HIRING NEWS & TRENDS
5 Keys to Creating a Culture of Stability in Uncertain Times
1
Set Clear Goals and Priorities:
- Align your team’s objectives with the overall organizational mission.
- Clearly communicate priorities to ensure everyone is working toward the same goals.
2
Promote Open Communication:
- Encourage transparent dialogue among team members.
- Break down communication barriers and organizational silos to foster collaboration and information sharing.
3
Learn from Mistakes and Experiment:
- Embrace a culture of learning and experimentation.
- Optimize failure by analyzing mistakes and using them as opportunities for growth.
4
Foster a Positive Work Environment:
- Create an atmosphere of trust, support and optimism.
- Recognize and reward skills like creativity, collaboration and effective communication.
5
Provide Resources and Support:
- Ensure workers have the necessary tools, technology and resources to succeed.
- Regularly check in with team members to address concerns and provide reassurance.
Company Culture How important is it to you that you find a workplace with a healthy company culture when you’re looking for a new job?
- Top of priority list: 70%
- Important but not main driver: 28%
- Not important: 2%
Vaco Linkedin Poll, June 2024: 4,136 respondents

Sejal Chunchu
Managing Partner
“Employers are increasingly deliberate and strategic in their hiring processes, often incorporating more steps to ensure the right fit.
Despite broader market trends, certain sectors, particularly accounting and finance, remain robust due to growth and M&A activity, driving demand for roles such as staff accountants, internal auditors and controllers. In today’s hiring landscape, cultural fit and soft skills are becoming as crucial as technical expertise.”
HIRING NEWS & TRENDS
12 Ways to Champion DEI with Pay Transparency in the Workplace
1
Share Salary Ranges for All Positions:
Maintain pay transparency by publicly sharing salary ranges for all positions, ensuring the workforce is aware of potential earnings.
2
Be Intentional About Communicating Role Compensation:
Clearly communicate how roles are compensated, supporting DEI by ensuring pay equity across demographics.
3
Provide Total Compensation vs. Industry Market Data Comparisons:
Share "Total Rewards Statements" with team members, detailing their total compensation against the industry market data for their role within their region.
4
Keep an Updated, Public Structured Salary Framework:
Use an accessible wage band system to maintain transparency and equity.
5
Provide Training:
Offer bias-awareness training to hiring managers to ensure equitable and transparent offers.
6
Communicate How Pay is Determined:
Promote pay transparency by communicating pay ranges and how they are determined, how performance is evaluated and how pay decisions are made.
7
Implement a Standardized Pay Scale:
Use industry benchmarks, market rates and internal equity to establish clear, standardized pay scales.
8
Provide Transparent Salary Bands:
Share honest salary bands during hiring processes to encourage diverse candidate applications.
9
Learn Implement an Equitable Compensation Philosophy Mistakes and Experiment:
Communicate consistent messaging around pay structures to foster trust and equity.
10
Conduct Annual Compensation Reviews:
Regularly review compensation to ensure fairness and market alignment.
11
Conduct Regular Pay Equity Audits:
Identify and address pay disparities across different demographics through regular audits.
12
Provide Data Transparency:
Ensure transparency in pay data while addressing potential disparities with integrity and clear communication.
Source: Forbes

Angie Pruitt
Director of Compensation
“Pay transparency is more than a policy—it's a fundamental pillar of a fair and equitable workplace. By clearly defining and openly sharing pay practices, organizations foster an environment of trust and fairness. This openness not only helps eliminate biases but also makes people feel genuinely valued and respected.
When pay structures are transparent, it becomes much harder for inequitable practices to go unnoticed. Transparency also drives accountability, as both employers and workers are aligned on expectations and standards. It’s a powerful tool in addressing racial and gender pay gaps, too, as it sheds light on disparities and inspires organizations to take meaningful action. For temporary workers, pay transparency reinforces inclusion and an organization’s dedication to fairness across the board. When people are confident that their compensation is equitable, morale improves, productivity rises and the organization’s integrity strengthens. Ultimately, pay transparency is not just about the numbers—it’s about cultivating a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.”
HIRING NEWS & TRENDS
What Companies Get Wrong About Skills-Based Hiring
WIDESPREAD ADOPTION, LIMITED IMPACT
Despite removing degree requirements from job postings, the actual hiring of candidates without degrees remains minimal.
UNCHANGED HIRING PRACTICES
Many hiring managers continue to rely on degrees as an easy screening tool, despite changes in job ads and hiring policies.
CERTIFICATION-BASED INDUSTRIES
Sectors like healthcare and IT use certifications instead of degrees, leading to more effective skills-based hiring.
POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
Widespread adoption of skills-based hiring could open 1.5 million jobs to non-degreed talent.
Six Practical Steps for Skills-Based Hiring
1
Celebrate Success
Highlight and share success stories of skills-based hires to motivate managers.
2
Reverse-Engineer Success
Analyze successful non-degree hires to identify common skills and experiences.
3
Define Requirements Clearly
Focus on essential skills for the role and establish what constitutes valid evidence of those skills.
4
Redesign Onboarding
Support non-degreed hires with tailored onboarding programs and peer groups.
5
Promote From Within
Build skills-based promotion practices before extending them to external hiring.
6
Acknowledge Degree-Required Roles
Recognize that some roles legitimately require a college degree for success.
Source: Harvard Business Review

Melissa Phillippi
Vice President of Organization Development and Talent Management
“In today’s competitive job market, skills-based hiring offers a crucial solution for organizations struggling to fill technical roles and niche, high-skilled positions. By focusing on candidates’ capabilities rather than traditional credentials like degrees, companies can tap into broader, more diverse talent pools.
This approach not only addresses immediate workforce shortages but also drives long-term business success by bringing in individuals with the right skills to meet evolving industry demands. As we look ahead, the organizations that adopt a skills-first mindset will be better positioned to attract, retain and develop talent, while also fostering innovation and growth within their organizations. AI can further enhance this approach by helping organizations build a dynamic skills taxonomy. By analyzing workforce data to identify key competencies, AI enables more effective skills-based hiring, promotion and resource allocation, ensuring that talent is aligned with organizational needs.”