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5 Ways to Make the Most of a Hiring Slowdown
5 Ways to Make the Most of a Hiring Slowdown
From Patrick Hughes, Manager of Client Solutions & Engagement at Axiom Path
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, hiring managers are under significant pressure to quickly fill positions while still securing the best talent. The key to achieving this balance is to be proactive with talent providers before hiring demands start to pile up.
Here are five ways proactively engaging with talent partners enables a more resilient hiring process and supports long-term success:
1) Build Strong Relationships
Establishing and nurturing relationships with talent vendors ahead of time creates a strong partnership foundation. When hiring needs arise, vendors who already understand your company’s culture, values, and specific requirements can deliver the right-fit solutions — leading to stronger partner alignment and a more streamlined hiring process.
2) Anticipate Future Hiring Needs
Proactive engagement with talent vendors also helps hiring managers better anticipate and plan for future hiring needs. Regular communication with vendors about upcoming projects, business growth, and potential staffing requirements allows for a more strategic approach to talent acquisition. This foresight helps prevent last-minute scrambles and ensures a steady pipeline of qualified candidates.
3) Develop Custom Recruitment Strategies
When hiring managers take the initiative to collaborate with talent vendors early, they can co-create customized recruitment strategies. This tailored approach ensures that the recruitment process is aligned with the company’s specific goals and requirements. Whether it’s creating targeted job descriptions, setting up interview processes, or developing specific assessment criteria, early collaboration enhances the overall effectiveness of the hiring strategy.
4) Reduce Time-to-Hire
A proactive approach can also help significantly reduce time-to-hire. With established relationships and a clear understanding of your hiring needs, talent vendors can act quickly when a position opens up — immediately tapping into pre-screened candidate pools, conducting interviews, and expediting the hiring process.
5) Enable Data-Driven Decisions
Working closely with talent partners provides access to valuable market insights and data. Talent experts can offer industry trends, salary benchmarks, and competitive intelligence, enabling hiring managers to make informed decisions. This data-driven approach ensures that your recruitment strategies are aligned with current market conditions and helps you stay competitive.
Axiom Path’s flexible approach to recruitment allows scaling businesses to make the most of the downtime when hiring slows down. We know that full-volume hiring doesn’t last forever, which is why our talent experts are on hand to help you make the most of quiet periods and inform better strategies for when hiring ramps up again. Scaling businesses are agile — and their recruitment strategies should be, too. Using this downtime to prepare for the next hiring surge will give you a competitive edge in the race for talent.
Partner with Axiom Path for flexible Talent Solutions, Consulting, and Advisory Services that can help your business strategically scale for further growth and success.
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Keep Calm and Lead On: Preparing and Growing Teams of Leaders
Keep Calm and Lead On: Preparing and Growing Teams of Leaders
From James Horne, Sr. Director of Enterprise Solutions at Axiom Path
It’s 2024, and the market has a lot of movement in every direction. Coming out of the pandemic, we’ve seen some companies are booming while others are struggling to keep the doors open. These last few years have felt unstable, confusing, and certainly unprecedented for many business leaders.
In my own leadership position, I view leaders as the “flight attendants” to our teams. As long as the flight attendant is still serving food and beverages, operating with calmness and confidence, I know a little turbulence is okay. If I see them hurrying to get seat belts on, I know it’s time to pray. When the future is uncertain, it’s important for flight attendants to assure and prepare their passengers for possible turbulence.
The environment we create is the environment that exists — it’s as simple as that. If you operate out of panic and emotion, you will have a team that is constantly emotional and panicking.
At Axiom Path, we have a leadership team that pushes each other to not accept the status quo. I am blessed to be in an environment where my leader pushes me everyday. He refuses to let me accept complacency. As a leader, myself, I hope my team would agree that they feel the positive effects and see that I do the same for them — helping create a safe environment for them to be able to push themselves and try new things.
We strive to be a team of positive and prepared leaders, working to build up more leaders that will embody this “servant-leader, people-first” mindset to drive continuous growth.
How are you challenging yourself, your team, and those around you? Are you building a team of leaders who serve and encourage other leaders? Who are the leaders you look up to?
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The Recruiting Sweet Spot: Aligning Candidate & Employer Expectations
The Recruiting Sweet Spot: Aligning Candidate & Employer Expectations
From Jordan Crowther, Managing Partner at Axiom Path
Businesses worldwide are navigating a dynamic talent landscape — making it even more challenging to stay ahead of the competition. Forward-thinking talent acquisition leaders are taking action to ensure their recruitment strategies give them an edge in the race for top talent and ultimately boost retention.
If you’re struggling to attract top-tier talent, the good news is that there are adjustments your organization can make to help you stand out from the competitors and secure the best talent for your business.
The key is finding a balance between company and candidate expectations. Flexibility in compromising on certain hiring criteria, such as years of experience or compensation, can widen the pool of quality candidates. And these are not just trends I’ve seen in my own recruiting experience — talent research studies reveal that the majority of today’s viable candidates prefer working for companies that offer:
Competitive Compensation & Flexible Work Environments
Understanding candidate preferences regarding salary and work environment will help talent acquisition leaders better align their hiring process and expectations. Many candidates prioritize remote or hybrid work setups — accommodating these preferences can significantly enhance recruitment success.
Adjusting compensation packages to remain competitive is another important consideration. Offering competitive salaries and benefits can help prevent the loss of great-fit candidates to competitors.
Positive Candidate Experiences & Employer Brand
Creating a positive candidate experience and fostering a strong company brand are equally significant. A seamless and inclusive recruitment process not only attracts high-caliber candidates but also enhances the company’s reputation. Investing in a positive candidate experience pays off with happier, better-fit hires that help further boost brand recognition.
Key factors to consider when adjusting your hiring process to attract top talent:
- Carefully crafted, candidate-friendly job postings
- Flexibility on job requirements/minimum qualifications
- Quick and easy application processes
- Effective candidate engagement and communication
LinkedIn reports that companies with a great employer brand see a 50% increase in qualified applicants and can hire twice as fast.
Connection, Culture & Professional Development
Since younger generations entered the workforce, there’s been a stronger focus on employers’ ethics, practices, and social impact — especially concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). More candidates are looking to work for companies that align with their preferences, offer career development opportunities, and make employees feel connected, heard, and valued.
Improving relationships and strengthening the sense of belonging with employees through flexible working, DEI efforts, and professional development can help organizations drive successful recruitment.
Studies show that employees who feel directly aligned with their company’s purpose are three times less likely to look for a new job when it comes along.
Today’s complex job market requires talent acquisition leaders to make some pivots to better align candidate and employer expectations. Unsure of how to get started? Partnering with strategic talent experts can help ensure you reach and engage the talent you need.
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Embracing Change: The Shift Towards Skills-Based Hiring
Embracing Change: The Shift Towards Skills-Based Hiring
From Patrick Hughes, Manager of Client Solutions & Engagement at Axiom Path
In today’s dynamic world of talent acquisition, we’re seeing the old rules of recruitment success undergo a transformation. As industries adapt to technological advancements and shifting demographics, a significant pivot is taking place: skills-based hiring is on the rise, edging out the traditional reliance on experience.
88% of employers agree that they are filtering out highly skilled candidates just because they do not match the exact criteria in the job description, according to a recent Harvard Business School survey.
In the past, a lengthy resume filled with years of experience was the ultimate prize. Now, we’re seeing more employers valuing skills as the true measure of capability. Skills-first hiring enables businesses to keep pace with the changing nature of work by targeting candidates based on new and dynamic skills requirements rather than static job titles.
Taking a Skills-Based Approach Can Help:
Fill Technical Roles: A key driver of this shift is the rapid pace of technological innovation. Emerging fields like artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and data science require skills that often outstrip traditional educational and professional paths. In this landscape, the ability to adapt, learn, and apply new skills quickly becomes paramount.
McKinsey & Company reports hiring for skills is:
5x more predictive of job performance than hiring for education.
>2x more predictive of job performance than hiring for work experience.
Break Down Barriers: Skills-based hiring also helps promote diversity and inclusivity within organizations. By valuing skills over arbitrary experience requirements, employers open doors to a wider range of talent. This approach allows individuals from non-traditional backgrounds to showcase their abilities, bringing fresh perspectives and ideas to the forefront.
LinkedIn reports that talent pools expand nearly 10x when using a skills-first approach.
Build a Better-Equipped Workforce: With constantly evolving job functions and rapid technological change, adaptability is crucial. Prioritizing skills helps employers equip their teams with the flexibility needed to navigate future challenges and stay ahead of the curve.
Building a Skills-Based Hiring Strategy
Is your organization looking to accelerate the transition to a skills-first approach? Partner with talent experts to determine a skills-based hiring strategy that will successfully attract the right-fit candidates for your business.
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The AI Revolution: A Recruiter’s Guide to Adaptation
The AI Revolution: A Recruiter's Guide to Adaptation
From James Horne, Senior Director of Enterprise Solutions at Axiom Path
The “AI Revolution” is no longer a sci-fi trope – it’s our present reality. My kids tell me all the time, “You were born in the 1900s,” which (shocking to younger generations) means I’m old enough to remember a time before the internet. Just like how the internet forever changed the ways we connect and consume information, artificial intelligence is poised to reshape every aspect of the professional landscape, including recruitment.
While some fear AI will render recruiters (and other professions) obsolete, the truth is far more inspiring: AI presents a powerful tool for us to amplify our skills, not replace them. Imagine the possibilities:
⚡️ Supercharged Sourcing: AI scouring your database with an LLM like ChatGPT
📝 Streamlined Screening: AI transcribing, note-taking, and highlighting your conversations (also searchable by an LLM within your database)
📈 Data-Driven Decisions: Leveraging AI for deeper insights into candidate pools, identifying hidden gems, and ensuring unbiased selection based on predefined skills and qualifications
🤝 Personalized Candidate Experience: Using AI-powered chatbots to answer basic questions, provide updates, and even pre-screen candidates – creating a more efficient and personalized experience for both recruitment teams and candidates
Rather than putting your hope in John Conner, we can embrace the fact that the emerging AI Revolution is not about replacing recruiters (or other professions) – it’s about evolving our roles to become more strategic, efficient, and effective. By embracing this change and learning to wield AI as a weapon in your arsenal, you can not only survive in this new era but thrive as a recruiter of the future.
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How Much Are Bad Hires Really Costing Your Business?
How Much Are Bad Hires Really Costing Your Business?
Let’s face it: Recruiting new employees is not cheap. And recruitment mistakes are not something that happens rarely: 74% of employers admit they’ve hired the wrong person for a position. That’s almost three out of every four employers.
More research findings on the costs of a bad hire:
- The average cost of a bad hire is 30% of that hire’s annual salary.
- A single bad hire costs companies an average of $14,900.
- For some companies the cost of a bad hire can be as high as $240,000.
- The average cost to hire an employee is $4,425.
- It generally takes at least six months for companies to break even on new hires.
And these alarming numbers don’t even take into account the “invisible” costs resulting from a bad hire. Other impacts like lost productivity, disruption to workflow, poor employee morale, and decreased retention can be just as damaging to your bottom line and overall business success.
How do bad hires happen?
- A lack of time and resources
- Unstructured interviews
- A biased hiring process
- A lack of a coherent hiring strategy
- Culture mismatches
- Unorganized onboarding
Many factors can impact the quality of the recruitment process and result in mis-hires — an underutilization of onboarding practices, too much focus on processes and paperwork, or a lack of technology that automates and organizes it.
How to improve your hiring process and avoid bad hires
Creating a solid job description: A well-crafted job description is the foundation of any successful hiring process. Defining clear roles and responsibilities helps to eliminate any misunderstandings or misalignments.
Moving efficiently through the hiring process: It’s important to make the process as smooth, quick, and frictionless as possible; otherwise, your ideal candidate could choose a company that acts faster.
Conducting structured interviews: A standardized interview process is critical to ensure consistency and fairness. Interviews should assess both technical and soft skills and include a clear evaluation rubric to score candidates objectively.
Skills testing and assessments: Hiring methods such as technical skills assessments, job simulations, psychometric testing, and situational/behavioral testing help provide valuable insights into a candidate’s abilities and compatibility with the role and company.
Embracing diversity and inclusion: Incorporating DEI in your hiring process positively impacts employee engagement, retention, performance, and innovation. When candidates (and existing employees) feel represented and valued, there is stronger motivation to collaborate and perform in their roles.
Utilizing automation tools: Leveraging HR technology helps streamline recruitment efforts. Tools for workflow automation, background/reference checking, and video interviewing can help alleviate administrative tasks and speed up the hiring process.
Bad hires are avoidable, but you need the right strategy.
Hiring success starts with getting the right candidates through the door — and that starts with the right strategy. Evaluate your current hiring process: Is it delivering the right candidates the first time around, or is it creating a costly problem in the long-term for your business? Take the time to examine your recruitment efforts, and determine where improvements can be made.
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The Real Business Advantage of Diversity and Inclusion
The Real Business Advantage of Diversity and Inclusion
In today’s business world, the benefits of cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace are more evident than ever. Many companies now recognize that diversifying their workforce is not merely a matter of ethical consideration but a compelling business advantage.
Key benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace:
- Increased productivity
- Improved creativity and innovation
- Stronger employer brand and attraction to qualified talent
- Greater employee engagement and lower turnover
- Better decision-making and business performance
Diversity drives sustainability and a competitive edge.
As more insights emerge, it’s becoming increasingly clear that to stay competitive and sustainable, organizations need to harness the power and potential of diverse talent.
With rapid change and growth affecting the modern workplace, business leaders are searching for effective ways to remain resilient. This ability to not just survive but thrive in the face of uncertainty depends to a large extent on diversity. Change requires versatility — and versatility requires diversity.
“People with different lifestyles and different backgrounds challenge each other more. Diversity creates dissent, and you need that. Without it, you’re not going to get any deep inquiry or breakthroughs.”
— Paul Block, President and CEO at Merisant
The aim of diversity is not just meeting compliance targets or hiring based on age, race, or gender. A diverse workforce goes beyond demographics — it encompasses different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that empower stronger collaboration and better business decisions.
Employing a wide range of talent helps build a culture of adaptability, problem solving, and progressive decision-making — essential elements for staying ahead in today’s competitive markets.
Research insights consistently show that diverse organizations led by inclusive leaders outperform their competition.
Diversity advances innovation and profitability.
The integration of diversity recruiting not only enriches company culture but also positions businesses ahead in the race to innovative and groundbreaking opportunities, leading to enhanced profitability in the long run.
Research continues to indicate that companies with more diverse workforces perform better financially. While greater diversity doesn’t automatically translate to more profit, the correlation does indicate that when companies commit themselves to diverse leadership, they are more successful.4
Attracting and retaining diverse talent has become more than a competitive advantage — it’s a business imperative to help drive profitability for modern-day businesses.
The most diverse companies are now more likely than ever to outperform non-diverse companies on profitability.
We’ll help you translate a diverse workforce into a business advantage.
Diversity is not a program or a marketing campaign to recruit staff — it’s become a company’s driving force. Regardless of where you are on the maturity scale, future performance will largely depend on your organization’s ongoing ability to attract, hire, develop, retain, and empower a diverse workforce.
As a diverse supplier, Axiom Path recognizes the transformative power of diversity and understands the unique challenges faced by businesses seeking to build inclusive teams. Our commitment to DEI extends beyond rhetoric — it’s embedded in our processes, guiding every step of our talent acquisition strategy.
Partnering with Axiom Path means aligning with a recruiting firm that values diversity as a driver of business success. We go beyond matching skills and qualifications; we identify candidates who bring a spectrum of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences to your organization.
By embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion, Axiom Path is not just a trusted recruiting partner but a catalyst for your growth and prosperity. Together, we can forge a path toward a more innovative, adaptive, and successful future for your business.
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Battle and Balance: Skillset, Location, and Salary
Battle and Balance: Skillset, Location, and Salary
For over a decade, we’ve have seen the battle/balancing act of skillset vs. location vs. salary/pay rate that hiring managers and companies face when looking for new employees. Typically, when it comes to hiring, most businesses pick two of the three.
Right now, we are seeing this shift where employers are forced to allow employees to sit remote… and the employees are not wanting to go back into the office. Even in cases where employees live in the same city they work in, they are choosing to work from home.
How will this affect your hiring strategy in 2023 going into 2024?
- Do you go with the flow and allow employees to be remote? If so, how do you keep a collaborative environment?
- Do you focus your efforts on culture and location to create an atmosphere that people want to go into the office?
- Do you find a balance and do a hybrid model?
- Do you hire people who are not as senior in skillset and willing to be onsite to work and learn from someone who is?
Whatever the strategy is, just like having a good diet, it is important to define what your goals are and attack them. Sometimes it is best to work with someone — accountability is a powerful tool. Reach out to someone you trust for advice (like us).
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Is Your Internal Hiring Process Holding You Back?
Is Your Internal Hiring Process Holding You Back?
Streamline and optimize the recruitment process.
Companies can improve their hiring process by streamlining and optimizing the various stages. This involves clearly defining job requirements, creating well-crafted job descriptions, and utilizing targeted job boards and platforms to attract relevant candidates.
Are you pushing candidates through the interview process in a timely manner that keeps you competitive to the market? Shortening the interview cycle increases the chance of hiring top talent as the longer they are on the market the more opportunities present themselves.
Is there a clear line of communication between the hiring managers and HR on timelines for feedback and next steps?
Utilize multiple sourcing channels.
Diversify candidate sourcing by using multiple channels such as job boards, social media, employee referrals, and professional networks. Casting a wide net to increase the chances of finding the right fit for the role.
Partner with an agency but be cognizant of how many you partner with. You don’t want to flood the candidate pool with inquires for the same job.
Emphasize cultural fit and soft skills.
Beyond technical qualifications, companies should prioritize cultural fit and soft skills assessment during interviews.
A cohesive team that shares common values and work ethics is more likely to thrive and collaborate effectively. Incorporating behavioral questions and situational assessments can provide insights into a candidate’s problem solving abilities, communication skills, and adaptability.
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Trends We Need to See in 2023
Trends We Need to See in 2023
Every year we see “Latest trends for XYZ,” and every year we see people, businesses, and things move in… trendy ways. The past three years we have seen remote work trend, quiet quitting, back to office, skyrocketing salaries, etc. To wrap up 2023, going into 2024, here are some of the trends we would like to see.
- Employee development
- Work/life balance
- Empowered employees
Employee development seems pretty straight forward. The truth is leadership wants to have strong employee development, but oftentimes business and other things get in the way. The reality is: if we don’t grow our people then our people will grow away from us. Invest in your people’s lives, in their careers, and build them to be the best version of themselves they can be (in and out of work). Note that if you build people to thrive and grow, they may eventually seek other career pursuits in the future — but what is scarier is if you don’t grow them and allow them to thrive and they decide to stay!
Work/life balance is going to be different person to person, and that’s okay. (Disclaimer: as many of our team members are married and have kids, we encourage our team to take time off with their families). Regardless of what work/lift balance looks like for each of your employees, encourage an environment where everyone is a team and everyone works to grow each other (employee development).
Empower your employees — Empower them to make decisions, to take chances, to meet as a team and push each other, to influence the business, and to scale without you. You are not needed in every decision, so empower your employees to take charge and make a difference in their own way!
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