Hiring Tips | Job Seeker Advice | Industry Trends
September Newsletter.
September is here and summer is officially in the rearview. At least that’s what we’re telling ourselves to get through this heat!
Q4 is right around the corner and the Kansas City hiring market is shifting gears. Hiring managers are back at their desks, job seekers are reinvigorated, and the fall push is here. This is one of the best times of year to make a move or start putting feelers out there if you’re curious. Whether you’re growing your team or in your own job search, we’re here for you.
We’ve got a lot for you this month. Let’s get into it.
This month:
💼 From the Feed: 5 Hiring Trends with Scott Chase
📝 Ask Chief of Staff: What does smart hiring look like right now?
💻 COS Blog
📸 August Highlights from the COS office
✏️ Fun Facts
From the Feed
5 Hiring Trends – with Scott Chase | HR Consultant
Scott Chasehas been tracking five shifts showing up consistently across organizations hiring right now.
Skills over degrees. AI fluency as a baseline expectation. Internal mobility as a retention strategy. Flexibility as a non-negotiable. And a growing focus on long-term fit over speed.
The hiring landscape is always evolving and organizations that adapt quickly and treat recruiting as a strategy will have a competitive advantage.
Check out the original post here!
Ask Chief of Staff:
“What does a smart hiring strategy look like right now?”
Hi Reader,
Hiring has always been part science, part intuition. Today, organizations getting it right are paying close attention to foundational shifts in what successful hiring looks like in today’s landscape.
We mentioned it above, but our HR Consultant, Scott Chase, has been tracking five changes showing up consistently across organizations hiring right now. They’re worth knowing whether you’re a hiring manager building a team or a job seeker trying to understand what employers are looking for in today’s market.
The Rise of Skills-Based Hiring
For a long time, a degree was the baseline filter. It was shorthand for capability, discipline, and follow-through. Degrees absolutely still hold value, but it’s important to know that the importance of skills is evolving alongside it.
What’s changing is that degrees are no longer the only thing employers are looking at. More companies are moving toward skills-based hiring by evaluating what a candidate can actually do rather than where they went to school. This is good news for experienced professionals who have built their expertise outside of a traditional academic path, and it’s a signal to job seekers that demonstrating your skills matters more than ever. Your portfolio, your track record, and the results you’ve driven are carrying more weight in the conversation than in previous years.
For hiring managers, this shift opens up your talent pool significantly. The best person for your role might have the degree and the skills. They might have built their expertise through experience. Either way, looking at the full picture gives you a better shot at finding the right fit.
AI Fluency as a Baseline Expectation
A year or two ago, knowing how to use AI tools was a differentiator. Increasingly, it’s becoming a baseline expectation across a wide range of positions that include the traditional technical roles.
This doesn’t mean every candidate needs to be an AI expert. It means employers are looking for people who are comfortable with evolving technology, willing to learn new tools, and adaptable enough to work alongside systems that are changing quickly. Now is a good time to start familiarizing yourself with AI tools relevant to your field if you haven’t yet.
Internal Mobility and Employee Development
More and more organizations are looking inward before they look outward. Moving existing employees into new roles, cross-training teams, and investing in development are becoming a core part of long-term talent strategy.
This matters for hiring managers because it changes how you think about building a team. Hiring for potential and investing in your people is good culture AND good business. Employees who feel valued and see a path forward inside your organization are far less likely to go looking for one somewhere else.
For job seekers, it’s a reminder to pay attention to how companies talk about growth and development during the interview process. Organizations that prioritize internal mobility are worth your consideration.
Workplace Flexibility
This isn’t new, but it’s definitely not going away. Flexibility continues to be one of the most important factors for candidates evaluating opportunities. Companies that dismiss it are limiting their talent pool whether they realize it or not.
The conversation has matured beyond remote versus in-office. It’s about trust, autonomy, and how organizations treat their people as professionals capable of managing their own time. Companies that have figured out how to offer meaningful flexibility while maintaining a strong culture are having increased success when it comes to hiring.
Quality of Hire Over Speed
Perhaps the most significant shift of all. The pressure to fill roles quickly has always been present, but more organizations are pushing back on speed for its own sake and focusing instead on getting the hire right.
A bad hire is expensive in time, in morale, in productivity, and in the cost of starting the search all over again. Companies are taking more time to evaluate fit, involve the right stakeholders, and make decisions they feel confident about.
That said, slow doesn’t win either. Some of the best candidates have options, and a dragged out process with no clear timeline is a fast way to lose them to a better offer. The goal isn’t speed and it isn’t slowness, but intention. A process that is thorough, communicative, and timely will almost always lead to the best hire.
For job seekers, patience is fair. A thoughtful process is a good sign. But trust your gut if the communication is unclear or the timeline keeps shifting without explanation. For hiring managers, this is your reminder that quality and timeliness aren’t opposites. You can have both.
What This Means For You
Whether you’re hiring or job seeking, these shifts all point to an increase in intentionality.
Employers who treat recruiting as a strategy rather than a reaction are building stronger teams. And candidates who understand what the market is actually looking for, and position themselves accordingly, are landing the right opportunities.
The landscape is always evolving. The people and organizations paying attention are the ones staying ahead of it.
– Your favorite Kansas City Recruiters
Have your own question about hiring, job hunting, or interviews?
Submit it below and it might be featured in a future “Ask Chief of Staff” column!
📰 COS Blog
Love job seeking advice and hiring tips? Check outour blog.
The Advisor Shortage is Real: Why Firm Owners Need to Rethink Recruiting
By mid-2030s, over 109,000 advisors will retire, accounting for 37% of the industry’s headcount. With more than 10,000 advisors retiring each year, hiring simply isn’t keeping up.
Navigating Burnout & Creating Work-Life Balance
Ahh yes, burnout. You know what it is, so what can you do about it?
Is the Job Right For You?
You’ve found a great job opportunity. You see yourself in this role, but you’re not sure. How do you know it’s right for you?
August Highlights
August was a sweet one at COS. It was full of birthday celebrations and showing up for causes that matter.
We had not one, not two, but three birthdays in the office this month. Happy birthday to Owen, Adrianna, and Erica! August clearly has great taste in people. Wishing all three of you the best year yet.
On the community side, we were proud to sponsor the Green Tie Gala benefiting the Opes Charitable Foundation. Opes was founded in honor of Ben Cuda, who battled and beat Follicular Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This year’s gala supported Blood Cancer United’s Dare to Dream Campaign working to accelerate cures for children and adults fighting blood cancers. It was a meaningful evening and one we were absolutely honored to be a part of.
TTFN, August. See you next year!
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Fun Facts 🏈📈📅
Did you know…
- On September 29, 2014, fans at Arrowhead Stadium set a Guinness world record by reaching 142.2 decibels, which is as loud as a jet engine.
- Highly engaged business teams result in 21% greater profitability.
- September is the only month with the same number of letters in its name as its numerical position (9 letters and the 9th month).
“I’m ready to attract quality candidates and take time back into my own hands.”
If this is you, it’s time to make connections that matter.
Meet your next great hire.
