A record-high 11 million jobs are waiting to be filled across the U.S. This boom in available openings? You can thank the Baby Boomers.

According to Pew Research Center, the rate of retirement in Baby Boomers has accelerated since the start of COVID-19 with almost 29 million boomers retiring in 2020 – An increase of more than 3 million from 2019.

With 75 million Baby Boomers retiring by 2030, The Great Retirement is looking to supersede The Great Resignation as the biggest hiring trend for 2022. Here’s what you need to know:

How will Baby Boomers retiring affect the workforce?

One in four workers in the U.S. is a Baby Boomer, amounting to 41 million total employees. This trend of mass retirement will lead to an even wider workforce gap as companies race to fill positions left by retirees. As these workers also normally hold higher-level management positions due to their extensive working experience, the competition to find replacements will be tough with many businesses turning to recruiters to look for top talent.   

Why are Baby Boomers retiring now?

While Baby Boomers fall in the generation most at-risk for COVID-19, the main driving factor for retirement isn’t health-related. They’re looking for a better quality of life.

Famous for their strong work ethic and dedication (40% have stayed with their employer for more than 20 years), Baby Boomers commit to their jobs more than any other generation. After 40+ years in the workforce and a global pandemic, they’re re-evaluating their work-life balance. With quarantine rules keeping them at home but isolated, many are choosing to trade in their 9-to-5 for more time with friends, family, and to travel.

Those most likely to retire early? Women over the age of 65 are the group with the most retirees while the Hispanic Boomer population saw the biggest increase in retirement rates. Boomers residing in the Northeastern U.S. also saw a large increase in those retiring.

What can be done to prevent a workforce gap?

While Boomers may want to spend their golden years away from the office there is a silver lining to The Great Retirement: There’s a whole new generation (and two others) ready to work. Investing in these workers and supporting their development will be crucial to closing your workforce gap. Here’s how to attract and retain young employees:

1. Offer flexibility in the workplace

Gen X workers and Millennials are often working parents or caregivers to their parents or grandparents. With quarantine rules and distance learning changing often and suddenly, you’ll need to be supportive of employees who are pulling double duty working and taking care of their family during the day. Offering more flexibility to parents by letting them work from home and by measuring their performance on results (not hours worked) will help retain valuable employees who won’t have to choose between family and their job.

2. Close skills gaps with reskilling and upskilling

Younger workers, especially Gen Z, won’t have the decades of experience that retiring Baby Boomers have. Instead of brushing-off young talent for a lack of skills, take the time to train them on the skills they need. If your company doesn’t have a formal training program ask them to enroll in online courses like our Aspire Academy. There are dozens of training courses available at no cost.

3. Mentor, don’t manage

For many young people, a position in your company may be their first professional job out of college. They don’t just need a salary but need guidance on how to progress in their careers. In a recent survey, younger workers reported wanting feedback from their managers more frequently than their older colleagues signifying they need more support to know they are doing their jobs correctly. They also rank mentorship among the three most important aspects of choosing where to work. Setting up a mentorship program will not only attract top young talent but keep them engaged and loyal to your company.

Is your company feeling the effects of The Great Retirement? At Adecco, we pride ourselves on finding and connecting top talent with the right opportunities. Learn more about our staffing solutions and keep reading our blog to discover the other top hiring trends for 2022.

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Is overhauling your career a part of your New Year’s resolutions? You’re in good company. According to our research, nearly 2 in every 5 people are changing jobs or considering a new career in the new year.

Whether you’re looking to move on up in your same company or change job fields entirely, you’ll need to develop new skills to fit your new job description. Luckily the importance of training is becoming increasingly crucial to companies and employees alike, making it easier than ever to determine what in-demand skills you’re missing and the steps you need to take to gain them:

How to determine which skills you’re missing

The first step in revamping your career is to figure out which in-demand skills your dream job requires. Only then are you able to see what training and professional development you’ll need to close your post-pandemic skills gap:

1. Research the future of your industry

Artificial Intelligence. Automation. Cloud computing. New advancements in technology are continually changing the future of work and the skills in-demand for future employment. 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t even been invented yet thanks to changing tech.

While that may seem far off, companies are looking for candidates who possess the right qualifications to adapt to these advancements now. Research what job skills are most in-demand for your industry for the next 10 years and focus on acquiring those competencies to make yourself a more competitive applicant.

And it’s not just tech companies that will be looking for highly skilled individuals. Traditionally manual industries like warehousing are adapting robotics and supply chain management into their daily business practices.

2. Connect with those in your preferred position

Need advice on how to get a specific job? Look no further than those who are in that position now. They’ll help you answer questions you have on making a big career change and provide personal insights on what job skills are most in-demand for their job.

If you’re looking to stay in your same company, consider a mentorship. In addition to highlighting which skills you’ll need to develop, a mentor can assist with career goals and help you build meaningful work relationships. 97% of employees that have a mentor agree that they are valuable and help them progress in their careers. 

3. Explore your current workplace

Thanks to the post-pandemic hiring boom, chances are your current company is looking for employees or outsourcing work. Monitor your workplace’s internal job board to see the top skills in-demand, especially if an open position resembles what you want to do in the future. 

Look at what roles in your team are currently being outsourced. As companies are shifting from outsourcing to reskilling employees, your business will prefer for internal workers to take on these jobs. If you’re prepared with the right skills, your company will look to you to fill one of these positions.

How to gain those skills

Now that you’ve determined what skills you need it’s time to make a game plan. Combine virtual learning with hands-on experiences for the most comprehensive approach to closing your skills gap:

1. Seek opportunities in your current company

In 2020 alone, US companies spent $82.4 billion on training their workers. Ask your company leaders if there are opportunities to enroll in learning platforms and make a formal training request to your manager presenting the benefits of education.

And it’s not just technical skills that can be learned. Thanks to evolving technology more in-depth learning resources have emerged, some even incorporating virtual reality to train employees on manual abilities.

2. Look for education outside the office

Don’t worry if your company doesn’t have a dedicated learning and development program. Over 180 million people have enrolled in online courses just in 2020, with more learning platforms being developed each year. Find an online course that aligns with your future job and other skills that are in high demand and see if your employer will cover the cost.

Is your company unable to pay for your training? Our Innovation Foundation can help. We’ve partnered with Penn Foster to bring you the Aspire Academy, an e-learning platform with dozens of training courses available at no cost.

3. Take a temporary position

Before taking on a more permanent position in a new career field try out a temporary role. You’ll see firsthand what qualifications you need for future work, get on-the-job training for essential skills, and, most importantly, see if you enjoy the work before committing. Check out our current openings to see if there’s a position that aligns with your future work goals.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­At Adecco, we’re here to help you prepare for your career change every step of the way. Check out our Adecco Foundation US for more professional development programs and read our research on future-proofing the workforce for further insights on closing your skills gap. Get started with us today.

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Camaraderie. Resilience. Discipline. Critical thinking. Veterans come with a wealth of sought-after transferable skills. Masters of navigating uncertainty, veterans often perform at higher levels and have lower turnover rates than their civilian counterparts. Many spend years managing large numbers of people and expensive equipment. And their sense of responsibility means they are often the first on the job and the last to leave.

So, why do so many veterans face unemployment and underemployment after they hang up the uniform? Below, we explain what stops veterans – and their spouses – from getting the job offer, and what employers can do about it.

Recruiters don’t speak military

Often, recruiters won’t recognize military job titles, ranks, and acronyms, never mind military credentials. They might have low expectations of veterans’ skills and fear that they won’t be a good fit for their workplace. Consequently, they’re more likely to reject veteran candidates or push them into specific fields, like security or trucking, for example. Indeed, 38 of the top 50 industries employ them at a lower rate than nonveterans.

AI weeds out qualified veteran candidates

Most military jobs have a civilian equivalent, but veterans don’t screen like civilians because their job titles are different. AI-based applicant tracking software can put candidates in the reject pile if they lack industry keywords or have gaps in employment history. This disadvantages veterans and exacerbates the talent crunch by rejecting millions of candidates straight off the bat.

Job requirements exclude veteran experience

Job descriptions can deter many veterans before they even get to the application stage. Civilian terms for certain skills don’t always align with how veterans see their skills sets, leading them to rule out roles they are very qualified for. Moreover, postings often demand specialized hard skills that veterans will struggle to attain during their military careers.

Veterans aren’t linked in with civilians

Who you know matters. Veterans often haven’t had the opportunity to build a strong professional network, which can become a problem as they transition to the civilian workforce. (Plus, civilian workers usually lack strong connections with the veteran community.) Unsurprisingly, this leads many veterans to underplay or exclude their military service from job applications.

Military spouses suffer, too

Most military spouses are well qualified for any number of careers, and want or need to work. Yet, the unemployment rate among this group is 24 percent. At the same time, wages are 25% lower than among the civilian population, mainly due to frequent relocations, childcare issues, and an inability to transfer occupational licenses from state to state.

What employers can do

Empowering veterans in the workplace isn’t charity. If you’re not hiring veterans, you’re missing out on a uniquely qualified talent pool of skilled leaders, technicians, and innovators. Here’s what you can do:

Use data as your strategic asset
Dig deep into your hiring data to pinpoint where veterans are dropping out of your recruitment funnel. Regularly review your employee data to establish which roles veterans tend to fill at your company. Delve into departments, seniority levels, and contract types. Ask yourself whether unseen barriers might be causing veterans to languish in roles below their experience level or to drop out altogether.

Level-up internal awareness
Don’t make veterans do all the heavy-lifting in translating their skills. Invest in training to elevate hiring managers’ understanding of the roadblocks and eliminate any preconceived opinions. Train recruiters in when it might be appropriate to waive industry experience requirements. And consider including veterans for ‘top of the funnel’ candidate engagement through recruitment and onboarding, and in promoting internal knowledge transfer.

Institute a dedicated veteran hiring track
Veterans themselves tend to believe that civilian hiring managers will devalue their military experience, and with good reason. Counter that by setting up veterans-only recruitment processes, careers sites, and internal referral programs that cater to their unique needs. Encourage veteran candidates to speak with existing veteran employees. And recraft job descriptions to focus on relevant skills rather than specific degrees or years of industry experience.

And take care of military spouses
Lack of childcare, frequent moves, and the demands of supporting a partner in the military make finding appropriate work intensely difficult for this group. Let them work flexibly, and from home, where possible. And be vocal in your support for military families so military spouses feel seen, included, and welcome at your company.

Considering the escalating stress and financial pressure wrought by the pandemic, we need to do more than thank our veterans this Veteran’s Day. Companies must support them in meaningful ways year-round.

Adecco can help. Our Military Alliance program has been working to address the high unemployment rate for vets and their spouses. To help open doors, we provide job placement, career counseling, resume enhancement, interview training, and much more.

And we partner with groups like the Military Spouse Employment Partnership to help entire military families find jobs they love. Learn more about how Adecco supports veterans and their families.

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Hard skills on your resume might be what get you noticed. But it’s your ‘soft skills’ that will make you a stand-out candidate at the interview (and move you up the ladder when you’re in a job.) Below, find out why soft skills are so critical these days and how to show your human side to land the job.

So, what are soft skills in the workplace?

Think back to your favorite teacher, manager, or sports coach. You remember them because they made you feel encouraged, listened to, and understood. Soft skills – like communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and interpersonal skills – are critical for success but can be challenging to quantify. They’re the skills that make you a better colleague, a better leader, a better human being. The skills that make people trust and value you.

Why are soft skills so in-demand right now?

Email, messaging apps, and emojis are substituting eye contact and conversation. But it has created a disconnect. Closing this ‘soft skills gap’ is key to building high-performing teams and market-leading organizations.Indeed, the number of companies addressing empathy and interpersonal skills doubled in 2020.

How to best communicate your ‘soft skills’ in a resume?

A convincing description of your soft skills alongside your hard skills list can tip the balance as to whether your resume lands on the hiring manager’s desk or the reject pile. Instead of a dry list of words like ‘teamwork,’ or ‘influencing skills’ say, ‘Organized weekly get-togethers to improve morale and communication.’ And ensure your examples align with the job level. While ‘effective communication skills’ might suffice for an entry-level position, a manager role will demand more demanding soft skills like influencing and conflict-resolution.

How to showcase your soft skills in an interview?

The words you choose. Your tone of voice. Your body language. They’re all channels for demonstrating your enthusiasm and ability to connect with others. Before the day, practice talking about your experience out loud with clear, concise answers. Be ready to answer questions about soft skills:

Problem-solving skills: Interviewers probe your problem-solving skills to gauge your ability to gather and analyze information, make logical decisions, and build solutions. Think of tangible situations where you used your soft skills creatively to overcome challenges.

Values: How would ex-colleagues describe you as a person? What charities or causes are important to you? Interviewers ask these types of questions to determine whether you have the soft skills to bring together your colleagues around the company’s shared purpose. Do your homework and show how your values align with those of your target firm.

Empathy and emotional intelligence: Tell us about a time you handled a demanding customer. When did you use your conflict resolution skills to diffuse a challenging team situation? Gather examples of how you have used your soft skills to communicate effectively and positively influence colleagues at all levels.

Teamwork: Strong teamwork differentiates leading firms from the rest. Interviewers will want to judge whether you can bond with all types of people. They’ll also want to weed out selfish or egotistical ‘lone wolves’ who can wreak havoc with a team’s equilibrium. Use anecdotes that describe your role in the team effort, the contributions you made, and what your team accomplished.

Adaptability and resilience: Today’s complex working world means quickly adjusting to – and recovering from – new situations and challenges. Interviewers need to know that you’re open-minded, welcome new opportunities, and won’t freak out if you need to do something that falls outside your job scope. Come prepared with examples of how you have successfully navigated a fast-changing environment.

While hard skills are indispensable, employers fight to hire, retain, and promote people with the right mix of interpersonal abilities. Showcasing your soft skills throughout your job search is the best way to apply for a job.

At Adecco, we’re here to support you every step of the way to finding a great job and getting better at it. Our Aspire Academy offers free access to re-skilling and upskilling programs in a range of hard skills. And check out our blog for helpful articles, from tips on how to make a big career change, to looking after your mental health at work.

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