focused action. Nonprofit leaders, like those in other sectors, need a network for growth and support, whether that be from peers, mentors, or coaches, in order to increase and sustain effective impact.

What is your favorite thing about working with nonprofits?

Hands down it is the people with whom I have the honor and privilege to work. People who work in nonprofits are special. From those on the front lines doing home visits, to those raising money for critical programs to those leading as CEO and governing board members, there is a shared purpose among them that, with strategy and aligned action, they can change lives for the better.

If you would like to learn more about FGP’s Nonprofit team, you can visit our website or contact us today.

The post Nonprofit Team Highlight: Q&A with Eleanor Dunlap appeared first on Find Great People.

We asked our division leaders for our staffing & executive search teams to share their thoughts on what we’ve seen so far in 2023. We’ve also tapped our consulting division leader to share key organizational insights and considerations for the second half of the year.

A Shift to a Contract Workforce

Throughout this year, we have continued to experience a competitive hiring market, and our teams have had to remain diligent in the search for great talent. Across both our staffing and executive search teams, we’ve seen a migration towards contract or temporary workforce. We’ve seen a slowdown in permanent job order volume and an increase in temporary orders. While the number of open staffing-level positions is not changing greatly, our client partners are moving to contingent staff to help meet business demands.

Theoretically, this makes great sense to mitigate the risk of over hiring staffing level full-time teammates, but candidate availability is proving to remain a challenge when a skilled temporary contractor is needed. Many of our client partners choose to search for talent in both temporary and permanent categories simultaneously to understand what the market will return, and ultimately, which solution is best to meet business demands.

As the year has progressed, the executive search team has experienced a slowdown in the pace of searches in a market where hiring managers have become more selective and measured in their processes. For candidates, opportunities are still there but clients are being more selective and measured than they were before – some even making that shift to a temporary or contract role as they evaluate needs. Big picture, companies are no longer just looking for bodies to fill a spot, appropriate qualifications and skills matter more this year than they did last.

Continued Market Strength

The most surprising thing about our market year to date is that the level of open positions in our staffing group remains quite strong. When we digest noise around layoffs or a potential recession it is an assumption that employment opportunities will diminish to some degree. According to our consulting team, most workforce reductions that we are seeing are due to more of a strategic business decision than an overall business decline, which may not have been the anticipated reasoning at the beginning of the year as an economic decline was initially anticipated.

While some organizations are making decisions to cut costs strategically, by and large, most organizations are still actively hiring key talent and, in some areas, continue to experience talent shortages based on lack of availability in the market.

Within our executive search team, we have experienced a leveling-out of job order volumes. In the previous year, we saw record high demand, which wasn’t sustainable long term market trajectory. This change has happened quickly, whereas we might typically expect to see a more gradual leveling of the market, but job opportunities remain strong overall compared to historic levels.

A Discerning Candidate

Our executive search teams are seeing that candidates are now even more discerning and a bit more hesitant. As such, it is more important than ever for hiring managers to recognize that an interview is an evaluation of a candidate, but it’s also the candidate evaluating the client.  How do you sell your company to candidates – what is the value proposition for them coming to work there? This is especially important to consider as we’ve seen an increase in counteroffers accepted and falloffs as candidates become more conservative about making changes in the market. Companies must market themselves well and actively enhance their employer brand.

One area that will remain similar post-Covid and across the board is the desire for a flexible or hybrid workforce model. This is almost non-negotiable now for most candidates. Most of our client partners have moved towards a flexible work model with distinct anchor days (where the whole team is in the office Monday and Friday for example). An alternate hybrid option includes requirements around 3 days in/2 days out with flexibility for the team on which days those are.

Focus Areas for Companies in the Second Half of The Year

Seek Employee Feedback

As the market has continued to normalize and companies adjust to market shifts, there is an increased need for and focus on gathering employee feedback to better understand company dynamics and culture. This is directly related to the increased conversation regarding engagement and retention from both the candidate and the client side.

Establish an Attractive Employee Engagement Model

For companies to be successful in hiring, developing, and retaining talent in the current market, they must provide the right blend of competitive offerings, career growth and development, engagement & inclusion, and meaning & purpose. Whereas in the past organizations often focused on one of these areas or “typical” offerings within these areas, it is important to think “out of the box” and evaluate offerings that increase the employee value proposition.

Optimize The Recruitment Process

Companies must focus on enhancing efficiencies and optimizing their recruitment and selection process. Often, we find companies struggle to achieve recruitment goals only to find out that they don’t have a consistent internal process that is efficient, flexible, clearly communicated and executed. Roadblocks exist causing frustration with candidates and hiring managers and ultimately loss of great talent. Companies need to move through the recruitment and selection process with consistency and agility—this takes intentionality and alignment throughout the organization.

Match Highest Talent Capabilities to Highest Value Roles

With the compensation spikes over the last few years, companies are realizing now more than ever the need to balance budgets with talent demands to support the business. Identify your highest value roles and match those with your highest talent capabilities. This informs decisions on recruitment, retention initiatives, compensation, and individual career growth.

If you have questions about the current staffing or executive search market or have questions about how our HR Consulting team can help you adapt to market shifts, contact our team today!

The post FGP’s Midyear Market Update appeared first on Find Great People.

1.  Increased Employee Productivity: When a company values retention, they prioritize creating a positive work environment, which cultivates a culture of loyalty, dedication, and high levels of engagement. According to Zippia, employees that feel happy and engaged have an 18% lower turnover rate. Investing in employee satisfaction and creating a workplace where individuals feel valued and connected not only reduces turnover but also drives higher levels of productivity. When employees are engaged and motivated, they are more likely to go above and beyond their regular responsibilities, collaborate effectively, and actively contribute to the company’s growth and success. And, they tend to stick around.

2. More Cost Efficient: Employee turnover can be a significant financial burden for companies. The process of recruiting, hiring, and training new employees is not only time-consuming but also expensive. According to Gallup, the cost of replacing an individual employee can range from one half to two times the employee’s annual salary. By prioritizing employee retention, your company can save valuable resources that would otherwise be spent on recruitment and onboarding processes.

3. Employee Knowledge and Experience: Retaining employees with valuable knowledge and experience is crucial for the long-term success of your organization. Each of your employees possesses unique insights into the industry, your company’s operations, and specific processes or systems. By prioritizing employee retention, you ensure that this critical knowledge remains within your organization and allows for effective succession planning to take place. In addition, more experienced employees can also serve as mentors to new members, using their experience to help newcomers adjust and overcome challenges more effectively.

The significance of employee retention should not be overlooked. By prioritizing the well-being and satisfaction of employees, organizations can reap many benefits, including increased engagement, cost savings, and maintaining valuable knowledge holders. Investing in employee retention is an investment in the long-term success and stability of your company.

The post The Untapped Power of Employee Retention: Why It Should Be A Top Priority appeared first on Find Great People.

As an employer, it’s important to know that attracting top talent requires more than just offering competitive compensation and benefits – most companies are already doing that too. What sets organizations apart is establishing a strong employer brand and reputation that resonates with potential candidates and helps them visualize working for you. In today’s blog, we’ll discuss what employer branding is, how it can help your organization, and how to develop one that has a lasting impact on your hiring and retention strategies.

What is employer branding?

To showcase who you are as a company, you must go a step beyond just promoting new job opportunities. The goal of employer branding is to highlight your company’s unique culture, mission, and values to prospective employees. By developing your employer brand, you can attract candidates who are not only qualified for the job but also align with your company’s vision and contribute to its long-term success.

What are the benefits of building a strong employer brand?

• Attracting high-quality talent: A solid employer brand captures the attention of potential employees, communicating your values, culture, and what sets your company apart. It helps in drawing in high-quality candidates who align with your organization’s mission and are more likely to contribute positively to your organization.
• Retaining valuable employees: An authentic employer brand creates a sense of belonging and purpose among existing employees. When they perceive that their company values and prioritizes their experience, they are more likely to stay long-term.

How can you develop your employer brand?

• Social media presence: Utilize social media platforms to show potential candidates what it is like to work at your company. In the digital world we live in, candidates are very likely to look through your social media content, particularly millennials and Gen Z. Share glimpses of your company culture, team events, and employee achievements. Show candidates why your company is a great place to work.
• Showcasing uniqueness: Stand out from other employers by highlighting what sets you apart. Showcase unique offerings, benefits, and values that differentiate your company from competitors. You can emphasize personalized employee experiences, such as recognition programs, growth opportunities, or wellness programs.
• Internal assessment: Employer branding begins internally. You want to ensure that the values you are communicating to candidates are authentic. If the image you present to potential candidates is misleading, they are not likely to stick around for long. Therefore, you need to start by evaluating your company’s values, mission, and employee experience. Identify areas where you excel and areas of opportunity. Regularly conduct employee surveys to gather feedback and gain insights into the strengths and weaknesses of your employer brand.
• Thoughtful touch points: Don’t stop your branding efforts once an individual starts going through your company’s hiring process. Enhance the candidate’s experience by personalizing touch points throughout the process. These can include marketing pieces that showcase what to expect, welcome boxes, or structured onboarding schedules. By showing attention to detail and care for each candidate, you demonstrate your commitment to creating a positive work environment.

As an employer, you should prioritize the development of your employer brand. By investing in your company’s brand and image, you can differentiate your company, stand out from the competition, and effectively attract candidates who best align with your organization. Remember, in a sea of job opportunities, a strong employer brand can make all the difference when it comes to filling a role in your company.

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