Midlands Business Journal • JULY 31, 2020 •
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A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal
July 31, 2020
Unemployment spikes, yet demand for upskilling, knowledge workforce continues by Michelle Leach
It took the pandemic to alter the oft-cited “historically low unemployment rate,� reportedly at 3.1% last June — versus 6.7% this June (up from 5.3% month-prior). Even within a single sector, the volume of opportunities at present varies considerably; for instance, Fusion Medical Staffing Director of Business Development and Sales Chris Sund referred to how elective surgeries had been put on hold, while respiratory therapy and ICU nurses were “in extremely high demand.� “As this pandemic has spiked throughout the country, we have made sure that we are Carlson there to help assist them with the staff they need,� he said. As return-to-work policies are implemented, Sund explained that Fusion has expanded its services to include staffing onsite temperature screeners, contact tracers (to track the spread of COVID-19) and clinical liaisons. “We have been able to help manufacturing plants, and other large companies, keep their employees safe by staffing qualified, certified health care professionals who are trained to accurately perform individual health screenings using a contactless thermometer,� he said. “We have also worked with the Department of Defense to provide them with lab professionals to test for COVID-19 to ensure our troops were safe before being deployed.� While Aureus Group’s collective niches in executive leadership, finance and accounting and IT were down 10% nationally (by way of Staffing Industry Analysts in May), developers represent skillsets/positions that continue to be in demand, according to General Manager Chris Carlson; specifically, she said, for .NET and Java developers. “Though, overall, the demand for IT professionals has decreased,� she said. “Pre-pandemic, we had seen a high demand in quality assurance and automation.� Clients have also consistently added talent in payables, analysis, audit and tax. “We have also seen an increase in demand for credit and collections professionals since COVID-19 surfaced,� Carlson said. “There is a lot of succession planning happening as well as early retirement plans being created in our marketplace. We anticipate an uptick in interim leadership and contract to hire opportunities.� She further cautions, while unemployment
is up significantly, there remains a clear gap between available talent and skillsets required by business. “Many are underemployed and a majority of the unemployed need training,� she said. “We are partnering with many organizations to help develop skills and bridge the gap. The CARES Act is offering 16 free credit hours through community colleges and other programs are being offered at our state universities.� As Director of Community Engagement with AIM, Tony Veland works with companies on corporate training initiatives. “It’s all over the board,� Veland said, Veland when asked about in-demand skills in IT. “We’re seeing a need for higher skilled developers, as well as a move toward data scientists and analysts, and those are the more difficult positions to build for. A lot of people coming into the space don’t have these skills and are looking for a way to get into the market.� Most companies, he continued, are looking to their own staff to “upskill,� as they know individuals’ work ethic, team members know their culture, and it’s a more affordable option for them. Veland also noted the expiration of unemployment benefits. “People need to evaluate what they’re doing for their careers,� he said. “They need to use this time to develop more skills, and the industry is still exploding.� Veland cited U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data that projects 24% growth in five years. “In the next three or four years there will be a ton around artificial intelligence and cloud,� he said. “There is going to be multitude of new technology for people to take advantage of, but they need to get their foot in the door now.� As virtual interviews become a norm that is poised to persist, Robert Half’s Michala Anderson suggests one prepare in the same way he or she would for an in-person interview. “In fact, there’s more prep involved with a virtual interview since you need to make sure your technology is working properly, plan for potential distractions and ensure you have a clean, uncluttered space to use as your background,� she said. Now more than ever, job-seekers have to rely on other non-verbals to illustrate their enthusiasm.
Fusion Medical Staffing Director of Business Development and Sales Chris Sund. Eye contact is akin to a “virtual handshake.â€? “Without the body language cues of tradi“Resist the urge to look at your own [image] tional in-person interviews, your tone of voice and focus on the interviewer, or even looking will take on new importance,â€? Anderson said. directly at the camera will achieve the same Be confident, enthusiastic and steady when result,â€? she said. speaking and, she said, resist the temptation to use As you first log on to the interview, have a a virtual background during the virtual interview. confident and genuine smile. Take care not to “It can look artificial and there can be slouch or lean too far back in your chair, which technical issues with the background,â€? she said. conveys disinterest. “Instead, opt for an area of your home that’s neat, Likewise, don’t get too close to the camera. clean, and ideally has neutral dĂŠcor.â€?
Career Transitions & Job Search — inside JULY 31, 2020
THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS
THIS WEEK 'S ISSUE:
In 20th year, Future Construction Specialties builds on community partnerships. – Page 2
40 er d Un 40
Carolyn Sutton navigates changing media landscape for clients. – Page 3
ign es D s e fic nd Of Tre
The death of the office? Not so, as modular design becomes standard. – Page 4
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VOL. 46 NO. 31
Decision Logic expands marketing of Logic Shield to restaurants nationally by Richard D. Brown
As restaurants nationally start ramping up operations, Decision Logic — a Lincoln software company with users in 49 states — is seizing the opportunity to alert restaurant operators to what is an important security compliance issue: an overwhelming majority of restaurants believe that if their point of sale vendor is compliant with PCI (Payment Card Industry) standards, their individual restaurant is automatically compliant. “This isn’t true and it is a dangerous belief that can lead to a data disaster,� said Jim Barber, CIO of Logic Shield, Decision Logic’s security division. “The risk is real and 75% of data breaches derive from point of sale hacks,� Barber added. Patches need to tested for compliance before deploying to the POS. among other precautions. Barber is a Florida native who came to Nebraska in 1997 with lengthy technology experience. He was fixing Commodore 64s at Continued on page 9.
From left, Director Michael McDermott and CIO Jim Barber ‌ Ramping up national expansion among restaurant client bases as businesses have reopened. (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville)
Scuba hub Diventures partners with nonprofit to solve PPE shortages by Michelle Leach
In around six weeks, the number of emergency-use face shields shipped by MasksOn.org has almost tripled, from around 7,000 to approaching 18,500. Locally, these efforts are the unlikely brainchild of a scuba-diving shop and Omaha doctor, and Diventures founder Dean Hollis, who indicated these innovative masks provide a long-term alternative to
the worldwide shortage of personal protective equipment. “The first adaptation was in Italy,â€? Hollis said. “A lot of people have been working on this and moving really fast to find an easy, logical, quick and safe solution that works.â€? That solution, via MasksOn. org, the nonprofit behind reusable Continued on page 9. CEO Mark Shaw ‌ Recent rebranding from NebraskaLink to OPTK Networks reflects new, larger footprint beyond Nebraska’s borders.
OPTK Networks building diverse fiber connections in Nebraska and beyond by Becky McCarville
Founder Dean Hollis ‌ Leveraging relationships with suppliers to support nonprofit’s pursuit of safe, well-designed personal protective equipment.
With construction on a fiber connection that runs from Omaha to Denver set to be completed on Aug. 7, OPTK Networks is expanding its focus to build Midwestern connections. The rebrand from NebraskaLink to OPTK Networks in June reflects the shift in focus from solely Nebraska to the Midwest. Headquartered in Lincoln, the company has also built its network
into Council Bluffs, working with the Department of Transportation to attach fiber to a bridge south of Omaha that spans Nebraska and Iowa. “We’re still Nebraska-based, still the same ownership, same everything else,� said CEO Mark Shaw. “But as we’ve grown beyond the borders, we felt the need to change the name to reflect that new, larger footprint. “We got started in the rural Continued on page 10.