It’s the one question I hear more often than any other: Where have the candidates gone? In an abrupt reversal from the spring of 2020, companies have found themselves struggling to acquire talent. PEW Research reports that 42 states have more available jobs than people looking for work.

“Recruiting is not rocket science.” If you’ve worked with me for any time at all, you’ve heard me say this. And it’s true. A strong process is what sets a great recruiter apart from an average one (and, you could say, a great firm apart from an average one). All of our recruiters are well-trained in the Forge Search Process. Here’s a peek behind the scenes of the process we go through for each of our searches.

Last month, Forge turned one year old. As I reflected on all that we have come through in the past year, I understood why so many entrepreneurs compare launching a company to birthing a child.

Humor me for a quick minute: take a brief scroll through social media, and notice what emotions are being asked of you. You’ll probably notice some humor, sadness, outrage, joy, envy, positivity (be positive!!), competition—and probably some more outrage.

Outrage is easy. Shock is easy. Steadiness is not.

It’s funny (almost), but not quite—the way power never rests in the middle. The balance of power almost always swings from one end of the pendulum to the other. And it’s not just in work—it’s really the same for most life circumstances. Rarely are things “even” or “just”—we are left grappling with a set of circumstances we don’t really fully understand.

How do I hire the right fit for my organization? One of the biggest challenges in recruiting is cutting through the fluff, determining what’s real and what’s not, and figuring out who will be the most successful—long-term—in your organization. In the 15+ years I’ve been in the recruiting space, I’ve learned a few key take-aways that help mitigate the risk of the bad apple.

“Supersize that, please.” We live in a world that is constantly asking for more. More of our time, our money, and certainly more of our emotions. I see this on a daily basis in recruiting, as we navigate negotiations between a company and a potential new team member.

I often joke that our job as recruiters is part-therapist, but it’s not really a joke. The truth is we are dealing with human beings at some of the most vulnerable points in their professional and personal lives: transitioning to a new job or adding a new person to the team.

On a warm spring evening last month, with the scent of popcorn in the air, every single one of the kids on my son’s Little League team got a personalized trophy.

It’s a theme leaving economists baffled: there are millions of un-employed Americans AND millions of American businesses who can’t find the right people to work in their companies, restaurants, or factories. What gives?

After a year of slim to no hiring, the job market is heating up. If you’re considering new opportunities, you’re probably faced with multiple job opportunities at once, juggling interviewing with existing work demands.

“Everyone wants a revolution. No one wants to do the dishes,” writes Tish Harrison Warren in Liturgy of the Ordinary (a book I highly recommend!).

Truth be told, I’ve never had this long-held dream to own a business, let alone go through all the crazy-hard work of starting one. But today I find myself sitting in front of my (new) laptop, signing my (new) lease, and (literally) dreaming about logos and colors and names.

Have you ever noticed that kids have no issue asking for help? My six and three year old are constantly asking, “Mommy, can you help get me a drink? Can you tuck me in? Can you braid my hair?”

Nearly half of all employees in the U.S. intend to look for a job throughout the next year in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, according to new reports out by workforce experts.