Fast Company’s list of the Most Innovative Companies 2013 tells us that innovative companies such as Apple, Nike and Google are adapting to the ways consumers think and shape industry standards.  Inventing products such as retina display screens, The Nexus 7 and Fuel Band shows us that innovation is critical to success and growth.  However, most companies are not like these industry juggernauts with their seemingly “unlimited budgets!”  So, how do small to midsize companies compete?  Since the vast majority of these companies don’t possess the resources to invest in things like R&D, they must find alternative ways to innovate, but how?

A few years ago, after a four month search for a hard to fill role, I found a candidate from a large manufacturing firm. During the initial phone screen interview the candidate was asked “Do you anticipate any issues with a background check?” He replied “no” and he was moved through the recruitment process.  He was a perfect fit for the position and the client was going to extend an offer, so we did a background check.  Unfortunately, he had not completed his bachelor’s degree.  Although the position did not require a four year formal degree, he was taken out of consideration because he lied!

For most people, looking for a new job can be tedious, time consuming and at times a daunting experience. However, you turn around on the subway or drive by a billboard on the road and there they are, helpful signs saying “Sick of searching for a job? We can help” or “Need a job? Call us!” All of this sounds easy, right?

Millennials in this economy are finding it hard to land a job interview let alone a job!  As this growing population of educated tech savvy individuals (born between 1980 and 1995) come into the job market, they are finding that not only are there fewer jobs available, but that employers seem to becoming ever more demanding about what they are looking for in candidates.  “Employers all say they want at least one or more years of experience for a job that is supposed to be for someone right out of college?!” , says blog.Simplyhired.com.  I can say from personal experience that this is no joke!  After graduating in 2009 with a double major I looked around for an entry level position for over two years.  During those two years I worked as a barista and held contract roles to stay viable in the job market, and I am not the only one.

If you are in any way involved in the Patent Prosecution arena, then you are well and truly aware of the heavy duty changes made to the U.S. patent filing system, in order to better protect intellectual property and encourage further innovation and patent quality. The official buzz is that the changes will streamline the patent application process but…the jury is still out on that one!

OK. So there’s been a lot of criticism about the recently cancelled CBS show, The Job, a reality TV show where candidates compete for their dream job. If you haven’t seen or heard of the show, the premise holds that job seekers undergo an extensive and competitive interview process, and one winner gets hired.  Pulling in “an anemic 3.4 million” views caused the show’s cancellation after just two episodes.

The chances are that at least once in your life, you will have to pass a background check in order to be considered for a job. You may think that only “certain” jobs require it as part of the necessary checklist, when in reality, it is a widely used tool to qualify applicants across industries and job categories. Surprising to some, background checks may be issued at any stage of the interview process. Here are some ways you can be proactive and prevent holdups when it comes to getting the job you want. 

Businesses are moving (back) into the city from suburbia. What used to be a “mini-migration of companies from the suburbs into city neighborhoods” is now a movement, literally. Employers are making high-impact business decisions to sacrifice larger workspaces for a smaller and pricier spot downtown. Why? Simple - Talent.  

I’m sure many of you are receiving LinkedIn Endorsements. Some from people you know and respect and maybe some from acquaintances who barely know you or your work. I myself have received these types of Endorsements and it has perplexed me. I can’t help but question others’ motivation to endorse me when we have not interacted in a capacity appropriate for this Endorsement.  

• are hungry.

• are driven, not only by money.

• put their confidence in reputable and successful staffing firms.

• love referrals.

• love us.

  Have you heard?

73.7% of survey respondents rated referrals as an

effective job resource. 

 Just as a person's eyes are like a window to the soul, this survey is like a window to the minds of today's job seekers.   

Learn what else they are saying about their motivation to change jobs, the resources they say are most effective, and their actual perception of staffing firms.