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If you’re searching for a job, you want to have the skills that employers are looking for. This will mean the difference between being at the top of the resume pile and not even being considered. As you continue your job search, here’s a look at the ten of the top in-demand job skills of 2024. In-Demand Job Skills in 2024 1. Communication Being able to communicate with co-workers and supervisors is key in any type of job. This is especially true in the ever-growing hybrid workplace where people are not always sharing a workspace. Written and verbal communication skills are extremely important to get the job done correctly and efficiently. 2. Leadership & Management Leadership skills are critical to many different types of jobs. Leadership shows initiative, motivation, and trustworthiness…all skills that employers find valuable. It also demonstrates the ability to manage conflict and mentor others. It also inspires and helps to create connections between personal motivations and professional results. Management skills are very important because they help you get more work done, balance priorities and deadlines, and work with others. Employers want to find workers they can trust with tasks and don’t have to constantly watch over them. Those who embody management skills fill this requirement. 3. Emotional Intelligence More employers are looking for emotional intelligence in the people they hire because it results in higher job performance. Employees with high levels of emotional intelligence can handle stress better and implement coping mechanisms before chaos ensues. They are also better active listeners and can read the room and adjust their behavior or work as needed without being obvious. 4. Teamwork Collaborating with others, respecting others’ opinions, and being able to share ideas are important to any workplace setting. People who can work together and adapt to situations help to drive results. This is what employers want to see. 5. Problem-Solving Can you think on your feet and solve problems quickly? Employers look for people who can meet challenges and solve problems. Using critical thinking skills is important to getting around problems and seeing the big picture. 6. Creative-Thinking Equally as important, if not more important, than problem-solving skills, are creative-thinking skills. According to the World Economic Forum , the demand for creative thinking is expected to grow faster than the demand for analytic thinking in the next five years. Employers like creative thinking because it leads to solutions that others may have not considered. It also allows people to be open-minded about others’ ideas which can spur innovation. 7. Relationship Building Building relationships and bringing in customers is extremely important in many different sectors. Businesses need sales-minded employers in this challenging economy. Those who have sales skills and can use AI tools to help in the sales cycle prove to stand out even more. 8. Customer Service People enjoy doing business with companies that make customer service a priority. Candidates who have people skills and know how to handle those from all types of backgrounds and with different viewpoints are priceless. Excellent customer service leads to trust building which helps any company’s bottom line. 9. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Skills Many different sectors are relying on AI skills which is why it has become an in-demand skill for job seekers. Healthcare, education, data security, and finance are just some of the areas that use AI to be more productive. 10. Marketing Marketing skills are versatile. They can include research, strategic thinking, creativity, customer relationship management, and much more. Whether you’re marketing yourself or a product, you want to have the skills that make you stand out. Marketing skills are especially helpful in sales, project management, and operations jobs. As you consider these in-demand skills, Summit Careers is here to help match you with the right employer. Contact us today to learn more about how we connect job seekers with employers in many different sectors.

Staffing woes got you pulling your hair out? Finding the right talent in today's competitive market can feel like deciphering hieroglyphics in a maze. You have two main options: embrace the rising tide of artificial intelligence (AI) or partner with a seasoned staffing agency. But which path leads to smoother sailing? Let's dive into the murky waters of hiring solutions and uncover which approach suits your unique needs. AI: The Tech-Savvy Solution Speed Demon: AI-powered platforms scan resumes and identify potential candidates in a flash, leaving traditional methods in the dust. Need a data whiz by next week? AI can whip up a shortlist at lightning speed. Bias Buster: Say goodbye to gut feelings and unconscious biases. AI algorithms analyze skills and qualifications objectively, creating a level playing field for diverse talent. The Learning Curve: Navigating AI interfaces and understanding data analytics can be daunting for the tech-averse. Be prepared to invest time and resources in training your team. Limited Human Touch: AI excels at efficiency, but it lacks the personal touch of a seasoned recruiter. Building rapport with candidates and assessing cultural fit can be tricky through algorithms alone. Staffing Agencies: The Human-Centric Ally The Talent Whisperer: Experienced recruiters have built vast networks and deep industry knowledge. They know where to find that diamond in the rough, even for niche positions. Beyond the Resume: Agencies go beyond skills and qualifications, assessing cultural fit, soft skills, and potential. They understand the nuances of your company culture and find candidates who truly click. Hands-Off Hiring: Outsourcing the entire hiring process frees up your team to focus on core business functions. Leave the headhunting to the pros and watch your productivity soar. Costlier Concierge: Agency fees add to your hiring budget, especially for high-level positions. Be prepared to factor in additional costs when calculating your ROI. Agency Roulette: Not all agencies are created equal. Finding one that aligns with your company culture and values requires diligent research and due diligence. So, Who's Your Perfect Match? The answer, as in most things in life, is: it depends. Consider these factors: Company Size and Budget: Smaller companies might find AI's cost-effectiveness appealing, while larger firms might benefit from an agency's comprehensive services. Technical Savvy: If your team thrives on data and embraces new technology, AI could be a perfect fit. But if human interaction is key, an agency's personalized touch might be the answer. Hiring Needs: For high-volume recruitment or niche positions, agencies can bring their expertise and extensive networks. For occasional hires, AI's agility and affordability might be ideal. The Hybrid Approach: Don't get caught in a binary trap! Consider a hybrid approach, leveraging AI for initial candidate screening and then partnering with an agency for in-depth assessments and cultural fit evaluation. This can optimize efficiency while ensuring a human touch throughout the process. Ultimately, the best solution lies in understanding your company's unique needs and choosing the approach that fosters a talent-rich environment for long-term success. So, grab your compass, navigate the hiring jungle, and discover the path that leads you to your dream team! Remember, the key is to remain informed, flexible, and open to exploring the potential of both AI and staffing agencies. With the right strategy, you'll be singing "I found my hiring soulmate!" in no time.The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Navigating the Generational Mix: Strategies for Building a Unified and Productive Workplace

What is a “Golden Unicorn” you ask? This is the slang term we use for someone that fits the organization and role so perfectly that it almost seems magical or too perfect. Whenever we find the Golden Unicorn, regardless if it’s on the temp / staffing agency side or through direct placement, we generally get the same question shortly thereafter. “Any advice with onboarding?” Here is that advice. Most of the time when we ask someone when they think onboarding starts, they naturally answer, “On the first day”. While this is a common misconception, onboarding starts much earlier. Onboarding starts with your first contact. Keep in mind three things. Set clear expectations, make sure you deliver on those expectations, and Golden Unicorns are only attracted to the best. Great companies recognize top talent is highly sought after and they focus on serving the candidate immediately. Be understanding and accommodating. Long gone are the days of, “they are lucky to have a job”. Here’s a simple piece of advice. Complete the entire interview process in less than 2 weeks unless absolutely necessary and communicate more than you think you should. Now that you have both agreed on an offer, there is still work to be done from that day to the start date. Every time a big purchase is made, there is some kind of buyer’s remorse. Changing careers is bigger, to many people, than buying a house or new car. Make the candidate feel the love immediately. Stay in touch. Ask questions. Reinforce why they decided to make the move and clearly outline what they should expect day one and beyond. The big day is here. Is the office prepped for their arrival? Clean, organized, and their workstation/office prepped? Is the team prepared to represent your brand well or are they surprised when the new hire shows up? Every part of their experience sends a message. It's up to you to ensure the right words are on paper. Think about a world-class hotel. How do they make you feel? Are you rolling out a red carpet or is the new hire wading through the trash. Unicorns will quickly fly away from trash. Don’t be afraid to drape them in your best and give them a letter welcoming them with signatures from adoring fans. Make the important introductions and make them feel at home with a tour. Put everything in writing. People fear the unknown. Get rid of the ambiguity immediately. Everyone plays a role in this and its up to you to assign those roles. It’s no surprise they made it through their first week. After all, you made them feel like a rockstar. Now we give them a runway to take off and carry the organization to new and greater heights. Make sure they have a mentor. Dive deep into feedback and make sure they know they are on the right track (unless they aren’t and then it’s really important to find out where the challenge is). Reinforce your values and their future. After all, that is why they are there. Someone worked hard to find the Golden Unicorn, why wouldn’t we want them to shine their brightest. Some even believe that if you give a golden unicorn everything it needs, one day it will become the sun that will create nourishment and warmth for your organization to thrive.

We are all experiencing a staffing crisis. As a result, so many are forced to wear multiple hats, which means they can’t focus on what’s most important, people. Now that you have decided to use a staffing or “temp” agency, there’s a lot to consider. Here are some questions you should ask the companies you are considering partnering with. What makes you different? The truth is there is no magic pool of candidates that one company can pull from. Very rarely will a candidate search for one job at one specific company, they apply to everything that is a possible fit. So how does one company stand out from another and do their values match those of your organization? What are the rates? Be careful. If a company feels comfortable quoting rates without understanding the complexity of your business, that should be a red flag. Blanket rates generally mean blanket solutions. Your business is unique and you should want your partners to treat it as such. Rates should be the last part of the conversation, not the first. How do they pay their recruiters? The industry standard is to commission recruiters. Many times, recruiters are also responsible for their own business development. While this is the industry standard many people find it concerning. Unfortunately, it creates conflicting goals. If a recruiter’s primary focus is on their own compensation, they are not focused on taking time to find the right employee that will eventually get hired by the client. It is far more profitable for the recruiter to put someone in a position as quickly as possible and replace them over and over.  These are not the only questions you should ask, but it’s a good start. Finding the right partner is critical for a company’s success. We all know a company’s workforce is its most valuable asset. Just as the three little pigs learned, investing in a strong foundation pays off when the winds of change start blowing.

As an unemployed individual, seeking employment that is a good fit can be grueling. Mailing applications, applying online, phone calls, interviews, emails, the list goes on and on. At Summit Careers, we work hard to provide a solution to this problem for our new hires. Working with a staffing agency alleviates a lot of these job-search stressors. 4 advantages of working with a staffing company 1. They bring the right opportunities to you. While it might be easy to find any old job, finding the perfect fit can be difficult. Staffing agencies help to alleviate this. When you walk into the agency, they already have a list of opportunities, waiting for a qualified worker. As soon as the agency gets a good sense of who you are in the interview, they will know which position fits your needs the best! Knowing which employee will work best at which establishment is a unique advantage staffing agencies offer. 2. They can get you hired fast. It is not uncommon for staffing agencies to fill positions that start later that week, or even later that day! Many agencies work directly with companies that constantly need a high volume of workers. A strong staffing agency can get you hired quickly in a crunch. 3. They are flexible! Not only can a staffing agency get you a job fast, but they can also help to get you the job you want! With opportunities to fill 1st, 2nd, and 3rd shift positions, staffing agencies can find you work at a time that’s flexible for you, your family, and many other factors that make it hard to find work you can commit to. Working with agencies gives you options. 4. They will bridge the gap!  Staffing Agencies often have a strong working relationship with the companies they staff. The agency’s job is to ensure your work experience goes as smoothly as possible both for you and the company they are staffing. Staffing agencies can assist in communication and problem solving between the employees and the employers. This takes the pressure off the employee and the company they work for as they are both assisted in the selection & management process.

A little background: I am not new to the Work From Home (WFH) life. I have worked from home for the better part of the last 6 ½ years. Almost 5 years ago, I had my first child and then this summer, during the pandemic, I had a second, which meant there were two kids at home while working. This is all to tell you that I know how rough WFH can be. But, working from home can also be fantastic if you do it right. Create a workspace. When I first started working from home, I worked from the couch and coffee shops. After having a child while living in a small apartment, I moved my work station to my bed. I even bought a fold-up desk and placed it next to the bed. The problem with working from your bed or the couch is that you never really get to leave work. Yes, it’s super comfy. But, the beauty of working from an office is that when you leave the office, you are more easily able to mentally leave your work behind. If you’re working from spaces that you continuously spend time at home in, it creates the problematic mental task of removing yourself from your work. Find a small corner if you have to and set yourself up there. That is your “office.” Leave your house. This is very important. Get up and go for a walk or to the coffee shop. Just leave. You’ll start to hate being home, especially during this pandemic, when going anywhere is difficult. Set ground rules with those in your household. If you follow tip 1 above, make sure that the people in your house know that when you’re working in your designated workspace, that you need to be left to work unless it is an emergency. Or a kid shit on the floor. Family life balance. This is trickier but let me tell you how we have handled it. If you have a partner/co-parent working from home and no childcare, set a schedule. This way, one of you gets uninterrupted work time for a couple hours or so. One or the other cannot take on all of the kid duties and still get work done during work hours. If you happen to have a more flexible job, you can, as I have, tried to work once the kids are in bed. Also, I totally do not have a 3-month-old yelling and looking at me like I don't love her right now. Why do you ask? If your company is traditionally in-office, overcommunicate with your boss/manager in the beginning. Everyone worries that their people will be just taking naps and binge-watching The Six Million Dollar Man. In my experience, it tends to be the opposite. When working from home, it’s harder to leave work, so I, and many other WFH counterparts I know, end up putting in a lot more hours than when in the office. Lastly, cut yourself some slack. Transitioning to WFH is difficult – family being around or not. Just remember to get your shit done, and you’ll be fine.

As a staffing firm, are your clients just companies that you help find employees for or are you their partner? When assessing how to interact with clients, a staffing firm needs to ask two questions: 1) What are my limits with my clients? 2) How involved do I want to be with my client’s business? If you are simply there to ensure that all your client’s staffing needs are met, that is fine. Sometimes, that is what your client wants. Here at Summit, we are full service when it comes to staffing, Human Resources, Drug Testing, Consulting and honestly, anything else they might need short of hiding a body. Our lawyers do not like us discussing that one client anymore. However, if you are planning to become or are ready to be a full-service firm, this cannot be a top-down conversation. Your employees must know and understand that this is the kind of business they are a part of. Why? Because your client’s needs will not always be 9-5. Your employees need to understand that they are doing more than just recruitment. For example – we had a client come to us at the end of the day because they forgot to submit an order for 6 employees that they needed by morning. We worked after-hours, into the night to fill all 6 spots by morning. Being a client partner isn’t clocking out at 5. It’s getting the work done when it needs to be done.

The potential to recruit candidates is more than job sites, LinkedIn and emails. Brand Awareness is the king of social media advertisement. This means that the primary return you get from utilizing ad platforms on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is more awareness to potential customers that your brand exists. You kind of need people to know you exist to sell your homemade real-hair dolls and remote scuba lessons. This is also an advantage for staffing and recruiting firms. You need people to know you exist so they can see what positions and services you have available. Staffing firms don’t always have the right job for someone right now. Therefore, ensuring that potential applicants know they can contact you for any future jobs is essential. This opens up your pool, so when you do have jobs open, you can staff them quicker from your pool. Utilizing the social ads platforms to their fullest potential can be a game-changer for your firm. Facebook: They are still king. They as well have a very robust targeting system but is limited due to EEOC laws when it comes to specifying groups. You have to be savvy in how you work their system and their “interest” targeting groups. A/B Testing will be your best friend. Facebook as well has the ability to post Jobs from your business page. This can draw in a completely different demographic than a lot of other job sites - good & bad. Instagram: They are owned by Facebook, so you use the same targeting. Just remember that their image/video dimensions are more limited due to being mobile-only. Twitter: Twitter has been dismissed by brands lately but is starting to make a comeback. I don’t recommend putting $ behind ads on here, right now. But that might be changing. Google Ads: If you’re not running a search or local business campaign, you’re losing business. ProTip: Don't put money behind the search term for your business name. If someone is local and searching for your business by name, they'll find you.  YouTube: Unless you’re producing high-quality videos, I would not recommend using YouTube’s ads (through Google Ads). If you are producing high-quality videos, their targeting platform is incredible.