Blog Standard - Groupe Insearch

May 12

How Diverse Job Experience is an Asset

By Angelica Rains Career Guidance, Industry Trends, Leadership, Training

People who have diverse job experience may feel like they don’t have as much to offer potential employers. However, the reality is that having a variety of experiences can be a massive asset for job seekers. The key is to frame your diverse background as an advantage instead of a setback. Here are some of the main reasons why diversity of experience can make you a better employee in executive support.

Companies Want Employees with Unique Ideas

Companies recognize that when they hire people with similar backgrounds, their team members end up all having the same approach to problem-solving. Instead, companies look for people with unique experiences who can bring fresh perspectives. When businesses speak about diversity, it is about more than just ethnicity, age, and gender. It is also about the experience. Show how the variety of job experience you have gives you a point of view no one else has. What is unique about how you solve problems, how you make decisions, and how you come up with new ideas?

Diversity Leads to Change

Many companies may feel stuck in a rut, so they are looking to hire people who will help them change and grow. These companies will seek out candidates who have diverse work experience because they aren’t stuck in their ways. Candidates with diverse backgrounds are more adaptable and are more likely to have a growth mindset. As a job seeker, highlight how your experiences have made it easy for you to adapt to changes in work culture and how you have demonstrated a growth mindset throughout your career.

You Can Communicate More Flexibly

If you have worked many different jobs, you have learned to communicate with a wide range of customers and professionals. Excellent communication is one of the most important skills you can have in the C-suite. Demonstrate to prospective employers how you have adapted your communication style to different audiences and scenarios during your career. Show employers that you can give their customers a better experience than anyone else.

You’ve Seen it All

People who have held many different jobs have experienced a wide variety of challenges and obstacles. This is one of the main reasons having a diverse background is such a huge asset. With your history, you are better prepared to handle setbacks and crises. You’re less likely to crack under pressure and more able to overcome challenges that come your way.

Professionals in C-level support who have diverse job experiences bring a lot to the table. These candidates often have a fresh approach to problem-solving, a growth mindset, excellent communication skills, and the ability to overcome various challenges. As a job seeker, you can leverage your diverse employment history by showing how your experiences can provide value to employers.

May 05

Navigating the C-Suite as a Mom

By Angelica Rains Industry Trends, Leadership, Training

Although having a child happens to both parents, mothers still take on more work at home than their counterparts. That hasn’t stopped moms from making an impact in the C-Suite. The number of women in senior management roles continues to grow globally, leaving many moms searching for a perfect balance between their personal and professional responsibilities. According to many current executive mothers, an ideal balance is impossible, but you can still be successful at both. Here is some advice for navigating the C-Suite as a working mother.

Recruit Top C-Level Support

Surround yourself with people who are going to lift you higher. Start by raising your business and relationship standards. Don’t underestimate the power of recruiting positive, forward-moving executive assistants, either. Even though there might not be an ideal work-life balance, it will get better if you are comfortable enough to delegate critical tasks to other people on your team. The return on investment from hiring a skilled assistant is substantial, too. Top C-Level support can save you well over five hours per workweek completing administrative tasks ranging from information flow to attending meetings on your behalf. Disruption is inevitable in the corporate world, but it can be reduced by recruiting a strong, trusted team of employees, along with a support network of friends, family, and colleagues.

Define Your Priorities

Define your priorities and where you are willing to compromise. We’re not saying that anyone should sacrifice one passion for another. Rather work-life balance is making compromises as priorities change. Balancing a leadership role with motherhood can be difficult. Working C-Suite mothers face significant challenges, including little paid time off after giving birth, difficulty finding quality childcare, and juggling responsibilities when working from home. Finally, don’t hesitate to discuss your career/family goals with the leadership of your company. It could open the door to flexible work arrangements like more vacation time, increased remote work, and other accommodations.

Leverage Technology

Mobile technology is helping C-Suite moms to be in two places at the same time. Standard video conferencing has advanced to telepresence technology, enabling people to attend meetings virtually and give presentations without traveling extensively. However, video conferencing alone may not be enough of a consideration. Also, keep in mind the timings of meetings and asynchronous options.

Motherhood should always be viewed as a strength. Accept that there will be some chaos that goes with balancing business leadership and being a parent. C-Suite moms can still be successful by recruiting great personal assistants, leveraging technology, and setting achievable goals.

Apr 28

Traits That Lead to Success in the C-Suite

By Angelica Rains Hiring Strategies, Industry Trends, Interviews, Leadership, Training

The modern work environment continues to change around the country rapidly. Workplaces are trending toward remote workforces, focusing on employee health and wellness, decentralized offices, and using more technology than ever before. To stay competitive, be ready to adapt and develop these traits.

Be Resilient

If we learned anything from the pandemic, it’s the importance of resilience. Adversity and stress are unavoidable in corporate America, and resilience can help you adapt and emerge even better than you were before. Although some people might have built resilience through their life experiences in the past, it’s still something that anyone can develop. First, build your connections by prioritizing your relationships or joining a group to gain social support. Resilient people also tend to focus more on personal wellness than others. From getting regular exercise to finding purpose, be proactive to learn better and faster.

Be Consistent

Becoming a little better each day doesn’t have to be a huge endeavor. Small habits can make a big difference. Spending just ten minutes a day reading can help you finish a book a month. Some of the world’s leading executives prioritize self-improvement and ongoing learning by reading consistently. If you’re struggling with consistency, then follow these rules:

Focus on the process rather than the outcome.
Be present.
Don’t wait around for inspiration.
Surround yourself with people who will hold you accountable.
Forgive yourself.

Be Patient

Patience is often the key to the C-suite. Since many leaders are promoted from within, sometimes it pays to stay the course if you are a great culture fit in a company. Remember that you’re already in line for a promotion, but you have no control over career succession. If you can’t wait for the current leadership to retire, then an executive recruiter can help by sharing other options. Be patient, but keep adapting to the changes going on around you.

Be a Forward-Thinker

Forward-thinkers stand out in their ability to see the larger picture. Don’t hesitate to move outside of conventional thinking to solve problems, because pre-established ideas will only take you so far. Being average is comfortable, but some of the world’s most outstanding CEOs have been eccentric, open-minded leaders.

Finally, don’t be complacent when it comes to developing new skills. Set realistic goals and solicit feedback to learn about your strengths and weaknesses. Career progression is a marathon that requires consistency and patience. Succeeding during uncertain times also requires a certain amount of resiliency and open-mindedness.

Apr 21

Top Tips for Being a Better CEO

By Angelica Rains Hiring Strategies, Industry Trends, Interviews, Leadership, Training

Strong leadership is always the common denominator of successful businesses. Some of the world’s top CEOs stress the importance of creating servant-leadership-driven cultures. You can start to reinvent your company from the inside out by giving employees more autonomy and allowing them to fail as they continue to learn and grow. Still, being a CEO is an ever-evolving journey and requires knowing different ways to approach growth. Here are some specific mindsets and tips for becoming a better CEO.

Beat the Odds

Did you know that companies only have an 8% chance of jumping from the middle to the top of their industry? Start taking more drastic approaches to beat the odds by focusing on making big moves that matter. Winning companies know the importance of their employees. That is why companies are so focused on hiring and retaining the best people. When you have good employees who share a vision and are focused on solving a problem, your company is sure to do great things. However, achieving this goal takes an investment in relationships and building trust within your organization.

Empower Your Employees

Great leaders inspire people to come to work every day. An effective way to empower your employees is to make stronger connections with them. Understand what their work means to them. Then, praise those employees regularly when you see improvements and progress.

Remember, people don’t like being told what to do or being told when they do something wrong. That is why having a relationship with employees is vital. More organizations are looking for managers who help turn employees into problem-solvers and innovators. This transformation can only happen when managers allow employees to make mistakes.

Join in the Recruiting Stage

You are only as good as your weakest link, so surround yourself with the most competent people possible by joining in the recruiting stage to learn what candidates think. Many hiring managers have a track record of recruiting the most credentialed and experienced candidates. Even though these people might appear more likely to succeed, it’s often the untraditional hires that can help you beat the odds by changing the meaning of success. Sometimes it takes unconventional interview techniques to find the best cultural fit for the job, like asking non-traditional interview questions or hosting a group happy hour.

It takes a different approach to beat the odds and lead hybrid teams during times of disruption. Focus on empowering and engaging your employees by promoting a healthy work culture of teamwork, honesty, and transparency. Then, involve yourself in the hiring process to discover genuinely exceptional candidates.