Human Resources

Working From Home- Staying Sane & Productive

by

With everything going on we know companies are moving towards having employees work from home for the next couple weeks. We have experience in working from home (We work remotely and have meeting spaces for our meetings in person) and there are some positives and challenges in being productive (and staying sane).

Some Great Articles on best ways to work from home:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/12/success/work-from-home-tips/index.html

https://www.fastcompany.com/90476020/working-from-home-7-smart-tips-to-help-you-get-more-done

https://media.qualifi.works/media/productivity_and_empathy

https://time.com/5801725/work-from-home-remote-tips/

https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/11-best-productivity-tips-for-working-from-home.html

https://time.com/5801725/work-from-home-remote-tips/

We are here to support and listen. Feel free to schedule a call our Director of Recruiting Beth Here: https://meetings.hubspot.com/beth59

Can You Successfully Balance Productivity and Empathy?

by

On Wednesday night, the National Basketball Assoc (NBA) suspended all games, indefinitely, when one player tested positive for COVID-19. The abrupt cancellation of a game about to start, with fans in attendance, and further cancellation of all games put the league on hiatus. It was a big, bold and costly decision. This took guts, and real leadership….and the ability to look at the long-term health of the league. It is the right step for players, administrative staff and fans of the league.

As a high growth company, how do you maintain top productivity of your employees during a truly disruptive time? When a global pandemic unevenly strikes across the country (and globe), how does leadership show employees that it has their welfare as its top priority without sacrificing the long-term health of the company? How can you achieve a strong level of productivity and be empathetic to all employees while battling a global pandemic?

As an entrepreneur and business owner, I’ve been called to make tough decisions. Here’s what I’ve learned.

Take a long-term approach. It may be painful in the short term, but how does that compare to the long-term effects of inaction? Can you find ways to provide employees a level of safety AND devise ways to make the business productive (or at least break even) now?

Have Courage.  It is always hard and unsettling. Be strong and decisive in decision making. Do what is right, and treat people the way you want to be treated. Chance favors the strong and bold.

Communicate with Integrity. Get out in front of things. Be honest and transparent with employees and clients alike. It is appreciated and goes a long way towards good will. Be specific and get granular with policies and procedures.

Build new capabilities and capacity. Take advantage of this opportunity. Re-evaluate your business model…review the policies and procedures you have relied on blindly for years. Look at new employees or consultants that can provide different approaches in a period of upheaval.

Means & ends. Do things the right way, the ethical way. There will be opportunity to cut corners or do some things that are not part of your company’s DNA. Don’t allow yourself to do what you know will harm your brand in the long term. It is just not worth it.

Fulfill the future. Could this be that Liminal Space for your organization? A Liminal Space is that period of time where true transformation takes place? Is this the ‘thing’ that will allow you to try all the  ideas you’ve put aside?

If you think about it differently, what if It was a disruptive competitor rather than an act of nature that was forcing your hand? How would you react?

It’s Easy To Be Hard, Hard To Be Smart

by

It’s an old Marine Corps popular saying in infantry that was top of mind as I started my current company as a remote only work environment—no company office at all. For many of us, time in seat equated to level of effort. In the past, getting into the office during a crisis was seen as a badge of honor.  Today thankfully, neither holds true.

I’m hoping my lessons learned over the past year will provide a bit of insight to those that have been or will be thrust into a full remote working situation in the near future.

The bad news first. It took me quite a bit of time to get into a really good work rhythm. It took about 6 months in total to find the right flow. It was really hard because I over structured things in the beginning and tried to maintain rigid chunks of time that mimicked how I worked in prior years. The good news is that in the end it wasn’t as hard as I made it. All that was called for was a bit more thinking about how I wanted to work versus how I had worked in the past.

After the period of trial and error, here is what I came to realize works for me to be productive;

I need diversity of venue. Looking back now, going to the same office every day for 19 years seems an antiquated notion. The stimulus of using different places to work actually keeps me better focused. I did find that the hipness of corporate coffee houses is mitigated by sheer noise. I prefer quiet spots (local coffee spots, hotel lobbies and even restaurants). Once I found my few good ‘spots’, I was set. Find what works for you. Headphones are a necessity for me.

I use a semi-structured model. Most often, I dedicate mornings to thinking and writing…and family time. This is time I’ve reclaimed from my daily commute. The rest of the day is crafted around calls, emails and meetings. You need to set boundaries for yourself, but not be overly rigid. I understand I’m not a great multitasker…I just cannot get things accomplished around the house until I’m done work, or it is scheduled in. Some people can achieve nirvana and do both equally well. Build a routine that accommodates your job responsibilities, environment and  personal working style.

I play to my circadian rhythm. Yes, I said it…and I’m a believer. I am simply way more focused and creative in the morning. Period. I’m most productive writing content then. But I also schedule breakfast meetings. Late mornings through early afternoon are more focused on action items and late afternoon is usually for consumption of content. Then, I have one last review of the day after walking away from work for a few hours. It gives me a fresh perspective and a time limit.

I allow myself to take breaks on my own terms. Initially, I found myself, locked into one spot on the couch all day. But I realized I could walk the dog during core business hours, while listening to a podcast or recording the ton of ideas that flowed during the walk.  I found a way to incorporate breaks that refreshed my mind and accomplished little tasks that needed to get done.

And Finally…The hardest part to overcome was mindset: No place to be at 8.00 every morning. Once I got past that anxiety and settled into a “non-routine,” things got easier. It all comes down to your mindset — figuring out what works for you, how to maintain great communication with colleagues and understanding what you need to achieve your work goals. Figure out how to get out of your own way.

Manifesto to Professionals in the New World of Work.

by

Technological progress is constantly reshaping the definition of work. Companies produce in new ways, markets expand, and societies evolve. Overall, technology creates opportunity – we devise new jobs, increase productivity, and deliver effective services.

Technology is changing the skills that employers seek. Workers need to be proficient at complex problem-solving, teamwork and adaptability. Digital technology is also changing how people work and the terms on which they work. Even in advanced economies, short-term work, often found through online platforms, is posing similar challenges to those faced by the world’s informal workers.

Who you work with makes a big difference. The intersectionality of skills, life experiences, business practices, professional development, success and failures, passions and yearnings make up a person… understanding this and the connection points between people drive valuable insights. Connecting with people worthy of attention that complement us professionally is critical to success.

Great business potential exists when industry visionaries connect with talented, experienced and passionate professionals. 

Great work gets accomplished when the right formula of people is present, focused on challenges.

People-Solutions are at the nexus of business challenges and talent acquisition. The new world of work requires more than recruitment or talent acquisition…it demands that we define the business challenges AND align the right professionals, in the correct engagement model to ensure ROI.

To prepare for the new challenges of digital marketing and the exponential market shifts, we – the professionals who understand the new world of work – align around a set of principles that transcend companies, contexts, and constraints. These principles include:

  • Relationships over commodification
  • Courage over status quo
  • Transparency over obfuscation
  • Connection over transaction
  • Fulfill over just fill
  • How we get to the goal is as important as the goal
  • Who is as important as what

Code of Practice
The fulfill code consists of ten practices we adopt:

  1. Think long-term – Understand that value increases and compounds over time. Resumes and job descriptions are a poor, one-dimensional substitute for conversations. True connection is possible when all parties are invested in learning and discovering opportunity – the company and/or agency and the talent – and are open to staying in touch to fulfill a successful working relationship.
  2. Have courage – As we experience accelerated change, it’s tempting to want to bet on sure things. But business opportunity is often at the edges. The “best candidate” and “job” most times seem the safe choice but invite risk. Have a “Be Smart Early” mindset.
  3. Communicate with integrity – Fulfillment depends on honesty and transparency in our dealings. This kind of communication creates a positive ripple effect in our relationships and supports continuous improvement through a constant feedback loop.
  4. The power of connection – Interdependencies are essential for creating shared purpose and understanding. When we all work to improve the overall environment surrounding work through conscious connection, our work improves as well.
  5. Walk the talk – Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Behave in a way that is consistent with the company’s beliefs, internally and externally.
  6. Everyone has value – Every person has a role to play, and a voice to contribute. Fulfillment is as much a product of vision as of execution. Recognizing talent means appreciating the whole person.
  7. Build capabilities and capacity – People can do, and they can also teach. Empower, promote, support, develop, test, and celebrate people. The best companies work with experts who expand capacity and help build internal capabilities.
  8. See the whole person – A person is the intersectionality of skills, life experiences, business practices, professional development, success and failures, passions and yearnings. Embrace the diversity of thought, background, culture and experiences.
  9. Means AND ends – How we connect and work is as important as our goals and ambitions. An investment in quality and thoughtfulness pays dividends in relationships for years to come.
  10. Fulfill the future – Be willing to identify, qualify, and invest in the people who are right for the company and market of tomorrow. Seek depth of expertise and difference in points of view. Embrace width of knowledge and the energy it creates. This is how we fulfill the future together.


My intent for writing this manifesto is to share these ideas as broadly as possible, encourage conversations, influence thinking and recapture our humanity in the hiring process. People are the most important component of all endeavors; let’s acknowledge that and be mindful of it. If you agree– pass it along, champion and discuss these principles!

Find Your IKIGAI.

by

I’ve been searching for years to develop a better structure to the way I approach recruitment. How I understand and perceive people, drawing out the bits of seemingly insignificant information that will lead to deep connections with others….framing it in a concise way has just eluded me.

Over the years, I’ve told anyone that will listen, no one aspires to be a recruiter, much less in the staffing industry. We all stumble our way here. If you are lucky, you connect with a company or manager or co-workers that provide you with a good foundation. Maybe you get a modicum of training or pick up a mentor. That’s what typically leads to initial success. As you progress, honing your interviewing skills falls squarely on your shoulders. You learn from trial and error-you press on. This leads to longevity.

Truthfully, my recruitment skills have slowly evolved over the years…rapidly jumping at times but mostly growing at a slow grind. With time and experience, I’ve learned to understand and professionally assess people across a variety of industries (nursing, technology, marketing and digital). Mostly, that is the easy part. The challenge is understanding people; who they are, what they actually enjoy doing, what ignites their passions, what drives their engagement… then how all of that shapes what they do professionally. But how do you incorporate all of that into a meaningful and consistent process?

To me, understanding a person’s professional skill set is penultimate; uncovering the core of a person is the pinnacle of connecting.

Recently, I came across a term that I immediately recognized as core to the approach I take interviewing people. Leave it to the wisdom of the Japanese to truly capture the essence of how a person should approach the place where work and life intersect: Ikigai.

Ikigai is a Japanese word whose meaning translates roughly to “a reason for being”, encompassing joy, a sense of purpose and meaning and a feeling of well-being. A simple Ven Diagram elegantly explains how it is all interconnected.

When I meet people, I start with understanding what they love to do. Regardless of their current job or role, I want to understand what fuels their passions and what they are driven to accomplish. Then we discuss what they are currently doing and how it aligns (or doesn’t) with who they are. This always leads to a deeper discussion about how they got to where they are professionally-but with an understanding of how they maintained the path they had started down or veered off. It is eye-opening for some, an affirmation for others….but it affords insights you typically do not get in an interview. You are actually beginning to understand the person. 

We venture on to discuss what they excel at and how that shapes what they want their next role to be. This goes right to alignment of passion, skills, jobs, and compensation. After understanding a person, I can finally start thinking about the types of companies, opportunities and client partners that might be suitable. That’s when I am able to connect the dots.

It’s different, for sure. Many people leave a meeting with me probably feeling a bit confused. It may take a day or two for a few things to click, for them to understand that I am a long-term partner connection and not just a recruiter. 

Let’s discuss where Ikigai will lead you. Jack@qualifi.works