ReportWire

Tag: Employee Experience & Recruiting

  • Entrepreneur | Leaders Concerned About Remote Work Should Be Looking at This Metric

    Entrepreneur | Leaders Concerned About Remote Work Should Be Looking at This Metric

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Many leaders are increasingly troubled by remote work. What was a lifeline during Covid has now started to look like an anchor. Of course, this isn’t the employee perspective. Most employees love remote work. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a system that allows you to avoid commuting — at least some if not all of the workweek — and to spend more time near family, friends, pets, your own kitchen, etc.?

    While different organizations face different issues with remote work, there is always one common concern: employee engagement.

    Related: 4 Essentials for Employee Engagement in a Remote World

    Satisfaction vs. engagement

    I am not talking about employee satisfaction, although many people use these terms interchangeably. Employee satisfaction is about an employee liking their job. Employee engagement is about how engaged in the work that employee is.

    It’s engagement with the work that raises the most concern when it comes to remote work environments, not satisfaction.

    Common misconceptions about engagement only exacerbate the problem. For instance, if I believe my people skills or powers of persuasion as a leader are critical for creating engagement, then I will probably be very concerned about having to lead in a remote, two-dimensional reality. I may feel like I’m trying to lead with one hand tied behind my back, since creating a human connection in a remote setting is more difficult.

    Also, if I feel it is essential for people to connect with each other in person to create engagement, I will be equally concerned about having my team in a remote environment.

    Right now, you may be thinking to yourself, “Wait a minute, is he saying a human connection is not important?” I am not saying that. Connecting with one’s boss and co-workers is often critical for employee satisfaction. However, based on my team’s experience over the last 20 years and the research of acclaimed clinical psychologist and management professor Frederick Herzberg, in-person connection is not actually necessary for engagement. Engagement comes down to just two things: progress and purpose. Think of these as, “Am I winning?” and “Is it a big deal”?

    You can test this on yourself. Go back to the time in your life when you were most engaged at work. Think of a specific time when you were so into the work, you couldn’t wait to get up in the morning. At that moment, the many elements that drive employee satisfaction may or may not have been present. You may have been well compensated, or you may not have. You may have liked your boss and your co-workers, or you may not have. But those factors — so critical to satisfaction — weren’t statistically relevant when it came to that moment in your life when you were most engaged.

    Related: How to Ensure Your Remote Staff Is Engaged

    Progress and purpose

    The two factors that I can promise you were present at that time in your life? Progress and purpose. You were making real progress on something you considered to be important. Engagement isn’t dependent on working side by side. It isn’t about happy hours, a weekly free lunch or even an inspiring boss. To create engagement, you must create a winnable game.

    The good news is, for a person to engage, it doesn’t require every aspect of that person’s job to feel like a winnable game. In our experience, even if 80% of a person’s job is just the hard work of sustaining the current operation, you’ll have their engagement if just 20% of their energy is spent making progress on something that matters. This does not require everyone to be working in the same physical environment.

    I worked with LeAnn Talbot, an executive at a Fortune 20 company, who executed an impressive turnaround. Her region went from dead last out of 20 regions to No. 1 in the country on the company’s overall performance power ranking. Long before this turnaround felt remotely possible, she confided in me her biggest concern: “I’ve got a group of leaders who seem to be addicted to losing. Before I can do anything with this region, that mindset must be broken. I need them to get some wins. Even if they are small wins.”

    This was the first time I had thought about my team’s work on execution as a way to help create winnable games and believe this to be the most important professional insight I’ve ever been given.

    If you’re in a situation where your employees can work remotely, I am not saying you won’t have challenges. What I am saying is that, if you can help them feel like they are playing a winnable, high-stakes game, engagement will not be one of those challenges.

    Related: Keeping Your Remote Workforce Engaged: The How-To

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    Chris McChesney

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  • Entrepreneur | How to Hire, Retain and Optimize Gen Z Talent

    Entrepreneur | How to Hire, Retain and Optimize Gen Z Talent

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As the oldest members of Generation Z enter the workforce, business leaders are faced with a new set of challenges in attracting, hiring and retaining this demographic. Gen Z is expected to make up 20.7% of the workforce by 2025 and 33.4% by 2030. This generation represents a highly diverse and well-educated cohort with unique needs and values that differ significantly from those of previous generations.

    In order to successfully recruit and optimize Gen Z talent, business leaders must have a clear understanding of this demographic and its unique characteristics. Below are some insights on Gen Z and a few tips on how to recruit and retain Gen Z talent:

    Related: 7 Things to Know Before You Manage a Gen Z Team

    Who is Gen Z?

    To effectively understand Gen Z, it is important to recognize the unique experiences and values that have shaped their worldview. Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z is the most diverse, tech-savvy and educated generation to date. Gen Z is characterized by a strong sense of individuality and a desire to make a positive impact on the world. They are socially conscious and politically aware, and they value diversity and equality among different groups. They are also more entrepreneurial and are more likely to start their own businesses compared to previous generations.

    Members of this generation have grown up in a world of rapid technological change and globalization. They have also experienced a number of significant cultural and economic shifts, leading them to be practical, financially savvy and resourceful. They are highly connected, informed and inclusive, with a deep commitment to social and environmental causes. Additionally, Gen Z is characterized by a high level of ambition, drive and entrepreneurial spirit.

    Related: What Gen Z Wants Their Managers to Understand in 2023

    Recruiting and hiring Gen Z

    When it comes to attracting and hiring Gen Z talent, it is important to understand the key factors that are important to this demographic. These include:

    1. Flexibility: The older Gen Zers had just begun entering the workforce when the global pandemic hit in 2020, so these individuals have a very different idea of a “normal” work schedule than that of older generations. Gen Z is highly interested in finding a job that allows them to balance their work and personal lives, which means offering flexible work arrangements, such as remote and hybrid work, and even less traditional work hours.

    2. Technology and innovation: Gen Z is highly tech-savvy and values the use of technology in the workplace. Companies that are able to incorporate the latest technologies and encourage innovation will be most appealing to this demographic.

    3. Purpose and values alignment: As mentioned, Gen Z is highly motivated by the desire to make a positive impact on the world. Therefore, they value employers who provide opportunities to be involved in the community and support various causes. Companies that prioritize sustainability, diversity and inclusion will be most successful in attracting this demographic.

    4. Growth and development opportunities: Most Gen Zers in the workforce have never held a job prior to the one they are at. A first job is mostly about gaining experience and building skill sets so that they can move up the corporate ladder. Gen Zers seek opportunities for personal and professional growth when it comes to finding a job and want to know there is room to grow.

    Related: Gen Z Is Looking For These 5 Things in a Job and Career

    Retaining and optimizing Gen Z talent

    Once you have successfully attracted Gen Zers to your workplace, it is important to create a culture that supports their continued growth and engagement. To retain Gen Z talent and make the most of their contributions, business leaders must:

    1. Foster a sense of purpose and connection: Appeal to Gen Z’s desire to make a positive impact, and establish an inclusive workplace culture that emphasizes their values. Gen Zers want to know and feel like they are a valuable part of an aligned team, and that their contributions are appreciated. Companies should actively seek out ways to connect their employees with the purpose and impact of their work, including embodying the company’s core values into daily motivations.

    2. Provide opportunities for growth: Gen Z values personal and professional growth and seeks out employers who provide opportunities for learning, development and advancement. Companies should invest in employee training and development programs, as well as provide opportunities for professional advancement.

    3. Encourage collaboration and innovative thinking: Gen Z values collaboration, as well as being encouraged to think outside the box. Companies should foster a culture of teamwork, encourage open communication and provide opportunities for employees to share their ideas and insights. It’s also important to understand and take into account different communication styles and how they affect a team’s ability to work together.

    4. Prioritize work-life balance: In addition to initiatives such as flexible schedules and paid time off, companies can do more to prioritize work-life balance. Gen Zers value mental health and well-being, and they are especially fond of workplaces that have procedures in place to support them. This can be as simple as checking in with employees regularly for honest, non-work-related discussions, encouraging and showing interest in their hobbies outside of work and giving praise for a job well done.

    Business leaders who understand how to optimize Gen Z talent will be well-positioned to succeed in today’s rapidly changing business environment. By recognizing the unique characteristics of this demographic and leveraging their strengths, businesses can build a talented and engaged workforce that will help drive their success for years to come. To be successful, business leaders must have a deep understanding of Gen Z and its unique needs, values and preferences, and they must be proactive in creating a workplace culture that supports and nurtures this demographic.

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    Doug Walner

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  • Entrepreneur | How to Support Employees and Improve Retention With a Strong Company Culture

    Entrepreneur | How to Support Employees and Improve Retention With a Strong Company Culture

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We have all heard the expression, “people don’t leave businesses, they leave managers.” In this time of the Great Resignation, is that really true? Perhaps to a certain extent, but I think there’s something else to consider.

    Having capable managers is critical, of course. That’s why our group spends so much time helping new managers build the key mindsets and capabilities they need to succeed. Nevertheless, a good boss can’t compensate for the most significant reason high performers move on.

    I’m talking about culture. A toxic culture will always overshadow even the nastiest bosses. In fact, some of the worst bosses exist because their culture allows them to thrive. The Washington Commanders’ two-decade-long toxic work culture that has come to light recently is a great example of this. The culture became toxic after leaders at the top level of the organization ignored sexual misconduct allegations.

    If you’ve seen a lot of people flee your company since 2020, you might have a dysfunctional culture — and I’d hazard to guess that the pandemic hasn’t caused the cultural dysfunction in your organization but likely revealed it. When the people on your team finally saw those cultural weak spots, they decided it was time to head out the door.

    So, put your energy into nurturing your culture and ensuring everyone has an integral role to play. To do that, try these retention techniques that have worked for my company and my clients:

    Related: Great Company Culture Isn’t Magic — Take These Steps to Create It

    1. Take purpose to the next level … your people

    You need to have a strong organizational purpose if you want a strong organizational culture. Your purpose is the “why?” behind everything you do. A well-articulated purpose can serve as the backbone for all decisions. It also informs people why they should come work for you as integral team members.

    You shouldn’t just strive to have a corporate purpose, though. You need to take purpose to the next level by helping each person find their own purpose and connect that to your organization.

    Here’s how this can work in practice: Our leaders regularly run special sessions for our newest joiners. The sessions help participants discover their purposes by identifying strengths, values and life-shaping experiences. Once everyone has identified an individual purpose, they can connect it to the organization’s purpose, as well as the work they do daily. The result is a team that feels motivated by and connected to a greater sense of purpose.

    2. Encourage people to name their work-life balance needs

    Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about work-life balance. In the past three years, the lines between everyone’s professional and personal lives have blurred significantly. Accordingly, your company needs to put structures and systems in place to accommodate the team’s work-life needs. You can’t do this on your own.

    Rather than dictating work-life balance parameters to your team members, put the ownership on them to develop their own work-life balance routines. For instance, you might have a group of ambitious people. That’s great, but we all know that ambitious people are notorious for filling up their plates. Your job is to assist them in figuring out how to balance all the facets of their lives appropriately so they don’t risk burnout.

    Start by encouraging everyone to talk about their non-negotiables. These are what each person needs to feel grounded. Some people might say that’s being able to log off by 5:30 p.m. Others might say it’s having the chance to plug an hour of exercise into the day. The point is for people to feel supported enough to name what they need to lower their stress levels and enhance their overall well-being. Teams can then develop workflows to accommodate everyone’s non-negotiables and foster work-life balance.

    Related: I Created a College Atmosphere At My Company. Here Are 3 Ways It Increased Employee Retention

    3. Give out autonomy like it’s candy

    Individuals feel empowered when they have total authority to make decisions. Their sense of empowerment usually spills over into higher engagement. The more accountability and responsibility you can give people, the more rewarding your environment will be — and the less reason team members will have to take jobs elsewhere. A Jabra survey of more than 5,000 knowledge workers revealed that 59% of them believe flexibility is more important than salary and other benefits.

    To be sure, your business or industry might not be able to allow tons of flexibility with autonomous decision-making among team members. Still, it’s a valuable exercise to think about ways and times you can drive decision-making in your company from the upper levels down. Based on my experience, organizations with lower autonomy and authority struggle with this mindset shift. It won’t happen overnight, but we’ve found that with purposeful intervention, you can create the right change momentum.

    4. Incorporate fun into your work

    A dull workplace isn’t one that tends to be sticky from a retention standpoint. On the other hand, a fun atmosphere can buoy everyone’s spirits and reduce the effects of inevitable challenges.

    You don’t have to bring in balloons and a bouncy house. Fun can come in different forms. Corporate-sponsored social activities, work sports teams and the occasional celebration can all be enjoyable. It just depends on the makeup of your company and its people. Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, had the goal of making his workplace fun and enjoyable, which is why he has always let his employees work flexible hours that allow them to surf during the work day, attend courses or just be parents. All he asked was that their work got done.

    And although organized fun is great, the key is integrating fun into the work itself. Never underestimate the power of being a fun place to work. After all, fun can be a huge differentiator because it’s as rare as a unicorn sighting in Alaska. Give your people the freedom to let loose a little.

    They call it the Great Resignation, but for me, that seems a little glass half empty. It’s high time to stop worrying about the Great Resignation and focus on building a great culture. You’ll unlock your people’s potential and your organization’s performance possibilities, too.

    Related: Why a Positive Company Culture Is the Key to Employee Retention

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    Matt Smith

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  • Entrepreneur | True Religion’s Co-Founder Leads Differently Today—Here’s Why

    Entrepreneur | True Religion’s Co-Founder Leads Differently Today—Here’s Why

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I’ve been a serial entrepreneur driven by my passions my entire life. I love the challenge of creating something from scratch and am always eager to learn new things. One of my most notable accomplishments was co-founding the first-ever fashion denim brand: True Religion, which sold for more than $800 million in 2013.

    When I co-founded the company, denim had no stretch; you either wore stiff jeans or jeggings. Worst of all, there were no suitable jeans options for curvier bodies out there. They were clearly being underserved. The designs of our jeans were very technical and intentional in order to achieve a sexy jean that would fit every body type.

    In 2008, I sold my shares of True Religion and set out for my next phase in entrepreneurial endeavors. After I left the company, I started building homes, and as I was staging them, it was impossible to find cohesive styles that fit with the designs and aesthetics. It was arduous to decorate the rooms in these homes and make them look seamless, so I decided to do something about it.

    I founded Style Union Home, a luxury home ceramics brand with handmade pieces crafted in LA, two years ago to fill that gap. Since then, the line has been carried in 200 stores across the U.S., and it’s still growing.

    My passion for being the first to develop something motivated me to start all of my businesses. I have used my 30-plus years of experience founding and selling them to help shape my new home-fashions line — and I’m doing things differently this time.

    Related: What Part Does Passion Play in Your Success as an Entrepreneur?

    These are lessons that I’ve learned along the way and have incorporated into Style Union Home.

    I’d never deal with an all-male board again.

    At True Religion, I was the largest shareholder, but I was also the only woman on the board. During my time at the company, it was hard to find any support from the all-male board of directors.

    We were disrupting the denim industry, and often times they didn’t recognize how to do that because they couldn’t see or relate to the woman’s perspective. We were developing a brand for women, and they couldn’t figure out how to do that. I fought for many of my ideas that ended up being successful for the brand because I knew what our customers wanted.

    Being the biggest shareholder and not being heard was the biggest thorn in my side. The men I worked with could be exclusive; they didn’t care to listen and figure out what it was women really wanted.

    As a result, I never received the support I needed.

    For example, while we were still building True Religion, Neiman Marcus reached out and wanted us to create a dress. The board immediately shut down the idea — they said it had nothing to do with denim. They didn’t see dollars in the project, but I knew they were wrong.

    I created the dress for Neiman Marcus anyway. That denim dress was on the cover of the Neiman Marcus catalog and garnered a lot of positive attention. None of that would have happened if I had listened to the board and not gone with my gut.

    Related: 3 Super Simple Ways to Understand What Your Customer Wants

    I’m committed to hiring and working with incredible women.

    As a result of my experience with the all-male board, I knew I wanted to work with women. As entrepreneurs, we need to build our teams, and by hiring women, we have the power to ensure that they receive equal pay and become part of an inclusive environment. The only way to tackle issues like this is to make the change yourself, and everything else will follow.

    Today, I’m focused on working with women and supporting them every step of the way.

    When it comes to my hiring process, it’s really about passion for me. I look for people who are ambitious and love what they do. Of course, you want to work with people who have experience and know what they’re doing, but they should also be passionate about the work they’re putting out there.

    Today, I’m focused on working with women and supporting them every step of the way. We’re developing a brand primarily for women, and women know women. They can see the vision ahead because they understand and appreciate our customers’ perspectives and what they need.

    Related: 7 Practical Ways to Celebrate and Support Women Entrepreneurs

    Understand the difference between listening and hearing.

    Every entrepreneur should work on their listening and hearing skills — and they’re not the same. Anyone can passively pay attention to what they’re being told and repeat it back, but are you listening and absorbing what’s being asked of you?

    As a leader, you need to listen to your teams and understand their needs. They need to know that you are mindfully present. You can’t run a business with a team that doesn’t feel supported. That’s when things start to fall apart.

    An entrepreneur is only as good as their team.

    Every brand has a vision, and the only way to execute it successfully is by surrounding yourself with people who can also see the big picture. Entrepreneurs need to be able to depend on their teams, and you can only do that if you’re working toward the same goal with a solid group of people. The vigor of the people around you is fundamental to your success.

    Despite being the largest shareholder at True Religion, I never felt supported because the team failed to see what I did. It’s essential that you align yourself with a team on the same page about your vision and let them know they’re valuable.

    Stay true to your leadership style.

    Women in business obviously face a double standard in the workplace. We’ve been taught to do what we can to fit into the “boys’ club” or to tone down our feminine energy.

    But the things that they tell you to downplay (for example, leading with emotional intelligence) are what could make you a great leader in your field. We’re asked to alter our identities when we don’t need to; we just need to learn how to harness those qualities.

    Your passion is valuable. It will speak for you, and people will be receptive.

    You don’t need to be aggressive to get your point across. You can be heard by staying true to yourself and your leadership style. Your passion is valuable. It will speak for you, and people will be receptive.

    Related: The Importance of Staying True to Your Roots as an Entrepreneur

    Leadership by example is the hallmark of a good leader.

    A strong leader makes a strong team. Your actions, however small you might think them to be, have influence over your team. Respect your employees, and they will respect you in return. They have to trust you, and the only way to earn their trust is by showing them that you put your words into action.

    I would never ask someone on my team to do something I wouldn’t do myself. Being a leader does not make you superior to others. You’re all critical pieces of one big unit that only functions when you’re in sync.

    If you’re not ready for something, there’s nothing wrong with saying “no.”

    Business owners think that they have to say yes to every single opportunity that comes their way. But they’re operating on a scarcity mindset. They believe that if they say no, the prospect is lost forever. But I haven’t found that to be true at all.

    When making decisions, it’s essential for founders to learn when to say no because it can make or break their business. It’s tempting to say yes when you’re presented with a potentially lucrative offer, but you have to think strategically about the long-term impact. Before making any commitments, you should wait until you have all your ducks in a row.

    If a business owner knows they aren’t prepared for something, the worst thing they can do is say yes to it and possibly sacrifice that connection. If you’re not ready, that’s okay. Don’t do it. They’ll come back.

    I will never repeat the mistakes I made at True Religion, but I’m grateful for the lessons that I’ve been able to learn along the way.

    I’m taking all of my experience into Style Union Home’s growth plan for 2023. Aside from these lessons, we’re also utilizing invaluable information from our retailers and customers to guide us in the right direction.

    I will never repeat the mistakes I made at True Religion, but I’m grateful for the lessons that I’ve been able to learn along the way because now I know exactly how I want to run my business and how that contributes to success in the long run.

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    Kym Gold

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  • How Leaders Can Raise Motivated, Proactive Intrapreneurs

    How Leaders Can Raise Motivated, Proactive Intrapreneurs

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    At my first job, while I was impressed by the advanced equipment and technology, I was rather disappointed by the need for more openness to new ideas. My manager rejected all the new ideas I proposed for our projects. The pain of ideas getting killed resonated with a couple of other friends. So, we decided to start our own company where we could put our ideas into action.

    Of course, not all our ideas were successful, but that’s the risk of entrepreneurship, and we are happy that we had the chance to try them. Today, our organization is a strong team of over 300 people who are encouraged and motivated to experiment and share ideas. Moreover, the intrapreneurs within these 300 people have grown professionally and fueled the company’s overall growth.

    The opportunities to ideate, test and scale products by our intrapreneurs have allowed our organization to launch vital new products and services. In addition, our labs’ products have allowed us to serve clients and help them intuitively, accurately and efficiently make critical decisions.

    That’s the power of intrapreneurship — everyone wins when employees receive the freedom and support to innovate and create.

    Related: 6 Steps for Turning Your Employees into Intrapreneurs

    The startup dreams

    The fancy word — “startup.” Starting up is never easy.

    Many employees at every organization once dreamed of starting their own company. However, upon looking at the responsibilities on their shoulders, such employees decide against taking such a risk. But with the right mentorship and support system, they can carve out a laudable path of entrepreneurship as intrapreneurs.

    American business software company, Intuit, encourages its employees to create prototypes to test their hypotheses. Their “unit of one” approach for testing and scaling ideas promotes constant innovation. Essentially, Intuit ensures that employees test their hypothesis with just one customer, ideally someone best served by it. For example, suppose the target persona finds the MVP useful and recommends it. In that case, the hypothesis can scale to a larger cohort to observe a bigger dataset.

    In a piece by Harvard Business Review on intrapreneurship at Intuit, this approach was cited as an example that helped the business launch “Shop Owner,” a mobile application, in Bengaluru, India.

    Repeat interactions with everyday customers — rural-area store clerks — allowed one Intuit employee to recognize that each sale was kept in the shop owner’s “memory” due to a lack of on-site computers or cash registers with integrated accounting features.

    The answer? Since the target audience predominantly used smartphones, the team built a simple application that bundled point-of-sale accounting, inventory management and printed receipts.

    The prototype was created, tested and approved for scaling — within seven days!

    Related: Big Companies That Embrace Intrapreneurship Will Thrive

    Raising intrapreneurs

    Triumphant outcomes are routinely tagged as “overnight success,” whether from innovation or intrapreneurship programs. Yet, the truth could not be further away from this adopted belief.

    Building a healthy culture that celebrates intrapreneurship requires a mix of systems, tools and hard work. I believe that the ball starts rolling right from the leadership. Organizations can take cues from several studies, research papers and working models on better cultivating a culture of intrapreneurship.

    Neil Fogarty, an instructor of Entrepreneurship in the Dept. of Management & Organization in the Smeal College of Business at PSU, offers a framework for creating a supportive environment for raising entrepreneurs. Leaders may say, “I get it, but,” Fogarty replies, “Here is how you can go about it.”

    The framework helps switch employee thinking from a cost-center perspective to one of personal profit-center. As a result, leaders can help raise motivated, proactive intrapreneurs and also understand how to tackle budgetary constraints, propensity to take risks and other crucial commitments.

    It’s worth taking a deep dive into this framework; meanwhile, here is how we go about intrapreneurship at our company.

    Related: You Have a Great Idea, But You Work for Someone Else. What Do You Do With It?

    How do we raise intrapreneurs?

    In my two decades of work experience, I have participated in countless discussions — brainstorming sessions, OKR feedback, policy debates, product quality reviews, etc.

    Most of us love listening to what we would like to hear; however, we encourage the daring minority — intrapreneurs — to challenge the status quo.

    In my experience, it is crucial to establish a structure where people can fearlessly submit their ideas and suggestions. Moreover, it is essential to provide them with the right ecosystem to execute those ideas. Of course, not every idea would be successful, but the “biggest risk is not taking any risk,” as Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, says.

    Here are three prominent practices we follow to encourage intrapreneurship culture:

    The OKRs:

    The sales targets are not just set for the sales team. The operations team needs to walk hand-in-hand in the following ways:

    • Identifying the gaps at the client end to open more business opportunities

    • Suggesting market gaps where the company can position itself strategically to bring more business

    • Expanding teams by strategic and thoughtful hiring

    • Creating systems and processes for efficient and productive work

    • Honing people skills to effectively manage teams

    This way, the VPs, managers and team leads run small companies as a part of the big company. In addition, we give intrapreneurs hands-on mentorship in the form of an in-house program called “altMBA.”

    In-house MBA programs:

    Creating leaders at every level of the organization chart — especially those who staunchly believe in innovation — requires workplace training.

    While traditional classroom settings can offer many theoretical insights, practical altMBA workshops have helped employees provide efficient feedback, become better communicators, apply “first principles thinking” and learn how to ask better questions.

    Make-a-thons:

    At our organization, we conduct an annual hackathon called “make-a-thon.” This event helps us create and support a culture of intrapreneurship within the organization.

    “Make-a-thon” takes place over two days, where people create teams to build a minimal viable product (MVP). Then, at the close of the event, teams pitch their prototype.

    What’s the requirement? A problem that bothers someone every day at work. Slow administrative approvals? Friction while accessing files from a database? It can be anything! The results have surprised us every time.

    Over the years, we have tweaked this system’s design and found specific characteristics that help bring standout results.

    We found that cross-pollination (making cross-departmental teams) exposes everyone to unexplored, alternate viewpoints. Next, we insist on executing ideas in short turnaround times rather than coming up with groundbreaking ideas. Finally, we foster a lean theory of execution — no idea is “big” or “small.”

    Apple’s former Chief Design Officer, Jony Ive, once remarked about Steve Jobs: “I think he better than anyone understood that while ideas ultimately can be so powerful, they begin as fragile, barely formed thoughts, so easily just squished.”

    In conclusion, to avoid losing promising ideas and nurture intrapreneurs, here are a few actionable steps one can take:

    • Encourage and reward risk-taking and innovation

    • Provide resources and support for employees to develop and implement new ideas

    • Create a flat, open organizational structure that fosters communication and collaboration

    • Offer training and development opportunities to enhance employee skills and knowledge

    • Empower employees to take ownership of their work and decision-making

    • Implement a system for idea generation and feedback

    • Recognize and celebrate successes, both big and small

    • Lead by example, demonstrating a passion for innovation and a willingness to take risks

    • Foster a culture of transparency, trust and accountability

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    Deepak Syal

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  • How to Increase Storefront Revenues in an Online Sales World

    How to Increase Storefront Revenues in an Online Sales World

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    With over 5 billion Internet users and $870.78 billion in online sales in 2021, storefront operations have struggled. They have had to raise the bar and the customer experience to survive. They can no longer get by with the same old, same old. There is some good news here, though. Even though the digital market is going to get bigger, baby boomers, Generation X and millennials are quite happy to participate in a shopping experience. You may even occasionally bump into a Generation Zer.

    According to Morning Consult, more than 2 in 5 adults prefer shopping in-store versus online. There’s something to be said about feeling the experience whether we’re shopping with a friend or want to try something on. So, it’s time for retailers to step it up and compete with the online sales world.

    As a corporate trainer, I’ve consulted with entrepreneurs through Fortune 100 companies, and I’ve found four commonalities in storefronts that increase traffic and revenues while dramatically improving the customers’ shopping experience. Here’s what you can do:

    Related: The 6 Essential In-Store Experiences That Your Customers Want to See

    1. Use employee meetings as a proactive tool to understand customers

    Customer reviews can be abstract in their content, sometimes contrived to get a 5-star rating. If you can’t cite specifically what your employees are doing to get five stars, there’s no meaning in that review. There’s no way it can help you solidify or refine practices. It becomes about numbers.

    To avoid this trap, add a few questions to your weekly agenda. First, “what can we do to attract more customers to our business?” It’s your employees’ collective creativity that will foster innovation. Adobe lives this mantra. Your employees are your front line. They hear what customers like, don’t like, what they want and what they need. These employees’ perceptions can lead you to do things differently. Then whether it’s showcasing a specific product, holding an event or advertising a new product launch, make it big. Create an experience customers want to attend with food, entertainment and free gifts — the bigger, the better.

    Second, ask employees to identify customers who left happy and what specifically made them happy. All of these happy feelings tell you what you’re doing right. Similarly, ask your employees to share a customer experience where the customer left unhappy. Ask your employees to specifically identify what happened that left the customer feeling this way. This will enable you to assess processes that need to be changed, inventory requirements or training that needs to occur.

    2. All hands on deck with all customers

    Instead of allowing employees to point customers to an aisle to find a product, have employees walk to the product area with the customer. During the walk, employees should ask customers two key questions: “How often do you shop with us?” and “What are your two predominant purchases?”

    Inventory lists may tell you what the customer is buying, but your employees can tell you why the customer is buying. When we know why a customer is buying, we can stay ahead of the trend. If customers buy a specific hair conditioner because it has proven effects to withstand humidity, new product offerings may reflect these reasons. These questions may even enable you to change up your store layout so finding these products is easier for the customer.

    Related: 3 Key Takeaways About the Future of Retail: Selling Online, In-Store and Both

    3. Share the revenue

    Pay your employees well. If your employees contribute to a bigger customer wave and your storefront is thriving, your team should thrive. Offer bonuses, incentives, an employee of the month and other awards. Buy lunch for the team. Let them know you see their efforts and appreciate them.

    4. Innovative training

    Training is your secret weapon. There’s no more room for greeters, floor associates, cashiers or stocker jobs. Your employees are now salespeople and should be trained to do so. Most likely, they don’t consider themselves salespeople. This is where training becomes critical because the heart of selling is delivering high-level customer service. Selling is about caring, and you’re asking your people to do that. You’re asking them to care — to treat the customer as a friend. To relate, ask them questions and then provide solutions.

    Recently, I called an airline to rebook a ticket. While the representative looked up the details, we conversed about the holidays. She shared a part of her life with me. It was a very positive experience, but unusual. Typically, customer service representatives are focused on the customer solely. But this time, she was connecting with me as a person. One of the most revolutionary topics noted in my book, Sell Like A Cockatoo, is that a relationship isn’t just about you getting to know the customer. The customer must also get to know you. There must be reciprocity in every relationship. That’s what a relationship is.

    Related: 4 Ways Brick-and-Mortar Stores Can Outsell Online Retailers

    Training will also teach your employees how to upsell. It’s the difference between a customer being directed to an aisle to get a screw for a ceiling fan and the employee helping the customer find the screw while updating them on the latest ceiling fan models that have arrived. Customers can’t buy if they don’t know — and the more your employees care and share, the happier your customers will be and the happier you’ll be with your bottom line.

    To keep your storefront going strong, maximize employee involvement. Today’s digital world offers so many choices that when a customer enters our storefront, it should feel like home.

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    Gail Kasper

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  • How to Future-Proof Your Tech Career

    How to Future-Proof Your Tech Career

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    One of the most significant shifts we are witnessing is the disruption caused by evolving technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and blockchain. While they are still far from being perfectly refined, we are already seeing more significant use of AI and blockchain-based innovations across industries.

    Add to this the cyclical nature of the economy — the current downturn and the inevitable headcount reductions — that are making many tech professionals, not unlike myself, wonder what their career in tech will look like five to ten years from now.

    Seeing disruptive technologies

    There will inevitably be a move towards simple tasks automation in user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) development and design. Neural networks trained on huge data sets are set to significantly speed up and simplify the work of engineers and even replace some of those engineers to some extent.

    To stay in demand, I believe it is becoming essential for tech professionals to expand their horizons, including by deepening their knowledge of higher mathematics to help improve their skill set for solving complex architectural and scaling problems. Being able to come up with creative solutions and solve tasks in unorthodox ways is already important, but the trend toward valuing out-of-the-box thinking will only intensify going forward, in my view.

    The most in-demand skills in 2020, for example, were cloud computing, artificial intelligence, analytical reasoning, people management, and UX design, according to research by LinkedIn. These skills are expected to remain highly sought after as technology advances and organizations look to leverage innovation to drive growth.

    However, It’s not enough to simply possess these competencies because your skills and knowledge must be continuously updated to keep pace with the ever-evolving technology landscape.

    Learning new tricks

    To stay ahead of the curve, tech professionals must be proactive in their own continuous learning and professional development.

    For example, platforms such as Coursera, Udemy and Codecademy offer a wide variety of courses, ranging from beginner to advanced level, that can help tech professionals brush up on the latest technologies and best practices. Additionally, attending industry events and networking with peers can provide valuable insights into the latest trends and developments in the field.

    Learning doesn’t have to be formal or certificate-based. The most important thing is for a person to have a thirst for knowledge, a desire and the drive to want to become a better version of themselves every day, and a good grasp of advanced mathematics and similar STEM disciplines as a strong foundation for continuing to build future skills.

    Vetting soft skills

    Regarding future-proofing your career in tech, I would stress that soft skills are nearly as important as hard skills or technical knowledge and abilities specific to your field. Soft skills refer to the personal attributes and qualities important for working effectively with others. These include communication, problem-solving, and leadership — all are key for future career advancement.

    When interviewing candidates for positions at FunCorp, a developer of entertainment tech products, including apps for meme lovers, certain soft skills are the key to success. We look for people who enjoy creating and are not solely focused on completing the tasks set for them. We also want the type of person focused on ongoing personal development with the passion and drive to continue learning and evolving. This type of person will make sure to continue learning to make up for any gap in the hard skills they may possess.

    Staying motivated

    Striving to be a professional committed to ongoing personal development can go a long way. Motivating yourself to keep learning and upgrading your tech expertise can also be challenging. Luckily, several strategies can help.

    Setting specific and measurable goals for yourself is a great way to stay focused and remain on track. For example, you could set a goal to complete a certain course or certification by a certain date, or aim to attend a certain number of industry events every year. Breaking larger goals into smaller, more manageable tasks can also make them less daunting.

    Another effective strategy is to find a community of like-minded individuals motivated to learn and grow. Sharing progress and setbacks with them can provide a sense of accountability and motivation. Reward yourself for completing tasks or reaching milestones. Continuously remind yourself of the benefits of learning and upgrading your tech skills, such as increased job opportunities or higher pay. Setting yourself up for a brighter professional future should be a great incentive!

    It’s also important to find the right learning methods that work for you, such as taking online courses, attending workshops or regularly participating in online forums relevant to your specialization. Keeping yourself updated with the latest trends and what’s happening in the industry can help you to stay motivated and engaged. But it’s also essential to take a break if you feel burnout and revisit your goals with a fresh perspective from time to time.

    After all, nothing is set in stone when it comes to thinking about and planning for the future beyond 2023. Despite the recent turbulence, I believe the tech sector is still the place to be. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 11% from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all other occupations. So the demand will continue to be there as long as your technical and soft skills stay current and well-aligned with ongoing technological advancements.

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    Denis Litvinov

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  • The 5 Steps to Building a Culture of Success in a Startup

    The 5 Steps to Building a Culture of Success in a Startup

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Any article you read, podcast you listen to, or founder you talk to will tell you that “startups are hard.”

    I couldn’t agree more, but what does “hard” mean? Hard because you work long hours? Hard because you have little money? Hard because you have so many competing priorities? Hard because it is lonely trying to look successful to customers, partners and staff while struggling to keep it all together?

    The answer is a resounding YES to all of the above. Startups are hard. But they are also just the right thing for people who want to learn and grow continuously. And they are the right thing for people passionate about establishing a unique company culture that reflects their values. Being intentional about company culture can be a make-or-break factor for any startup.

    I spent over 20 years with a successful career at a Fortune 100 technology company. I worked in small subsidiary offices in remote parts of the world and at corporate headquarters. I had stable, sometimes very large, budgets and teams in both settings. I knew the corporate values, understood and lived the company culture, and knew precisely how to manage the systems, processes and policies to support my area of business and career. I moved fluidly between headquarters and field roles. No matter where the office was located on a map, there was a consistent corporate feel and “type” of employee. This was true for fewer than 20 employees and offices of thousands. No matter where I was, there was structure and the security of a well-known logo on the door and systems and processes to connect with the larger corporate, sales, marketing, financial and HR systems.

    Related: 5 Must-Haves for Entrepreneurs and Their Startups to be Successful

    When I stepped into my first role leading a startup, I was certain that all my time working remotely in field offices had prepared me to lead a small organization. I understood how to motivate and manage a team, talk to customers, create a killer PowerPoint presentation and back it up with a slick Excel financial forecast. I didn’t count on a company culture’s role in a successful business. I took that for granted because my career had been steeped in an already-established business culture.

    Like most startup founders, my priorities were laser-focused on how to make money, how to achieve the holy grail of product market fit, where the first tranche of funding was coming from and how much runway we had. I put my head down and drove hard to succeed. I failed. I spent all the money in ways that didn’t make sense in hindsight. I never found the right market fit and failed to dig deep enough into the customer’s pain point. And I never really thought about the type of company culture I wanted to build. I stepped into a position with a team in place and never really questioned what type of company that group of people added up to and how significantly this would impact the product we offered to the market.

    Related: Go Hard, Or Go Home: A Game Plan For Startups Wanting To Survive An Economic Downturn

    Not being one to give up easily, I took the lessons I learned about spending and saving money, understanding a need before developing a product and even how to pitch and raise more money, and started another business. This time, I decided to put the company mission and culture first. My co-founder and I come from very different business backgrounds but share the feeling that culture is one of, if not the most important, element to success. This approach has paid off, and we have attracted and formed a team deeply committed to our business mission: creating economic gender equality.

    Here are the top 5 steps to building a culture of success:

    1. Communicate!

    Prioritize communication. Do it regularly and reinforce the company’s core mission, values and direction. Share the status of business deals, your financial position and short-term goals and long-term aspirations. Seek input and feedback on business status and how the team feels about the direction, product and place in the market.

    Related: 6 Communication Tips to Strengthen Your Company’s Culture

    2. Make hard choices

    A small startup team can become like a family. You depend on one another and often have a close, beyond-professional relationship. This makes it difficult when things go sideways with one of the family. But as a leader, you must keep your eye on the mission and remember why you are in business. Making a hard decision to let someone go, while painful in the short term, is better for the team and will reinforce the culture of building for the long term. It could also lead to amazing, unexpected opportunities.

    3. Reward the work

    I am not a big believer in compensating teams with free drinks or a foosball table at the office. The best way to reward your team is to pay them a salary or with equity or both. Continuing to invest in building the business to enhance their stake in the company speaks louder and is more beneficial than superficial, short-term entertainment perks. And don’t forget to celebrate the wins, even the small ones.

    Related: How to Reward Employees in Uncertain Times

    4. Tell the real story

    When things go wrong, and they often do in a startup, own it. Talk about it and learn how to improve and not repeat mistakes with your team. Optimism is a hallmark of startup founders and teams, but not acknowledging when things go wrong likely will harm your business, or at the very least infuse a superficial element to your company culture — and create distrust.

    5. Enjoy the work you are doing

    You and your team are working hard to grow a business. You can never forget the drive and passion that attracted you and the team to get started in the first place. No matter how successful or large the organization becomes, if you don’t have a culture where your team feels invested and enjoys their contribution to the mission, you won’t have a sustainable business.

    So yes, startups are hard. But when you are intentional about creating a healthy business culture that reflects your company’s mission and values, startups can be just a bit easier — and a lot more fun.

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    Kate Isler

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  • How to Deal With Pushback on Technology Initiatives

    How to Deal With Pushback on Technology Initiatives

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Change in all aspects of life is as inevitable as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west — nothing stays the same. Although technology uptake has increased over the last few years, management and tech companies still have their work cut out for them. Championing changes is no walk in the park, and the same goes for leadership. So, here are a few ways tech leaders can deal with pushback on diverse technological initiatives, as well as a few signs to help leaders identify pushback on these initiatives:

    1. Create strong foundational data

    When making changes, most company executives are looking for foundational data. This kind of data shows what tech is, what it does, how it does it, and most importantly, what the favorable results are. Foundational data should be well formatted and easy to interpret.

    Related: Change Is Good. Now, How to Get Employees to Buy In

    2. Lean on your soft skills

    IT leaders may rely on something other than their soft skills to get the job done, but these skills are vital in establishing productive discourse. A conversation ensures all parties feel heard and decisions are not one-sided. Effective communication and attentive listening can make technology initiatives succeed.

    3. Cut out the long speeches; for the most part

    The thing about speeches is that they could be more interactive. This one-way flow of information can backfire as the audience may feel alienated from a process they are expected to partake in. The best way to combat this is by making the entire process as interactive as possible. Let every stakeholder interact with the new technology at their own pace. You will likely get unanimous cooperation from multiple echelons if each can realize the benefits firsthand.

    4. Impromptu problem-solving

    Patience and fortitude are not virtues associated with most mega-companies and industries. What people want are systems that work with minimal effort and accurate results. Any tech initiatives that have a hard time taking off are less likely to get adapted into regular use. The pushback will likely be at its worst when something fails during implementation, so fast response time is crucial to implementing tech initiatives.

    5. Actively campaign against false assumptions

    Your staff may face unfounded rumors and assumptions about tech changes that can destabilize the initiative. Some obvious fears your employees may face include:

    During such times, it is essential to discredit each individual’s worries using proven facts and recorded data. Ensure employees don’t think the employer’s new tech initiative is directly against their collective well-being.

    It’s not always about the money, so proving to stakeholders that the technology initiative can produce more profits is only sometimes the right move. Some might consider an attempt to buy in proof that the product will face opposition from employees at different levels.

    Related: How to Become a Successful Change Leader

    Identifying pushback against technology initiatives

    One of the most damning mistakes people in a crisis make is not realizing they are in one. The fastest way to break up technological dissent in any setting is by realizing it is happening. Here are a few ways you can identify pushback in any backdrop:

    Denial:

    Most people’s first reaction to sudden and unexpected change is denial. Employees and stakeholders may declare new technology redundant and argue for the logic that “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” It is up to the tech companies and top company management to prove to the employees that the new system is beneficial in multiple aspects.

    One way to combat denial is to clearly illustrate the benefits of tech initiatives by displaying them in a common language for everyone to comprehend. Feedback channels are critical during this stage because they give you an action plan for implementation. For example, creating company groups online allows employees to ask questions and receive information in real time.

    Disengagement:

    Denial and disengagement often go hand in hand. In this phase, employees will quickly adopt a nonchalant approach toward any changes in the company. This behavior is more prevalent when technology initiatives are shoved down everyone’s throat. This approach can make getting anything done in the workplace challenging and tedious. The perfect way to tackle disengagement is by incentivizing goals like giving bonuses, rewards and allowances for employees that excel at adopting new technology.

    Derailment:

    This is the “what, you think we don’t have other/real problems?” approach usually adopted by people in an organization who feel disadvantaged by the new changes. These groups often exaggerate the importance of more straightforward tasks to invalidate changes. The best way to combat this symptom of technological decent is by ensuring that no duties will be neglected through proper scheduling and resource allocation. One way to schedule effectively is by making the schedule visible and easy to interpret, like by placing it on a notice board or sending it to individual employees’ work emails.

    Related: How to Manage Resistance to Change Within an Agile Organization

    A lack of motivation:

    You may notice that employees are less willing to go about their tasks, especially if they use new technology. This is often the case if the tech is not fully functional or needs to be equipped to handle the current capacity smoothly. Employees may also act unmotivated if the new technology brings extra work and the company is unwilling to compensate.

    One such trend is the quiet quitting trend, which is motivated by a similar trend in numerous industries. Demotivation may seem harmless at first but may end up hitting the company with a reality many companies have realized too late. Having employees willing to go the extra mile gives a company a competitive edge, and the opposite could lead to a company’s rapid decline. The best way to deal with demotivated staff members is to incentivize tasks. Creating a competitive workplace culture can also help if the winner gets a coveted prize.

    Do not expect all employees to join the bandwagon with a smile. The most important thing when implementing technology initiatives is to keep communication channels open. The flow of information vertically and horizontally across different organizational levels can create a better working environment and smoother tech integration. Implementing technology initiatives can avoid opposition, especially if you build trust and ensure open feedback channels.

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    Steve Taplin

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  • 3 Ways to Meet the Needs of a Divergent Workforce

    3 Ways to Meet the Needs of a Divergent Workforce

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Mental health, well-being and stress management will rise to priority status as workers demand a work-life balance. This is good news for disabled employees, but how will business leaders rise to meet this need? Executives will work harder than ever to create a more inclusive, welcoming, and accommodating environment to attract and retain these creative and productive workers. Learning to listen, communicate effectively and make changes in how teams work together can go a long way in creating an environment where everyone feels safe and respected.

    Rather than a “sink or swim” approach, leadership can meet workers where they are. This is where a business leader with a limitation can use intuition, see areas for improvement and change the dynamic in the workplace so that needs are understood and met. Business leaders should focus on three main areas to meet the needs of a divergent workforce.

    1. Empathy

    When a worker with a limitation applies for a job in the business world, they often fear the staff will not accept them. They are often worried they will not be heard if they ask for an accommodation. They may be concerned that what seems easy for everyone else will be difficult — or impossible — for them. Empathy is the quality of compassion that allows us to feel what it might be like to be in someone else’s shoes. It is the action-oriented part of compassion.

    It’s not about the number of divergent employees a company has on the roster; it’s about the employee work experience. Executives can show they are aware of the unique needs of the staff and are willing to meet those needs. Managing with empathy means understanding that someone in the office or on the other end of a remote call might have a disability or a limitation they are unwilling to share. It means taking the time to get to know the staff member on a more personal level and responding to their needs in a meaningful, timely way.

    Related: Why Empathetic Leadership Is More Important Than Ever

    Being open about diverse abilities begins with the company website, the company’s reputation on the web and the interview process. From the beginning, a potential candidate with a limitation can tell whether a company will be open to discussing their needs, the accommodations that might be required, and the way a limitation might change aspects of the work experience. A leader with a disability intuitively asks the right questions. Does a new employee need to communicate differently than other employees? What about physically navigating the building? How can the team best work with a staff member’s condition?

    For executives without disabilities, learning to be open and accepting of workers with limitations, striving to communicate more effectively and helping staff members feel safe will benefit not only disabled workers but will also improve the work experience for everyone.

    As an executive, you may feel uncomfortable asking questions or looking for feedback from disabled employees. The truth is that empathy is as uncomplicated as being a good listener, a good observer and a good mentor. When you create a culture that celebrates workers’ contributions with limitations, they may open up about their needs. An employee with dyslexia might need a team member to enter data on an excel sheet. A staff member with PTSD might have to schedule telehealth visits on breaks. If these workers are hiding their needs from you, the cost can be overwhelming stress for them. The company’s stakes are also high: rising turnover, absenteeism and low productivity.

    Related: 5 Ways Employees With Disabilities Help Maximize a Company’s Growth

    2. Accessibility

    A business leader with a disability has the edge when it comes to creating an environment that is equally accessible for everyone. Chances are that a wheelchair-bound executive has circled the parking lot looking for a ramp or dealt with oncoming traffic in a parking garage attempting to make it to the elevator. A legally blind business leader has experienced more than a few meetings where important information was presented only on PowerPoint. If you are an executive without a disability, you may have never considered how many potential candidates might have found your building or information inaccessible; they may have made it to the parking lot, quietly leaving without pointing out how their lack of access left them feeling helpless and excluded.

    A leader with a limitation will look at the corporate space from a perspective of challenge. A disabled executive will ask, “What hurdles will a disabled person meet attempting to work here?

    Do your meeting spaces accommodate divergent needs? Ramps, elevators, the width of doors and aisles between desks, lighting and closed-captioning are just the beginning. If an employee with anxiety issues needs a peaceful place to calm down, or if a worker needs to keep moving to improve chronic pain, is there a place for them to go? What about transportation? Could the company offer a car service or a monthly stipend to cover a ride share?

    However, it isn’t just about disabled staff. The need for accommodations can arise at any time. Workers without disabilities can break limbs, have painful surgeries, be wheelchair-bound or use crutches. Leaders can anticipate how the workspace might become a burden for staff and make adjustments.

    Beyond the physical environment, corporate heads can embrace technology to assist divergent employees in reaching their potential. Technology has moved beyond closed captioning and voice accessibility. Consider how you can make technology more accessible for your staff. A simple solution might be making transcriptions of meetings. These could be emailed out to staff, including those who are hearing impaired.

    Some apps allow people to take pictures and have documents read to them. There are apps that magnify text for those with impaired vision. Young engineers are working with AI to create more effective communication between the hearing impaired and people without that limitation. Executives can fund training and innovations that meet employees’ needs. Both staff and business leaders will be challenged to find different ways of doing things, working together to find solutions so that everyone can be more productive. Simply delivering material and information in a variety of ways will enable everyone to have better access.

    Related: Employers Need Workers. Now They’re Realizing The Untapped Talent of These People.

    3. Team building

    Even if business leaders grow in their understanding of divergent staff, the next step is even more critical: Management can bring employees together to learn from one another. If staff members hide in cubicles or a remote office without fellowship, mutual understanding can’t occur. One of the most innovative ways to find common ground in the workplace is to use team-building exercises.

    What if the office meeting wasn’t just the usual grind? What if part of that time was spent on team building? This can be done online or in the office. A manager can help staff clarify the team and individual goals. Employees can share their hopes or their vision for their lives. Leaders can go around the room, asking the same question, such as, “What are you most proud of?”

    Another option is to bring in a corporate trainer to build synergy. This can be done across departmental lines to bring a fresh perspective. Trainers may give the teams “assignments,” such as a project to complete, a problem that needs solving, or a set of tasks that force them to rely on each other and pull their own weight. Members of the team are pushed out of their comfort zone. They learn how to accommodate diverse abilities in their group using resourcefulness, recognizing strengths and weaknesses, and filling in the gaps when needed.

    A corporate retreat is a chance to get workers out of the office and into an environment where they can open up and share things they wouldn’t ordinarily reveal in an office setting. Staff members can relax, share their fears, and get vulnerable. Whether the retreat lasts a couple of days or a week, they can get to know each other. After a retreat, employees often feel they have gained trust, respect, and a sense of purpose where they work. They may feel they have a better grip on leveraging their team and workplace’s diverse abilities.

    Final thoughts

    An executive with a disability may have the edge in anticipating the needs of staff members with diverse abilities; however, leaders without limitations can find ways to maximize the potential in all staff members by making empathy, accessibility, and team-building a part of the corporate culture. Celebrating your team’s unique skills while working to meet their individual needs will create the kind of environment where the most talented candidates will thrive.

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    Nancy Solari

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  • How to Find Great Employees Using Free Hiring Services

    How to Find Great Employees Using Free Hiring Services

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Creating a successful hiring strategy is a challenge for many companies, especially if you’re working with a limited budget. However, there are many free hiring services employers of all sizes use that can help you find qualified candidates for your open positions.

    Explore these tips for finding great employees using free hiring services.

    Online job boards.

    Many job boards, such as ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn and Indeed, offer free job posting services for employers. These platforms can extend your reach to a large pool of potential candidates and attract top talent to your open positions.

    And when it comes to hiring services, ZipRecruiter is a popular choice among businesses of all sizes because of its ease of use, AI matching technology, and budget-friendly options. Not only is ZipRecruiter the #1 rated job search site in the U.S.1, four out of five employers get a quality candidate in the first day of posting their listing.

    Social media.

    Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can be effective tools for finding new employees. Consider creating a company page and posting job openings to your followers. You can also attract jobseekers with hashtags and keywords to target specific groups of potential candidates.

    Networking events.

    Attend local networking events and job fairs to connect with potential candidates and promote your open positions. Many of these events are free or have a low cost to attend. They can help you build your professional network and access relevant candidates.

    Employee referrals.

    Encourage current employees to refer people in their network to available positions at your company. Even if you offer incentives for employee referrals, it’s still more cost-effective than finding someone through traditional hiring channels because someone you trust recommends them as a quality candidate and culture fit.

    Free resume databases.

    Many websites offer free resume databases where you can search for candidates with specific skills and experience. These databases can be an excellent resource for finding qualified candidates for your open positions.

    By taking advantage of these free recruitment resources, you can identify outstanding candidates and assemble a robust workforce for your organization. Be proactive and maintain a clear focus on your staffing objectives, and you will be able to secure the perfect employees for your open roles.

    1 Based on G2 satisfaction ratings as of January 1, 2022

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    Entrepreneur Deals

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  • Why Every Employee You Hire Should Have Leadership Qualities

    Why Every Employee You Hire Should Have Leadership Qualities

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Leadership is about mindset, not a job title. And it is arguably the most important attribute to the success of any company or organization. Yet, many managers seeking to fill entry-level positions often pass on candidates they feel are “overqualified.” They do this for a variety of reasons, all of which seem counterintuitive to creating the best possible company.

    For every manager, there are countless employees. This is true in nearly every profession. Professional sports teams are a great example of this process and represent something very similar to many companies. They have an owner. That owner hires a general manager. That general manager hires assistant managers, directors of personnel and marketing, a head coach and so on. Each of these directors hires a staff, and the head coach hires assistant coaches, trainers, etc. And the players are hired in cooperation with the management and coaching staff to represent the organization on the field, much like the employees who are hired to have direct interface with customers. Even the players hire their own support staff.

    Related: 3 Ways to Empower Everyone to Lead (and How to Do It)

    How leadership shows up at every level

    It can be argued that customers, whether it is fans watching a sports team on television or in person or patrons who go to a restaurant, are the most vital part of keeping a company viable. Without them, there is little to no money being made. Yet, interestingly enough, this most precious cog in the overall sustainability of a company most frequently engages with representatives of the company who, on paper, have the lowest position of leadership.

    However, if you look at the basic infrastructure of the most successful teams and companies in the world, the most important and influential leadership does not simply come from the top down, but instead, it emanates from each faction within the organization. And, in fact, the top-level leadership generally has the least direct leadership impact over the majority of the employees, let alone the customer base.

    This illustrates several important points. First, entry-level employees serve a hugely influential role in most companies. Second, nearly every position in a company plays an important role. Lastly, leadership can and should happen in all areas. All this inevitably means that everyone should have the training, encouragement and expectation to lead within their respective roles.

    Related: 6 Leadership Best Practices to Empower Your Workforce

    Why you should encourage everyone to be a leader

    While there is no doubt that there are natural-born leaders, it is also equally true that a leadership mindset can be cultivated. While this takes time and resources, the benefits to an organization are quantifiable. Take the example of the professional sports team. Players on the field represent the lowest level on the rung in terms of decision-makers on behalf of the team’s management structure. Yet, they arguably have the most influence on the perception of the team and the fans’ (customers) willingness to invest their time and money.

    On the most basic level, a player’s job is to perform their duty to the best of their ability. But does it help the team and organization if they show up on time or early? Does it help if they sign autographs and engage with fans? Does it help if they have a great attitude and model a great work ethic? All of these things represent leadership traits that impact the bottom line, yet the players are not in what would be considered a traditional leadership role when we look at the managerial infrastructure of a team.

    Now take the employee working at the cash register of the local grocery store. Their job is to efficiently and effectively perform transactions with minimal arithmetic error. The store manager may wander around a bit, but certainly doesn’t directly engage with a fraction of the customers that the cashier does every day, thus having a far smaller impact on the direct lifeblood of the store’s financial success. Yet, we perceive the manager as a leader but not the cashier. Does it matter if the cashier smiles, makes eye contact and greets each customer? Does it matter if the cashier has a great attitude and helps bag if their lane is clear? Of course!

    Related: 4 Leadership Methods for Empowering Employees and Building Strong Teams

    And these things not only impact the store’s bottom line by creating happy and appreciative customers, but they are certainly impactful leadership qualities. The store owner, who is in the most powerful position, isn’t able to have this type of impact on the customer base. Neither is the store buyer, regional manager, general manager or store manager. In fact, every single position of authority above the cashier has less direct contact with and less direct impact on the customer experience than the cashier. And if the customer is happy, the store does well.

    The point is simple: One, hire the best possible people; two, encourage everyone to be a leader; three, recognize that the value, influence and importance of a leader have nothing to do with their job title or position, but about the impact they can have on the people with whom they engage.

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    John Peitzman

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  • Become A Pro At Setting Attainable Business Goals With These Tips

    Become A Pro At Setting Attainable Business Goals With These Tips

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Business leaders are constantly setting lofty, impressive-looking goals for themselves and their companies. But what good are those goals if they’ve been thrown out the window within a couple of weeks? It’s time for business leaders to take charge and set intentions that can actually be achieved — not just high-minded ambitions that will fade away soon after.

    Instead of settling for vague directions, they should strive to make their objectives actionable and attainable with the right activities. Now more than ever, it’s essential for businesses to have tangible outcomes rather than empty promises.

    Related: The 5 Golden Rules of Goal-Setting

    Let your managers manage

    Sitting in the C-suite brings its perks, but it also removes you from many of the day-to-day operations your company executes. Your team leaders, however, are in the trenches. While executives set the direction, they should require their team leaders to set the milestones. These critical front-line players have an intimate understanding of how their team performs and what attainable milestones are.

    Without practical goals, employees risk simply shutting down or meandering aimlessly through flavor-of-the-month objectives. With realistic milestones, teams are fueled by purpose. Encouraging your team leaders to set these milestones ensures they are realistic and translates to buy-in.

    It bears repeating that your team managers require some direction. A clear, unbiased look at the last year can help set them on the right path. Executives should look at what was successful in that past year, determine why it worked, and figure out how to carry those same successes into the next year. Provide your front-line managers clear guidance on company goals and next steps, then step away. If you become a micromanager, you will squeeze your company to death.

    Related: 8 Reasons You Should Give Your Employees More Control

    Hold regular Azimuth Checks

    Once you’ve established realistic milestones for the year, it’s time to hold your team accountable for meeting them. One way leaders can do this is with quarterly reviews. And look, I get it. These meetings seem like a time suck. In practice, if it’s not ten minutes or less, I’m trying not to zone out on you. But at the end of the day, these quick check-ins can ensure that you and your team are on the same page and that everyone is clear on their expectations. Quarterly reviews vastly improve transparency as well as give leadership a chance to reinforce a united front.

    Regular meetings provide a great opportunity for communication down to the lowest level and create a more personalized feel than the typical canned newsletter. Most people send those newsletters straight to their trash folder anyway. Your employees want to know what’s going on in the organization and where they’re headed, and they want to hear it straight from the top.

    However, C-suite leaders can’t be the only ones presenting these ideas and goals. During these presentations, the entire leadership team needs to bring their A-game; the rest of the company needs to feel their excitement. We don’t have time to be company cheerleaders at every given second. More importantly, most people who work for your company barely see the CEO, so the front-line managers need to take that vision and share it with the rest of the team.

    Regular company-wide check-ins assure employees that their jobs are secure, that they’re working for a company with an actual vision and supporting goals, and that their leadership is motivated to succeed. On the ground level, I tell my team leaders that I want every single presenter to come to that room with three things they’re going to do this year to improve themselves as a manager, which helps them set personal goals that hopefully align with the company goals.

    Related: The Real Secret to Entrepreneurial Success (That’s Not What You Think)

    Implement accountability to track progress

    Organizations move by the minute, so you must monitor progress and hold your people accountable. Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) is a must, and it can be good practice to make progress open knowledge throughout the organization. My company displays everyone’s KPIs on centralized screens in our offices. This may cause many leaders to recoil in horror, but this transparency provides several key benefits.

    First, it helps your team look out for teammates. I don’t believe you should automatically eliminate your bottom 10% — you should motivate them instead. Displaying everyone’s progress on KPIs lets your subordinate leaders notice if someone is suddenly underperforming so they can spring into action and figure out the issue.

    One of our employees started missing KPIs, and our open tracking allowed her managers to notice. After some investigating, we found that her mother had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and she had tried to leave it at home to avoid burdening the rest of her team. You can’t leave things like that at home, though, and instead of jumping to conclusions and terminating her, we were able to help her get through this trying time by letting her work remotely so she could care for her mom. With this accommodation in place, her KPIs skyrocketed back in no time.

    The other benefit of KPI tracking is that it fosters healthy competition in your team. One of my companies had a banner year last year, and the top performers were able to double their salaries through bonuses. Peer pressure isn’t necessarily a bad thing. By encouraging some competition among your team, you can help them reach milestones you wouldn’t have thought possible. Your team may very well be capable of reaching new heights, but if you’re not holding them accountable, they almost certainly won’t.

    Related: Fostering This Trait Is One of the Hardest Things for Leaders to Get Right

    Your team deserves success

    A key responsibility of a good CEO is to develop the next generation of CEOs. I want my employees to be CEOs someday, and I want them to be millionaires. But to do that, we need accountability measures. You will always have individuals trying to set the bar as low as possible; you have to hold them accountable.

    The most important thing to remember is that you need to be self-aware when setting these goals and milestones. As a CEO, I have a BHAG. But that doesn’t mean your employees have to have the same. Be fair, be realistic, but encourage them to push the envelope whenever possible. Treating your employees like future leaders can help them develop the maturity and sense to carry out your company’s vision. Your team deserves success, and you owe it to them. Crafting realistic and attainable goals is only one small way to do that.

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    Shannon Scott

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  • 5 Internal People Every CEO Needs

    5 Internal People Every CEO Needs

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Every leader knows the phrase, “It’s lonely at the top.” It’s true that leaders often experience loneliness. Many times, they are the only one who knows everything about every person and situation in the company.

    When a leader has no one to share their personal troubles or triumphs with, it can drain their energy and lead them to make poor decisions. They have no one to expand their thinking, share their ideas with or from whom they can receive insights and inspiration.

    No leader should ever find themselves alone in their struggles and decisions. Leadership is about having a team of people to provide help and support through the difficult moments of the hour. Here are five internal people every CEO needs on their team:

    1. An excellent executive assistant

    One key person that a leader needs on their team is an effective executive assistant. Executive assistants help executives by supporting the CEO with critical tasks and responsibilities and acting as an extension for information for the organization’s leader. Trust and effective communication are essential attributes of this person on the team.

    Many business owners can be tempted to forgo hiring an executive assistant because they would prefer to put those resources in other parts of the business. However, when the leader produces, the organization produces. The executive assistant enables the leader to be more effective and productive.

    Related: 5 Tips For Building a Strong Leadership Team

    2. A capable and prepared second in command

    A powerful benefit of having a second in command is that they can take the reins when needed. By nature, most leaders have a deep drive to create a better company but are often frustrated by a lack of time, people, or resources to help make their plans a reality. A second in command or an operations person can help bring continuity to the operation and insight into many parts of the organization.

    The leader should find responsible people who will help them think intentionally about the next steps of the organization. When leaders have people they trust to make decisions and lead well, it enables the top leader to spend their time working on the business and not just in the business.

    3. A strategic numbers person

    Every CEO needs a person close to them who understands and can interpret numbers. Numbers don’t lie, and numbers tell a story. Many business owners and CEOs are not gifted with the ability to know and understand the truths or the story that the organization’s numbers tell. Every CEO should manage by a few key numbers in the organization.

    Many businesses struggle to make and keep a profit. A strategic numbers person will help the CEO to manage key metrics and help the leader to make wise decisions that will ultimately make the company more profitable.

    Related: Why Entrepreneurs Should Choose Insights Over Instincts

    4. A operational and process expert

    Every business will have processes. The growing business will have a clear understanding of the critical processes that will set them up for success. These critical processes could include processes around payroll, customer and team members onboarding and offboarding and systems around procurement.

    One way to grow the organization’s processes and systems is by onboarding an operational expert to your team. This person might perform as a general manager or as an operations manager. Their primary task is to examine how things are done and work to improve efficiencies throughout the organization.

    5. A high emotional intelligent people person

    In business, it is always about the people. People will propel your organization forward or consistently bring it down. Working with people is difficult because people often are not a finished product. People need to be trained, developed and invested in to reach their peak performance. Having someone in the circle of the CEO with an eye for bringing out the best in people will be a key to achieving the business principle of “improve your team to improve your organization.”

    The people person will have a high emotional equivalent and be able to see multiple sides of an issue. People in life deal with a multitude of issues. Often those issues can be brought into the workplace, and good people can be left to underperform without a person who can walk them through how to overcome their problems and improve themselves and their personal performance.

    As companies grow, they will often develop an HR department. As the CEO continues to expand their team, they need to consider having a people person close to them to help them discern who can be trusted, how to handle difficult people issues, and what people policies will be necessary to build a robust team culture.

    Your team can make you better

    The CEO Team is critical to the leader’s success and the organization they lead. Many business owners understand the value of their team as it relates to their business but can neglect to build a personal team around them to help them achieve breakthroughs, uncover blind spots, and wrestle with day-to-day decisions professionally and personally.

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    Ken Gosnell

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  • New Study Reveals Why Not Investing in the Work-From-Home Office of Hybrid Employees Has Dire Consequences

    New Study Reveals Why Not Investing in the Work-From-Home Office of Hybrid Employees Has Dire Consequences

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    A new study by Logitech of 3,000 employees and 1,000 IT hardware decision-makers in large organizations found that 89% struggle with video and 85% with audio in their work-from-home office. Less than 40% received accessories other than mice and keyboards from their organizations.

    While these results are concerning, I didn’t find them surprising. When working with client organizations to help them figure out the best hybrid work arrangements, I invariably get pushback when I bring up investing in hybrid worker home offices. CFOs don’t want to “waste” money on employee home offices after already paying for a set-up at the office; in turn, IT and facilities directors express reluctance to stretch their already-thin resources to support the tech and ergonomic needs of staff working from home.

    After all, these leaders say, we already gave in to employee demands for flexibility and allowed them to work from home part of the time. They can pay for their own equipment and furniture.

    Related: They Say Remote Work Is Bad For Employees, But Most Research Suggests Otherwise — A Behavioral Economist Explains.

    The reality of work from home office setups for hybrid employees

    In reality, the large majority of workers don’t pay to equip their home offices. When I ask about this issue in focus groups for my clients, employees tell me it’s the company’s job to fund their work-from-home needs. They feel it would be unfair for them to buy whatever they need for their home office just for the sake of doing work for the company. Indeed, in a survey I ran on LinkedIn with over 200 respondents, over two-thirds of respondents believe companies should cover the costs of equipment.

    So they end up struggling with technology and ergonomic challenges. Doing so harms their productivity since they can’t work as effectively. It undermines their wellbeing, due to physical discomfort from lack of ergonomic furniture and mental discomfort from concerns about how they appear on camera. It undercuts retention because employees feel frustrated and resentful over not having the equipment they need to do their job well.

    And it hurts their collaboration and communication: poor video and audio quality are a bigger problem for those the employee is communicating with rather than for the employee themselves. That involves other employees, but also external stakeholders, such as clients, vendors and investors.

    Related: Avoid These 3 Tempting Habits For Remote Work Productivity

    All of that harms a company’s bottom lines: as I tell leaders with whom I work, do they really want to lose a sale because they didn’t get a good microphone for their sales staff? That’s not an exaggeration: the Logitech study found that 37% of respondents hold video calls with clients.

    With 79% of companies switching to a hybrid work modality, according to the EY Work Reimagined Employer Survey, a large portion of the work employees do for a company will be done from home offices going forward. Given that, I tell my clients that it’s imperative to invest in equipping staff for work from home.

    Logitech insights on challenges and opportunities for the work-from-home office

    To find out more about the challenges and opportunities of equipping hybrid workers, I interviewed Simon Dudley, Head of Analyst Relations at Logitech, about the release of their study. He told me that Logitech discovered a common experience among most survey respondents.

    At the start of the pandemic, companies told staff to grab whatever they could from the office in the transition to remote work. And that’s what staff mostly ended up using for their home office, along with whatever additional equipment more tech-savvy staff had at home or, in some instances, chose to buy online. IT departments adopted a reactive posture: as Dudley stated, “IT departments sit there and basically wait for the phone to ring for someone to complain, at which point they go and try and fix that problem.” The problem with that posture? Most staff members “don’t even know what they could do to make their life better. But they do know what they’ve got today isn’t great.”

    The Logitech study confirms employee concerns: 64% struggle with poor or inadequate light in their homes; 60% have poor sound quality through computer speakers; and 58% need to sit in an uncomfortable position to be on camera. They waste valuable work time figuring out technology: 53% check if their speakers and microphone are working, 41% fiddle with the viewing angle of their camera, and so on.

    Yet staff don’t feel it’s right or fair for them to purchase better equipment and furniture themselves, and don’t feel empowered to reach out to IT or facilities to fix these problems. As Dudley said “the users are like, well, I assume this is the best that’s available. I mean, they’ve given me a laptop. I’ve got all the things, how can I say to the IT department, I want better when they don’t even know better exists?”

    Of course, it’s not only IT and facilities that need to step up. Dudley pointed out that HR needs to get involved. After all, they are responsible for talent management. Optimizing employee productivity, wellbeing and collaboration through support for worker home offices should be a major concern for them. Dudley told me that it’s simple: just go to HR and ask them “how much does it cost you when your workers are off sick with RSI issues or with eye strain or with migraines.” By comparison, the cost of equipping a home office is small, and this wellbeing benefit doesn’t account for boosted productivity and collaboration.

    Related: Malcolm Gladwell’s Fears About Remote Work Are Real. It’s Your Brain That’s Telling You Lies — Here’s Why.

    Work from home office funding: A case study

    Then, I asked Dudley to give feedback on how I helped my consulting clients determine how to support the home offices of their workers, using the example of the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute.

    First, we surveyed staff to determine their needs and concerns regarding technology and furniture, focusing on how we can help them be more productive and have better ergonomics and wellbeing. We encouraged employees to volunteer any suggestions on specific technology and furniture solutions they found to be a good fit for their needs. We also had the Institute’s IT and facilities staff conduct in-depth research on market options based on survey results.

    Then, we determined an initial list of standardized equipment that IT and facilities felt comfortable they could support in employee home offices. We shared the list with staff members in another survey and revised it based on their responses.

    Next, we purchased equipment for staff members and shipped it to their homes. For anyone who needed help with the equipment, we arranged for home visits by IT and facilities staff. To address tax concerns, we developed a policy asking staff members leaving the organization to donate any bulky furniture that was impractical to return to facilities. Finally, we covered the costs of fast broadband for staff.

    Dudley applauded this approach as exemplary. He did highlight that sometimes staff don’t know what they need because they may not be aware of relevant capabilities, and thus encouraged providing more hands-on guidance and expertise. I integrated that approach into my work with future clients.

    Conclusion

    In short, failing to invest in hybrid worker home offices is penny-wise, but pound-foolish. We know that much if not most of the work done by staff members for the large majority of companies going forward will be from home offices. And most employees won’t buy quality tech and furniture: they feel it’s not fair to ask them to do so. Companies that fail to invest in home offices will lose out on productivity, wellbeing, retention, collaboration and communication, all of which will reflect poorly on their bottom lines.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • How Small Businesses Can Beat the Big Companies to Top Talent

    How Small Businesses Can Beat the Big Companies to Top Talent

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Finding the perfect job candidate can take a lot of work for a small business or startup. With the current competitive market, small businesses find it harder to attract top talent than larger, more established companies. In a survey of small business owners by NFIB Research Foundation, 44% of respondents said that they had few or no qualified applicants for open jobs.

    Small businesses might struggle to find top talent for plenty of reasons, such as increased competition, social media inactivity or failure to connect with recruits on a personal level. If you want to attract top employees, your company must have a clear and unique identity and be able to demonstrate its differentiators and core values.

    Here’s how savvy small business owners can start being strategic about attracting qualified employees.

    Related: How Small-Business Leaders Can Recruit Like the World’s Top Companies

    1. Focus on flexibility

    People care deeply about flexibility at work. The ADP Research Institute conducted a survey that found 67% of employees feel more empowered to work in flexible arrangements since the start of the pandemic. Successful companies, including American Express, the largest credit card company in the U.S., have followed this advice by offering flexible hours, working arrangements and contracts.

    Consider being flexible with policies and practices that affect work-life balance. This approach demonstrates that you care about your employees’ overall well-being and helps attract talent who might not have predictable schedules or work arrangements.

    2. Foster a community

    Creating a sense of connection is crucial for small businesses that want to attract competitive talent. An ideal workplace is built on a shared purpose, mutual trust and care for the community around it. It’s not just about the money for employees; it’s about finding fulfillment in their work and enriching their lives.

    One way to set yourself apart when building your community is to look to the local, larger community at hand. Small businesses are known for fortifying communities all over the country, connecting people through shared experiences and helping regional economies thrive. By creating a sense of community within your business that’s connected to the one outside of it, you capitalize on local talent while providing a fulfilling work environment that retains employees.

    Related: 4 Ways to Level the Playing Field of Small Business Recruitment

    3. Make a good first impression

    Small business teams might find it hard to set aside the time necessary to write detailed job descriptions because of the pressure to complete other tasks. However, the first step in attracting skilled workers that fit your precise needs is writing an accurate job description. A job posting, description included, is often the first impression a new job seeker has of your business. So, make it a good one.

    Not only does an effective job description include a list of required skills and expectations for the role, but it also gives the reader an insight into your company culture. Do you care about work-life balance? Is your compensation competitive, and does it include the preferred benefits? Do you understand the nuances of employees’ lives? A good job description will communicate those answers when crafted with the seeker in mind.

    4. Nurture company culture

    A company’s culture establishes expectations for how employees interact and collaborate. Whether you build your culture through concrete practices or relaxed camaraderie, a strong company ethos can serve as a way to break down the barriers between teams that are siloed and provide guidance for decision-makers.

    Warby Parker is a great example of building a solid company culture that retains employees. The whole team is involved in a new employee’s onboarding and training, fostering stronger relationships and increasing a new hire’s sense of belonging and support.

    For a small business, even little things such as flex time, a casual dress code or pet-friendly offices can impact staff morale and loyalty. Creating the right company culture will help spread the word about your business and why top talent should want to work for you.

    Related: How Small-Business Owners Can Build a Strong Corporate Culture

    5. Offer real benefits

    Although there is no federal law mandating that small businesses (i.e. those with 50 or fewer employees) offer health insurance or paid leave, regulations on employee benefits can vary from state to state. Plus, creating a more comprehensive benefits package is a great way to attract the best workers. Employee benefits improve your worker’s productivity, health, well-being and job satisfaction.

    Almost half of the employees surveyed by SHRM said that health insurance was either the top deciding factor or a positive influence when choosing their current job. What’s more, 29% of employees said that their overall benefits package was a significant factor when deciding to look for work elsewhere. Benefits matter to your employees, so they should matter to you.

    6. Consider hiring remote workers and freelancers

    A small business can employ forward-thinking strategies faster and more responsively than most established enterprises. Keep an open mind when looking for a “specific” kind of employee: independent contractors and remote workers are becoming more common these days.

    Many skilled and talented people are available for hire as freelancers or contract workers. Even among traditional employees, it is important to consider allowing people to work from home as more people expect this option from employers. Remote work can be one of the key benefits of working at a small company.

    Related: 3 Powerful Techniques to Effectively Manage Your Remote Team

    7. Drive home what makes a small company unique

    A great advantage for small businesses is the ability to respond to creativity with agility. Big companies can be hesitant to make significant changes, but small businesses can take bigger risks while affecting fewer people. This can make employees and job seekers more excited to work for your business. According to Gallup, when a worker perceives their company as agile, they’re likelier to believe that the organization is a good fit for customers, ahead of competitors, financially secure and prosperous.

    The ability to be agile encourages new ideas and helps businesses adapt to new innovative solutions quickly. A company’s ability to quickly and effectively adapt to its changing needs is key to its success, especially when adding new employees to the mix.

    It’s more critical than ever to find the right people with the right skills for the job. So, you need a solid small business recruitment strategy when seeking new talent. A group of skilled and enthusiastic employees will flock to a company that appreciates and nurtures their talents. In return, they’ll bring new skills and energy to your business and ensure you can compete in today’s market.

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    Sarah Mayer

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  • Ready to Hire? Here are the Best Recruiting Platforms.

    Ready to Hire? Here are the Best Recruiting Platforms.

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Employers of all sizes turn to popular job sites to recruit top talent. Posting a position on a job search site allows you to reach a large pool of candidates all at once, rather than having to search for and contact candidates individually.

    But with so many to choose from, which are the best recruiting platforms? Many job search sites offer free job postings or have options for paid sponsored job postings that are more prominently displayed.

    If you’re ready to hire new employees, choosing the best job search site can make a big difference in the success of your hiring efforts. Here are some of the best recruiting platforms to consider.

    Best Overall: ZipRecruiter

    Four out of five employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. This popular job site makes it easy for companies to scale their business with quality hires.

    Rated as the #1 job site in the U.S.1, ZipRecruiter allows you to post job openings and receive applications from relevant candidates. It also offers a resume database and applicant tracking tools to help you manage the hiring process. It’s no wonder why ZipRecruiter is among the best recruiting platforms.

    LinkedIn

    LinkedIn can be a valuable platform for recruiting professionals and is particularly effective for finding candidates in the business, finance, and technology sectors. It offers a variety of features, such as job postings, resume searches and applicant tracking, to help you find and hire top talent in and outside your network.

    Indeed

    Indeed is one of the largest job search websites and can be an excellent resource for finding a wide range of candidates for all positions. It offers free job postings and allows you to search for candidates based on their location, experience, and skills. Indeed also provides rates for sponsored listings that prioritize your openings in the search results.

    Glassdoor

    Glassdoor is a platform that allows you to find job opportunities and read reviews about different companies. Glassdoor also provides information about company culture and employee satisfaction, which can help attract candidates to your open positions.

    Workable

    Workable is a recruiting platform that offers a variety of features, including job postings, applicant tracking and candidate sourcing. It can be particularly effective for small- and medium-size businesses looking to streamline their hiring process.

    1 Based on G2 satisfaction ratings as of January 1, 2022

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    Entrepreneur Deals

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  • Starbucks and Disney Forces Employees Back to The Office, But Is Your Company Next?

    Starbucks and Disney Forces Employees Back to The Office, But Is Your Company Next?

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Given the extensive headlines about Disney and Starbucks ordering employees back to the office, you might think that it’s the beginning of a new back-to-office return across the board. Yet do such headlines represent the reality of a new wave or are they just clickbait for anxious workers who want to avoid the threat of a forced office return?

    Recent survey data from The Conference Board provides a surprising insight into how companies are approaching the hybrid workplace policy. After surveying 1,100 corporate executives across several industries around the globe, including 24% from the U.S., The Conference Board revealed that Disney and Starbucks represent the exception, not the rule. In fact, of the CEOs from the U.S., a tiny proportion — 3% — indicated they would decrease the availability of remote work in their companies. Disney and Starbucks belong to that 3%.

    By contrast, 5% said they would expand it. For example, consider Elon Musk at Twitter. After initially ordering all Twitter staff back to the office, he now reversed course. He embraced remote work by closing Twitter’s Seattle and Singapore offices, telling all staff to work remotely.

    In short, it’s likely that 2023 will see a slight expansion of employees working remotely. These findings suggest that the majority of companies are finding the hybrid workplace policy to be a successful solution for their organization.

    Case study: Hybrid workplace policy success

    One example of a company that has successfully implemented a hybrid workplace policy is a large financial services company, which I know from consulting for it. Prior to the pandemic, this company had a traditional in-office work model. However, as the pandemic hit, the company quickly shifted to remote work in order to keep employees safe.

    As the pandemic progressed, the company realized that remote work was not only effective but also improved employee satisfaction. They, therefore, decided to adopt a hybrid workplace policy that allowed employees to work both remotely and in-office. This approach has allowed the company to continue operating effectively, while also supporting the unique needs of its employees.

    Related: They Say Remote Work Is Bad For Employees, But Most Research Suggests Otherwise — A Behavioral Economist Explains.

    Case Study: Hybrid workplace policy challenges

    Another example is a mid-size IT services company. They initially struggled with the transition to remote work and the hybrid workplace policy, as their industry requires face-to-face interactions with clients. They soon realized that the lack of collaboration and communication between employees working remotely and in-office resulted in a decline in productivity and employee satisfaction.

    To address this, the company brought me in to advise them on improving their approach. With my advice, they implemented a number of measures to improve collaboration and communication, such as weekly one-on-ones between supervisors and supervisees, and setting clear expectations for communication and collaboration. These measures have helped to stabilize the company’s performance, and the hybrid workplace policy is now working well for them.

    Benefits of hybrid workplace policy

    One of the key benefits of the hybrid workplace policy is the increased flexibility it provides for employees. Remote work can offer a better work-life balance, as well as the ability to work from locations that may be more convenient for employees. This can lead to increased job satisfaction and employee retention, which can be especially important in a competitive job market.

    Additionally, the hybrid workplace policy can also lead to cost savings for companies. By reducing the need for office space, companies can lower their overhead costs, and potentially save on costs such as electricity, internet, and office supplies.

    Cognitive biases and hybrid workplace policy

    However, it’s important to note that implementing a hybrid workplace policy is not without its challenges. One potential issue is the impact of cognitive biases on decision-making. For example, the availability heuristic, which refers to the tendency for people to base their judgments on information that is most easily available to them, may lead leaders to rely too heavily on their personal experiences with remote work rather than considering the unique needs and circumstances of their organization.

    Another cognitive bias that may come into play is the sunk cost fallacy, which refers to the tendency for people to continue investing in a decision or strategy because they have already invested resources into it, even if it’s not the most effective solution. This can lead leaders to persist with their initial hybrid workplace policy even if it’s not working well for their organization, instead of getting advice and training on how to improve their approach to hybrid work.

    Related: A Pervasive Myth Employers Believe That Is Hurting Their Remote Workforce

    Conclusion

    The Covid-19 pandemic has forced companies to rethink their approach to work. The hybrid workplace policy has emerged as a popular solution for many organizations, as it allows for a more flexible and adaptable approach to work. However, it’s important for leaders to be aware of the potential impact of cognitive biases on decision-making when implementing a hybrid workplace policy. Through careful planning and regular reviews, companies can successfully navigate the challenges of the hybrid workplace policy and stabilize their business.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • Why Software Talent Is Still in Demand Despite Tech Layoffs, Downturn and a Potential Recession

    Why Software Talent Is Still in Demand Despite Tech Layoffs, Downturn and a Potential Recession

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Talk of an economic downturn and potential recession was everywhere this year. These fears have strongly affected the tech industry, leading many companies to lay off thousands of employees in 2022.

    More than 1,000 tech companies fired over 150,000 employees in 2022. Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, let go of more than 11,000 employees. Amazon laid off over 10,000. There is also Twitter, where the new owner, Elon Musk, fired about half of the workforce.

    Many of the employees fired were software developers. Software engineers are integral to the tech industry, and it has left many wondering whether their skills and knowledge are losing value.

    Even cryptocurrency companies were firing workers. Coinbase CEO Brian Amstrong said the company would let go of 18% percent of its workforce. He stated, “We appear to be entering a recession after a 10+ year economic boom. While it is hard to predict the economy or the markets, we always plan for the worst so we can operate the business through any environment.” He cited the changing economic conditions as the primary reason for the layoffs. Many CEOs have done the same with similar reasoning.

    However, despite the layoffs and fears of an economic recession, top tech talent is still in demand. Software developers will always be integral to the tech sector, especially top-tier professionals at the top of their game. They are the foundation of the industry, and the best developers will have many opportunities before them after the layoffs.

    Related: Why The Demand for Tech Jobs Will Only Get Stronger

    High demand for software engineers

    Many saw the layoffs in the tech industry as a sign that their jobs and skills were less valuable than they thought. Companies will do what they must to stay afloat. They still value tech skills like software development.

    Tech talent is still valuable in many other industries, including agriculture, manufacturing and retail. Because of the power of big tech, many business sectors have needed more tech talent. Thanks to the job cuts, they can now hire the best.

    Software development is one of the most crucial fields in the tech industry. All forms of digitization require software programs that developers must make. Developers solve many solutions and produce real-world applications for everyday use.

    Software developers are still valuable, especially those from big tech companies. Software engineers from companies like Twitter, Netflix and Microsoft are getting jobs within hours or days of getting fired. Smaller companies are getting excellent tech talent at an absolute steal.

    Many software engineers are immediately finding similar jobs or roles in companies. The skills translate to many industries so they can fit in many firms. The other developers will also find other jobs in the tech sector and other industries. However, they will find themselves playing different roles to those they had before the layoffs.

    Software engineers may earn less than they did working at the tech giants. Taking a salary cut to work for a smaller company does not mean your skills are less valuable. It depends on what the company can afford and how you can help them grow.

    Moreover, software engineers can ask for assurances because of their talent, experience and value. Due to the layoffs, tech employees must ask what will happen if the firm decides to lay off a sizable portion of the workforce. They can also get stock options, so they are part company owners.

    Industries like banking have been hiring tech talent in the face of the tech industry layoffs. They can see developers’ value and are doing plenty to attract them. These industries know there has never been a better time to get the best tech talent.

    Related: Software Development Jobs Are a Bright Spot in Uncertain Economic Times. Here’s What Business Leaders Need to Know.

    Demand for software

    We live in a world run by software programs. With increasing digitization, there will always be a demand for software solutions. In particular, software developers are in high demand within the tech industry.

    In the age of data, firms need software developers who will analyze the data to create software solutions. They will also use the data to understand user needs, monitor performance and modify the programs accordingly.

    Software developers have skills that prove them valuable in many industries. As long as an industry needs software solutions, a developer can provide and customize them to the firms that need them.

    Fields in which a developer can work include data science, AI and machine learning, application development and cloud services. There is also the opportunity to be an entrepreneur and create something unique that offers customers value.

    With a skill set that has such a wide application, it is easy to see why software developers will still be in demand after the massive significant tech layoffs. The best developers will quickly land on their feet. They may even gain better positions than they had at their former workplaces.

    Related: The Future of Software Development in 2022 and Beyond

    Tech talent is still valuable

    Many tech workers suffered a terrible blow in 2022. Their prestigious jobs at giant tech firms vanished, leaving many stranded and confused. However, there is still a significant demand for tech professionals in our technological world, particularly software developers.

    Software development is the bedrock of the tech industry. Software engineers with valuable skill sets, experience and drive will quickly find other positions and opportunities. Software developers can apply their skills across a broad spectrum and are precious to many businesses and industries.

    They should know they are still valuable today, even in a challenging job environment. The rate at which companies continue to acquire the best software development talent proves it.

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    Steve Taplin

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  • 3 Recession-Proof Strategies for Small Business Owners

    3 Recession-Proof Strategies for Small Business Owners

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve probably read the dreary forecasts from JPMorgan, Citi and Goldman Sachs, which all agree that 2023 will be a rough year for the economy, perhaps even kicking off a “mild recession.”

    But try as they might with their recession talk on the heels of a global pandemic, supply chain chaos and market upheaval, we resilient entrepreneurs aren’t ready to throw in the towel quite yet.

    Small business owners’ most significant advantage is our ability to stay nimble and pivot toward opportunity. I say this as someone who built and exited a company after the last recession — when many founders rode a wave of “creative destruction” where smaller competitors thrived as big firms faltered. The little people, not the corporate behemoths, were best positioned to pick up the pieces and innovate.

    To see how others feel about this moment, Hello Alice surveyed 2,635 small business owners to gauge their sentiment heading into the new year. The findings, published in partnership with Mastercard, show that while nearly two-thirds of entrepreneurs are worried about a potential recession, an astounding 73% predict their businesses will grow this year.

    If that sounds counterintuitive, I agree. But a closer look at the results illustrates how scrappy entrepreneurs can be in the face of adversity. Rather than wait and see what happens, owners are already crafting action plans and seeking solutions to prepare them for the challenges ahead.

    Based on our survey results, here are three strategies for small business owners hoping to beat the 2023 trendlines.

    Related: 7 Recession-Proof Industries to Protect Your Money

    1) Make sure you have access to working capital now

    In uncertain times, small business owners need additional funding, particularly those mainly relying on bootstrapping.

    Why? Here are a few findings to set the scene:

    • 66% of owners said their expenses increased in 2022
    • 70% said their revenue stalled or decreased in 2022
    • 70% plan to apply for funding in 2023

    So far, entrepreneurs have successfully combatted inflation with price increases and adjustments to product offerings. Nearly two-thirds of owners said their business ended 2022 in a financial position as good or better than the year before. But the convergence of expenses and revenue tells a story of shrinking margins squeezed by inflated costs. You can’t raise prices forever, and events like a recession are certain to upend sales forecasts.

    Consider the following options to ensure you have ample working capital to overcome any financial surprises:

    • Develop a relationship with your bank. Lay the groundwork now, and you’ll have a friendly face to help you navigate available resources and facilitate potential financing applications.
    • Seek out a business credit card. Credit cards help you cover unexpected expenses and pursue new opportunities, often while earning valuable rewards that you can reinvest in your business.
    • Visit the Small Business Funding Center. This free resource matches you with relevant grants, loans, and credit opportunities.

    Related: How to Know If You Need Funding (and How to Get It)

    2) Get scrappy with tech solutions

    In our outlook survey, businesses ranked marketing among their top concerns. Owners are worried that price increases will reduce their overall customers, and the end of budget-friendly digital marketing makes customer acquisition more difficult (and expensive) than ever.

    Thankfully, a growing range of tech solutions can help owners optimize their marketing efforts while fitting into any budget. Here are a few ideas to get started:

    • Adopt software tools. Platforms like Constant Contact, Hubspot Marketing Hub and Sprout Social help you target your audience and amplify your reach.
    • Explore freelance help. Resources like Fiverr, Upwork, and MarketerHire can match you with affordable digital marketing support to take the work off your plate.
    • Look for discounts. Take advantage of introductory offers and seasonal discounts to test-drive tools before making a long-term commitment. Not sure where to look? The Hello Alice Business Solutions Center is one free resource that curates deals on popular software solutions to help owners shop and save.

    3) Be ready to fail fast and fail often

    Finally, in a reassuring sign that owners feel confident, a majority of small businesses plan to hire this year. According to our survey, twice as many business owners plan to hire in 2023 (52%) as were actively hiring in 2022 (26%). Growing headcounts are a proxy for growing businesses, but there’s still an inherent danger to making big changes, especially during uncertain times.

    Instead, operate with a startup mentality that sets up low-stakes experiments to explore an idea’s potential. Rather than dump your marketing budget into TikTok, test the waters with different types of content. Before bringing someone on full-time, trial them on a part-time or project basis. Set goals, measure outcomes, and assess where to go from there.

    Some of your 2023 experiments are sure to fail, but this innovative mindset helps you conserve valuable resources to invest in long-term growth in the years to come. And remember, the economy may flounder for a bit, but as entrepreneurs, times of uncertainty are when we thrive.

    Related: By Failing to Prepare, You Are Indeed Preparing to Fail

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    Carolyn Rodz

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