Category: For Candidates

The future is here: millennials have taken over the workforce. But unlike their professional predecessors, they have a different set of values, expectations and requirements from their places of employment. Successful businesses of the future will be those that recognize the need for incremental, and in some cases, radical changes to their existing company practices and culture, to meet the needs of this demographic.

It’s been said that millennials change jobs more frequently than any other generation. However, happy employees don’t leave companies, no matter their age. This means that understanding millennials is key to their retention. It is also essential for developing millennials into the future leaders you need them to be for your business.

Unlike previous generations like Baby Boomers and Generation X who typically valued structure, millennials prefer flexibility in the workforce – with office hours, schedules and workplace locations. This is due to a life tethered to technology and the internet, which enable working remotely from the comfort of home, the coffee shop, the beach and so forth. Employees are able to achieve the same professional expectations and deliverables as expected of them in the office, all while improving their work-life balance, which they place high value upon.

The tech-savvy nature of millennials also means that they are more than equipped to improve upon workplace processes set by those before them.  They are the ‘work smarter, not harder’ generation. If a company is set in its ways and unwilling to learn from them, the likelihood of retaining this talent pool is low. Listening to, and implementing, plausible changes driven by technology that they put forward not only makes them feel valued, but can also improve operations, all while keeping your business on the cusp of modernity.

Millennials are fuelled by collaboration with their co-workers and don’t necessarily feel in competition with them. They seek environments that allow them to have fun doing what they love, all while being led by superiors who help them grow through trust, constructive criticism and mutual respect.

Investing in their skills and performance development is critical. A study found that 69% of millennial employees believed that the review process at their places of employment were flawed, as they did not receive frequent feedback on their job performance consistently throughout the year. It would be advised for companies to ensure they are regularly providing their young employees with regular training and performance reviews so that their staff feel like they are growing, improving and bringing greater value to a company than they did before.

The rise of social, environmental and civil rights injustices being brought to the forefront of global consciousness means that millennials have grown up with concern over these issues. They want to feel that they are contributing to a better world for everyone. Corporate social responsibility is thus an important initiative to millennials, and they want to work for companies who share this same value.

“To attract the best millennial talent, trends have shown that companies will have to change their policies according to the expectations of the market. Greater autonomy, transparent communication and company culture promise put into real practice will be among the greatest drawcards for tomorrow’s workforce leaders,” said Jody Moore, MSI Recruiting, Partner.

“At MSI Recruiting we understand the needs of our millennial talent and are proud to say that hiring and retention continues to be at a high level amongst our clients who have augmented their workspaces and cultures according to the needs to their staff. Our focus on successfully pairing employees and employers whose professional values and expectations align is why we have remained at the forefront of corporate recruitment.”

The job market is not the same. The time for change is now. Creating a workplace where millennials long to be is the solution to retaining these professional assets. Get in touch with us today to find the best millennial talent who are in sync with you and your business.

MSI Recruiting is pleased to present our annual Salary Guide, 2019 edition. We offer this information in hopes that with the rocketing growth of the US economy, the rise in salaries, and record low unemployment in all disciplines and industries, that employers seeking to hire the best candidates will be properly advised to offer compensation in keeping with the current market. Or, at the very least, assist employers who are reviewing the wages of their current staff to be in line with the market so as not to watch top talent recruited away by their competition.

With unemployment Rates locally in South Florida dipping below 3% and nationally sustaining at 3.7%, we at MSI Recruiting want employers to understand that most of their new hires will be a currently employed candidate, typically needing enticement to leave their current company. In this current market, it can be safe to assume an employer will not likely be able to hire and build their A-Team or the secure best candidates rummaging through unemployed candidates or dissatisfied job seekers that have plastered their resume on every job board. We know how to attract and incentivize an employed candidate, who offers the least risk and greatest potential, while employers will have to offer salaries and compensation packages that exceed the current compensation of a potential employee.

We also hope this salary guide will be used as a reference for job seekers in their search for new employment as a means of determining the validity of any job offers they receive. It should be noted, through the end of 2016 and for nearly eight years prior that salaries and compensation in the corporate world remained stagnant of any growth. The lack of salary growth during those years mirrored the weak GDP the US economy experienced throughout the years from the crash of 2008 up through 2016.

With the current GDP as of this writing hovering around 3.4% and with the possibility of it exceeding 4%, the current enthusiasm and confidence of business leaders remains strong. Even more tangible is the year over year 3% growth in salaries that we expect to continue through 2019.

Employer confidence in the economy translates to growth, and growth always means an increase in hiring and low unemployment. Low unemployment makes the task of hiring the best candidates that much more difficult. We at MSI Recruiting offer the best solution to finding our clients top talent through our time tested recruiting techniques as well as employing the latest search technologies available.

We at MSI Recruiting welcome any questions and are here to personally advise employers and career seekers on any compensation queries they may have. We can be contacted through our website here, or we can be reached at our corporate offices in Boca Raton, Florida at 561 314 7170.

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In a Tight Job Market, the Art of Negotiation Is Key
Advice for South Florida Employers and Candidates

This latest edition of MSI Minute brings you good news.

The US economy added 304,000 jobs in January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and wages are up 3.2% year over year.

And some even better news, if you’re a reader in South Florida.

What goes on nationwide is heightened in our region, where population is growing by the tens of thousands each year.

Likewise, the job market is better than the national average. The unemployment rate for both the state and Palm Beach County is 3.3%, and Broward County’s is only 3.1% — far lower than the U.S. unemployment figure, which ticked up a point in January to 4%. Keep in mind 2.5% is unemployable so we are close to full employment.

We here at MSI Recruiting see these numbers in the context of people working hard to move forward in their careers.

From the windows of our downtown Fort Lauderdale offices, I can count 20-construction cranes! While that means opportunities for architects, engineers and construction workers now, it also represents thousands of professional jobs that will need to be filled by companies setting up shop in those buildings.

Likewise, we see the robust economy from the perspective of both employers and job seekers. Companies need to be especially nimble yet judicious while aiming to build their A-Team under such circumstances. And even if they hold the purse strings in a tight market, top-notch candidates should still remember the fine art of negotiation.

To be sure, posting a job announcement on a search engine is common practice, but that’s not necessarily going to move your company ahead. In fact, job boards often attract the unemployed or dissatisfied – not the people you want to hire. By focusing your recruiting efforts online, you’re losing precious weeks.

The only way to build your ideal team is to hire well-qualified and high-performing people away from your competition. Doing so takes a team of seasoned recruiters who know how to identify and build trusting relationships with people who are actually happy in their current jobs. Over conversation and with finesse, we can entice such people to consider an even more fulfilling position with you.

Wooing such candidates requires an ability to adapt to societal shifts. While money is always important, and looking toward to the future is innate in all of us, millennials seem less interested in how much money they make than Baby Boomers or Gen X. That’s not to say that signing bonuses or annual bonuses don’t count – they do. But like people, today’s hiring equation is complex.

Countless surveys tell us that millennials want to work for, and shop from, companies whose values they share. They also want to feel in control of their time.

While a manufacturing company needs three shifts to cover 24-hours of technical workers onsite, ad agencies, law firms and accounting practices can appeal to professionals by offering a four-day workweek with defined deliverables. Work-from-home Fridays and Paid-Time-Off (PTO) remain another perk.

A word of caution to the mid-career professionals reading this: I recently arranged an interview for a client with a highly qualified candidate. It seemed like a good match until she insisted that the hiring manager meet her at her current place of employment, a request my client turned down. In my 30 years in this business I had never heard a job candidate speak so unabashedly.

While this scenario is extreme, it reminds us that good old-fashioned boundaries and respect are paramount. Wherever you work, remember that someone built that company and that’s why you have a seat there.

Employment is a privilege, not a right.

– From the Desk of Jody Moore, founder and Partner, MSI Recruiting

South Florida enters 2019 with a record low unemployment rate of 3.3%, even lower than the country’s historically low rate of 3.9%.

As our clients rush to fill critical positions in a tight labor market, we here at MSI Recruiting, formerly MSI Consulting, are likewise starting the year at a fast clip.

Our new name pointedly captures the services we offer to employers and people seeking their next career opportunity; as an extension of that, our logo represents the mutually beneficial relationships we create. Our new color scheme symbolizes the best of the past and what’s to come. Navy blue represents our steadiness and timeless qualities such as integrity and honesty. True red suggests our alertness and readiness for change, whatever the future holds.

As for you, our clients, our rebrand means a new website with extra resources to guide you. Be sure to check out MSI Minute, our new biweekly and multimedia content series. It’s easy to find – sign up for our email newsletter, visit the Resource Center section of our site, or follow MSI Recruiting on LinkedIn.

Whether you’re an employer or career seeker, our aim is to be your go-to source for info on the latest job trends and how-to’s for making your best hiring decisions, or acing that interview. With some killer instincts and fingertips on the latest trends, our researchers, writers and designers will be publishing a mix of quick reads, short videos and colorful infographics.

As far as we know, we are the only South Florida-based recruiting firm to publish an annual salary guide, free and accessible to the public. In February, we will publish a full list of regional salaries for some 100 corporate positions – from entry-level to C-suite – in accounting, administration, finance, health/wellness, HR, IT, manufacturing, marketing/sales, and real estate.

Why do we do this?

Three reasons.

1. Guide employers as they budget for new positions
2. Manage candidates’ expectations for current salary, while providing intel on career advancement
3. Serve as an authentic and transparent match-maker, giving both parties a common baseline

Stay on the lookout for another proprietary piece of research: survey results on the state of South Florida’s workplace, with views on working remotely and turnover to the status of writing skills in a texting era.

Spring topics will also include:

• Major vs. Minor: How to hire your A Team when unemployment is at a historical low.
• FaceTime vs. FaceTime: the power of personal connections in a digital age.
• X, Y or Z: What does each generation value most?

Speaking of generation, MSI Recruiting spans four – from Gen Z to Baby Boomer. As anyone who has visited our offices can tell you, our intergenerational approach is inclusive, diverse, insightful. Serious in intent, we bring a healthy dose of good humor, too.

For more info on what our rebrand means for you, please check out the video below.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP-J4eYUEsc[/embedyt]

On behalf of MSI Recruiting, I wish you a very happy new year. Onward!

-Jody