There’s been a lot said about the lack of soft skills in today’s younger generations. While many are very tech savvy, these individuals often lack the career-ready, soft-skill competencies that make them attractive to employers. Cultivation of these soft skills is growing in importance as students who graduate with an associate or a bachelor’s degree often do not have the guarantee their hard skills will still be relevant as they begin their career.
Needed Soft Skills
Research conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found of the eight career readiness competencies, critical communication and teamwork are considered to be the most important. These are followed by career and self-development, leadership, professionalism and technology, an area where students typically thrive. But tech skills can become even more significant when paired with excellent communication, critical thinking, and teamwork.
Building Skills in Summer
The summer months are a perfect time for students to gain or brush up on these key competencies in the form a full or part-time summer job and internship. Likewise, this can be a pivotal time for employers who have an opportunity to see, mentor and shape the generations who will soon make up the hiring majority.
These students are open to learning and having new experiences, making it a wonderful time for generating high-quality hires for coverage during employee summer vacations and having extra help for special projects and long to-do lists. A younger employee can also be a great catalyst for infusing innovative ideas into the workplace and getting an outside perfective to reinvigorate the status quo.
Temporary to Permanent
This hiring pool also includes teachers who are looking to secure a temporary contract or part-time summer job in between semesters or school terms. Although technically a short-term hire, this is the perfect time for both the job candidate and the employer to try things out without making a long-term commitment. An employer has the benefit of seeing the new hire in action while the employee has an opportunity to figure out if they like an organization while highlighting their many talents.
Best of all, these experiences offer a chance for something temporary to turn into something great in the long term, too. That temporary, part-time or contract employee could easily morph into a permanent employee over time. At Staffing Kansas City, we’ve seen the synergies of a temporary assignment turn into a permanent role, ultimately benefiting both the candidate and the employer.
Employers and Employees Don’t Delay!
May is the perfect time to get a jump in the hiring competition. The job recruiting experts at Staffing Kansas City have a lot of candidates who are looking for a great summer job opportunity. Our recruiters can reduce your hiring time by reviewing resumes and applications to find top job candidates quickly.
If you’re a potential employee, we’re always on the lookout for new talent and employee skill sets. Contact us today to learn more about our contract-to-hire positions.
