Table of Contents

1. Opening Salvo

2. Did You See This?

3. The Plug

Opening Salvo

I hope you’ve had a great holiday season thus far and can slow down physically, mentally, and emotionally to close out the year! Although I’m not client-facing for the next two weeks, I’ve been working on our newest service line to ensure it’s ready in January. This concept has been living rent-free in my head for about 4.5 months now and I can’t professionally articulate how hyped I am to bring it to life.

I’ve spent months searching for incredibly talented and thoughtful talent acquisition and recruiting experts, to help job-seekers separate themselves from the pack. No, we are not starting a retained search service, but we are offering mock interviews to help support you, or someone you know, in securing your next job opportunity. In a market with many resume writers, career coaches, and now self-service AI interviewing platforms, I see a lot of value in getting practice reps with a talent acquisition expert before starting the interview phase of your next job search. Why wouldn’t you want individualized insight into what interviewers are looking for and how to connect the dots between your experience and how it will drive value in your next role? What makes us different? A non-negotiable standard is that regardless of your background, or career experience, whether you have nerves of steel, or feel anxious simply submitting your application, we will provide meaningful feedback in each session you have with us.

As competitive as the market has been in the last few years, just getting through to an interview phase is really difficult. My team and I want to help you increase your odds of landing an interview to securing an offer. Consider this the soft launch, but feel free to send me your questions in the meantime. Here’s a CTA so my marketing team doesn’t yell at me: Mock Interviews with AstutEdge!

Did You See This?

Flexibility, Purpose, and Stability: Navigating Generational Job Demands

Generational differences in job expectations are creating stark divides in the workplace, as reported by WorkLife. Younger job seekers, particularly Gen Z, are prioritizing flexibility, purpose, and societal impact in their roles. Meanwhile, older generations, such as Baby Boomers, emphasize stability, benefits, and long-term security. These contrasting priorities are reshaping hiring strategies for employers navigating an increasingly competitive talent market.

Generational Priorities in Job Searches:

• Flexibility vs. Structure: Gen Z demands remote or hybrid work options, seeing them as essential to work-life balance. Baby Boomers, however, often prefer traditional office roles for perceived job stability.

• Purpose vs. Practicality: Younger workers are drawn to companies that align with their values and make a societal impact. In contrast, older job seekers focus on reliable pay, retirement benefits, and healthcare.

• Technology Expectations: Digital natives expect cutting-edge tools and seamless tech experiences, while older workers value robust training and user-friendly systems.

Challenges for Employers:

Organizations must reconcile these differing expectations to create cohesive teams. Missteps in addressing generational divides can lead to disengagement, miscommunication, and difficulty in attracting diverse talent.

Employers should embrace tailored approaches to recruitment and retention. Offering hybrid work models, meaningful roles, and accessible upskilling opportunities can bridge generational gaps, ensuring all employees feel valued and supported.

The Plug

This newsletter is brought to you by AstutEdge, a consultancy dedicated to developing and deploying a people-first talent management culture. We solve both obvious and hidden challenges by optimizing performance, engagement, and development across the entire HR, People, and Talent spectrum.

How We Help:

• Optimize Team Performance: Implementing tailored strategies that improve efficiency, engagement, and collaboration.

• Develop Leadership: Nurture leaders who inspire and drive organizational success through targeted development.

• Enhance Employee Experience: Boosting morale and retention with data-driven engagement programs.

• Improve Organizational Culture: Providing insights and solutions to create a positive, high-performing work environment.

• Increase Business Growth: Aligning talent management practices with business goals to drive innovation and growth.

• Strengthen Collaboration: Facilitating team cohesion through CliftonStrengths-based coaching and development.

This plug is shameless and should be shared widely. If your organization or a partner organization could benefit from talent management support, we’d love to help!