Signature Source Blog

Is The Great Resignation Coming To An End?

is the great resignation almost over

The Great Resignation, which has seen employees from all sectors of work voluntarily quitting their jobs, continues to affect all aspects of the job market. As of March 2022, 4.5 million employees quit their jobs and there were a record 11.5 million job openings. However, the Great Resignation may start to see a slowdown due to various current events.

What Is The Current Job Market Like?

In an effort to maintain their workforce, many companies are offering better benefits and higher pay. According to CNBC, hourly wages increased by 6% and employees have the upper hand when it comes to choosing what they want from their careers. Julia Pollak, who is the chief economist at employment site ZipRecruiter, said:

“We are seeing massive demand for workers. This is a labor market that is more of a job seeker’s market than any we’ve seen.”

Employers are willing to offer more flexibility and financial incentive to keep their employees. They feel employees think that it’s easier to leave. As Daniel Zhao, Senior Economist at Glassdoor said, there are more opportunities to “go find jobs that pay better, offer better benefits, or quite simply are a better fit.”

Signs That The Great Resignation Is Slowing Down

The next few months will still be beneficial for employees and job seekers, but there is likely to be a slowdown. Thanks to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the pandemic, and the Federal Reserve raising interest rates, workers are going to want some stability.

Jobs in industries like leisure and hospitality are still seeking to fill a lot of positions, but it will be less stark as people tighten their spending. Zhao said:

“In the next few months, the hot job market isn’t going anywhere. [But] this is the time to take advantage of the tighter labor market for workers because there’s no guarantee these conditions will persist.”

From job seekers to employers, the Great Resignation has had a major impact on all aspects of the job market. Signature Source is a globalized talent acquisition firm that connects high quality employees with their perfect company. Retaining Employees is important, so is finding the best for your company. Signature Source has the resources to help. Learn more by contacting us on our website or by calling 1-888-613-4179.

High Job Openings Continue to Persist After Great Resignation

The Great Resignation has become something of a hot topic within the news cycle. In case you haven’t heard of it, the phenomenon refers to the high number of people quitting their jobs in search of higher pay, greater managerial treatment, more flexible schedules, and better benefits. According to CNBC, last November saw a quit level high of 4.51 million people, which is roughly 3% of the overall workforce. Industries such as transportation, hospitality, and utilities saw the highest levels.

Results From Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

Recently, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey shared more recent numbers from this past February, which showed a slight decrease in quits since November: 4.35 million people. Still, it was higher than January’s numbers, which was around 4.25 million people. The industries with the highest quit rates this time around included education and health services. Despite the lower numbers, there are still a record 5 million more job openings than available workers. This translates to 1.8 jobs for every person unemployed.

Signature Source President and CEO Jean T. Strickland sees all of this happening in real time but feels hopeful. She said:

“We are seeing in the global mobility industry a significant number of job openings, some from the “great resignation” but many are due to our clients who are the preferred providers in the industry expanding their businesses with new account signings, new service offerings and global expansion. We have the privilege of representing the organizations who have a healthy and employee/customer centric culture which enables us to truly “Make a Difference” for candidates who are looking to work for the best of the best in the industry.”

The same survey found that hires increased by 263,000 in February, while layoffs and discharges hovered around 1.39 million. The Great Resignation has driven inflation higher, which in turn has pushed the federal government to start raising interest rates. It’s unclear what the next few months will hold for the job market, but more information is likely to come out soon.

The May job opening and labor turnover survey will be released in July 2022. We’ll be here to keep everyone up to date on the findings and how you can prepare for that as a company.

Part of the Great Resignation stems from a lack of satisfaction in a person’s current job. At Signature Source, we pride ourselves on pairing job seekers to their perfect company. We offer resume writing, interview guides, and other industry tips. Check out our website to learn more.

The Secret to Getting a Top Job Interview

Secret to getting top job interviews

You’ve done the research on the company, dressed the part, and now it’s finally happening! You’ve snagged an interview! It doesn’t matter if it’s your first of several interviews or you’ve made it to the final round. Here are some things to keep in mind so you don’t ruin your chances at getting the gig. Below are tips from job coach Adunola Adeshola.

Don’t Be Afraid to Brag A Little

While no one likes someone who thinks too highly of themselves, don’t be too modest. Adeshola says that it’s OK to highlight some of your best accomplishments and to avoid negative language. The interviewer wants to talk to you because they think you could be right for the job, so don’t downplay what you’ve done as a humility tactic. She said:

“Instead of disqualifying yourself, go straight into the experience and skills you do have. Either show how your experience has prepared you to be an asset or show how your background has equipped you for this new challenge. Identify your specific results and the impact you delivered and then highlight that in your interviews with confidence.”

Oftentimes potential hires don’t want to talk about their skills in case they get hired. Other times they want to show they’re a team player by saying “we” instead of “I.” Adeshola said that doing this diminishes your role and gives the impression that you’re taking credit for someone else’s work.

Be Aware When You’re Using Filler Words or “Rambling”

When you’re constantly saying “uhmm” and “ahh,” you give off the impression that you lack self-confidence and that you didn’t prepare well for the interview. Perhaps you’re trying to avoid answering a specific question, or you want to appear neutral in your answer, or you’re trying to frantically kill time as you think of an answer. Adeshola suggests:

“To prevent dancing around a question and rambling, get clear on what you bring to the table before the interview and decide on the skills and stories you want to use to back up what you can do. If you are asked a question that catches you off guard, request clarification and lean into the value and skills you know qualify you for the role.”

She suggests researching the company and making sure that you understand what their mission is. Companies want to hire people who have the same passion that they do. When you appear confused as to what the company does, it reflects negatively on you. Adeshola also advises practicing answering some of the most common interview questions or brainstorming potential questions that could come up. This will help you feel more confident and relaxed.

Interviewing for jobs is always a nerve-wracking process, but Signature Source can help. We have the resources and tips on how to ace a job interview. Plus we help connect qualified candidates with employers. Learn more by contacting us here.

How To Answer The Interview Question “Tell Me About Yourself”

executive job interview questions

The job interview process is by far one of the most nerve wracking parts of the job search. You aced the resume and found your dream job. Now you just have to get through the interview! No matter how much you prepare, job seekers tend to get stuck on one particular question: tell me about yourself. While it’s an innocuous question, it tends to trip people up, which is why Signature Source is here to give you some tips on how to answer this question.

What Hiring Managers Really Want To Learn From This Interview Question

The reason the question “tell me about yourself” seems so difficult is that it’s very broad. It’s hard to decide what should be highlighted and what you should be talking about? Do you need to mention the hobbies that you do in your free time? Is it important for them to know about that time you built a castle out of cardboard, which in turn kicked off your interest in architecture? Ultimately, the question is used to get a better sense of you in a professional setting. Career coach Phoebe Gavin says, “[T]hey’re trying to understand what your professional narrative is. How did you get to this point, and why does it make sense for you to be here talking to me about this job?”

How To Answer The Question “Tell Me About Yourself”

Talking about your professional narrative is easier said than done. Below are three tips to help you come up with an answer that will blow the hiring manager away:

Come up with a theme. A theme can help you stay on track and give you an outline to follow when answering the question. This theme can be a passion, a skill, a mission, that you’ve portrayed throughout your job history. For example, maybe your theme is “creating a sense of community” and you can talk about activities your third grade class did that encouraged teamwork and the work you did as an event organizer. Once you’re confident in your theme, use that to frame your work experience.

Follow this formula. Gavin says she often suggests clients use the following formula when answering “tell me about yourself”:

Introduction: take 2-3 sentences to summarize your career thus far
Resume highlights: pick a few experiences from your resume that strongly support your interest in the job you’re interviewing for. Take a few minutes to explain how these experiences have prepared you for the position
Conclusion: to conclude, take 2-3 sentences to summarize why the job, company, and/or team is of interest to you

Add some personal touches. While you don’t want to go off on a tangent about your porcelain teapot collection, adding some personal stories can actually make you stand out to a hiring manager or even point out specific skills. For example, Gavin often mentions that she comes from an impoverished background. This gives some context as to her work history and also weeds out employers who act turned off that she comes from an impoverished background. Gavin also notes that some hobbies can highlight skills, such as how being a marathon runner has helped someone break down bigger goals into smaller, achievable steps.

We hope you found this post helpful. If you have any questions about answering the interview question “tell me about yourself” or just job hunting in general, feel free to contact us.

Should Your LinkedIn Profile and Resume be the Same?

Before the internet, job seekers would only have a paper resume and cover letter to send to a potential company. It was an easy way to get a sense of someone’s work history at a glance and it provided people a way to highlight their greatest career achievements. Fast forward a few decades and resumes are still a must for any job seeker, but now they can be seen in a variety of formats. One of the most popular ways to share your work history is through the career website LinkedIn. While the website essentially acts as a digital resume, there has been some confusion about sending a LinkedIn profile and sending a resume. So what’s the difference (if there is one)? Should your LinkedIn profile and your resume highlight the same things?

Should Your LinkedIn Profile And Resume Be The Same?

The short answer: NO. According to Erin Kennedy, a professional resume services founder, your LinkedIn profile should be written in a more informal way. Your LinkedIn profile should also be more detailed than a resume. We’ll go into more detail below:

What Should The Content On My LinkedIn Profile Be Like?

Writing in an informal way doesn’t mean you’ll come off as unprofessional. In fact, having an informally written LinkedIn profile can make it stand out and let some of your personality shine through. You don’t want to sound stiff and boring!

In addition, you want to make sure that you’re striking a nice balance between general skills and more focused specialties. With resumes, you need to tailor it to the specific job you’re applying to, but with LinkedIn, it’s important to not get to niche, otherwise you’re missing out on potential opportunities. Some good advice is to include some highlights that will appeal to a wider audience and then some points that show your more detailed interests.

How Detailed Should I Get?

Many career coaches are always saying to keep your resume to one page. “Cut out the irrelevant experiences. Don’t include anything that’s older than 15 years.” While this can be good for resumes, LinkedIn profiles are actually better when they’re more detailed and include a lot about your past work experiences. LinkedIn allows you to really go into details regarding each experience and talk about the job in a way that resumes limit.

Another benefit to LinkedIn is that you can also include attachments. Think about projects that you were proud of or some documents from your portfolio. While it has no place in your resume, it will definitely make your LinkedIn profile stand out. Having a media rich LinkedIn profile can help recruiters get a sense of you and your skill set.

We hope that you found this post helpful. If you have other questions about your career, building a resume, or finding a job, check out Signature Source. We’re your premiere partner for recruiting in the global mobility industry so that both employers and professionals feel fulfilled and valued in their work.