Tom Kotek

📉 Atlanta’s “Population Decline” — What Does It Really Mean for Hiring & Job Searching? The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Atlanta experienced a slight net loss in domestic migration—about 1,330 people in the year ending June 30, 2024—for the first time in over 30 years. As someone who works daily with hiring managers and job seekers across Atlanta in accounting, finance, and HR, here’s my take: ➡️ This data only runs through mid-2024 and reflects a very modest dip—one that pales in comparison to the massive growth Atlanta has seen over the past two decades. ➡️ The fundamentals haven’t changed: - Atlanta remains a regional HQ hub - The talent pool is strong, diverse, and specialized - The job market is still playing catch-up from that rapid growth Yes, we’re seeing shifting preferences—affordability, traffic, hybrid work—but this isn’t a mass exodus. It’s a recalibration. 📌 For employers: Don’t let headlines stall your hiring strategy. Top candidates are still out there—and many are prioritizing career growth over relocation. 📌 For candidates: If you’re searching in Atlanta, opportunity is still strong—especially if you’re open to hybrid roles or fast-growing sectors like fintech, real estate, and PE-backed companies. Questions for My Atlanta Network: 1. Have you seen friends or family leave the region because of cost or lifestyle? 2. Does this feel like a temporary correction—or a long-term trend? 3. What should Atlanta do next to remain a top destination for talent and businesses? Let’s compare notes 👇 #AtlantaJobs #AccountingCareers #FinanceRecruiting #HRHiring #ATLgrowth #JobMarketInsights #Atlanta #PopulationTrends #UrbanGrowth #TalentRetention

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The difference between Talent Acquisition vs Staffing Agencies? Reactivity vs Proactivity TA is great if used correctly, but 99% of companies out there don't understand how to utilize them. High quantity positions that can afford to be reactive are phenomenal for TA to work on and fill. High level, niche roles can start to be worked on by TA for a period of time (dependent on urgency level), but those really should be given to a staffing agency that specializes in that sector and ideally has the relationships to identify the ideal candidate quickly and efficiently. In summary- "saving cost" by avoiding agencies can be doable, but don't shoot yourself in the foot by sending your TA team to war with a butter knife as they just flat out don't have the resources or head start that agency recruiters have! #staffing #recruiting

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🌟 Atlanta Hiring Trends Update – April 2025 🌟 The job market in Atlanta is showing a mix of opportunities and challenges this week. Here are the key highlights: 📉 Unemployment Rate: Atlanta's unemployment rate has ticked up slightly to 4.0%, reflecting broader economic uncertainty. However, it's still well below the long-term average of 6.89%2. 📈 Growing Sectors: Hospitality (+13%) and Human Resources (+8%) are leading job growth nationally, with Atlanta benefiting from its strong service-producing industries and healthcare expansions65. High-tech jobs continue to thrive, making up 6.5% of the metro area's employment, thanks to its concentration of IT and life sciences companies5. 📉 Challenges: Georgia saw a slight overall job decline (-1.2%), with healthcare and staffing sectors facing headwinds6. Layoffs in corporate and retail sectors have impacted Atlanta's middle-class job market1. 💡 Opportunities: With Atlanta’s robust innovation hubs and ongoing major projects in manufacturing and healthcare, the city remains a hotspot for professionals in technology, logistics, and advanced manufacturing. Remote work is also stabilizing at 6% of job postings, particularly in tech and digital services roles6. 🚀 Looking Ahead: As hiring stabilizes, now is the time for businesses to focus on attracting top talent in growth sectors while adapting to shifts in hybrid work models. Job seekers should explore opportunities in resilient industries like IT, hospitality, and financial services. What trends are you seeing in your industry? Let’s discuss! 👇

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The average new employee will need anywhere from three to six months to fully acclimate and settle into their new role. We can’t just throw them into the deep end and expect incredible progress, though. In my Hire and Seek column for PRSA Strategies & Tactics, I review the steps managers should take to support this onboarding and adjustment period for new hires. https://lnkd.in/epYWVunq 📝✨ #Onboarding #NewHires #HireAndSeek

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Contingent labor and temporary talent are becoming more than just “flex staffing”. They’re a strategic response to a changing workforce. With the new H-1B lottery rule favoring higher wage levels, companies will need to rethink how they source key talent. That shift, combined with tighter immigration enforcement and rising costs from tariffs, is forcing organizations to look beyond traditional hiring. Many will rely more on temporary talent, L-1 transfers, and flexible workforce models to stay agile. At the same time, employee expectations are rising. Organizations that meet those needs attract and retain the talent that will propel their business.

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Recruiter vs. Headhunter – It’s About How They Work Titles don’t matter—execution does. 🔹 Recruiters post jobs. They screen and manage applicants. 🔹 Headhunters hunt talent. They find, persuade, and deliver the best—not just the available. If you need a pool of candidates, hire a recruiter. If you need the best, hire a headhunter. Make sure you know what you're getting. It’s not the title—it’s the approach.

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Great session from Patricia Maroto Gómez and an important reminder about posting content that aligns with themes you genuinely believe in (not just Crystal Palace). The Region is driving demand for RPO/embedded solutions, but most approach with a misconception. They view embedded/RPO as simply placing a recruiter on-site at internal talent acquisition costs. This is the knowledge gap we’re addressing. When you embed Halian, you’re not hiring a recruiter but accessing Halian as a Service. Our entire recruitment ecosystem backs your dedicated client partner: global sourcing networks, AI-enabled tools, proprietary candidate databases, and proven methodologies refined across thousands of placements worldwide. The fundamental difference is between infrastructure and the individual. You’re not paying for a person. You’re investing in proven recruitment infrastructure that delivers faster fills, higher quality candidates, and scalable capacity without the overhead of building these capabilities internally. Halian as a Service (HaaS) 😜

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The future of work is here, and it’s all about flexibility. Vaco by Highspring’s latest Talent Pulse Newsletter highlights a major shift—professionals are increasingly prioritizing contract work for its variety, competitive pay, and career growth opportunities. Employers benefit from flexible workforce models, too. They help businesses access specialized skills, quickly scale teams up or down, and keep critical projects moving forward. Curious about what else is driving this shift? Check out the full newsletter. https://lnkd.in/eJgBV3ct #VacoTalentPulse #ContractWork #FutureofWork

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The debate over who should own the contingent workforce has been going on for years. Is it HR, Procurement, or Talent Acquisition? All three make strong cases. HR brings the talent strategy and workforce alignment needed to create a seamless experience. Procurement brings financial stewardship, supplier management, and compliance to keep programs sustainable. TA brings speed and a talent-first perspective, positioning contingent work as a strategic channel and cost savings. In my experience working with some of the world’s biggest brands, the most effective programs move beyond the ownership debate. They bring HR, Procurement, and TA together in a unified model. In practice, that means: -HR defines the right workforce mix and ensures alignment with business goals. -Procurement manages supplier relationships, contracts, and budgets. -TA ensures speed-to-hire and a strong candidate experience Together, they share accountability for compliance, performance, and outcomes When done well, organizations move beyond the ownership debate and into building workforce strategies that drive real business impact. Ownership doesn’t matter. Outcomes do. And at the end of the day, regardless of who owns the Contingent Workforce within an organization, it 100% depends on the individuals who run the day-to-day tasks to make it a great program for all. #PeopleOps #Procurement

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TA/Recruiter job openings in the U.S. continue to climb (surprisingly!) For the first time in nearly three years, postings are holding steady above the 45,000 mark. The sharpest demand we’re seeing is from clients in Data Centers, AI, Aerospace Engineering, and VC-backed and pre-IPO tech. What’s especially interesting: this strength in TA roles is happening at the same time overall U.S. job openings are trending down (per the latest JOLTs report). August’s jobs report showed just 22K new jobs created nationwide, yet demand for recruiters is starting to surge. Why? My hunch: - Lowering interest rates are fueling capital expenditures in tech - IPO activity is picking up - VC funding is flowing again - Companies are positioning for broad hiring in tech Recruiting is often the “canary in the coal mine” for hiring cycles. If this momentum holds, it could signal a broader acceleration in tech hiring heading into 2026. 👉 Do you think this trend continues?

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May’s Labor Report: Not a Collapse, But Definitely a Cooldown The U.S. labor market showed signs of slowing in May, with job growth decelerating and unemployment ticking up. Policy uncertainties, particularly around tariffs and federal workforce reductions, are influencing employer behavior. (Reuters, 2025) ➠ Nonfarm payrolls increased by 130,000, down from 177,000 in April. (Reuters, 2025) ➠ Unemployment rate rose to 4.3%, the highest since October 2021. (Washington Post, 2025) ➠ Weekly jobless claims reached 247,000, an eight-month high. (AP News, 2025) Employers are cautious, balancing between retaining talent and navigating economic/political headwinds. In spite of that, slowdown is not uniform across sectors, with healthcare showing resilience while manufacturing and construction lag. 📌 Are we entering a new normal: where stability means slower, not stronger?

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