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Quiet Quitting: Separating the Symptom from the Cause

By Hiring Strategies

Quiet Quitting: Separating the Symptom from the Cause

Quiet quitting. What began as a viral video has become one of the most talked about (and written about) topics this year. Is it a valid phenomenon, or is it nothing more than catchy clickbait? To a certain degree, the answer to that question does not matter. Rather than debating the significance of the symptoms, this is an opportunity for leaders to proactively address the more important matter: the cause. While many organizations excel in the areas of employee engagement and retention, the tenor in the marketplace (and perhaps why the original video gained so much traction) is that this is the exception – not the rule. The symptoms indicate that something has shifted; the cause of that shift deserves a discussion.

What’s New?

In the video – which has over 3.5 million views – 24-year-old TikToker Zaid Khan (@zaidlepplin) states that “work is not your life.” This is not a new concept. But assuming that work is a requisite part of life, to view the act of employment simply as a means to an end overlooks the opportunity that purposeful, gratifying, challenging work can provide. When given a choice to do the bare minimum necessary to stay employed, or proactively constructing a professional environment that provides meaning, which would most choose? The latter is the obvious choice, but is easier said than done. And although the need for professional fulfillment is nothing new, the external factors have changed:

  • The pandemic shifted people’s attitudes toward work, creating a time of reflection during which some reassessed the importance of things in their lives beyond work.
  • Remote and hybrid work environments have created employees who feel disconnected from their work, workplace, and coworkers.
  • Lack of boundaries between work and personal life have created, for some, an “always working” dynamic that leads to burnout.
  • New career and early career employees have never “gone to work” and thus have no personal investment or commitment to an organization, its people, or its mission.
  • Lack of organizational focus/attention necessary to keep employees aligned, motivated and moving forward in their organizations and in their careers. “Out of sight, out of mind” is not an effective formula for employee engagement and retention.

Uncovering the Cause

“What is your why?” It sounds like an esoteric question, but why is it that you choose to go to work each day? Why do you choose this profession, instead of something else? Why do you choose the role you are in, as opposed to others?

Encourage yourself and others to press beyond the obvious answer of “I need to make money.”  There are countless ways to earn a living; why have you chosen this one?

Incorporate The Five Whys, which originated within the Toyota Production System and are an integral part of Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, and Six Sigma. Taiichi Ohno saw the Five Whys as an especially important part of Toyota’s overall philosophy. The process is simple: Just ask why five times in succession to get to the true root cause of the problem. This is a remarkably simple process, but more often than not, we stop at the very first “why” and try to do something about the symptoms rather than getting to the true root causes.

Once you begin to list all of your whys, you will notice they fall in two categories. The first category is similar to Maslow’s lowest hierarchy of needs – food, water, shelter. “I’d like to be able to pay my mortgage.” “I want to send my children to college.” “My elderly parents will rely on me to provide for them.” “I have always dreamed of buying a vacation home.”

The second category recognizes that there is a bigger purpose, a desire to make a difference, and a need to higher meaning behind the choices we make. Both categories are important and not mutually exclusive. An individual who only cares about money will likely live with a void in their life, while an individual who is all about the big picture has their head in the clouds but lacks feet on the ground.

Treatment Options

  1. Acknowledge this is a leadership issue. In his book Extreme Ownership, former Navy Seal Jocko Willink writes: “On any team, in any organization, all responsibility for success and failure rests with the leader. The leader is truly and ultimately responsible for everything.” Leadership must address manager engagement first, then re-skill them to be successful in a hybrid/remote working world.
  1. Rebuild the psychological contract with employees. The 20th Century psychological contract was transactional: Employees showed up every day from 9-5, and in return were rewarded with a paycheck and a pension. The 21st Century contract is relational. Employees want a paycheck, but they want challenge, career growth, support, and meaningful relationships. More than ever, leaders must build (rebuild) trusting relationships with their employees. When people feel valued, they are more likely to naturally engage or reengage in their work.
  1. Commit to Offer High-Quality Work. High-quality work means having varied and meaningful tasks, clear goals, and a positive team climate. Particularly relevant today, high-quality work also means having reasonable demands and expectations of workers. Leaders need to be especially careful about not overwhelming people with excessive demands, long work hours, or unreasonable pressures.
  1. Acknowledge and Respect that Employees Have Changed. Quiet quitting is an identity shift. See employees as they are now vs. who they were pre-pandemic. Employees want autonomy over their work, not just in how they carry out their tasks, but also — as much as possible — influence over where and when they work.
  1. Work to Reconnect Employees/Teammates. Employee engagement relies on feeling connected to one another individually and connected as at team to a bigger purpose. Leaders must be intentional in creating interaction and cohesion.

Quiet quitting isn’t new. It’s a new twist on an old problem. But, it has captured people’s attention. As leaders, it’s on us to address it.

Recruitment Strategies

Recruitment Strategies to Get the Best Candidates for Your Organization

By Hiring Strategies

It takes a combination of creativity and diligence to win the war for talent. First, determine what the unique benefits of working for your organization are. Then use them as a selling point to potential employees.

Continue to leverage social media profiles for researching and evaluating the best candidates. Below are some valuable recruitment strategies to help you.

Treat Candidates Like Customers

The hiring process is about more than screening candidates. Potential employees also use this time to determine if you are a good fit for them. Since making a positive first impression is the key to winning and retaining customers, it can be a powerful hiring strategy too.

Be open-minded and realistic when it comes to creating job postings and interviewing candidates to reduce bias. Then, similar to how you would treat your customers, make them feel comfortable and respect their time. Remember, the best person for the job won’t always have the bells and whistles you’re looking for. It’s usually better when they can learn and grow into the role.

Use Social Media as a Recruitment Strategy

Social media is quickly becoming one of the most powerful recruitment tools out there. It’s also one of the most cost-effective ways to streamline the hiring process. A majority of organizations are investing more time and resources toward increasing their social media presence for multiple reasons:

  • More job visibility – Social media expands your reach and provides access to vast pools of talent.
  • Higher quality candidates – It helps companies boost diversity recruiting.
  • Increased brand awareness – A strong social media presence promotes trust among potential employees.
  • More value from hires – Social media enables you to target certain professional groups for available job vacancies.

Using social media to get the best candidates is a win-win because it shortens hiring time while reducing the cost.

Attend Industry-Related Meetups

Most companies already attend industry meets to learn about the latest trends, share ideas, and network. These events also tend to get overlooked for having pools of active and passive job candidates. A growing number of hiring managers are using non-traditional recruitment strategies like this and others, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and text recruiting apps to get the best candidates.

You can’t have a successful business strategy without recruiting the right talent. Hiring the wrong people leads to reduced productivity and dissatisfied customers. Fortunately, these strategies can help get the best employees to your organization, benefiting all parties involved.

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Hiring

Improve Profitability by Hiring the Best

By Corporate Culture, Hiring Strategies, Interviews

Recruiting the top talent is an excellent method of increasing profitability. This is particularly true when hiring C-suite executives who can significantly affect company operations. Explore some of the ways that investing in top talent will likely increase your profit margins.

Top Performers Improve Vision and Clarity

With the top talent in your C-suite, you improve their ability to see various details and keep track of the overarching vision while doing so. This allows them to optimize projects better and accurately determine which tasks you should delegate.

Hiring the best support team for the C-suite, from executive assistants to chiefs of staff to other employees, further enhances this. It helps leadership delegate tasks with confidence, allowing them to focus on responsibilities that only they can handle.

Improve Your Brand As an Employer

When you hire a C-level executive who is the top in their field, this reflects well on your company overall and as an employer. It should attract top talent for other roles, whether entry-level, C-level, or somewhere in between. Talent will apply for your other positions because they will see that you prioritize hiring the best and cultivating opportunities. This makes working for you a great career choice, especially if they can expect to receive mentorship from talent in higher positions.

Decrease Your Hiring Time

Improving your brand as an employer not only helps you attract the top talent for other roles, but also reduces your hiring time. That happens for several reasons, including that top talent will apply to your company even when there is no opening. This means that you will have a list of potential recruits that you can contact as soon as there is a vacancy.

More Promotions from the Inside

When a company takes the perspective of hiring the best talent, it becomes easier to support internal promotions and advancements. New talent will feel supported, increasing their confidence and promoting their leadership skills.

Combining this with hiring the top talent for the C-suite takes it a step further. The executives will encourage that talent and potentially groom them as a replacement when they retire or move on.

You can leverage this support for internal advancement to help you recruit top talent in other roles as well. After all, most employees would prefer to work with a company that offers opportunities for advancement. This is just another way that hiring the top C-suite talent makes filling other roles in your company easier.

 

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Woman CEO

Essential Questions to Ask During a C-Level interview

By Career Guidance, Corporate Culture, Hiring Strategies, Interviews, Leadership

A structured approach that focuses on research, networking, reference development, and rehearsal is the key to more successful C-level interviews. There are some differences in preparing for a C-level interview versus an entry-level one. In addition to showing your knowledge, skills, and experience, communicate your leadership style. Asking intelligent questions can also make you stand out. Executive recruiters recommend these, along with a few other tips.

  • What trends are you following that could influence this organization’s goals and priorities?
  • If I am hired as your executive assistant, what do you see as the most significant challenges in working to fulfill the goals of this organization?
  • What are some significant milestones that will be used to evaluate my performance?
  • Can you describe the work culture and environment here?
  • What are some of this company’s most significant achievements recently?
  • What leadership style wouldn’t be conducive to this company?
  • What would the typical workday be like for an executive assistant here?
  • What communication tools, professional development, etc., are available to employees?

Although this certainly isn’t a comprehensive list, it does represent some thoughtful questions that will help gain helpful insight regarding the expectations of these high-level positions. It’s a red flag when candidates don’t have any questions during an interview.

Research Industry Trends

Another effective way to connect with an interviewer and show that you are prepared to meet their organizational needs is by researching emerging trends from around the industry. Candidates are always encouraged to review annual reports, news articles, and videos when meeting with a hiring manager. Knowing about trends can also help you answer probing questions like why you want to work in this industry.

Reference Development

C-suite candidates have to be very selective when providing suitable references. Although any former colleague might work for an entry-level job, considerations need to be respected and relevant for executive-level managers. Only use people who can constructively describe your work ethic, leadership characteristics, strengths, and ability to work under pressure.

Although it’s still important to highlight your skills and experience, asking essential questions during a C-level interview is the best way to learn if it’s the right fit for you. Researching industry trends can help you create solid queries and respond to them intelligibly. Finally, focus on providing only trusted references you know could handle open-ended questions about your leadership qualifications.

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Onboarding, C-Level

Tips for Managing the Executive Onboarding Journey

By Career Guidance, Corporate Culture, Hiring Strategies, Leadership

You may be surprised to learn that many executives in the United States don’t undergo formal onboarding when they begin a job. This lack of support may explain why 40% of new leaders leave within the first two years of starting a new job. These tips can help improve the executive onboarding journey.

Communication about Roles and Expectations

New hires are unlikely to succeed without clear and transparent expectations. While new leaders need to understand their responsibilities clearly, they especially need to know what to expect from their team members, peers, and mentors. Once hired, leaders will have to meet and interact with many new people. The more they know about all these individuals, the better off they are. Communicating these expectations allows hires to prepare, making good impressions early on, and starting on the right foot.

Education about Company Goals and Values

One of the main reasons so many leaders struggles when they start a new job is that they don’t know enough about its goals and values. An effective onboarding strategy for leaders will allow hires to gain in-depth knowledge about what is important to the company. This will help the hire feel more connected to the organization and give them a sense of purpose.

Education about Internal Processes

Even if they held a similar position at a different company, your organization’s internal process might differ drastically from what the new hire is used to. This is one reason starting a new job in a position of leadership can be overwhelming. As you develop your onboarding strategy, make sure to identify key aspects of your company’s internal process that new hires will benefit from knowing about. It is also important to check in with new hires regularly to make sure they are not confused about any internal process. Regular check-ins are crucial in monitoring how well hires adjust to their new work environment. 

Integration into the Management Team

One of the hardest aspects of starting a new job is integrating into the team. This can be even harder at the executive level because the team is smaller. Team building activities are a key part of any executive onboarding strategy. The new hire needs chances to socialize with other executives and start to build a relationship with them. This will allow the team to develop mutual trust, which is of great importance at the executive level. Any person in a leadership position who feels like an outsider will not stay long, so integration into the management team has to be a top priority for new hires.

Beginning a job as part of the C-suite isn’t easy. New hires are given a lot of responsibility early on and have to adjust to a new culture, new company processes, new team members, and so much more. Moreover, many don’t receive a real onboarding experience. To improve the chances that a hire will succeed as an executive, communicate clear expectations, educate them about company goals and internal processes, and integrate them into the management team early on in the process.

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Traits That Lead to Success in the C-Suite

By 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:

  1. Focus on the process rather than the outcome.
  2. Be present.
  3. Don’t wait around for inspiration.
  4. Surround yourself with people who will hold you accountable.
  5. 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.

 

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Top Tips for Being a Better CEO

By 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.

 

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How Informal Check-Ins Can Improve Employee Engagement

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

From increased employee health to higher retention, there are significant benefits associated with employee engagement. It also tends to ebb and flow because of the influence of so many different variables. For instance, low motivation and job satisfaction can stem from toxic work culture, poor management, lack of recognition, or various other factors. Fortunately, there are some effective techniques, like informal check-ins, that can improve employee engagement quickly. Let’s take a closer look at some of these strategies.

Plan Informal, Yet Frequent Check-Ins

First, how do you determine if your employees are satisfied? Employee engagement surveys are a good way to elicit opinions about work culture. Since employees crave feedback and recognition, providing them with regular review sessions can improve workplace engagement. Employees that are recognized regularly express the most satisfaction, followed by those that receive feedback once a month. It’s important to let employees know that they are valued by rewarding their achievements. Some organizations are having success with CEO lunch programs to help employees connect with executives. Use this time to gather ideas by asking employees what is working and what needs to be improved.

Recruit the Right Managers

Another key to improving employee engagement is hiring great managers that know how to help employees reach their full potential. Managers are typically the first line of defense against toxic employee-organization relationships since they are the first to see progress and provide feedback. It’s essential to separate egotistical leaders from modest, competent managers.

The best managers have a relationship with employees based on clear communication and a shared vision. When managers ensure everyone is on the same page and working towards a common goal, the progress that can be made is remarkable. Having the right people in place can be one of the most effective ways to keeping employee engagement strong.

Long-Term Engagement Approaches

Improving employee engagement starts during the onboarding process. Always be transparent about company goals, values, and the responsibilities of the role. Then, focus on retaining employees with professional development and career advancement opportunities. Operational inefficiencies can cause engagement to plummet, so leaders are encouraged to analyze and optimize these processes. Find areas where you can improve and fix them.

In addition to frequent recognition, employees also want a better work-life balance. Show respect and consideration to employees by suggesting flexible work schedules to meet their personal and professional commitments.

Combining these fast-track tips with some dedicated, ongoing initiatives can improve employee engagement. It should be built on a foundation of good relationships, hiring exceptional managers, and providing employees with a career map to advance with your organization.

 

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How to Strengthen Your Employer Brand and Attract Better Talent

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

Employees are easy to find. All over the internet, there are job postings with interested applicants in the hundreds. Landing yourself skilled talent goes beyond merely publishing job updates.

In a recent survey, 73% of CEOs complained about the shortage of employees with the required skill set. Talented workers do not embrace the first job opportunity that arrives on their doorstep. Instead, they consider many factors.

In the battle to win the top talent for your business, your branding says a lot. You need to understand the various ways you can improve your employer brand to lure skilled individuals to work with your business.

We’ve compiled some of them for you to implement.

Look Beyond Your Business Logo

You shouldn’t rely solely on your brand logo and catchy slogan to attract better applicants. Your logo and slogan must be alluring. But your organizational objectives and governing principles are what pack the punch.

Your focus should stay on creating a unique experience for your workforce and clients. This emphasis will go a long way in strengthening your brand.

Share Your Story

Everyone loves a good story—whether from a movie, a book, or for branding purposes. One of the surefire ways of attracting great applicants is to sell your brand to them. Tell them about your unique history and your vision.

For skilled applicants to be enthusiastic about working for you, they need to learn about your beginnings and how your business became what it is today.

Showcase Testimonials from Your Existing Employees

Building on the last point, have your story told from employees who have experienced it. Interested applicants want to know why people love working for your business. What makes it unique? It would help if you displayed these testimonials on your website and social media accounts.

Stand Out

Every business executive wants to apply the same formula that works. But you need a distinguishing factor to stand out. Your HR and social media manager must focus on what makes your brand unique and make that your selling point online.

Let the world know through high-quality content why it’s a great experience working for your business.

Know the Expectations of Each Generation

According to Harvard Business Review, employers could be dealing with five generations of employees and applicants: Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers, and Traditionalists.

You need to understand these people have different expectations. This insight will help you to create a diversified business. A brand that understands all age groups’ expectations is a brand that people would want to work for. It’s that simple.

Embrace Employee Development

According to a Gallup poll, 87% of millennials agree that employee development is vital in accepting job roles. Everyone is interested in the prospect of personal growth. When your business offers the opportunity for workers to grow, you are guaranteed to attract top talent.

Acquiring skilled workers is a constant battle between the best businesses. But with these tips, you will not only attract but retain the best people for the job.

 

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3 Hiring Trends You Shouldn’t Ignore in 2021

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

It’s a relief to put 2020 behind us finally. Few were prepared to deal with the global pandemic that put everything on hold. While a lot of businesses were forced to shut down their operations, others deployed emerging trends to stay afloat.

As we now navigate towards a post-pandemic world, we must recognize that nothing will remain the same. Recruitment today has shifted from the norm. Thus, there are certain trends you should take note of when hiring new staff for your business.

Here are 3 of the most important hiring trends you shouldn’t ignore this new year.

Virtual Recruitment is the New Normal

As a result of the pandemic, many businesses have adapted to remote work. Top tech companies like Google, Twitter, and Microsoft have fully embraced this mode of operations. As people can now work from the comfort of their homes, this influences recruitment and even onboarding exercises.

Several companies have utilized virtual board meetings in times past. It is natural to implement the same process for hiring new staff. Initializing an encrypted virtual hiring process is bound to save you time and money in the long run.

Before the virtual interview, send out setup tips to interested applicants. This will help avoid potential tech problems.

Diversity Is Important

While the last year ushered in the pandemic, the Black Lives Matter campaign also took center stage. With several voices clamoring for diversity in the workplace, it has become a necessity to hire people across racial lines.

As your business is looking for ways to broaden its presence, you need input from a diverse workforce to create products and services that will suit everyone. A diversified workforce is vital in making that possible. Diversity is a profit driver for businesses, and you should quickly adopt this during recruitment.

Focus on Employer Branding

Applicants are now looking to work for a reputable brand and not just any company that offers juicy incomes. Now, more than ever, businesses should focus on their branding.

There are several ways you can attract the best people to work for your business:

  • Taking stronger stances on societal issues
  • Showcase testimonials from your existing employees
  • Deliver high-quality content on your website and social media pages
  • Tell your applicants what they stand to gain working with you.

The landscape for recruiting and retaining employees has made a significant shift from the way it used to be. Working with an experienced recruiter can help you find the best talent in this evolving scene.

 

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