Janson's Journal | March 2026

Finding the Right Fit in Today's Hiring Market

Is it harder to hire right now? Yes—and here's what to do about it. 

Finding the right people for the right positions graphic

Over 70% of employers are struggling to fill roles. The culprits? A shortage of qualified applicants, widening skills gaps, higher salary expectations, and fierce competition. The result: roles sit open for 30+ days or longer.

We field plenty of questions from designers about hiring strategy. Sure, we discuss the financials—affordability, profitability, marketable skills. But here's what often gets overlooked: a little something my dad used to refer to as “intangibles.” Industry research shows 92% of talent professionals rank soft skills above hard skills, yet most interviews focus on resumes. With AI juzzing up resumes to the point that a candidate does little or nothing to prepare – relying primarily on resumes can be a hiring pitfall. 

Look beyond the resume. Structure interviews to assess cultural fit, curiosity, integrity, adaptability, empathy, and self-awareness. Ask for specific past examples. Present real-time scenarios—a design challenge, procurement problem, or client situation. Include group brainstorming and role-playing with a "difficult client" to see how candidates think under pressure and interact with your team. Watch for red flags. Shifting blame, lack of self-awareness, defensive responses, or overuse of "we" instead of "I" are warning signs. Don't rationalize them away. 

Here's the hard truth: nearly half of new hires fail within 18 months. Invest in your people. When struggles emerge, invest in training and mentoring. Retaining good employees (usually) beats hiring new ones.
As Henry Ford said: "Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success."

Here’s to building great teams – even if it’s harder and taking longer than ever before!

Susan NicholReview