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The Rise of Free Labor - pre-hire assessments “almost a requirement”

Stellantis gets creative laying off 400, ZoomInfo is hiring left and right, women prioritize remote work more than men

 -THIS WEEK- 

  • 📉 The Layoff Report - Stellantis uses ‘mandatory’ WFH day to layoff 400

  • 📈 Market Trends - The Rise of Free Labor - pre-hire assessments “almost a requirement”

  • 💼 Jobs of the Week - ZoomInfo is stocking up on people!

  • 🔦 Tool Spotlight - Ben’s Bites, Employment Lawyer GPT, Sonia AI Therapist

  • 📊 Job Market Data - Women Prioritize Remote Work More Than Men, Survey Shows

 -THE LAYOFF REPORT- 

📉 Stellantis uses ‘mandatory’ WFH day to layoff 400

Everybody’s so creative! It’s like these companies are trying to keep the spirit of Christmas alive for their 5 year old by hiding these layoffs, but little do they know they forgot to move the Elf on a Shelf. While knowing a layoff is coming won’t stop its momentum, it could buy you a few extra days or weeks of layoff prep.

Bonus Tip: Companies are legally required to announce large layoffs months in advice and WARNtracker has a public database of all of notices.

Notable Layoffs this Week

 -MARKET TRENDS- 

📈 The Rise of Free Labor - pre-hire assessments “almost a requirement”

Alright, let's unpack a growing trend in the job market that everyone’s talking about: the rise of pre-hire assessments. Gone are the days when sharing a portfolio was enough to land a job. Now, job seekers are navigating a maze of tasks — from editing articles to creating full-blown marketing strategies — all before even getting an offer.

And guess what? This shift is thanks in part to a cooling job market, a move towards skills-based hiring, and the magic (or menace?) of artificial intelligence in screening candidates.

“Pre-hiring assessments are almost a requirement now.”

Michelle Volberg, founder and CEO recruiting platform Twill

Key Takeaways:

  • Increasing Pre-Hire Assessments: Companies are ramping up the use of assessments to make sure they’re picking the right candidate, especially in sectors like tech and media where the job market is cooling.

  • Skills-Based Hiring Is In: With the decline of degree requirements, companies are turning to practical assessments to validate your skills. This means your ability to demonstrate what you can do is more crucial than ever.

  • AI's Role: Artificial intelligence is making it easier for employers to screen and test job seekers, raising the bar for how you present your skills from the get-go.

  • The Challenge of Unpaid Tasks: Be prepared to face requests for comprehensive tasks or projects as part of the application process. This can feel like unpaid work but is becoming a common step towards landing a job.

  • Some Companies Pay for Assessments: While rare, some forward-thinking companies are beginning to compensate candidates for their time during these assessments. It's a trend worth watching and advocating for.

Ultimately, not all pre-hire assignments are bad or ill-intentioned, but if you have a negative gut feeling about one that you’ve been assigned, listen to it and gracefully be on your way.

Below: Just going to leave you with a fun reminder of how the other side thinks. Codie has since deleted this insanely distasteful take on hiring, but the internet never forgets.

 -TOOL SPOTLIGHT- 

🔦 Tool Spotlight - Ben’s Bites 2.0, AI Employment Lawyer, AI Therapist

AI Made Simple by Ben’s Bites

Ben Tossell is a is a big name in the Indie Hacker and no-code space for creating Makerpad, which was acquired by Zapier. He then started Ben’s Bites which was a daily AI newsletter that quickly grew to 100K+ subscribers.

Now, leveraging that audience, he just launched the Ben’s Bites 2.0 website which offers bite-sized AI tutorials and case studies for non-technical people. This is a great starting point for professionals looking to work smarter with AI.

Find an Employment Lawyer GPT

In 2023, amidst mass layoffs, many job seekers realized the importance of understanding their employment rights and the value of legal advice. A custom GPT powered by OpenAI has been launched to assist in finding employment lawyers, ensuring job seekers are prepared and informed about their options without compromising data privacy. This tool is particularly valuable for job seekers looking to navigate the complexities of employment law, safeguard their careers, and enhance their overall wellbeing.

(Shoutout to Takiyah who brought this to our attention. She’s a Senior Program Manager, Recruiting Operations at Faire and would be amazing for any job seeker to have in their network)

Sonia - AI Therapy

There’s a lot of AI therapy apps hitting the market, but almost every one of them have a pay wall. Sonia lets you jump right into 3 free sessions with just your first name, and you can immediately start creating a strategy to tackle your most pressing mental health issues. I personally enjoyed the back and forth voice experience, but it allows for a chat-based experience as well.

 -FEATURED PARTNER- 

YourNegotiations - Increase your salary offer by 5-6 figures

Did you know that you might be losing significant job salary negotiation leverage in your initial screening call with a recruiter?

Gerta and Alex did. They are the founders of YourNegotiations, a company that offers 1:1 consulting and online courses to help people negotiate job offers and raises. Their clients and students have used their strategies to increase job offers by an average of $90K, to as much as $550K!

I would get started with their free worksheet that walks through a few scenarios on how to avoid common negotiation mistakes in the early stages of the interview process.

When you’re ready to dive in deeper, take their in-depth salary negotiations course (includes a 1:1 call with them!) to get the salary that you deserve. Use code OFFBOARD at checkout for $50 off.

 -FEATURED PARTNER- 

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