Every owner seems to be saying the same thing: “Nobody wants to work anymore.”

But what if the problem is not the applicants? What if your hiring process filters out good candidates, leaves people waiting for a response, or makes the opportunity difficult to understand?

In Episode 29, Part 1 of From Burnt Out to Bought Out, Jon and Ryan are joined by Cindy Koenemann-Warren, Founder and Principal Consultant at CKW Advantage.

They discuss generational differences in the workplace, AI-generated résumés, automated screening, employee referrals, candidate ghosting, and why word of mouth remains one of the strongest recruiting tools available.

You will also learn how faster follow-up, customized screening questions, year-round recruiting, apprenticeships, predictable schedules, and stable pay can help small businesses attract stronger candidates.

“Nobody wants to work for you” is a very different sentence from “Nobody wants to work.”

Before blaming the candidate pool, take an honest look at the opportunity and the process you are asking people to join.

🎧 Show notes, chapters and the full transcript: https://fbo2bo.com/episodes/no-one-wants-to-work-for-you-part-1

👉 Get more free strategies to build a profitable, scalable business:
https://wearesynergysolutions.com/blog/

🔔 Subscribe so you don’t miss Part 2 of this conversation.

Chapters
00:00 Nobody Wants to Work or Work for You?
00:37 Welcome to From Burnt Out to Bought Out
01:15 Meet Cindy Koenemann-Warren
03:08 Taking Apart the Hiring Myth
04:10 Generational Differences and Technology
05:39 How Hiring Lost the Human Element
07:33 Job Fairs, Referrals, and Word of Mouth
10:34 AI Résumés and False Qualifications
11:36 Better Candidate Screening Questions
13:20 Why Responsiveness Matters
14:38 What Owners Are Doing Wrong
15:50 Ghosting and Broken Follow-Up
18:44 Keep the Hiring Pipeline Open Year-Round
20:51 Internships and Apprenticeships
21:51 Fun Fact: Manager Burnout
22:36 Sponsor: CKW Advantage
23:47 Why Good Tradespeople Take Another Job
25:21 Predictable Hours and Stable Pay
29:09 Pick One Thing and Start

About Our Guest
Cindy Koenemann-Warren, JD, SPHR, is the Founder and a Principal Consultant at CKW Advantage, where she provides human resources, labor relations, and compliance consulting services to school districts, municipalities, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and mission-driven employers.

As a licensed attorney and senior HR professional, Cindy advises clients on workforce administration, payroll and benefits oversight, collective bargaining, policy development, employee and labor relations, investigations, and regulatory compliance.

Throughout her career, Cindy has served as a trusted advisor to boards, executive leaders, and management teams. She is known for her pragmatic, steady approach and her ability to translate legal and regulatory requirements into clear, workable guidance that supports operational effectiveness and employee trust.

Discover the CKW Advantage
CKW Advantage, LLC is a professional services consulting firm helping organizations navigate operational challenges with confidence. The firm combines expertise in human resources, labor relations, technology, business services, operations, and compliance for private- and public-sector clients.

Its cross-functional approach blends legal, HR, and IT expertise to reduce operational risk, strengthen internal systems, improve accountability, and allow organizations to focus on their core missions.

Learn more about CKW Advantage:
https://ckwadvantage.com/

Connect with Us
Synergy Solutions Podcasts:
https://wearesynergysolutions.com/podcasts/

Connect with Jon on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dyerjon/

Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-mcgarghan-07946a24/

#Hiring #HumanResources #EmployeeExperience #SmallBusiness