Every December, the same thing happens: Hiring managers tell me, “We’ll start recruiting in January,” and job seekers say, “I’ll wait until after the holidays to apply.”

Here’s the reality – the best hires often happen in December, precisely because everyone else has checked out.

Here’s what I’ve learned: In uncertain times, the benefits that matter most aren’t the flashy perks. They’re the ones that address the real anxieties your employees are feeling right now.

Last month, I facilitated two student panels where recent nursing graduates talked about their first-year experiences. The insights were valuable — we heard about preceptor approaches, communication challenges, confidence building.

But here’s what I kept thinking about: What would the people who didn’t make through tell us?

While everyone focuses on external hiring and AI screening, many organizations miss their most powerful talent source: current employees. In a world where jobs change every 18-24 months due to AI and tech advancement, internal mobility is more than a “nice to have.” It’s a competitive necessity.

We’ve talked about skills-based hiring for years. But AI is changing what “skills” means. In the AI age, we need to change our evaluation from “can they do this task?” to “can they do this task while effectively collaborating with AI, and do they know when human judgment should override the technology?”

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what skills will matter most as AI becomes more integrated into our work. The answer keeps coming back to critical thinking. Here are some thoughts about where critical thinking is needed most in talent acquisition and how to develop it. Because here’s the good news: Critical thinking only becomes more valuable as technology advances.

After listening to Will Guidara share stories from his book Unreasonable Hospitality, I couldn’t stop thinking about what talent professionals can learn from world-class hospitality.

Gen Z is the first generation to have AI assistants available throughout their education and early career. This creates both unprecedented advantages and concerning dependencies.

I’m tired of reading about the latest workplace trend with its accompanying cute name. Lately it’s “job hugging” — apparently what we’re calling it when people don’t quit their jobs. Let’s be clear about what is actually happening.

The biggest obstacle to skills-based hiring isn’t technology or process — it’s mindset. If your hiring managers still think, “I had to have a degree to get this job, so should you,” your initiative is doomed before it starts.

Sarah, the recruiter, sat alone at her desk on Halloween Eve, desperate to fill a senior analyst position open for three months. That’s when she saw it — the perfect resume. Eight years of experience, every skill, even the niche certification. She scheduled an interview for the next morning, feeling a strange chill…

The most successful hiring doesn’t happen when you need someone urgently. It happens months or years before that need arises. Smart talent acquisition is like baseball scouting: identifying future stars before competitors even know they exist. Read on for some tips.

The revolution is here. The question isn’t whether to engage AI within your hiring processes, but how to do so in a way that makes you more effective, more human, and more successful.

Spoiler alert: Removing degree requirements from job descriptions isn’t skills-based hiring. Here’s a look at what a real skills-based hiring strategy takes.

Thinking about implementing AI in your recruitment? Don’t make the mistake of buying first and asking questions later. Here are the essential questions that will save you from bias lawsuits and bad hiring decisions:

The rush to automate everything from sourcing to screening has created a paradox: the more we rely on algorithms to find great people, the more we need human insight to ensure we’re finding the right people.

While AI eliminates some jobs, it’s creating a new category of high-performing talent: super-workers who amplify their capabilities with technology. These are the candidates you want to find and develop. Read on.

52% of recent graduates are underemployed one year later. The college-to-career pipeline needs repair. Here’s an action plan.

Too many companies have treated AI hiring tools as set it and forget it. The Workday case serves as a wake-up call, highlighting the need for active management and continuous monitoring of AI tools.

22.5 million empty nesters are redefining midlife careers. This is the biggest untapped opportunity in today’s market. Here’s why.