{"id":10783,"date":"2026-05-31T07:44:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T11:44:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=10783"},"modified":"2026-05-31T07:47:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T11:47:14","slug":"calling-creative-thinkers-recruiters-say-youre-hard-to-come-by","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=10783","title":{"rendered":"Calling creative thinkers. Recruiters say you’re hard to come by"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Millions of American workers can\u2019t find a job. Employers say it\u2019s tough out there for them, too.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

Nearly 70% of human resource professionals report challenges recruiting for full-time positions, according to a new\u00a0report\u00a0<\/a>by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). And half said recruiting is more difficult than it was a year ago.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s missing? Critical thinking.<\/p>\n

Eight in 10 HR professionals report their greatest difficulty is finding candidates with the right skills. Not tech skills or AI know-how \u2014 they\u2019re talking about communication, judgment, decision making, complex problem solving, and time management.<\/p>\n

Read on Yahoo Finance<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Nearly two-thirds said it was a struggle to find applicants with \u201cpower skills,\u201d which include creativity and critical thinking.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve spent years obsessing over technical upskilling and AI literacy, but what employers are actually struggling to find are people who can think clearly under pressure, manage competing priorities, and make sound judgment calls without a playbook,\u201d Dan Schawbel, a workplace trends expert and managing partner of Workplace Intelligence, told me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose are deeply human capabilities, and ironically, the rise of AI makes them more valuable, not less, because AI can execute, but it can’t own a decision or navigate ambiguity with real accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n

To land a new job, jobseekers need to \u201ckeep up with technology, including AI, while also continually developing soft skills,\u201d career coach Jayne Mattson said.<\/p>\n

Have a question about retirement? Personal finances? Anything career-related? Click here to drop Kerry Hannon a note.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

For younger workers, that means \u201cresisting the temptation to let tools do all the thinking; the candidates who stand out will be those who can demonstrate judgment and initiative, not just tool proficiency,\u201d Schawbel said.<\/p>\n

For older workers, this is a sliver of promising news.<\/p>\n

\u201dThe complex problem-solving and time management skills they’ve built over decades of experience are exactly what the market is hungry for, and that’s a competitive advantage worth leaning into hard right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n