Many organizations realize the value of having former collegiate or professional athletes on their roster or in their boardroom. An October 2014 study of female executives by Ernst & Young linked former female athletes to strong leadership potential and a high career success rate, and a Fast Company article from April 2014 noted intercollegiate athletes often demonstrate strong time management skills and work ethic early in their careers.

Though Gilman Partners focuses on hiring solutions for the some of the region's most well-known companies, we are often asked for tips designed to help candidates land their dream job. While this post is offered to support job seekers, it is important for hiring managers to remember why volunteering is important as well. Growing up in a family where both parents were avid volunteers, I inhabited a rich learning lab, and throughout my life it would have been strange not to be involved in our community.

The unemployment rate in the U.S. is dropping, but recent studies by Glassdoor and DHI Group show it's taking employers longer to fill open positions than anytime in the past 15 years. Analysts point to many reasons for the hiring slowdown including lack of skilled labor, overwhelming numbers of online applicants (who may or may not be qualified for the position), a push toward group or panel interviews, and time-intensive screening policies. But one thing is clear: A long hiring process doesn't always produce a better candidate.

I recently attended a Leadership NKY session, sponsored by the Zalla Corporation, where the speaker was Todd Henry, author of the books Louder Than Words and The Accidental Creative. Henry stressed the need to find your authentic voice - your own body of work - to achieve impact.

Gilman Partners is pleased to announce the hiring of Elizabeth "Lee" Simmons as Vice President of the firm. Lee's primary responsibilities include serving, expanding and diversifying Gilman Partners' client base. "We are very pleased to welcome Lee to Gilman Partners," said Tom Gilman, Managing Partner and CEO.

In today's active employment market, workers want more than just a job. That's why an organization's culture is such a competitive differentiator and a key part of attracting, engaging, and retaining a talented workforce. At Gilman Partners, we look at culture from two perspectives. First, how do we know we have the best candidates to fit a client's culture? And second, how do organizations build or evolve into a culture that keeps employees engaged?

We've noticed several trends that indicate now is a good time to ramp up employee retention efforts, if you haven't already. Wage increases are beginning to accelerate and seem likely to continue to do so. Many large employers like Target, Walmart and McDonald's have increased their starting hourly wage to well above the required minimum wage.

Are you planning to hire any key employees in 2015? If so, ask yourself an important question: "Why would top performers want to work here?" You may know the answers - industry-leading products, great place to work, opportunities for career growth - but will prospective candidates know much about your company? Many companies have an employer branding strategy where they establish specific tactics for telling their story through their advertising, website, blogs, and other social media outlets.

The end of 2014 marks a significant milestone for Gilman Partners. After nearly 30 years with us, Jan Seymour will retire. During her time at Gilman Partners and our predecessor firms, she's played many roles including team leader, grammarian, and den mother. She's also our linguistic specialist and is able to say hello and goodbye in 97 languages.

I'm an optimist by nature and from an executive search and recruitment perspective, something has changed in recent months that could portend positive and significant growth in coming months. As a retained executive search and recruiting firm, our company often gets a somewhat early view of future economic conditions. For the first several years after the recession, our clients were cautious. Their results were improved and they had returned to profitability; however, there was not much growth and most executives were not especially optimistic about the near-term future.