According to Glassdoor.com, the following Hard and Soft skills are what employers are currently looking for in a variety of industries and and occupations.

Hard Skills

1. Data Collection and Analysis: With increased technology usage and the ability to track data and information more easily than ever before, employers are not only seeing this skill set appear more often on resumes but are eager to see how a candidate has been able to use this skill to their advantage. Whether you are marketing professional, working in logistics or operations, try and think of ways in which you have gathered and analyzed data. In fact, Glassdoor even recommends that if you can’t come up with examples from your previous employment, try taking a free online analytics course to get you going in the right direction.
2. Social Media: As many hiring managers are still reluctant to hire a full-time individual to manage their social media, they may be looking for someone who can supplement the need. However, when listing out specific experience in managing social media profiles, be sure to only touch on professional experience when it relates to social media management.
3. Content Management Systems: Creating websites and writing blogs are not just for professional designers and coders anymore. With the introduction of a number of free, easy to use websites such as WordPress, Blogger, etc., anyone can learn how to create/design a website or blog. Glassdoor recommends to check out one or more of these free sites and become knowledgeable in the platform. Looking to really make an impact? Create your own industry specific blog or online portfolio.

Soft Skills

1. Communication: As long as their have been companies and positions to be filled, employers have always valued someone with strong communication skills. In fact, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 73.4% of employers are looking for this very trait! The easiest way to display this skill on your resume is quite simple. Go over your resume and be sure to check for any grammatical or spelling errors. You want your resume to be written in a clear and concise format, give enough detail but not so much as to be overwhelming. Also, when speaking with a Recruiter, be sure to be brief when answering questions but also warm and conversational.
2. Problem Solving: All employers are looking for someone who can not only help to solve problems but have the ability to come up with creative ways in which to do. On your resume when explaining your job duties for previous positions, be sure to express those points in a way that focuses on you finding a solution. For example: “Increased monthly sales by 15%.”
3. Positive Attitude: Having a positive attitude is crucial for so many reasons in the workplace. This trait can make it easier to collaborate with co-workers and allow for creative solutions to be implemented, not to mention making the workplace a much more enjoyable atmosphere. When outlining your ability to have a positive attitude on your resume include words such as “overcame”, “determined”, “succeeded”, etc., to give an overall feeling of having a positive outlook.

Making just a few of these changes on your resume could, in fact, help you stand out just enough from your peers when applying for positions. Above all else, be confident in your skill set and make sure the Recruiter or Hiring Manager understands what you can bring to the table.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 98 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

It appears the main catalyst for this is that retirees and young families are fleeing the larger cities in an attempt to escape the higher cost of living. This is resulting in the promotion and support of population-driven industries such as construction, healthcare and real estate. In addition, a lot of the cities that are seeing growth have been able to lock in on a specific industry such as renewable energy or recreation vehicle manufacturing to help grow the local economy. Currently, small town rock stars are scattered across the country in TX, UT, ID, and IN to name a few.

Now, although growth among smaller cities seems to be on the rise, a number of Midwestern markets are feeling the sting of automation and de-industrialization. For those markets that are more reliant on a weaker industry base such as agriculture or textiles, it is projected that they may become under performers in the coming years. For more information, please visit oxfordeconomics.com.

Don’t get too discouraged or be hard on yourself. Unfortunately, although this type of behavior is frowned upon and can be considered to be in poor taste, recently ghosting an employer has become a part of the hiring landscape. It all started with candidates just not showing up for interviews and has since escalated into straight up not showing up for their first day of employment. Unfortunately, this new behavior can, in fact, hurt a company’s bottom line. With the cost of recruiting continually on the rise, what can an employer do if and when this happens to them?

• Sit back, take a breath and look over the hiring process. Was there something within your hiring process that may have deterred the candidate? Was the candidate frustrated or anxious at any point or were they strung along for too long? While it can be easy and human nature to automatically place blame on the candidate, sometimes the underlying reason could fall back on the company itself. However, in such a tight job market, keep in mind that it could have come down to something as simple as they got a better offer.
• Don’t stop recruiting: Even if you feel like you have a candidate lined up and ready to start, you should continuously keep recruiting. It is never a bad idea to have a few candidates within an arm’s reach should you need it. Also, it is highly likely that you interviewed and screened more than just one candidate. Take a look back at your previous applicants and see if there are any worth a second look before starting the process over.
• Simply move on: In the event that you or your company is ghosted, you may never know the true reason as to why that individual never showed up. Taking solace in this, you have to keep the hiring process moving forward. Work on any kinks in on-boarding and improve the relationships that your Recruiters are building with the candidates. It is in these relationships that candidates will begin to feel vested with your company and less likely to vanish, without a trace.

It is rather unfortunate that ghosting is infiltrating the workplace and most likely a culture shift could be to blame. However, that doesn’t mean that your company can’t arm itself to better prepare and even prevent ghosting from occurring within your organization. Make the necessary changes, updates and improvements to your hiring process to secure a prospective employee’s faith in your company and how they fit into it.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 98 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

What does this mean exactly? The idea is that instead of your work life and home life competing with one another, they should be reciprocal in nature.

“If I am happy at home, I come into the office with tremendous energy,” said Bezos. “And if I am happy at work, I come home with tremendous energy. You never want to be that guy — and we all have a coworker who’s that person — who, as soon as they come into a meeting, they drain all the energy out of the room … You want to come into the office and give everyone a kick in their step.”

This ideal is something that Bezos strives to instill with all of his new Amazon employees and even Senior Executives to try and ensure that they stop looking at the relationship between work and home as a strict trade-off and more of a harmonious cyclical concept. The main idea is simple; if you’re happier at home, this opens up your ability to happier at work and visa versa. Coming into work or going home with a positive outlook can transfer to those around you and ultimately create a much healthier and happier environment at home and at work.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 98 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.