Job openings have hit a five-month high, per the US Labor Department, and Indeed reports job postings on its site have recovered to pre-pandemic numbers, but many employers are finding it difficult to fill roles that do not involve remote work. "There's this huge gap between the kinds of conditions under which people are prepared to work and the kinds of conditions that they actually find in the jobs that are available," ZipRecruiter labor economist Julia Pollak said.
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Companies can expand their pool of candidates, particularly in-house candidates, by looking for "skill adjacencies," which are skills and talents that can easily cross over. Some HR departments are using machine learning to determine skill adjacencies and others are loosening job qualifications.
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Employers can boost collaborative remote working by providing technological solutions such as Microsoft Teams and creating small digital "pods" to let employees interact with each other on topics of interest or just through lighthearted conversation, writes simpleshow's Erika Thomas. "Collaboration goes a long way in improving employee retention, productivity, and engagement," Thomas writes.
President Joe Biden has suggested that the Department of Labor clarify guidance to allow employees to receive unemployment insurance after refusing work they believe is unsafe. Currently, guidance rests with state unemployment offices.
Cisco Chief People Officer Francine Katsoudas talks about how the company achieved the top spot on Fortune's "Best Workplace 2020" ranking. "The power is when your business strategy and your purpose and all of your people practices come together," Katsoudas says, adding, "Understanding what your best looks like as a company is incredibly helpful because it allows you then to lean into 'how do we do more of that?'."
A girl from the Aloha state covering the workforce and K-20 education.
We hit the ground running this week with stories on connecting hybrid workforces, why many employers are struggling to fill their talent gaps and how organizational alignment "adds a layer of purpose" to employee engagement. Grab a cup of coffee and dig in!
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