Li fe is fo r takin gc ha nces

When interviewing candidates, I look for several core qualities and personal values that great employees possess. Those include integrity, compassion, teamwork, humility, respect, and grit. One trait, however, stands above the rest, which is empathy.

Empathy is having the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. It is seeing a situation through the eyes of another, listening through the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another. Part of being empathic is to be present for others by exhibiting personal vulnerability and making a conscious effort to listen with the intent of understanding.

When an individual has the ability to understand where others are coming from, they aid in cultivating an environment in which all team members thrive. Teams that exhibit empathy are effectively more resilient and collaborative. Being empathetic is not a single act. It is a personal value that one embodies for life and, regardless of their role on the team, it is a crucial trait for all employees to possess across any organization.

Maya Angelou said it best. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Kim Heidt Vice President of People & Culture Steffes LLC Dickinson, N.D.

One quality that we look for in candidates is a personal growth mindset. We seek candidates driven to continuously learn and who are coachable. In a tight labor market, the current trend is for organizations to upskill their workforce to close talent/skill gaps. We search for candidates that not only have the requisite education and qualifications needed for a position but who also have the desire to continuously learn and develop. This approach to recruitment has allowed us to bring people into our organization that not only fit the culture we try to nurture but see pathways to advance their careers. In a practical sense, a growth mindset can be as simple as learning new software or cross-training in a different department. It can also be as far-reaching as a desire to get into management and working to develop the skills needed to take on more responsibility within the firm. There is a big difference between making a hire and making the right hire. We strive to hire candidates who not only have what we are looking for on their resumes but demonstrate and articulate a desire to grow professionally.

Civilian Unemployment

The unemployment rate declined by 0.3 percentage point to 3.9% in December, and the number of unemployed persons decreased by 483,000 to 6.3 million. Over the year, these measures are down by 2.8 percentage points and 4.5 million, respectively. In February 2020, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the unemployment rate was 3.5%, and unemployed persons numbered 5.7 million.

LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

According to the latest numbers available, in December 2021 the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) declined by 185,000 to 2 million. This is down from 4 million in December 2020 but is 887,000 higher than in February 2020, when the long-term unemployed totaled 1.1 million. The long-term unemployed accounted for 31.7% of total unemployment in December 2021, down from 36.9% in December 2020 but higher than the 19.1% seen in February 2020.

Nonfarm Payroll Employment

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 199,000 in December 2021, following increases of 249,000 in November and 648,000 in October. Nonfarm employment has increased by 18.8 million since April 2020 but was down by 3.6 million, or 2.3%, from its pre-pandemic level in February 2020.

Imports And Exports

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

U.S. import prices declined 0.2% in December, after rising 0.7% in November, according to the latest number by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In December, lower fuel prices more than offset higher prices for nonfuel imports. Prices for U.S. exports fell 1.8% in December following a 0.8% advance in November.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics