Douglas Williams

AI is here to stay...but so are recruiters! One of the reasons I got into recruiting is because I truly enjoy working with and helping people. I love being able to talk with potential candidates, learn about what is important to them, and walk alongside them during the recruitment process. Helping someone advance their career while finding top talent for organizations is a win-win for everyone! But that doesn't happen without the human aspect of the process. The holidays and end of year are approaching - let KMW Recruitment get your organization ready for 2025! Send me a message or schedule time below to learn more about our process and how we can help you start of 2025 strong!💪🏽

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I Was Laid Off This Week: How Long Should I Wait to Start My Job Search? - Great question, and one being contemplated by hundreds in the Las Vegas RIF (reduction in force) this week. Companies are firing, not hiring. So should you jump in with both feet and find a new job, or take time off to recharge your batteries? The answer: Depends how long you want to be on the beach (unemployed). For many, getting laid off is a blessing in disguise. They reconsider their priorities and realize health and family is far more important than any particular job. If you are in the RIF, this might be a good time for a sabbatical. Take six to twelve months off and travel the world and/or focus on your family. That, of course, presumes you have 12 months of savings for living expenses. Only 33% of Americans have a savings account; 60% live paycheck to paycheck. But won't that time off create a hole in my resume and make me unattractive as a candidate? Nope. That used to be the case pre-Pandemic, however these days employers are more understanding of sabbaticals. Provided you have a reasonable explanation for the time off (sabbatical, caring for elderly parents, health issues), taking time off is no longer a scarlet letter. What if I didn't establish an emergency savings fund and can't make the mortgage payment this month? You obviously have a greater sense of urgency. And it really depends on your compensation. First, work your professional network - 85% of jobs come via referrals from your peers. At $100,000+ base salary, contact one or two Executive Recruiters you have a relationship with. If you don't know an Executive Recruiter, ask your peers for a referral, however keep in mind that the wrong time to meet an Executive Recruiter is when you are unemployed. Always build the bridge before you need to cross the river. At salaries under $100,000, work your professional network and check out www.indeed.com for job listings. If you see a role that is a good fit, try to find a professional contact that can introduce you to someone at the company. Worst case scenario, apply online. Unfortunately, you will be one of 500 people applying for that job today.

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So, what happens when fathers in the workforce, take the time legally granted to them, to participate in the parenting of a new born child? & If there is a genuine desire to close the gender pay gap, then why can't fathers take time out of their career to raise children & thereby even up the pay, career and superannuation gender gap? Here is one example of why they can't.

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It's clear that AI has become a hot topic in the staffing industry. The use of AI to screen candidates is coming under fire, with litigation now underway alleging that Workday's AI screening tool is discriminatory. I expect there will be more lawsuits like this, and federal and state agencies and lawmakers will begin introducing laws to regulate the use of these tools. We need to be very deliberate in how we deploy AI going forward. It can be our greatest friend or our worst nightmare. https://bit.ly/3xQUjP3

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Hey EMPLOYERS, Wanted to address this WSJ article on AI and the Hiring Process. People often ask us if AI is going to do away with the need for, and value of, staffing companies. That's the same question many asked years ago about the onset of job boards (starting with Monster and now Indeed, etc.) and the answer is still the same. Each time something new and wonderful is introduced to make your life easier, it will also have a counterproductive use that can make your life more difficult along the way. With job boards employers can post their own jobs, use screening questions to attract only qualified candidates, and let algorithms conduct key word searches on resumes to identify the things that matter to them. BUT, candidates often falsely answer those screening questions so their resume will get through, sending piles of resumes to the employer that they still have to spend hours and hours screening. With AI, employers can use bots and other tools to help with their hiring, but candidates have already learned how to use AI for their own benefit too. Many are using AI to craft their cover letters and resumes, which results in an unreal presentation of their writing and communication skills. This means employers have to do a deeper dive to properly assess what is true, what is real and what the candidate really possesses. In addition to this, many small business owners aren't well versed in labor law so even minimal contact with candidates can result in exposure to liability, risk, and even lawsuits. Staffing companies live in the HIRING space, all day, every day. If you want to save time, money and frustration, contact a staffing company. How can you maximize your investment of paying a placement fee? We'll be happy to tell you. Find a staffing company that you are willing to develop a strong rapport with and let them ask you questions (lots of questions). The more we know you, the faster we can screen, vet and present prospective candidates to you. If you jump from staffing company to staffing company, or only contact one on rare occasion, your experiences will be like "50 First Dates". It takes time to get to know each other and learn to anticipate what each other needs in order to get best outcomes. Most companies that contact us wait until the last minute so there isn't much time for getting really acquainted, which slows down how quickly we can "hit the nail on the head". We love getting to know our clients and our candidates, and repeat business and word of mouth referrals is the result. We'd love to get to know you today if you are ready to cut out many of the hassles in your hiring process. As long as there are ongoing "better mousetraps" for the hiring process, there will also be ways for candidates to sneak through your pipeline and end up costing you time, money and frustration. This WSJ article highlights what is already happening with AI. #hiring #staffing #value

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Is it me or does Microsoft Teams remind me of AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)? The glory days. Your biggest decision was choosing the perfect away message, coolest screen name, or your signature font. The constant background noise of doors opening and closing as people signed in and out is forever engrained in my mind. Now if only Outlook could say "You've Got Mail" every morning! 📬 #ThrowbackThursday #AIMtoTeams #WorkplaceEvolution #90s

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The conundrum of finding new employment while still employed vs. unemployed. Sitting out. My husband and I were chatting about this the other night. I left my previous employer to take my first ever break from working since I was....let's say... 15? I hemmed and hawed (can you guess how old I am yet) for a long time before taking leave. Among the many other reasons on the cons list, finding a job while unemployed has always been said to be harder than finding one while working. Why is this? As a hiring manager, my candidates were no more desirable if currently employed vs not. However, that sentiment seems to be rare. My husband went as far as to say he'd rather someone who wasn't working to apply. It showed him more loyalty and less impact on productivity (if you're looking for a new job while working who's to say you won't do the same to him). We did discuss how that's really not possible for the majority of the workforce and I am in a unique position where taking a short break was an option. Back to my point though, what makes an employee more or less desirable to be looking for new work while employed or not? I'll tell you why it's better for me to be looking now vs. 6 months ago. 🔵 I am hyper-focused on what I want 🔴 I have been able to truly reflect on the value I can provide 🟡 I am less stressed during the interview process of..." being caught" 🟢 I can be honest and act with integrity vs lying to my employer about why I am taking time off for interviews 🟠 I can schedule interviews more freely and with more flexibility for those who are doing the interviewing Those are just a few benefits of not working while looking for my next role. What are some benefits for you?

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IT Employment remains static. The IT employment numbers for September were disappointing. According to SIA/Bullhorn, temporary staffing hours worked in professional occupations (IT, healthcare, finance, engineering, etc.) were down -14% year-over-year for the week ending 10/5. SIA forecasts a 7% decline in IT Staffing Revenue this year. Indeed’s data shows the number of technology professional looking for jobs has increased by 86% since January 2020. The growth rose to 3.34 million in August 2024 from 1.79 million per month in January 2020. However, tech pros with five to 10 years of experience are more likely to apply for internal roles than outside their current company. If you are hiring IT people you should see more resumes than in the past. It seems that with the availability of AI tools, candidate resumes are becoming less dependable. Additionally, motivated candidates are actively using AI to help them get through interviews and testing.  

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What’s the difference between operations and admin? What parts of operations are going to be handled by AI in the future, and what parts aren’t? If you know a generalist Virtual Assistant isn’t the best hire for you, who is? My conversation with Brandon Gano recently got me on my soapbox about these things. If you’re trying to lean into a more mature operational engine to improve your profitability as you grow, this would be a great conversation to listen in on: https://lnkd.in/gyi4AMtY

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CEO's need to learn from Maximus I've seen some pretty tone deaf posts lately... Some for clout (bragging about firing people, enjoying it, showing off wealth) Some by accident (Zoom capture of CEO mass firing people) Some by intention (insert viral post of a CEO here, forcing people back to office to have them quit and save on severance etc.) If anything in the age of cancellation and social media, your social presence can make or break your brand and personal reputation. One of the amazing things in the movie Gladiator (top 5 imho) is the study of leadership you see with Maximus and his troops and later his rebellion. Here are some things Maximus did, and a real world Maximus CEO. ⚔ Maximus advocates for his injured soldiers to Caesar. Real world examples: CEO takes a pay cut/forgoes executive bonuses to save jobs, makes smart hiring decisions to not over hire and have to do mass layoffs. CEO shows empathy and demonstrates EQ in all interactions. ⚔ Maximus leads because he has too, without ego. Maximus is renowned for his unwavering integrity and honor, which earns him the respect and loyalty of his soldiers and rebel fighters. They follow him because they respect him, not out of fear. Real World Example: A CEO who openly acknowledges mistakes and takes responsibility for failures, while also sharing credit for successes with their team, also living and demonstrating company values. ⚔ Maximus is always on the front lines leading the charge. Maximus possesses a natural ability to inspire and motivate his troops, even in the direst situations. He communicates a clear vision and leads with passion and conviction, which rallies his soldiers to follow him into battle. He doesn't let others fight battles for him or be expendable. Real World Example: A CEO who regularly communicates the company's mission and progress through regular communications, town hall meetings, walking the floor with employees encouraging them to work towards a common goal. CEO doesn't make job cuts to pad quarterly profits for bonus purposes. ⚔ Maximus is a master strategist who effectively leads his forces Several battles in the film he is able to win by strategy and outsmarting his opponents, even with losing odds. Example: A CEO who consistently analyzes market trends, competitor actions, and internal performance data to make strategic decisions can steer the company toward growth and innovation. Additionally, being adaptable and ready to pivot strategies in response to changing circumstances. Work with Ready Set Exec to hire inspirational leadership that will lead by example. #ceo #hiring #management #sales #marketing #humanresources #operations #recruiting #leadership #founders

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For all those 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 or 𝘊𝘌𝘖𝘴 thinking about what type of employee you'd like to work for your organization... consider hiring a transitioning educator! And, the best part?!! My niche recruiting company, RecruitED, has an extensive bench of ready-to-go (transitioning educator) candidates, nation-wide. Save time and money hiring the right person the first time around. Let's chat! #recruiters #hiringmanagers #CEOs #nonprofit #hiring

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Holy Moly! A Workday® resume FRAUDSTER! The perfect résumé just landed in your inbox and you TOTALLY want to hire the person. BUT… what if AI wrote it, not the candidate?   It’s every Dir HRIS’s nightmare. We've got a real problem brewing.   In the Workday and hybrid HRS world, we're drowning in word soup résumés. More buzzwords than a TED Talk.   Let's zoom out to 10,000 feet.   These résumés claim superhuman experience.    Tally their last three jobs and you’re looking at someone who: ·       Single-handedly implemented an entire system, with ·       Flawless integrations, and ·       Ran a solo operation for a Fortune 500 company.   All about as likely as a unicorn coding in your break room.   Problem is, most HRIS Directors are blind to the AI job application avalanche.   They don’t realize that résumé-crafting tools outnumber ice cream flavors. Or that AI interview prep can make a freshman sound like a Workday wizard.   There are over 20 tools designed to tailor a résumé to a job description and tick all your filter boxes. See Jobscan.co as an example.   Interview prep… a whole slew more…  feast your eyes on Uni.wizco’s “Meet Ava”    But it gets wilder…   AI can even whisper perfect answers during live, on-camera interviews. Really! Don’t believe me? Check out Interviewcopilot.io   Add it all up and what do you get?   The sobering possibility that zero-skill candidates could infiltrate your remote HRIS team. Maybe not for long, but long enough that the damage is done.   HRIS leaders, it's time to rethink your process:   1. Prioritize personal referrals.   This is KEY. Trust beats AI-generated perfection.   2. Demand concrete accomplishments.  "Workday wizard"? Prove it with real problem-solving examples.   3. Real-world tests. How do they tackle actual HRIS challenges?   4. Value soft skills.  AI fakes tech knowledge, not teamwork or communication.   Above all though, learn the resume 🚩 Red Flags 🚩 • Countless things they’re skilled in, but no real “accomplishments”? • Candidate who worked at Walmart, Coca-Cola, and every other giant Workday client where you can’t possibly verify employment without calling HR and combining their SSN and full legal name? • 4 to 5 perfect jobs spanning 6 to 8 perfect years of experience. • LinkedIn presence that simply mirrors the resume and has no real activity.   Here is my new BOTTOM LINE: If somebody doesn't have a personal referral from somebody my team knows, I don't even look at them   And that's really sad  - it makes hiring consultants or employees really hard today.    But the truth is harsh and unyielding: traditional hiring methods are obsolete.    It's frustrating, but it's our new reality.   HRIS consulting isn't just Workday expertise anymore.   It's detecting real talent in an AI smokescreen.   Level up your hiring game. In this brave new world,  unicorns might be robots in disguise. P.S. Your turn: Encountered AI-enhanced candidates? What tipped you off?

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Why connection requests are damaging to networks. So dramatic I know (lol). But let me explain why I opened with that line. We all get them → connection requests. ↳ some personalized. ↳ some as just the invite only. ↳ some customized using a generic template. However there are guidelines to consider. ↳ when sending connection invites. Because it’s no secret that LinkedIn initially shows our content to a smaller segment of our networks. And based on how that small segment responds. Determines the immediate reach (i.e. promotion) to the rest of the network. Which is an important factor (like it or not) to those of us leveraging personal branding as part of our attraction marketing strategy. So here are some quick and dirty guidelines for sending connection requests. + you are truly interested in creators industry + you are active multiple days of the week + you clearly identified prospective avatar + you built a level of rapport with creator + you post content on a weekly basis + you are an engaged commenter Otherwise. Click Follow → because it allows you to still. + support brands based on your online frequency + learn about creators before sending invites + ring the bell on profiles you’re interested in + stay connected without sending an invite + support creators content you actually like + start conversations in the comments So the next time you get ready to send connection invites. → If they are accepted. It’s an indicator. ↳ you are entrusted as an active supporter. But if that’s too much commitment. ↳ click the Follow option. Because the last thing we want to do is damage someone’s active network.✌🏾 P.S. what are other reasons to send connection requests? ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ♻️ don’t forget to share the wealth Focus on identifying your target audience, communicating an authentic message that they want and need. — Kim Garst, Marketing Strategist #personalbrand #contentcreation #contentmarketing #brandbuilding #icancbeyond CBeyond Consulting by Cebien Alty

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When interviewing a candidate, be prepared to answer this question... "What is it like to work here?" or "What do you enjoy most about working here?" I recently helped a friend prepare for one of his first interviews for a permanent role in years. After years of contracting, going for a permanent position to support their family was a big deal. Candidate prep isn't quite my swim lane so I connected them with the right person I knew could help. One of the questions we advised to ask was about what it's like to work within the organisation. Upon being asked this, the head of the panel - the boss, replied with a politician-esque deflection about their brand values and avoided the question. Upon probing further and asking how they feel about the company culture, this was initially met with blank silence, then said they didn't have time for his questions that day. Cue one very disappointed and frustrated candidate. To say the lasting impression of the organisation was poor is putting it mildly. Whilst you're looking for the right fit in a person, candidates are doing the same. They want to know what your culture is like, how they're going to be supported and are putting trust in you to give them a satisfactory, real-life experience of a reply that's going to help them feel they're not wasting their time. It's similar to asking them: "Why do you want to work for us" Have an honest reply prepared. Consider what you enjoy most about working for the company. Is it the people? The benefits? The trust? If you're the business owner, consider how you feel about the team, environment and culture you've created and why you started your business. If you're not prepared for and can't answer a question about what's it's like to work with you, candidates will leave presuming the worst and you'll be losing out on your ideal new hire. #Interview #Candidates #Culture #BusinessOwner #TopTipTuesday

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"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." - Anne Lamott 🏖️ This article hits home on the importance of truly unplugging and using paid time off. Too often, we glorify burnout culture instead of prioritizing our mental health. With over half of PTO going unused last year, especially by women, it's clear we need to overcome the guilt, imposter syndrome, and fears holding us back from recharging. Companies play a role too in actively encouraging time off. I will take the advice and disconnect for a few days to reset. We all deserve guilt-free breaks to rest, relax, and return with renewed energy and perspectives. Studies show that using PTO can boost productivity significantly! I'm committed to breaking the burnout cycle by using my hard-earned time off. Who's with me in making self-care a priority? Our happiness and well-being deserve as much urgency as our work. It's time to unplug and savor some true downtime. #Timeoff #PTO #recharge #reset https://lnkd.in/eXMwz-BH

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“Kolby, I have to admit, I do not understand how — or why — to use Gen AI.” This is a frequent conversation I have with peers, colleagues, and even candidates. Gen AI gets a lot of press, but for those just trying to keep up with day-to-day responsibilities, finding the time to learn a new technology can seem far fetched. Many also struggle to see why they should bother in the first place. In the talent market, there are some clear uses for AI: - Creating a first draft of a cover letter - Drafting a job description - Customizing an existing resume to use certain keywords Note that AI can’t necessarily do these things for you, but it can collaborate with you to speed up processes or help overcome writer’s block. For employers, training your workforce on how to use AI is an investment that will pay off. Google knows this and recently launched an e-learning course for its employees, available on Coursera. In industries like Manufacturing, Construction, and Healthcare, mastering AI skills is crucial for staying competitive and efficient. Equipping employees with proficiency in these tools can significantly enhance productivity and drive innovation. What’s your company doing to prepare your team for using #AIatwork?

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If you are an executive searching for a new opportunity, you will likely find your job in one of three ways: Your network Search firms A Job Posting How are you spending your time, and what's working? What are you finding the most challenging?

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Should You Be Anxious About Keeping Your Job? 😓 Over half of Americans are worried about job security and how AI will impact their future employment. People who work in IT, software development, and advertising appear to be the most anxious. 😲 Mass layoffs in the tech industry have made headlines nearly every week since late 2022. 😒 Combine that constant barrage with the rise of AI and uncertainty over the global economy and you have the perfect recipe for increasing anxiety across the American workforce when it comes to fears about job security. 😨 Now a new survey out from online marketing firm Authority Hacker put some concrete numbers on just how many of the currently employed are worried about their job security in the years ahead. In a survey of 1,200 workers, Authority Hacker found that: 54.58% of full-time workers have increased concerns about their job security. Men (62.87%) are more likely than women (47.53%) to fear for their job security, which Authority Hacker says may reflect the 3:1 gender ratio of male to female employees in tech firms. The more a person makes, the more likely they are to worry about their job security.  Those making $150,000 or more worry the most about their job security (72.48%), while those making $50,000 or less worry the least (50.26%). The younger an employee, the more likely they are to worry about their job security. 😖 62.2% of 25 to 44-year-olds worried versus less than 50% of those over the age of 45 worried. 😕 C-suite execs are the most worried about their job security at 79.31%.  But just 46.82% and 45.80% of non-management staff and admin staff, respectively, are worried about their job security. The larger the company is, the more likely employees are to worry about their job security.  Authority Hacker found that 74.33% of those at companies that employ between 500 and 1,000 workers worry about their job security. Only 45.38% of workers at companies with 25 or fewer employees worry about their job security. And, when it comes to concerns by profession, workers most likely to fear for their jobs happen to be those whose industries are most at risk of being impacted by AI. Those professions are: >IT – Services & Data: 89.66% >Software development: 74.42% >Advertising: 70.00% >Finance and Insurance: 67.56% >Human Resources: 64.29% NOTE: To arrive at its findings, Authority Hacker surveyed 1,200 full-time workers in the United States aged 25 and above.

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