Danny Simon

Founder

Jobsync

www.jobsync.com

Danny Simon is the Founder and CEO of JobSync (www.jobsync.com).

He has taken JobSync from an idea on an iPad to a market-changing

recruiting innovation relied on by Fortune 500 companies to find

great talent. Prior to starting JobSync, Danny ran The Walt

Disney Company’s $100 million e-commerce business, running all

operations including Site Operations, Logistics, Guest Service,

Marketing, and Finance. Prior to that role, Danny served as the

Director of multiple global divisions at the Walt Disney Company,

where he successfully developed businesses up to $1 billion in

revenue. Danny holds a B.A. in Psychology and an MBA, both from

Harvard University. He lives in Santa Monica with his wife,

Ivelisse, and their three children.

Two things are fairly certain in today’s job market: a job is no longer for life and the skills required to fulfill job expectations are an ever-changing picture. Economic restraints may have forced you to trim your staff so your staff has been forced to take on more work. With the future unfolding so quickly, you need to know what skill sets your workforce will need and how to ensure your employees keep up with the pace and remain loyal. Employment was relatively straight forward until recent years; your level of school success defined your future: work, vocational school or a university education. Jobs were plentiful and if you kept your nose to the grindstone, you were pretty much guaranteed a job for life. But things have changed—the economy tanked and technology has replaced many formerly laborious tasks resulting in fewer jobs and greater competition for those jobs. But jobs are still plentiful in certain fields for those with the right qualifications. Compared with other countries, Americans have been lagging behind in four key areas: science, technology, engineering and math. Consequently, President Obama developed the STEM initiative to equip children with the knowledge and skills necessary for jobs in the high-growth fields that fuel American innovation. A recent update from the White House press office outlined the RESPECT project to improve STEM teaching. However, this may just be an election ploy that has come a little too late to be effective. For workers to adapt to all these changes, they need to embrace diversity and flexibility and increase their knowledge of jobs related to their specialism.  According to the McKinsey report, “21 million jobs must be created by 2020 to return the country to “full employment,” meaning an unemployment rate of 5 percent or less.” But studies have shown that middle-skill white and blue collar jobs will be in short supply. New skills required include: critical thinking and problem solving; leading with influence; initiative and entrepreneurialism; effective oral and communication skills and…a little imagination. To turn this trend into an advantage for your organization, consider the following. Understand the future skills your business needs. Link future skill needs to your business strategy. Consider workforce needs before they occur.  Cultivate future talent for your business. And lastly, skills needed tomorrow may not exist at all today.. so do not limit yourself.