Why can't employers find workers when talented people can't find jobs??Dr. Nita Chhinzer from the University of Guelph joins me to unpack what's happening in job markets right now. Employers are drowning in thousands of identical AI-polished resumes while qualified candidates are locked out of opportunities.So how do we fix that? Well part of it is assessments. Nita's research identifies four things employers actually hire for that never show up in job ads: professional maturity, attitude/coachability, willingness to work, and time management. Companies are going back to employee referrals and networking events, essentially crowdsourcing their recruitment because of the problem they have finding good people.On top of that, entry-level jobs have are disappearing which will bite sooner or later. Most promotions are internal... so where are the people they are going to promote? We've eliminated the pipeline and then wonder about bench strength. There's more... like AI. AI is not the sole reason there is so much restructuring. We're seeing the effects of geopolitical uncertainty, demographic shifts, and companies moving from talent hoarding to "just-in-time" hiring to avoid the exposure of carrying so many employees. AI is only a part.For new grads wondering where their entry point went, Nita talks about piecing together a career through contract work, internships, and building your personal brand. It may be tiring but, in today's market, it's what employees need to do. At least, if they do that, they have more control. For HR folks doing hiring, we need to do things different too and some of the answers are in the discussion. But this will continue to evolve.

**Find Dr. Nita Chhinzer in the following places**https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitachhinzer/https://nitachhinzer.com/https://www.uoguelph.ca/lang/people/nita-chhinzer**Find Andrea Adams in the following places**https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/https://thehrhub.ca