A lot can happen in 20 years. Technology has advanced leaps and bounds, social movements have altered the way we interact with one another, and regarding a topic we’re particularly keen on – the American Workforce Landscape has changed drastically. TAC Employment Agency is celebrating our 20-year business milestone, and along the way, we’ve seen a paradigm shift in how people and companies conduct work. Let’s take a dive into what the workforce landscape looked like 20 years ago, what it looks like now, and how it may look in the 20 years to follow.
As a Reno recruiting agency, we used to have to go solely off paper resumés and phone calls to screen potential hires. The whir of the fax machine was ever-present, and administrative tasks could take several people and departments to complete. Interviews were held strictly in-person, and people were assigned jobs that mostly revolved around individual machines that performed a particular function.
Now, most of this action lives on computers. We have access to digital worker profiles and powerful recruitment tools, enabling us to find a strong match between prospects and companies looking for talent. Candidates still do phone interviews, but now we also have the power to conduct interviews through video calling platforms, which add another layer of communication intimacy.
In the future, we’ll likely see even more digital tools that enhance the employment search experience. Not only that, smart machines will take over tasks previously thought impossible, becoming your future coworkers. With advancements in collaboration tools and artificial intelligence, new digital environments will be leveraged to share and store vital applicant information and bolster workforce solutions. Overall, we’ll hopefully see a shift towards reducing the strain on our labor market and utilize all of our available talent to its greatest potential. If applicants’ skills, jobs, and locations are matched more efficiently and with greater precision, the future will look bright!
The cultural snapshot of the workforce 20 years ago is almost unrecognizable today. Stuffy office attire, the once a year holiday party, and bosses that barked orders while sitting in their corner office were a staple of yesteryear. Additionally, it wasn’t uncommon for individuals to stay with a company for a large portion, if not all of their careers. And perhaps the most dreaded invention ever concocted: the cubicle, had a grip on office culture.
Thankfully, the reign of comically small cubicles has been declining, and we now see more open-floor layouts that foster relationships and healthy minds. Companies have also realized that people should be celebrated for their accomplishments with more than just a single holiday party. Individual growth that occurs when employees outgrow their positions and move on to other companies are also being addressed in a more positive light. Office lunches, group outings, and employee perks are now woven into the heart of a company’s culture. And it doesn’t hurt when the boss leads alongside their subordinates instead of shouting from afar. With this shift in our work day thinking, people are honing in a better work-life balance and bringing their best selves when clocking in for the day.
Looking to the future, we’ll hopefully see office cultures that people truly resonate with, cultivating heightened pride in their work. With more individuals opting for remote work, the next decades will likely involve increased efforts to encourage inclusivity and recognition of employees from afar via virtual platforms. People will seek opportunities to tie their mission, purpose, and passions with their workplace. At the end of the day, work won’t just be a nine to five, it’ll be a place employees will show up to provide value for society and don’t mind working hard to do so.
In the two decades prior, the workplace was a wasteful environment where little thought was given to consumption habits. Enormous amounts of paper were used, employees commuted in gridlock traffic, and the office itself was often a huge energy sink.
With the current move towards a more digital work ecosystem, we’re making strides towards greater workplace sustainability. Everything from flexible work schedules that reduce traffic, to fewer physical print files, to smaller office spaces are lessening the impact our workplaces have on the environment. After all, we spend a hefty chunk of time at work, so it’s worth addressing sustainability to better our planet as a whole.
In the next twenty years, the trend towards a lesser impact will hopefully continue. Staff will be able to login virtually via laptops that use far less electricity than desktops. Warehouses can integrate sensor-based mapping and inventory control to make optimum use of smaller floor plans. And ideally, offices will move to areas with better transportation links to make them more accessible to the workforce via public transport.
In our twenty years as one of the most experienced employment agencies Reno offers, we’ve found that change is inevitable. Through it all, we’ve been the go-to company for HR consulting services, executive search solutions, and employment services. While these services have evolved to fit the times, we have never wavered in our commitment to our clients. While the next twenty years are uncertain, we plan to use our vast industry knowledge to adapt to the needs of our workers and provide value to the workplace of the future.
Contact The Applied Companies to let us help you with your workforce needs of the future.
Too often candidates and employers make the hiring process much more complicated than it should be. The principle that more job seekers and hiring authorities should adopt is Occam’s razor, which advocates for simple assumptions to be used in the hiring process. Not only will this principle simplify the entire recruitment process, but it can also help employers find better candidates, and helps candidates better prepare for interviews. However, if you need further assistance in the hiring process, utilize our human resource consulting services which help candidates and employers find the best option for employment. Or, take a look below to learn more about how you can simplify the hiring process for yourself by not making complex assumptions.
William of Ockham created the problem-solving principle known as Occam’s razor, a theory that expresses a simplified way of coming to a more beneficial conclusion. His theory states that when considering the best possibility, the one with the fewest, or most simple, assumptions should be chosen. Today, this principle can be effectively used in the hiring process because it acts as a model for both candidates and employers to follow. For example, if more people made fewer assumptions during an interview, they would be able to get to key details more quickly and with less frustration. Not only would the recruitment process and interviewing be much more simple for both parties, but it would also provide better results.
Both the applicant and the hiring authority can benefit from making simple assumptions during the hiring process. Here’s how:
Typically candidates make too many assumptions about their resume. These commonly incorrect presumptions are that their resume will be read, the person reading the resume will already know what to look for, and lastly that the reader will understand the message they are trying to convey. However, using Occam’s razor will allow candidates to better prepare their resume for what employers are actually looking for. Candidates should write their resume with the simple assertion that “I am a good employee and this is why.” This uncomplicated assumption will make their resume more clear and garner them more interview opportunities.
And when it comes to the interview process, applicants should remember to also keep things simple. Your main goal as a candidate is to sell yourself to your potential boss. By straightforwardly explaining “here’s what I’ve accomplished and done for others and here’s what I can do for you,” you’ll easily get the attention of your interviewer and have a better probability of being considered for the job.
Using the simple assumption theory also helps interviewers, or hiring authorities, make uncomplicated assumptions that alleviate the stress of recruiting a new employee. Employers should consider these four simple assumptions:
These questions are uncomplicated and direct which allows hiring authorities to make better decisions in a shorter amount of time. This simplifies the entire process and typically provides better end results as well.
Another crucial way to find the best candidate for an open position is to test their critical thinking skills. To do this, start by giving your prospective candidate a business-related problem that would pertain to your company. Then ask them to solve the problem and analyze their results. When doing this you want to look for two key things - what their answer is (if it’s right or wrong) and how they came to this solution. The most important thing to figure out is how they think, so look for creative and surprising responses that you think will be a good asset to bring to your company.
Also, don’t be afraid of politely pushing back during an interview. A critical thinker will defend their answer and give reasons to back up that defense. This shows the type of personality that is beneficial to have on your team and displays whether or not the candidate is confident in their own abilities.
If the hiring process leaves you feeling overwhelmed, then connect with the experts at The Applied Companies. Our human resource consulting services are designed to help candidates and employers alike throughout the recruitment process. We help candidates find their ideal job and assist businesses in hiring appropriate employees. Whether you’re looking for a career or searching for the right candidate, we’re here for you.
When you are applying for a new position, you could be going up against tens of other people – maybe even hundreds. How can you differentiate yourself from all of those other applicants?
Because resumes can come across as a dry list of past positions, especially to someone who’s been reading a bunch of resumes, find new ways to show employers what you’re really like as a professional! Use both your cover letter and interview to show your personality and describe what you’re like at work.
Whether you’re working in accounting, skilled trades or any other field, quantifying your achievements on your resume is a great way to stand out from the pack and showcase your value to potential employers.
Why? Well, because it makes your value concrete and easily graspable, rather than making it vague. Interviewees all too often talk in general terms about their expertise and skills, saying they did a superior or strong job.
Numbers, on the other hand, show the job you did. Numbers are more a way to show than tell what you accomplished on the job and the value you added to employers. So how do you back up your achievements with numbers? Here are three ways.
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