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Tag: Hiring Employees

  • Retention Starts on Day One — And It’s on Leaders, Not HR | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Research shows that 70% of new employees decide whether a job is the right fit within their first month, including 29% within the first week. Despite this, the conversation around employee retention in many companies starts far too late.

    It often begins only after people have already disengaged and are considering leaving. At that point, HR may step in to address concerns and offer perks that were previously overlooked, but by then, it’s frequently a last-ditch effort.

    These late-stage actions have their place, but the decision to stay or leave is ultimately driven by the leadership people experience every day. Employees stay when they are led well, when they are hired into teams that work, when they trust the tone and consistency of their leaders and when what the company says matches what they live.

    It is observed that 70% of the variance in team engagement, which defines the employee experience, comes from managers. However, most often, leadership treats culture and retention as HR’s function instead of taking ownership of delegating trust.

    But if you want a team that people want to stay on, leadership has to build it every day from the very first hire.

    Related: This Is the Retention Strategy You’re Probably Overlooking

    Why companies get this wrong

    I’ve worked with countless leaders who want to build great teams. But wanting that and knowing how to do it are two different things. Most of us are never really taught how to create an environment where people choose to stay and do their best work. More often, we figure it out on the fly, after years of trial and error.

    And what ultimately shapes that experience is not a formal culture program. It is the everyday signals leaders send, who they choose to hire, how teams are built and how they respond when things go well and, more importantly, when they don’t.

    These are the cues people watch as they tell them what the company values and whether they can see themselves growing here.

    It took me years of pattern-spotting to see which leadership habits improve retention. Five, in particular, have stayed with me as practical ways to do that work. They might help you as well.

    Related: Your Retention Crisis Won’t End Until You Make This Shift

    Practice 1: How you hire determines who stays

    Hiring still relies too heavily on technical skills, which is the easiest part to measure. But it’s not a lack of skills that drives people out the door; it’s a poor fit for the role or the culture.

    When employees leave, they usually explain that the job was not what they expected or that they could not see a future for themselves. Those are hiring mistakes, not performance problems. The people who last see meaning in the company’s direction and feel the team is a place where they can grow. Skills may open the door, but alignment and motivation make people stay.

    Practice 2: How you shape the team determines how it performs

    Every new hire reshapes the team you already have. The wrong hire, even a skilled one, can weaken trust and make collaboration harder.

    A strong hire can lift the team by bringing balance and energy. The difference is not always visible on day one, but over time, it shows in how the team communicates and performs. That is why, before hiring, it’s important to examine the team’s state and ask whether this person will strengthen or disrupt its rhythm.

    Practice 3: What you allow becomes the culture

    The culture is defined by what you reward and tolerate, not what you say. You can talk about collaboration in any way you want. But if managers reward individual heroics and tolerate siloed behavior, that’s your culture.

    You can include “innovation” in your values. But if people are punished for small failures or if leaders tolerate endless risk-avoidance, the real culture is fear. If you want to build a culture worth staying in, be honest about what you are rewarding and what you are letting slide.

    Related: Don’t Underestimate the Power of Company Culture — It Matters.

    Practice 4: Leadership attention drives retention

    As companies grow, the distance between leaders and the rest of the organization grows with them. If you do not close that gap with intention, trust begins to fade, no matter how strong your culture looks on paper.

    You will not hold alignment with a memo or an all-hands. What matters are the signals where you spend time, and how you show up when pressure is high.

    People watch most closely in uncertain moments and leave when the leadership they experience no longer matches what they were promised.

    Culture is held together less by proximity and more by deliberate presence. It drifts when leaders stop showing up in ways that keep people connected to the mission and one another.

    Practice 5: Your energy sets the tone

    One thing that took me years to fully appreciate is that your energy is contagious as a leader. What you project through tone, attention, body language, and behavior directly shapes how people around you feel and perform.

    Calm steadiness builds confidence, while restless energy spreads just as quickly. The people who carry your culture most strongly are usually the first to feel it. They pick up on your tone, and their reaction influences the rest of the team. When they sense balance and clarity, they magnify it.

    Therefore, before stepping into a room, decide how you want people to feel and bring that energy with you. Your tone matters as much as your decisions in moments of change or pressure. When people feel steadiness from you, they find it in themselves and give more of their best.

    Related: Keep Your Top Talent with These 3 Employee Retention Secrets

    Retention is earned or lost in leadership

    Perks and HR policies play a role, but can’t compensate for weak leadership. Retention is built in leaders’ everyday work, including who they hire, what they reward, where they show up, and the tone they set.

    If you want teams, people want to stay on; lead them in a way that makes staying the natural choice.

    Research shows that 70% of new employees decide whether a job is the right fit within their first month, including 29% within the first week. Despite this, the conversation around employee retention in many companies starts far too late.

    It often begins only after people have already disengaged and are considering leaving. At that point, HR may step in to address concerns and offer perks that were previously overlooked, but by then, it’s frequently a last-ditch effort.

    These late-stage actions have their place, but the decision to stay or leave is ultimately driven by the leadership people experience every day. Employees stay when they are led well, when they are hired into teams that work, when they trust the tone and consistency of their leaders and when what the company says matches what they live.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Bidhan Baruah

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  • 8 Ways to Build a Business That Can Run Without You | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Entrepreneurship is a hard road. There’s no rule book, and as a business owner, it can feel like you’re always on call.

    Each summer, before my children start school again, I put that life on pause. We load up our RV and head out for a multi-week trip. I don’t invite distraction during this time: in fact, my team knows that I’m off limits. This time is for me, my family and our relationships.

    Building a culture that can persist when I’m not in the office is crucial — not only to the success of my business but for my personal life. Creating culture takes intention, but the payoff is worth it. I won’t spend my waning days on vacation worrying about what I’m stepping back into.

    I know. That’s because I work to decentralize myself from my business.

    Not just short-term gains

    Decentralizing yourself from your business isn’t just about the short-term gain of getting to go away on vacation or finding time to incorporate personal passions into your life outside of your business.

    It’s about building a significant company.

    Significant companies are ready to transition at any point. To have value in the eyes of a buyer, my business can’t just be about me.

    That’s not to say that my mark isn’t on the business. Far from it. I put the work in on the front end with my executive team to craft eight “trust accelerators” that allow for clarity, alignment and informed decision-making.

    Related: Lack of Trust—What Does It Do to Your Company? Here’s What Leaders Need to Know

    Beyond core values

    Almost every company has core values. We have them, too. But, right about the time that the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we all noticed that they weren’t working. While core values are general north stars for any organization, sometimes they can feel like they’re a galaxy away from the day-to-day issues that every person in a business must take accountability for.

    What makes us unique is our trust accelerators, which are married to our core values. More than just guiding principles that we put on a wall, trust accelerators are active rules that we follow interaction to interaction.

    In fact, we don’t put these on a wall somewhere in our waiting room: each trust accelerator is printed on a card that each member of our team carries with them.

    Your culture is yours alone. These are the trust accelerators that we live by:

    1. No meetings after the meeting

    How we live it: If everyone is in a room to make a decision or discuss an initiative, they’re there by design. It’s inauthentic to invite input and then have two executives go into a room to debrief and make the real decision.

    If a member of our team has something to contribute, we want them to do it in the room where the actual decisions are being made.

    How it builds value: If people work at a place where they have obvious input into real decisions, they take more accountability for their contributions.

    2. Put yourself in other people’s position

    How we live it: We’re not just interested in the “how” of people’s actions; we’re interested in the “why.” After all, they may have good reasons that unlock clues about how we should operate. By seeking understanding, we build connection.

    How it builds value: Empathy is a critical skill — not just for connecting with colleagues but for connecting with customers.

    Related: 5 Foolproof Strategies to Help You Let Go and Trust Your Team

    3. Listen while avoiding judgment

    How we live it: My business, Exit Planning Institute, focuses on educating, credentialing and empowering Certified Exit Planning Advisors as they guide business owners through value creation and successful exits. While advisors have witnessed the factors that contribute to an owner’s success, every owner’s journey is unique — and there are many ways to build a significant company. Only through listening can we understand each other’s motivations and values, and embrace perspectives that might be counter to our own.

    How it builds value: If a conversation is necessary, it deserves to be full-throated. That’s only possible with a listener who is willing to be curious, not judgmental.

    4. 100% preparedness and participation

    How we live it: Collaboration is crucial to an empowered workforce that can function without its leader. Our culture runs on every person showing up prepared and participating.

    How it builds value: Every member of our team knows that they were selected for a reason. They can’t reach their full potential unless they are ready to contribute — and actually do.

    5. Deliver the mail to the right address

    How we live it: If we have an issue — or reason to praise someone — we don’t go to a trusted colleague or a supervisor. We go right to the correct address: the person we want to discuss with. It allows for more authentic communication — see “Listen While Avoiding Judgement” — and limits gossip, an incredible culture-killer.

    How it builds value: Every member of our team knows they’re accountable to every other member—and our doors are open to have a conversation with each other.

    6. Honesty without repercussion

    How we live it: We’re not at work to be well-liked or adulated (although that happens sometimes, too!). We’re at work to advance our business. By cultivating an atmosphere of respectful honesty, we get to offer our insights and listen to how others might do things differently.

    How it builds value: When every person on the team feels like they can contribute, we see how they might grow into their careers at the company — in the short- and long-term.

    7. Respectful

    How we live it: We’re bound not to see eye to eye. However, these trust accelerators do a lot of work to help us understand that we’re all working towards the same goals. When we put respect first in every interaction we have with each other, it reinforces that our differences aren’t personal — and can sometimes be assets to our business goals.

    How it builds value: We can’t tackle the hard stuff until we see each other as humans. If everyone knows that their perspective is respected, we tap into each other’s skills.

    8. Confidentiality

    How we live it: We have to move past surface-level conversations if we’re going to be a significant company. We’re not shooting for good. We’re going for best-in-class. That requires trust—and in this case, trust that if something is shared confidentially, it stays confidential.

    How it builds value: When we have deep trust, we believe that our colleagues—the ones we depend on to bring our goals to life—will do everything they can do to help us all achieve something great.

    Related: 7 Proven Tips for Building Trust and Strengthening Workplace Relationships

    Empowering your leaders

    It isn’t easy to be an owner and not be in total control. However, there’s a multiplier effect that comes with empowering your employees and building trust across the organization. To build a culture where every person feels a sense of ownership, there must be two-way trust: employees feel trusted, and leaders actually trust the people they work with. Additionally, as I empower our leaders to build a culture where they are trusted to make informed, quick decisions, I’m also sure to:

    1. Train the executive team on my long-term vision.
    2. Be transparent about our profits/losses, our operations and even my salary. It takes a great deal of time to educate the leadership team, but it enables them to know the short-term impact of every decision.
    3. Over-communicate. I’m shocked by how many owners don’t communicate with their leadership team. They can’t make decisions that I’d ultimately agree with if they don’t know what I’m thinking.

    Related: How to Close the Trust Gap Between You and Your Team—5 Strategies for Leaders

    Building a culture of trust is something I think about every day, and not just because I know that culture will ultimately pay off with a more successful exit.

    Culture also comes easily to me — it’s what I like to spend time on.

    If you don’t, you can still build culture. Finding a Certified Exit Planning Advisor who specializes in company culture can help you start building human capital at your company.

    Scott Snider

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  • How to Find and Recruit Top Talent Before Competitors Do | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Finding the next game-changer for your business isn’t luck — it’s a calculated hunt. The leaders who consistently win in business know how to identify, attract and lock in top talent before anyone else realizes their potential. Forget waiting for resumes to land on your desk. You need to know where to look, what to look for and how to close fast.

    The same principles that discovered Michael Jordan apply to business recruiting: discipline in scouting, precision in evaluation and decisiveness in making the offer. And yes, that also means understanding what the next generation actually cares about, not just what you think they care about.

    Here are five proven strategies to make sure you spot and secure the best talent before your competitors do.

    Related: Talent Is Hard to Come by, But Only Because You’re Looking in the Same Old Places

    1. Scout where others aren’t looking

    If your only recruiting strategy is posting on LinkedIn or waiting for applications to roll in, you’re already behind. The most exceptional talent often doesn’t announce itself publicly — they’re too busy building, competing and proving themselves elsewhere.

    Some of the strongest hires are hidden in niche forums, specialized Slack groups, college programs, coding competitions or industry hackathons. These are places where ambitious people showcase their skills without necessarily signaling they’re “on the market.”

    Think of it like sports. Michael Jordan wasn’t discovered at a crowded job fair — he was spotted by scouts who looked beyond the obvious pipeline. If you want to find rare talent, you need to go where the masses aren’t paying attention. That might mean sending a trusted team member to judge a hackathon, sponsoring a local competition or simply reaching out in communities where your competitors aren’t looking.

    2. Understand the new motivators

    Money still matters, but it’s only the starting point. Today’s top performers — especially younger talent — are motivated by purpose, mentorship and long-term growth trajectory. They want to know: Does this company align with my values? Will I grow here? Will I be mentored?

    My wife, a respected professional who literally wrote the book on career navigation, explains that the workforce of today is far more intentional about choosing companies that fit their lives, not just their wallets. If you can’t clearly communicate how your business aligns with their personal and professional ambitions, you won’t win them — no matter how big the paycheck.

    This doesn’t mean you have to overhaul your company culture overnight. But it does mean you need to articulate your value proposition beyond compensation. If your company offers accelerated learning, exposure to industry leaders or a strong social mission, make that part of your pitch.

    Related: 3 Golden Strategies to Attract Top Talent in an Ultra-Competitive Job Market

    3. Build a talent pipeline before you need it

    The worst time to start recruiting is when you have an urgent vacancy. By then, you’re playing catch-up — and usually settling.

    Think about it in sports terms: You don’t wait until your star point guard retires to start looking for the next one. The best teams always have a pipeline of prospects in the wings, ready to step up.

    Great CEOs and executives adopt the same mindset. They’re always recruiting — at conferences, over coffee, during casual conversations. That doesn’t mean offering jobs on the spot; it means building relationships long before you have an open role.

    Start by keeping a running list of high-potential individuals you meet. Check in occasionally, invite them to events, and let them know you admire their work. When the right role opens, you’ll already have a shortlist of warm candidates who know your company and are more likely to say yes.

    4. Hire for ceiling, not just resume

    Resumes tell you what someone has already done. But what matters more is what they’re capable of becoming.

    A solid performer with sky-high potential will often outperform a “perfect on paper” candidate who’s already peaked. In basketball terms, you’re looking for the player who’s still coachable, hungry and willing to put in the work — not just the one with the best stats from last season.

    This requires a mindset shift. Instead of obsessing over every qualification, look for adaptability, curiosity and grit. These qualities often predict long-term success far better than technical skills alone.

    Here’s where having a structured evaluation process is critical. My wife’s frameworks, for example, focus on assessing coachability, problem-solving approach and growth mindset. Tools like these can separate an average recruiter from an elite one by giving a clear method to evaluate potential, not just past performance.

    Related: 5 Recruiting Secrets Every Leader Should Follow

    5. Move fast, close decisively

    Hesitation kills deals. The best talent has options, and if you’re slow to move, your competitors will happily swoop in.

    Great CEOs treat hiring decisions like acquisition deals: They act on intel, instinct and a clear read on ROI. Once you know you’ve found your Michael Jordan, don’t drag things out with endless interviews or bureaucratic delays.

    When you’re ready, move quickly and decisively. That doesn’t just mean making an offer — it means making the offer. One that makes the candidate feel valued, respected and excited about saying yes.

    Remember, in the war for talent, there’s no silver medal. You either close the deal or you lose the player.

    The leaders who know how to scout smart, connect with what talent truly wants and move with decisiveness are the ones who build companies that dominate for decades. Everyone else is left wondering how they “missed out” on the game-changers they once crossed paths with.

    The truth is simple: Talent doesn’t fall into your lap — it’s hunted, cultivated and closed with intent. The question is, are you ready to start recruiting like a championship team?

    Finding the next game-changer for your business isn’t luck — it’s a calculated hunt. The leaders who consistently win in business know how to identify, attract and lock in top talent before anyone else realizes their potential. Forget waiting for resumes to land on your desk. You need to know where to look, what to look for and how to close fast.

    The same principles that discovered Michael Jordan apply to business recruiting: discipline in scouting, precision in evaluation and decisiveness in making the offer. And yes, that also means understanding what the next generation actually cares about, not just what you think they care about.

    Here are five proven strategies to make sure you spot and secure the best talent before your competitors do.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Roy Dekel

    Source link

  • 5 Benefits of Scaling Your Startup With Offshore Employees | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I’ve built companies like SetSchedule and Rentastic across proptech, fintech, AI and insurance. I’ve sold businesses that generated billions in financial products and tens of millions in recurring revenue. I’ve hired wrong, I’ve hired right. I’ve scaled too fast, and I’ve scaled smart. And I’ll tell you this from firsthand experience: Hiring offshore isn’t controversial — it’s intelligent. It’s practical. It’s how real businesses scale in the real world.

    It’s not wrong to have your customer service rep in the Philippines. It’s not unethical to have your dev team in Poland or your marketing analyst in Bogotá. In fact, if you care about sustainability, profitability and actually building something that lasts, offshore hiring isn’t just the right move — it might be the only move.

    And yet, people still hesitate. They still whisper like it’s a dirty secret. They still think “outsourcing” is a code word for corner-cutting. But if you’re serious about building a company that competes and wins — globally — you need to reframe the entire conversation.

    So let’s talk about the reality. Here are five brutal truths — and serious advantages — you need to accept if you want to stop playing business and start building it:

    Related: Your Most Pressing Offshoring Questions, Answered

    1. You gain 24-hour productivity without burning out your team

    Your California team clocks out. Your team in Manila clocks in. That’s not outsourcing. That’s continuous operation. It’s a machine that runs while you sleep. Offshore teams allow you to build seamless, round-the-clock workflows that don’t rely on heroics or 14-hour workdays. Your customers don’t care what time zone your team is in; they care that they’re getting what they need, when they need it.

    This isn’t about wringing more hours from fewer people. It’s about creating balance and momentum. Offshore hiring means your U.S. team doesn’t have to burn out trying to do everything. That’s how you scale with sanity.

    2. You slash burn rate — without slashing talent

    Let’s get real: Payroll will eat you alive if you let it. At SetSchedule, I watched our domestic payroll balloon inside one zip code. At our insurance brokerage, we rewired the model and went global, and guess what? We didn’t sacrifice quality. We found more of it.

    A strong U.S.-based engineer might cost $180K per year. That same level of capability and output in Eastern Europe or South Asia? Closer to $40K. That’s not a knock on American talent. That’s just math. If you’re a startup or growth-stage company and you’re spending like a public one, good luck making it past Series A.

    By going offshore, you’re not choosing lesser talent — you’re just choosing smarter economics.

    Related: This Strategy is the Key to Scaling Your Business — and Reducing Costs Along the Way

    3. You access a global talent pool hungry for opportunity

    Here’s something few founders will say out loud: Some of the best talent in the world doesn’t live anywhere near Palo Alto or SoHo. It lives in Lagos. In Cebu. In Kraków. In Medellín.

    I’ve worked with marketers in Colombia who bring more hustle and creativity than their LA peers. I’ve hired devs in India who write cleaner code, ship faster and solve problems with more urgency than Bay Area engineers making triple their salary. And no, that’s not a fluke. It’s a wake-up call.

    Talent isn’t defined by proximity. It’s defined by grit, hunger and execution. And if you’re only hiring within a 20-mile radius, you’re not just limiting your headcount — you’re capping your potential.

    4. You build cultural resilience into your DNA

    Want to get better at leading? Try managing a team across five time zones. Try aligning deliverables across three languages and cultural expectations. Offshore hiring forces you to get tight with communication. It demands documentation. It levels up your leadership skills — fast.

    And if your long game involves selling your product or service internationally, then you need that cultural fluency now, not later. Building globally from day one hardens your operations and future-proofs your company.

    It’s not just a hiring strategy. It’s an organizational workout. And if you do it right, you’ll come out stronger.

    5. You de-risk scaling

    Let’s be honest: Not every hire works out. But when your entire team is local and expensive, every bad hire hits harder. Offshore teams give you flexibility. You can test a new role, explore a new market or pilot a new initiative without betting the house.

    You don’t need a bloated org chart. You need agility. Offshore hiring gives you the ability to pivot fast, adjust cost structure on demand and keep experimenting until you find what works. And in today’s climate, agility is survival.

    Related: 7 Ways to Make Outsourcing a Success Time After Time

    If you’re still romanticizing the all-in-house, all-local, in-office team model — wake up. That version of company-building is outdated. It’s inefficient. It’s blind to reality.

    Offshoring isn’t betrayal. It’s evolution.

    I’ve done this across industries. I’ve won big. I’ve failed loudly. And I’ve learned this: Smart founders don’t build local companies in a global world. They go where the talent is. They go where the economics work. And most importantly, they go now.

    So if you’re still debating whether to hire offshore, let me save you the time:

    Don’t debate. Deploy.

    I’ve built companies like SetSchedule and Rentastic across proptech, fintech, AI and insurance. I’ve sold businesses that generated billions in financial products and tens of millions in recurring revenue. I’ve hired wrong, I’ve hired right. I’ve scaled too fast, and I’ve scaled smart. And I’ll tell you this from firsthand experience: Hiring offshore isn’t controversial — it’s intelligent. It’s practical. It’s how real businesses scale in the real world.

    It’s not wrong to have your customer service rep in the Philippines. It’s not unethical to have your dev team in Poland or your marketing analyst in Bogotá. In fact, if you care about sustainability, profitability and actually building something that lasts, offshore hiring isn’t just the right move — it might be the only move.

    And yet, people still hesitate. They still whisper like it’s a dirty secret. They still think “outsourcing” is a code word for corner-cutting. But if you’re serious about building a company that competes and wins — globally — you need to reframe the entire conversation.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Roy Dekel

    Source link

  • 5 Things to Consider Before You Hire More Staff | Entrepreneur

    5 Things to Consider Before You Hire More Staff | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As a 3X founder, I’m no stranger to hiring. My first company grew from zero to 5M in just a few short years, which meant we were hiring new staff every few weeks just to keep up with the growth. There was a constant pressure to stay ahead of the curve, but not too far ahead.

    I learned some important lessons during this time, particularly about when to hire and when not to hire. It’s not an easy decision. If you hire too slowly, you may overwork your staff and lose your edge in finding new customers or supporting the customers you already have. If you hire too quickly, you can get ahead of yourself in terms of profitability and cash flow. It’s always a tightrope walk, and there are no easy answers.

    When founders ask for my advice in this area, I recommend they take a thoughtful approach and avoid making emotional decisions. While a new hire is not necessarily a permanent decision, it can have permanent consequences if you’ve made the wrong choice. Before you begin to recruit, interview and hire more staff, I suggest you consider these five things.

    Related: Avoid Costly Hiring Mistakes With These Five Essential Tips

    1. Protect your bottom line

    Entrepreneurs are typically not risk-averse. We go out on a limb every morning when we walk out the door. Ask yourself this simple question: Will the new hire immediately put you in a negative cash flow position? If so, you’re probably better off waiting. Without enough cash flow cushion to cover the additional expense, you might be over your head in short order. Consider waiting until you have at least six months’ worth of cash in the bank to cover the expense of every new hire. Otherwise, you run the risk of putting too much financial pressure on the entire organization, and especially yourself.

    2. Take a good look at growth trends

    You can avoid knee-jerk hiring decisions by taking a good look at your revenue growth trends — and not just in the past weeks or months but over the past year or even longer. Are you experiencing steady growth or just a temporary bump in sales? Do some discovery and try to identify where you see sales are headed in the next quarter, the quarter after that and for the next 12 months. Be brutally honest with yourself. Entrepreneurs can sometimes be too confident about the future (it’s what keeps us going!), but don’t be so confident that you’re making blind decisions. Try to make a data-driven decision, not an emotional decision.

    3. Assess the real need

    Sometimes it’s easy to believe that a new hire will solve all your problems. Try not to deceive yourself into thinking so. While you and your team may feel overworked, bringing on new staff also includes work. Interviewing, training and managing takes time. Creating new roles and positions takes time too — sometimes (but not always) more work if you had done the job yourself. Again, it can be a tightrope walk in terms of how and when to make the decision. Be thoughtful though, and don’t rush into it thinking your problems will all go away with a new hire. Take some time to assess where and why you need more help before hiring more help.

    Related: Think You Need to Hire? Think Again.

    4. Talk to your team

    Before making new hiring decisions, spend some time talking to the people on your team who will be directly impacted by the new hire. Try to get their honest feedback. Sometimes you find your best answers from those on the frontlines of your business. It might be that you don’t necessarily need more staff. Maybe you need some reorganization or better deployment of a technology, or you might find that certain members of your team need more coaching. You can never assume too much, and if you make hiring decisions without consulting your team, you’re jeopardizing yourself and the team.

    5. Remember you are dealing with human beings

    In the hustle-bustle and daily grind of running a business, it’s easy to forget that you’re hiring human beings and not resumes. Every hiring decision you make impacts a human life. If you make the wrong decision and end up letting someone go, remember that job loss is a real hardship and affects entire families. Be thoughtful about your hiring decisions. We have responsibilities as employers to the human beings who work for us. Humans are not numbers on a spreadsheet. They are moms, dads, young adults and others who struggle to make their ends meet. If you have to hire, by all means, hire, but don’t forget to consider the lives of the people you hire.

    Related: 5 Signs You’re Hiring Wrong (and How To Fix Them)

    Business growth always necessitates you hire more staff, and sometimes you have to stretch things a little to reach your goals. I know I certainly did. But make your best effort to make informed, data-driven and prudent hiring decisions that will benefit both your organization and the people you hire.

    Tom Freiling

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  • How to Capitalize On This Thriving Talent Pool to Drive Your Company’s Growth | Entrepreneur

    How to Capitalize On This Thriving Talent Pool to Drive Your Company’s Growth | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As business operations shift, executives and entrepreneurs are increasingly turning to an on-demand workforce that is simultaneously empowered by technology and drawn to purpose-driven projects.

    Consider Upwork, whose 2020 Future of Workforce Pulse Report revealed that nearly 80% of hiring managers engaging freelancers feel confident about doing so. These hires provide coveted expertise — on a project-to-project basis — that entrepreneurs need to scale their operations without incurring long-term overhead costs.

    This new market paradigm also promotes dynamism, with 79% of businesses agreeing that freelance talent enables greater innovativeness. Perhaps most telling, 84% of hiring managers utilizing it feel more assured about adapting to future disruption, compared to just 69% of those relying solely on full-time staff.

    By capitalizing on freelance marketplaces, entrepreneurs can amplify employer branding, augment capabilities and future-proof organizations, even amid turbulence. As nearly 60% of hiring managers plan to increase engagement with freelancers over the next two years, the time is now for executives to realize their inherent potential.

    Related: Navigating the Great Reshuffle: Why Your Employer Brand is Key in Recruiting Talent

    The job market continues to shift

    After a season of massive hiring, we’re back to seeing layoffs and downsizing. Companies are feeling the bloat—from unused office spaces with rising rent to oversized employee structures — and are shifting focus to hiring only the most essential positions. This leaves a critical talent gap needed for complex projects and specialized tasks. Highly skilled and specialized independents can fill this void.

    A few key benefits to engaging them:

    • Access to niche experts: Platforms like Toptal and Guru provide access to elite professionals from leading Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups. Whether the need is for a machine learning specialist, growth strategist or financial modeler, entrepreneurs can now curate on-demand teams that boast specialized skillsets, enabling them to focus investment on projects with the highest strategic value.

    • Enhanced agility: Leading corporations increasingly “rent” skills by tapping freelance experts for initiatives involving new technologies or while entering unfamiliar markets. With niche contributors available to plug knowledge gaps, owners can explore ideas that once seemed unrealistic due to internal constraints—unlocking inventiveness and first-mover advantage.

    • Stronger employment brand: Blending full-time employees with project-based freelancers signals a commitment to modernization and work-life balance. Offering both engaging work and flexibility will help draw exceptional candidates and help you compete with corporate giants for top-tier talent.

    Related: Can Retirees Thrive in the Gig Economy? Navigating a Changed Workforce

    Tips for capitalizing on gig talent

    Having explored the forces reshaping work, executives may wonder how to effectively leverage freelance platforms. After all, how can you know you’re getting your money’s worth if a hire isn’t physically present full-time?

    • Define projects clearly: Contract hires thrive when expectations and deadlines are established upfront. So, clearly, detail needs around deliverables, success metrics, required skills and projected time investments. Staying ahead when it comes to communication and expectations will help avoid headaches, including delays.

    • Build loyalty with talent: The best independent professionals have options regarding the projects they accept. Study their profiles to discern passions and incentives. Offer interesting work, flexibility and strong communication to motivate interest and improve results.

    • Manage collaboration: Provide steady context, feedback and guidance at each project stage, but also foster autonomy, even while directing efforts toward strategic goals. A dynamic balance of these qualities drives optimal outcomes.

    • Continue expanding your talent pool: Add proven freelancers to an internal database for repeat engagements, and notify talent about new initiatives for which their expertise would provide an edge. Uncovering additional ways, freelancers can enhance the business deepens the relationship.

    Related: Fill Your Talent Gap by Sourcing Candidates From the Veteran Community

    Top platforms for connecting with talent

    Now comes the hard part: finding contractors who bring fractional expertise sets. There are a growing number of platforms, of course, but I’ve found that the following stand out as leaders:

    Fiverr: Ideal for execs seeking design, digital marketing, writing, video and admin support. Known for affordability and ease of posting jobs. It taps a global talent pool, too.

    Upwork: A flexible platform that spans more than 150 skills. Used by everyone from small businesses to global enterprises. Strong at IT, development, design, finance and consulting.

    Toptal: Focuses exclusively on the top 3% of talent. Best for expert software developers, designers, project managers and finance experts. All contributors are extensively vetted.

    Contra: A growing independent platform that vets and connects both job candidates and hiring companies. Best of all, it doesn’t take a commission from projects.

    Related: 3 Strategies to Optimize Your Hiring Process and Find the Best Employees

    The numbers speak for themselves: businesses engaging freelance professionals report greater confidence and competitiveness, as well as the ability to withstand turbulence, yet legacy beliefs can still cause hesitancy among those keen to hire. Supported by such specialized collaborators, companies can explore new horizons unencumbered by a one-time narrow view of staffing models.

    Tim Madden

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  • How to Structure and Build a Team For Long-Term Success | Entrepreneur

    How to Structure and Build a Team For Long-Term Success | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    My dad was a high school basketball coach in the middle of rural Arizona. He rarely had the exact same group of players on a team year after year, so he never had just one system that he relied on. Instead, he learned to accept that he got who he got, reviewed what talent he had been given, and built that year’s system based on the player’s strengths.

    And I’ve learned from his example. As a manager, that’s how I try to structure my teams. I ask myself who I have or can hire that can fill a role based on their temperament, abilities and goals. Ultimately, that puts people in places where they can contribute, and if those individuals succeed, the team and organization will grow, too. On a larger scale, this can position a company for stronger growth and competitiveness.

    Four core components necessary for success

    There are many ways to structure an organization: A leader can use a matrix structure with various employees reporting across functions or teams. Or, organizations can employ a more formal pyramid structure. Some marketing departments will align their teams around the various audiences or channels they’re trying to reach.

    However, who I’m hiring for the team is much more important to me than how the business charts out. I prioritize who candidates are as a person, looking for four considerable qualities:

    1. Grit — Have they experienced failure in their life, and did they rise above it? Do they own up to that failure and understand the lessons learned from the mistake, or are they still just running from it?
    2. Optimism — I wish I could tell you that I am naturally optimistic. Unfortunately, I’m a glass-half-empty kind of person and know keeping a sunny outlook isn’t easy. I look for consistently positive people because it fosters stronger team bonds. I have found that optimism can often get a person noticed, which tends to move them up the ladder as people gain confidence based on their positivity.
    3. Written communication — I have spoken at several marketing conferences, and the one skill that I have told young marketers is to hone their writing skills. Communicating your ideas within an organization through email, creating an effective AI prompt, or drafting a persuasive marketing plan relies on the written word.
    4. Seeking “good enough” — Marketing budgets are rarely as large as the team believes they need. A good marketer has to make do and figure out how to get things done despite a lack of budget. In my experience, people will often sacrifice “good enough” to reach perfection. They don’t understand that perfection is illusory. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and everybody will make mistakes. The ability to effectively solve a problem in a matter that is efficient and effective without being perfect is a skill that leaders highly value.

    Related: 5 Effective Ways to Build a Winning Team

    Strategic placement means everybody wins

    When leaders are actively developing the structure of their company, it’s wise to hire individuals who are good at things they are not. But they also can look at what individuals have the potential to be good at. In a previous organization, I had an employee who was involved in event management but who wanted to move into marketing; I had another employee who was tired of email marketing but wanted to learn event management. Both employees had to learn new skills to move forward with these new paths. Being in this situation allowed me to help both of them achieve their career goals while putting them in positions where they could learn and be happier.

    Related: 10 Simple Steps to Build an Exceptional and Efficient Team

    True relationships are worth the balancing act

    Leaders have to be careful not to get caught in a situation where somebody could misconstrue their kindness or attention, but being in leadership doesn’t have to mean sacrificing gaining friendships. Balance being too friendly with being able to offer necessary corrections. By nature, I tend to be a people pleaser, so I must work on being tougher — especially early in relationships. After my collegiate basketball career ended, I became a high school basketball referee. I found that the whole game went smoother if I was tough in the first quarter of a game. It is important to establish a sense of control when they first hire a new team member, and then they can infuse the second, third and fourth quarters with more friendship.

    Leaders can have situations that test the relationships they’re working to build. Let’s say someone has two people on their team, and they have to decide which one gets promoted. The one who didn’t get promoted might feel like the leader let them down. Leaders must maintain enough professional distance so that an employee knows it was not due to favoritism in this situation.

    Sometimes, giving certain people opportunities to learn conflicts with the experience others already have. Suppose an employee is an excellent marketer, so they’re put in charge of a small team. What happens if one of the people who will now be reporting to this new manager already has experience as a manager? If the first employee is not given this opportunity, they won’t learn how to manage a team without the promotion — but if they get the position, jealousy could set in with the second employee who has proven skills. In this particular instance, it helps maintain clear communication between those getting the promotion and those not. Utilizing various conversations, such as during mid-year or other reviews, points about your plans for the individual and the overall team can help you manage through the inevitable tough times.

    As I think through my career, it is actually not just my team’s work that I am most proud of. It is seeing those team members go on to become great managers in their own right. If, at the end of the day, I can look back and see many of my former team members becoming great managers, I will feel like I was a success.

    Related: Not Sure How to Grow Your Team? Focus on These 3 Things.

    For a responsive foundation that lasts, build on people

    Company structure matters, but I consider who employees are to be more important when building a business. By intentionally playing chess to move workers where they can have the greatest development and influence, leaders can set themselves and their teams up for success.

    Along the way, leaders shouldn’t be afraid to pursue good relationships, even though doing so requires balancing potentially conflicting goals or interests. By making people the heart of the company and viewing success through a different lens, leaders can establish a reliable, flexible framework that can respond continuously to the future.

    David Partain

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  • Don’t Talk to Another Customer Until You Learn This Simple Customer Service Secret | Entrepreneur

    Don’t Talk to Another Customer Until You Learn This Simple Customer Service Secret | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Here’s a simple principle of exceptional customer service that is essential to learn and take to heart: Every customer is at the center of their own world.

    The person a customer cares most about (at least when conducting business with you) is themself. They don’t care about, or at least don’t give any thought to, the challenges that an employee serving them may be navigating. They don’t care that other customers also need to be served or about the behind-the-scenes realities at your business, least of all your company’s organizational chart.

    In your customers’ day-to-day lives, when they’re not buying from or being served by you, they may be the most open-hearted, considerate, and even philanthropic people in the world. Yet, as customers, they’re almost universally focused on themselves (as well as their kids, pets, partner or their boss).

    And that’s OK — it’s the way it should be.

    A charitable way to put this? It’s not that your customers don’t care. Rather, they simply don’t realize that any extraneous (to them) elements and challenges are involved in serving them. From the viewpoint of your customers while doing business with you, they are at the center of the world.

    My suggestion is that, rather than resenting this reality, lean into it by making the customer feel that they’re at the center of your world as well. Revamp your attitude by recognizing that embracing your customers’ self-focused reality isn’t a negative; it isn’t demeaning. Instead, it’s a way to get the cash registers to ring.

    Related: What I’ve Learned Training the Top Hotel Brands in Customer Service

    Serve one customer at a time

    If you want each customer to feel like they’re at the center of your world, learn to focus your attention on just one customer at a time.

    Here’s the mantra that should be seared into the soul of every employee in an organization: The only customer who matters is the one in front of me right now. Strive to bring a laser-like focus to the customer in front of you (or on the telephone or video call) and let the rest fade into the background.

    I can’t pretend that focusing on one customer at a time will be easy. In any business, there will always be competing priorities and multiple customers clamoring for attention. Nevertheless, making a focused connection with one person, even briefly, is supremely powerful. On the front lines, this power is self-evident. In the back office, it’s also powerful, leading to less abrupt communications and correspondence. In leadership or strategic positions, it keeps you from so completely aggregating how you look at customer feedback and data that you miss the nuances of what individuals are asking of you.

    Related: 4 Surefire Ways to Be Exceptional With Your Customer Care

    Does putting the customer in the center mean moving the employee out of the center?

    The short answer is “no!” — though this is certainly one of the ways I worry that my teachings will be misapprehended and misapplied.

    The longer answer: learning to look through a customer-focused lens when you are providing customer service is entirely compatible with having a company that is focused — in a broader sense — on the needs and aspirations of its employees.

    Customer focus shouldn’t be used as a rationale for unpaid overtime, unfeeling scheduling practices, or HR trickery couched as pro-customer decision-making.

    Happily, most (though sadly, not all) pro-customer organizations are also pro-employee. Why? There are multiple reasons: the overall health of most pro-customer organizations, the empowerment employees tend to have there, and the happy phenomenon that when such companies deploy pro-customer efforts, it’s nearly inevitable that such efforts will positively affect how a company treats employee needs and aspirations as well.

    Related: 10 Reasons Why Your Startup Isn’t Getting Customers

    Eight simple ways to put the customer at the center of your world

    Here are eight simple ways to provide the kind of recognition that lets a customer know you’re putting them at the center, which I frequently stress when I’m delivering customer service training:

    1. Use your customer’s name. (Within reason! Don’t overdo this and start sounding like those irritating fill-in-the-blank salespeople.)
    2. Offer the customer your name.
    3. If a customer takes the time to ask, “How are you doing?” answer them and volley the question back to them: “I’m doing great! And how are YOU, [Jeremy]?”
    4. If you know where a customer lives (it’s quite possibly included right there on the invoice filling your screen) and you’re familiar with the area, comment on how it’s a nice or convenient area, that you used to live there, that your daughter lived there when she went to college, etc. (I wouldn’t do this, however, with a high- net-worth individual [HNWI] or celebrity—going on about how luxe their neighborhood is may make you sound a bit creepy or stalker-like.)
    5. If you know anything about a customer’s hobbies, interests, pets, kids, spouse, partner, family members, etc., check in on them.
    6. Show gratitude to the customer for being a longtime (or first-time) customer, for choosing your company, for allowing you to work on their account, and so forth.
    7. Use “spark words,” little phrases that ring in a customer’s ear with reassurance that this matters to you: both their issue and the pleasure of conversing with them. Here are four such phrases:
      • “Nice [or “Great”] to hear from you [again]!”
      • “I’m your person to resolve this for you from here on out.”
      • “If you ever need anything, here’s my direct extension.”
      • “Now that you have me working on your issue, I will get you the absolute best resolution.”
    8. To make sure customers who are on your premises never feel unrecognized, use the 10–5–3 sequence:
      • When a customer is 10 feet away (this assumes that they’re walking toward you or you toward them), acknowledge their presence with a nod and direct eye contact.
      • At five feet, smile.
      • At three feet, say “hello,” “good morning,” or “good afternoon,” assuming the customer is not otherwise engaged (e.g., on their cell phone or talking to a companion with whom they’re shopping). If they are thus involved, leave them alone!

    Micah Solomon

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  • About 20 Million Americans Work Part-Time During the Holidays. Here’s How You Can Set Them Up For Success. | Entrepreneur

    About 20 Million Americans Work Part-Time During the Holidays. Here’s How You Can Set Them Up For Success. | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    With the holiday season right around the corner, businesses across the economy are already making plans to bring in temporary workers. In many cases, these workers will be completely new to the businesses that hire them. Yet they won’t just be working a few shifts — they’ll also be auditioning for more opportunities, including permanent positions.

    That’s because the holidays are a great time to “try before you buy” in the labor market. Businesses that staff up to fill seasonal needs have a unique opportunity to see how candidates perform, not just in an interview but actually in the workplace.

    Close to 20 million people will work part-time during the holidays. So how can managers set their new co-workers up for success?

    Related: 4 Ways to Avoid Holiday Staffing Blunders

    Step 1: Onboarding

    Onboarding is the most critical step toward success with temporary workers, both for getting to know their preferences and for aligning expectations. People who work on a temporary or flexible basis have diverse motivations. Most of them are working to pay for essentials, so earning money is certainly at the top of the list. After that, things get a little more complicated.

    Some workers are looking for shifts primarily to fit around their other responsibilities. Whether it’s because of caring for loved ones, education or another job, these workers generally want to work at the same time every week with a reasonable expectation that their shifts won’t be canceled. They still need some flexibility, though, in case something unforeseen comes up, like a child home from school, a big exam or overtime in another workplace.

    Other workers are more interested in personal autonomy and growth. They want to set their own schedules, which could be different every week, and they want to pick up new skills to give themselves more options in the labor market. They may want to try out a variety of roles, and they can bring new ideas into the workplace.

    The time to find out workers’ preferences is during onboarding. Ask what sort of schedule would work best. Find out whether they want to hone their skills in one position or try out several. See if they can be “on call” to work on demand. Talk about whether a permanent position could be a realistic goal for both sides.

    Step 2: Training

    Businesses don’t want to invest a lot of time or money in training if a worker is simply going to move on a couple of weeks later. So it’s crucial to use what you’ve learned during onboarding to assign training in the most efficient way.

    If a worker wants to try for a permanent position, then there’s a greater chance they’ll be staying with you and more reason to train them. The same is true if they want to stay with one role during their time in your workplace. By contrast, workers who are just looking for a little extra money may not want to pursue these opportunities. Calibrate your investment according to the expectations that you’ve already set.

    Related: Hiring This Type of Employee Can Protect Your Business From a Volatile Market

    Step 3: Scheduling

    When it comes time to set a schedule, the information you collected at onboarding comes front and center again. Even if you’re only looking for extra labor during the holiday season, you probably want consistency in the workers who show up from day to day. It means only having to train people once, as well as higher productivity as they gain experience.

    To start, identify the workers who can work on the most consistent basis, and assign them shifts first. Try to place the same workers together as much as possible, so they get used to each other’s rhythms. Assigning the bulk of shifts in this way will also cut down on bureaucracy since the same workers will be involved most of the time.

    Workers want consistency, too. One of Instawork’s recent surveys showed that 86% of workers on our platform wanted to work at least two to four shifts per week at the same business, and 55% wanted a whole week of shifts or more. Another one of our surveys suggested that more than 70% of these workers could commit to five days a week of shifts for a month or more.

    Step 4: Retention

    Some businesses will want to make permanent hires as soon as the holiday season is over. But in other cases, a few brief and frenetic weeks may not be enough to make a decision. Here it’s important to offer an intermediate stage, like a long-term assignment, to avoid losing the relationship. When employers show commitment, workers are more likely to reciprocate.

    Even for businesses that aren’t considering workers for permanent positions, holiday hiring isn’t just a one-shot deal. Most of them will need people in the years to come, and bringing the same people back will save time and money. In these situations, it’s important to offer workers an incentive — a bonus for returning, a promise of more training, a higher-level position, etc. For example, the best front-line workers this year might be your peak-time supervisors next year.

    You can keep the relationships with temporary workers alive using small gestures during the year — a photo from the holidays, a birthday card or a reminder that you’ll be hoping to work with them again. These gestures don’t cost much, but they can save you thousands in recruiting and training.

    Related: 5 Tips to Ace the Busy Holiday Season With Flexible Work

    All of these things come in addition to the basics that workers truly appreciate: helpful and upbeat co-workers, a clean, safe workplace and prompt payment for their time. Especially around the holidays, when shifts can be non-stop and intense, keeping a positive attitude and a touch of the festive spirit can go a long way to support morale. Just like in a family, there are some people you might only see for a few days a year — make that time count.

    Daniel Altman

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  • How to Build a Company That Excels at Both Leading and Coaching | Entrepreneur

    How to Build a Company That Excels at Both Leading and Coaching | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Companies, in an effort to be more efficient, are thinking twice about how many middle managers they need. And that makes it more important than ever to move from managing people to leading and coaching so they can do their jobs without the kind of oversight we thought they needed in the past.

    Getting it right starts with understanding the difference between managing and coaching.

    What happens if a professional football coach puts a player into a game who is underweight, inexperienced and doesn’t know the playbook?

    Let’s think about what might happen. The player could get hurt or get others hurt. Teammates will be scrambling to make up for his lack of experience and incompetence. The team will be mad at the coach. Lots of not-good things will happen. So, coaches try to avoid this.

    Related: Coaching Over Managing: Motivate Your Team

    The difference between coaches and managers is that coaches know they have to put the right people on the field. Most managers don’t worry about that because, deep down, they think they could play the position. That’s called micromanaging, and almost no one likes to be micromanaged (besides, do you really want to lead those who do?).

    That’s why the age of managing is over. I believe we are moving into an age of leading and coaching.

    Companies have come to realize they don’t need layers of managers, and employees are increasingly — and appropriately — asking for explicit levels of autonomy and authority. A business runs best when team leaders talk with their staff about what’s expected, turn those expectations into agreements or commitments (when agreements aren’t possible), and then get out of the way. And the key to doing that successfully, without losing some measure of supervision, is taking accountability for leading and coaching.

    Leading is straightforward, and it involves: having a compelling vision; being clear about who is responsible for what; giving people the resources they need to do their work; staying connected; making sure there are agreements (or commitments, if you can’t agree) — and that agreements/commitments are lived up to; ensuring everyone is walking the talk.

    If you think it’s all about leading, you’re flat wrong. Leaders are playing their own version of Don Quixote if they’re unable to provide coaching. Coaches help their teams get whatever they need — resources, training, systems, etc. — to honor their agreements or commitments.

    If you think that’s a lot, well, maybe it’s time to get out of the leadership and coaching game.

    There are four basic steps to building a company that is really good at leading and coaching:

    Related: 3 Effective Ways to Lead as a Coach Rather Than a Boss

    Hire the right people

    Effective coaching starts with hiring the right people and giving them the tools they need to succeed. Half of new hires are unsuccessful. That’s a dismal rate for hiring “managers” (I don’t like the word “managers”). A football coach would be gone with a statistic like that.

    A team leader who hires the wrong person often ends up micromanaging them instead of working to “hire right” in the first place. So, interviewing skills are key. Interviewers should be clear about not only the position’s roles and responsibilities but also key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets that foster clear understanding of what it means to do the job well.

    New hires need to understand the organization so they can get themselves up and running within 90 days without close supervision. That means being very intentional during the onboarding process and then, assuming they meet key requirements, staying out of their way and letting them bring their unique attributes to the organization. Everyone is different, with a collection of aptitudes, skills, experiences and motivations.

    Employees need to understand who is responsible for what — they require access to a platform that makes it easy to familiarize themselves with the organization’s chart of accountabilities — as well as business processes and company culture. They need to have a sense of the company’s ideal client and unique value proposition. After all, they’re part of an ecosystem — a complex adaptive system — that is explicit, coherent and resonates with all of what we call their ideal stakeholders (not all stakeholders are ideal, so please don’t worry about the ones who frankly don’t matter).

    Hold effective meetings

    At Ninety, our team leaders meet one-on-one twice a week with every new team member during the 90-day onboarding period and once a week afterward. There’s a set agenda that includes reconnecting as humans, reviewing KPIs and 90-day goals to make sure everything is working well and is on track, and bringing up and solving any issues.

    By onboarding team members properly, including ensuring they have an understanding of what defines the company (the why, who, what, when, where and how), meeting with them weekly, and agreeing on clear goals and metrics — especially those that help us agree on when things are wonky — both sides are set up for success. Employees won’t need micromanaging, giving you ample time to lead and coach your entire team.

    In short, the way a company views meetings is a clear and unambiguous sign of how well it’s run. A great company schedules almost all meetings. Ad hoc meetings are for urgent, unplanned business, and a well-run company shouldn’t have to scramble to react to events.

    Provide continuous feedback

    Well-run companies have ditched the annual review (don’t get me started on this topic). Everyone should meet quarterly with their team leader and have a simple, structured conversation about how they are doing as a leader/coach and as a team member.

    Consider conducting “stay interviews.” Many companies have exit interviews. But asking employees who don’t plan to leave what they love about the company and listening to their constructive feedback can be an incredibly positive experience.

    Related: 10 Rules for Coaching Your Team to Greatness

    Have the right compensation structure

    Using the right incentive plan for your company’s mix of employees is key. Companies have different cultures. Some, particularly in fields such as investment banking and private equity, have more of a warrior mentality. So, in addition to hiring people with related skills, a company would want an incentive plan that’s warrior-based — people who are paid to close deals or complete other high-consequence tasks. Another company might take a more team-based approach, and that company should have team- or company-based incentives.

    What you don’t want is a warrior-based culture with a team-based incentive plan or vice versa. That won’t make anyone happy because your words and incentives are incongruent.

    It is possible to create a place where people love going to work. To get there from where you are now, you’ll find it’s super-helpful to provide autonomy where it’s earned and appreciated, and form a culture that is explicit, coherent and resonates for all ideal stakeholders.

    Mark Abbott

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  • 5 Ways to Cultivate a Resilient Digital Employee Experience | Entrepreneur

    5 Ways to Cultivate a Resilient Digital Employee Experience | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In an era of rapid technological advancements and an evolving workforce landscape, companies now encounter both previously unimaginable possibilities and difficulties. One of the pivotal challenges plaguing this digital landscape is ensuring a harmonious and satisfying experience for employees, regardless of their location or the devices they use. This is where a well-crafted and comprehensive digital employee experience (DEX) strategy comes into play.

    Related: Unhappy Customers and Employees Can Wreak Havoc on Your Business. Here’s How to Make Both Happy.

    Understanding the essence of the digital employee experience

    Gone are the days when work was confined to physical office space and a standard 9-to-5 routine. Today, employees collaborate across time zones, harnessing a surfeit of devices and applications to accomplish tasks. Before we delve into the intricacies of crafting an effective strategy, we must grasp the essence of the digital employee experience.

    The idea of a people-centric workspace has existed for some time. However, many business leaders and organizations still need clarification on what DEX entails. In simple terms, DEX is the accumulation of every interaction a workforce has with their company’s technologies and processes. However, since every interaction impacts DEX, how can organizations enhance it?

    Related: 78% of Employers Are Using Remote Work Tools to Spy on You. Here’s a More Effective (and Ethical) Approach to Tracking Employee Productivity.

    Crafting a harmonious digital employee experience is a dance of technology, creativity and genuine care. Employees more or less want three things in terms of their digital technologies. They want technology that is simple to use, dependable and effective. However, the tricky part is balancing what employees want while maintaining a resilient security posture. Here are five steps for a harmonious digital experience strategy.

    Step 1: Holistic alignment with business objectives

    Creating a harmonious digital employee experience begins with aligning your strategy with overarching business goals. Every digital initiative, whether it’s the adoption of collaboration tools or the implementation of unified endpoint management systems, should be aligned with the company’s larger purpose. This alignment ensures that the digital employee experience is seamless and contributes directly to the organization’s success.

    It’s critical to include important stakeholders from multiple divisions to accomplish this alignment. HR, IT, and upper management should collaborate to identify the most critical digital touchpoints for employees. By weaving the digital employee experience into the organization’s fabric, you create a sense of purpose that resonates with every employee.

    Step 2: Providing a seamless onboarding experience

    An employee’s experience starts from the moment they are onboarded into the company. This marks the foundation for a positive employee experience is laid. Leveraging cutting-edge solutions like Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) and Desktop as a Service (DAAS) can significantly enhance these critical phases.

    UEM allows organizations to efficiently manage and secure various devices, from laptops to smartphones and tablets, from a single console. By providing a seamless and secure onboarding experience across devices, UEM facilitates a positive initial impression for new hires. Furthermore, the implementation of DAAS streamlines the deployment of virtual desktops, guaranteeing that employees enter a uniform and well-optimized workspace right from the start, regardless of their physical whereabouts. This streamlines the onboarding process and empowers remote workers to hit the ground running, eradicating any possible frustrations stemming from technical glitches.

    Step 3: Nurturing the anywhere work environment through remote monitoring

    The modern workforce isn’t confined to a single location, making the health and performance of endpoints a troublesome endeavor.

    UEM solutions shine in this arena by offering remote monitoring capabilities that allow IT teams to watch endpoints’ health irrespective of their physical location. By proactively identifying and addressing potential issues, such as security vulnerabilities or performance bottlenecks, organizations can ensure that the remote work experience remains seamless.

    A common pain point for employees and IT teams is the cumbersome process of resolving technical issues. Waiting for the IT helpdesk to intervene in the application or endpoint problems can lead to frustration and productivity losses. Remote capabilities allow IT teams to troubleshoot these issues irrespective of a device’s location. This approach boosts productivity and demonstrates a commitment to employee well-being, reinforcing a sense of support and care.

    Step 4: Empowering employees through continuous training

    Empowerment is a cornerstone of any successful employee experience strategy. When employees are given the skills and resources to navigate digital obstacles, they develop greater independence and self-assurance in their work.

    Offering comprehensive training sessions on using digital tools, troubleshooting common problems, and staying vigilant against cyber threats can empower employees to take charge of their digital experiences. By fostering a culture of continuous learning, organizations not only enhance the skill set of their employees but also demonstrate a commitment to their growth and development.

    Related: Enough About Employee ‘Engagement’! Focus on the Digital Employee ‘Experience’ Instead.

    Step 5: Measuring DEX success through comprehensive evaluation

    In the realm of business, what is not measured often remains elusive. The digital employee experience is no different. Organizations must set up reliable assessment and feedback processes to assess the efficacy of the tactics they have adopted.

    Surveys tailored to capture employees’ sentiments provide invaluable insights into their experiences. These surveys can delve into aspects such as ease of technology usage, satisfaction with support services, and overall comfort with the digital workspace. Furthermore, leveraging tools such as End-User Experience Management (EUEM) solutions that monitor user interactions and sentiment analysis can provide qualitative feedback, real-time monitoring and a continuous benchmark system.

    Crucially, these measurement strategies should be accompanied by a commitment to iterate and adapt based on feedback. Continuous improvement is at the core of a harmonious DEX strategy, as it reflects an organization’s genuine dedication to enhancing employee well-being and efficiency.

    The way forward

    A harmonious DEX strategy extends beyond optimizing processes; its essence is nurturing feelings of affiliation, empowerment, and employee welfare. In an age where the virtual realm assumes an increasingly significant function in our professional lives, enterprises that give precedence to enhancing the digital employee encounter are better poised to attract, retain, and nurture a workforce that excels within this evolving digital landscape.

    Apu Pavithran

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  • How to Successfully Transition From Solopreneur to Team Leader | Entrepreneur

    How to Successfully Transition From Solopreneur to Team Leader | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Strap in, ambitious solopreneurs, because we’re about to elevate your game from one-man wonder to a synergistic powerhouse. You’ve hustled hard, pulled all-nighters and turned your nascent idea into a full-blown operation. Kudos! But here’s the real talk: You’ve hit that proverbial ceiling, and it’s time to break through.

    We’re transitioning you from solopreneurship to a dynamite team, and we’re doing it like pros. No fluff, no filler — just actionable, expert-level insights that you can implement right now. Ready to multiply your impact and skyrocket your enterprise? Let’s dive in.

    Related: 4 Key Indicators It’s Time for You to Hire Your First Employees and Stop Doing Everything Alone

    Step 1: Acknowledge the inflection point

    Let’s not sugarcoat it — there comes a moment in your solopreneurial journey when you’re straddling the fence between self-sufficiency and needing an extra pair of hands. You’ve got more business than you can handle, and sleep has become an estranged friend. This, my friend, is your inflection point, and it’s the universe screaming at you: “Hey, it’s time to scale!”

    So, how do you know you’ve reached this milestone? You’re drowning in tasks, your calendar looks like a game of Tetris, and let’s be real, you’re not Elon Musk — you can’t single-handedly launch rockets and run multiple companies. So, don’t. Instead, focus on strategizing your next move, which is assembling your dream team.

    Step 2: Strategic role identification

    Before you spam LinkedIn with job postings, pause. Take a deep dive into your operational workflow. Identify the bottlenecks only a specialized skill set can alleviate. Look, not every Tom, Dick or Harriet with a CV can drive your vision forward.

    Create a list of roles critical to your business. But don’t just create any roles. I’m talking about roles so strategic that filling them will multiply your efficiency, not just add to it. Think — a Tech Lead who can spearhead your product development or a Digital Marketing Wizard who knows SEO like the back of their hand.

    Step 3: Financial forecasting and budget allocation

    Unless you’ve discovered a tree that grows money, you need to allocate your finances meticulously. Bootstrapping is not going to cut it when you’re onboarding a team. Sit down with your financial statements, and let’s do some adulting.

    How much revenue are you generating? What are your projected earnings? Calculate the ROI for each new hire. Will they bring in more business? Enhance productivity to a point where you can accept more clients? If the math doesn’t add up, you’re not ready. If it does, proceed with purpose.

    Step 4: The hiring process

    Hold onto your hat because the hiring process is a rollercoaster ride. You’re essentially dating professionally, and you can’t afford to match with the wrong person. Utilize specialized job boards, network ferociously, and even consider headhunters if you’re looking for rare skills.

    During the interviews, go beyond the technicalities. Assess cultural fit, soft skills and their vision alignment with your enterprise. You’re not building a team of robots; you’re constructing a powerhouse of innovative minds.

    Step 5: Onboarding and culture development

    Congratulations, you’ve got your team! But hold those horses; we’re not popping champagne yet. An effective onboarding process is not a nicety; it’s a necessity. Spend quality time educating your team about your business processes, culture and expectations.

    Remember, culture is not built overnight but through consistent actions and shared values. Be the leader who doesn’t just tell people what to do but shows them how it’s done. Create an environment of open dialogue, continuous learning and mutual respect.

    Related: Transitioning From Solopreneur to a Team Leader

    Step 6: Performance metrics and KPIs

    In business, what gets measured gets managed. Implement Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that align with your business objectives. You can’t gauge the effectiveness of your team without solid data. I’m talking hardcore analytics, feedback loops and quarterly reviews.

    Your team should not just know what their roles are; they should be crystal clear about how their performance will be evaluated. Remove subjectivity and replace it with measurable outcomes. Anything less is managerial malpractice.

    Step 7: Conflict resolution and team dynamics

    Human beings are wonderfully complex creatures. No matter how meticulous you’ve been in the hiring process, conflicts are as inevitable as taxes. But guess what? They’re not necessarily a bad thing. Conflicts can lead to constructive discussions, challenge stagnant perspectives and birth innovative solutions.

    The key is to not let conflicts fester. Address them head-on. Create a culture where employees feel comfortable voicing their concerns. Remember, as the leader, you set the tone for conflict resolution. Use structured frameworks to mediate disagreements, such as an interest-based relational (IBR) approach or principled negotiation. These are not mere buzzwords; they’re the bread and butter of effective team management.

    Step 8: Continuous learning and skill upgradation

    We live in a digital age where the landscape changes faster than you can say “disruptive innovation.” Continuous learning isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have. You and your team need to be in a state of perpetual skill enhancement. I’m talking webinars, online courses, certification programs — the whole nine yards.

    Set aside a budget for professional development. Encourage your team to identify skill gaps and find ways to bridge them. Is your digital marketer falling behind on the latest SEO trends? Time for a course. Is your tech lead scratching their head over a new coding language? A coding boot camp might be the answer. Make it known that growth isn’t just a company objective; it’s a personal mandate for each team member.

    Step 9: Scale, evaluate and iterate

    Your team is in place, and the ball is rolling. This is not the time to kick back and relax; it’s the time to scale, evaluate and iterate. Keep an eye on your performance metrics, and never let complacency creep in.

    Evaluate your team’s work, assess your own role as a leader, and make necessary pivots. Perhaps you need to refine your marketing strategy, or maybe your product development needs a more agile framework. Be prepared to make real-time adjustments. The marketplace waits for no one, and certainly not for an entrepreneur too stubborn to adapt.

    There you have it — an expert-level, no-nonsense guide on transitioning from a one-man-show to a high-impact team. In the cutthroat world of entrepreneurship, standing still is moving backward. Remember, building a team doesn’t dilute your vision but amplifies it. You’re not losing control; you’re gaining traction. Now, go build that dream team, and let’s rocket that business to the stratosphere!

    Related: 9 Tips Guaranteed to Build a Winning Team

    Chris Kille

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  • 9 Traits to Watch for When Hiring in 2023 | Entrepreneur

    9 Traits to Watch for When Hiring in 2023 | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Every business owes its success not just to its leaders but also to the employees who carry out the day-to-day operations. But how do you find the right employees for your business?

    You can develop a more effective hiring strategy by prioritizing certain traits. Focus on building relationships with the best candidates who show the following qualities.

    1. Personable

    Even in an age of email and chatbots, strong interpersonal skills matter for client-facing roles. And all employees, even remote workers, need to get along with their team members.

    Look for applicants who demonstrate strong people skills: smiling, shaking your hand firmly, maintaining eye contact and mirroring body language are just a few. This trait isn’t about hiring an extrovert over an introvert; instead, it’s about finding a candidate capable of interacting in a likable, relatable manner.

    Related: 10 Strategies for Hiring and Retaining New Employees

    2. Goal-Oriented

    Asking job applicants about their five-year plans may sound cliché, but it’s an easy way to gauge their level of personal ambition. An applicant with a clear plan for the future will tend to be goal-oriented, which extends to how they carry out their day-to-day duties.

    You might also understand a candidate’s aspirations by looking at the awards and achievements listed on their résumé. Previous accomplishments point to an ambitious, goal-driven attitude that will likely carry into the future.

    You can also nurture this trait by providing opportunities for professional development and advancement, which maximizes the talents of your new hire.

    3. Problem-solving

    Business is all about overcoming challenges. The most valuable employees can think through these challenges and develop workable, efficient solutions.

    You know that problem-solving abilities are essential for those in technical fields — but you should also cultivate these skills in everyone who works for your company.

    How do you find out whether a candidate is a problem-solver? Asking questions about when the candidate had to think outside the box to solve a workplace problem is a good start. Sometimes, the candidate’s references can point out clear examples of when the candidate addressed challenging problems head-on.

    Related: What to Consider When Hiring Employees

    4. Technically proficient

    If you’re hiring for a specialized role, you’ll want to ensure that you hire candidates who have the experience and expertise you need.

    For instance, bookkeepers and accounts receivable specialists should be familiar with basic accounting software. You might also prefer candidates who know the same software platforms that your company depends on.

    For hybrid or remote positions, your candidate must have experience using video conferencing or project management applications to better coordinate with you and other team members.

    5. Confident

    Fortune favors the bold — especially in the world of business. You want to assemble a team of decisive thinkers. Employees who delay decisions because they second-guess themselves or overanalyze the situation, will do more to prevent innovation than promote it.

    Instead, seek out job applicants who can clearly articulate their strengths and back them up with real-world examples from their previous positions. While interview jitters are understandable, an applicant who avoids eye contact or struggles to articulate might lack the confidence you’re looking for in your organization.

    Related: Workplace Issues Often Trickle Down From the Top. Have You Tried These 3 Ways to Fix Your Biggest Challenges?

    6. Teachable

    Technical proficiency is important, but every industry is evolving rapidly. Few traits are as valuable as the willingness to learn. While the ideal candidate should be confident about their existing skill set, an ability to adapt to new technologies or business models is often far more valuable.

    Ask candidates about new skills they’ve picked up or acquired from previous employers. Better yet, ask your applicants what skills they want to develop while working for your company. Their answers will reveal a lot about their ability to learn new skills as well as their eagerness to apply these skills in a new setting.

    7. Trustworthy

    Personal integrity is about more than just following the rules. An employee who demonstrates consistent honesty and integrity will contribute to a transparent company culture. You also need employees you can depend on during every business cycle phase.

    The best way to assess the trustworthiness of a job applicant is by contacting their references — particularly previous employers. Ideally, you want to learn that your applicant has a strong attendance record and that their previous employers could rely on their participation and support.

    Related: The Best Employees Have These ’31 Flavors’

    8. Collaborative

    Business is a team sport, so you need to hire candidates who play well with others. Even if the position requires much solo work, you’ll still want to know that your employees can function well as a team when called upon.

    This trait often surfaces during the interview process. When you ask an applicant to list past accomplishments, listen for clues indicating that they collaborated with other team members.

    If you can’t tell from this list alone, ask probing questions about how the candidate has worked with coworkers. You can even ask about how they’ve handled past conflicts to learn how well they’ve navigated office relationships.

    Related: Quiet Quitting Preceded Another Insidious Workplace Issue That’s Unfolding Right Now, Survey Reveals

    9. Loyal

    Employee turnover is a major threat to any company. The time and money you spend replacing an employee can be put to better use in growing your core business. The best employees commit to your company for multiple years, allowing you to build a lasting relationship and maximize their skills.

    Be wary of workers whose resumes indicate a lot of job-hopping. That’s especially true if their past work experience has been in fields similar to yours. Don’t dismiss these candidates entirely — sometimes, finding a company culture that fits takes a while. But make sure to investigate the reasons for so much past instability.

    Identifying candidates with the most sought-after traits will improve your chances of assembling an effective team. It will also make screening your job applicants easier, streamlining the hiring process.

    For critical positions, executive search firms can assist you with screening and hiring top-quality candidates. But to ensure that you staff your business with the right people at every level, look for these key traits of successful employees.

    Shawn Cole

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  • How to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace | Entrepreneur

    How to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    How much do you consider mental health in your overall well-being? Many business owners sacrifice their own emotional stability and personal satisfaction for what they believe to be the greater good of the organizations they run. Or they are too lost in all the noise of operating and growing a company even to consider self-care. But there is no rulebook out there that states business owners can’t have a thriving business and a healthy mind. It is all about positive psychology.

    Positive psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing. It focuses on factors like hope, happiness and optimism. Positive psychology is a proactive approach to mental health, not unlike wellness, which is to physical health. We often see a doctor when we feel sick or experience the onset of a disease, which is a reactive approach to physical health.

    A more proactive approach is to adopt the kind of healthy lifestyle choices that reduce our chances of getting sick in the first place. The same thing applies to mental health. We might see a therapist if we are in the throes of a mental health crisis, but it would surely be preferable to take a proactive approach to avoid a psychological emergency in the first place.

    Dr. Martin Seligman is an American psychologist and leading researcher widely considered the “father of positive psychology.” Seligman coined the term PERMA, an acronym that represents what he asserts are the five essential elements of mental health: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment. The concept of PERMA is intriguing, specifically as it relates to the business owner’s emotional journey and mental health.

    Applying the concepts of PERMA to ourselves as business leaders is a great step in the right direction. Then, fostering opportunities to advance the PERMA ideology throughout your organization can dramatically enhance your company culture. I mean, who doesn’t want a team of emotionally healthy, mentally prosperous and happy people working for them?

    Let’s consider the facets of PERMA and how business owners can apply them to foster positive psychology throughout their organizations.

    Related: 5 Reasons We Should Make Our Health a Priority Over Our Business

    P — Positive emotions

    Not to be confused with happiness, positive emotions include personal feelings of love, joy and hope, among others. Seligman posits that our thoughts and actions improve when we cultivate and integrate positive emotions into our lives.

    First, focus on creating a culture of gratitude to help infuse positive emotions in your business. Recognize and celebrate achievements. Encourage your team to find joy in the work they do and in their interactions with others.

    Related: How Positivity Makes You Healthy and Successful

    E — Engagement

    Engagement is our ability to achieve a desirable state of flow in which we ditch our self-consciousness and allow ourselves to be absorbed in something we enjoy. It is about being substantively present in the moment rather than focusing on the mental baggage of the past or anxiety for the future.

    In your leadership role, provide employees growth and career development opportunities that encourage mastery, such as mentorship programs or advanced skills workshops. Implement ways to instill active involvement, autonomy and personal decision-making in the roles of every employee.

    R – Relationships

    We all know that deep, meaningful relationships with others are vital to our well-being. Seligman says that humans are inherently social creatures who thrive on feeling valued and supported by others. These social interactions may also stave off cognitive decline and physical health issues.

    As a business owner, be an active listener, reinforcing the importance of strong interpersonal relationships throughout your organization. Create opportunities for team bonding and collaboration.

    Related: How to Build a Positive Relationship With Your Boss and Colleagues

    M – Meaning

    Having meaning in our lives adds purpose and value to our actions. It is that connection with something bigger than ourselves. A sense of meaning might come from the business one runs, the causes one supports or one’s spiritual beliefs. Meaning increases personal satisfaction in our daily lives.

    Ensure your company mission and vision are meaningful to your team. Create in-house opportunities for employees to contribute to the causes they care about. Let your people know how important they are to the success of your business.

    Related: 3 Ways to Help Employees Combat Burnout and Create More Balance

    A – Accomplishment

    Being successful at the things we do can dramatically enhance our mental well-being. Accomplishment refers to the final product and the orchestration, mastery and self-motivation that propels a person to achieve great things.

    To support a culture of accomplishment in your business, set clear and attainable SMART goals for employees, departments and the organization. Celebrate big achievements, as well as little wins along the way. Understand that setbacks are often catalysts for growth, so provide constructive feedback when employees fall short of expectations.

    Proactively incorporating positive psychology and infusing the tenets of PERMA throughout your business can lead to a healthier, happier and more meaningful existence for you and your entire team.

    Jason Zickerman

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  • Police Overtime Pay Skyrocketing Amid Staffing Shortages | Entrepreneur

    Police Overtime Pay Skyrocketing Amid Staffing Shortages | Entrepreneur

    Due to acute staffing shortages, San Francisco Deputy Sheriff Barry Bloom has worked an average of 95 hours per week since 2016, often exceeding 100 hours per week in recent fiscal years, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. While Bloom earned $123,790 in base pay in 2022, his total income reached $530,935 with overtime.

    Since 2016, Bloom, a public safety monitor at San Francisco City Hall, has accrued $2.2 million in overtime pay, making him the highest overtime earner among city employees.

    The San Francisco sheriff department is short 176 sworn full-time positions, 41 non-sworn positions, and 24 cadets, officials told The Chronicle. In response, the sheriff’s office is “aggressively hiring” to fill the staffing shortage that has been persisting since the onset of the pandemic.

    Bloom’s colleagues have also earned substantial overtime pay due to persistent staff shortages in the sheriff’s office. While all employees are required to work at least two overtime shifts per week, some go beyond that, earning up to four times their base salaries.

    After, Bloom, the second and third highest earners in his department have also raked in millions over the past seven years, with deputy sheriff Kristian DeJesus making $1.9 million since 2016, and senior deputy sheriff Michael Borovina Jr. making $1.8 million.

    Still, there are consequences to officers being overworked, per the Sheriffs’ Association.

    Related: Volunteer Firefighters Are Getting Older and Enrollment Is Shrinking, Posing a Risk to Americans

    “We have periods where deputy sheriffs get tired of all the forced overtime, and they look for jobs elsewhere because it’s just too much,” Ken Lomba, president of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, told The Chronicle.

    “We’re just one emergency away from a lawsuit,” he added.

    Meanwhile, it’s not just the Bay Area that’s grappling with shrinking headcounts.

    Police departments across the country have been struggling with severe staffing shortages, scrambling to fill roles from patrol officers to 911 operators, CNN reported in July 2022, noting that agencies in cities like Atlanta, Kansas City, and Dallas are short hundreds of officers.

    According to the Police Executive Research Forum, the number of officer resignations was 47% in 2022 as compared to pre-pandemic levels of 2019. Furthermore, the number of sworn officers on staff was 0.9% lower in January than the same period in 2022, and down 4.8% compared to January 2020.

    Madeline Garfinkle

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  • Salary Expectations Skyrocket as Job Confidence Dips: Expert | Entrepreneur

    Salary Expectations Skyrocket as Job Confidence Dips: Expert | Entrepreneur

    Salary expectations for U.S. workers have reached a record high, according to the New York Federal Reserve’s annual employment and labor market survey.

    The average “reservation wage” (the minimum an individual would accept for a new job) rose to $78,645 in July 2023, up from $72,873 for the same period last year.

    The uptick in salary expectations was most pronounced in those over 45, who on average had reservation wages of $80,239, while those under 45 had expectations of $77,077.

    However, Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, told Entrepreneur that the report also showed that an increase in reservation wage may signal lingering effects of post-pandemic wage expectations, and salaries not keeping up with the inflation rate.

    “Anytime there’s rapid growth, workers begin to expect that to continue,” Pollak says. “Workers may also be expecting to see the kind of growth they saw during the pandemic persist. The consumer price index has gone up so much, and wages have also risen about the same amount, whereas they should have risen faster by now, so workers are expecting some sort of catch-up in wages.”

    While the job market was in seekers’ favor for the majority of 2022, the tables have turned, and American workers are less certain about their ability to receive offers in the coming months, the new report also found.

    Individuals expecting to receive a job offer in the next four months dropped to 18.7% in July 2023, down from 21.1% in July 2022. Furthermore, expectations of receiving multiple offers fell more significantly, from 25.7% in July of last year to 20.6% in July 2023.

    Still, the decline in confidence is relatively minor, Pollak says, and may simply reflect the job market returning to healthy norms following the post-pandemic hiring frenzy.

    “Numbers have come down from such a high, and from record high hires and record high job openings and everything, that it does mean that some of the people who got a career boost are now struggling and finding it harder to find jobs,” Pollak said. “In a healthier labor market, there will always be winners and losers. There will be more people who are finding it challenging, and that is sort of to be expected.”

    Related: Layoffs Abound Across Industries — But These Major Companies Are Still Hiring

    While the number of Americans searching for new jobs decreased by 5.3% in July from a year prior, satisfaction with wage compensation rose by 3%, along with nonwage benefits (1.7%), and promotion opportunities (4%).

    Related: This Industry Has $1 Trillion in Funding But Can’t Find Any Workers

    Madeline Garfinkle

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  • The Fail-Safe Way to Hire Your First Employee | Entrepreneur

    The Fail-Safe Way to Hire Your First Employee | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    There has always been a difference between being self-employed and being an entrepreneur. The latter requires developing a self-sustaining growth system and doing a lot of hiring. While most entrepreneurs do most of the early work on their own, a growth system will soon need more hands on deck.

    Starting with the first, employees can greatly influence the direction of your company’s future. Although there’s always a wide room for error and improvement, it’s imperative to get it right the first time.

    As an entrepreneur myself, I’ve placed great emphasis on hiring the right person rather than the right skills. This principle is vital, especially for your first set of recruits, and this article offers a fresh perspective on how to go about hiring right the very first time.

    Related: Hiring Your First Employee? 5 Things You Need to Know.

    First, consider your options

    There are obvious signals to know when it’s time to add an extra hand to your team. However, the extra hand might not necessarily be your first employee.

    Bringing an employee on board comes with some legal and moral responsibilities. For one, employment benefits and a promise of job security are part of the equation. So, before you jump knee-deep into hiring your first employee, assess the situation within your startup and explore options.

    One option to consider is freelance work. If you’re experiencing an increased workload within your company, you should figure out whether that specific type of work is an integral part of your business operation. If the job is only available in the interim and is sporadic, it might be safer to work with a freelancer. Choosing to hire in this situation might force you to start manufacturing inconsequential tasks in the future.

    In the case that hiring a freelancer won’t be ideal, another option to consider is the prospect of remote work. Ninety-eight percent of Americans want to work remotely at some point. However, this doesn’t mean you must offer a remote work option to your first employee. Depending on your operational process, you might prefer having your first employee work on-site, but this is not necessarily a rule.

    Should remote working suit your processes well, it’s strongly advised that you hire someone in the same time zone as yourself. It’s really important for you to be in perfect sync with your first employee. Poorly aligned priorities and bad timing can do your business more harm than good. Be sure to keep an eye out.

    Define the role and responsibilities

    Before entrepreneurs make the decision to hire their first employee, it is usually for responsibilities that they’re familiar with. Some may have been handling it themselves for some time. So, it would be pretty straightforward to draw up the responsibilities associated with the role.

    The tricky thing, however, is to accurately describe what you expect the employee’s daily job to be. As an entrepreneur, you have various responsibilities that are so muddled up that it’s hard to clearly group them into stand-alone roles. For instance, some companies’ first recruit is in finance, and entrepreneurs seldom know if who they need is a bookkeeper or an accountant.

    Getting past this tricky stage requires some reflection. Also, you could solicit advice from mentors and other entrepreneurs who have successfully hired several employees.

    Related: 6 Signs It’s Time to Hire Employees for Your Startup

    Look out for the right personality

    A common mistake that young entrepreneurs make is focusing on skills when hiring. No doubt, skill and experience levels are important attributes to consider, especially as they pertain to the role. However, you should place a higher priority on their personality.

    Startups exist in very competitive landscapes and volatile markets. As a result, the roles and responsibilities within them are more dynamic than people expect. The majority of employees tend to rely heavily on the responsibilities spelled out in the job description and tend to lose motivation as changes occur.

    Remember that you and your first employees need to be in sync at all times because the culture and future of your company depend greatly on it. So, it’s safer for you to look into candidates with a shared entrepreneurial spirit and a will to take on more responsibilities than were stipulated in the job description.

    Finding people with the right personality is a tough job. Ironically, job boards (like LinkedIn, Indeed and Glassdoor) don’t make the job any easier. Listing a job on boards can offer you a variety of candidates that may turn out to be overwhelming. Not to mention, resumes are hardly a reliable measure of a candidate’s drive.

    As a solution, you can reach out to your network for talent referrals. Eighty-five percent of job openings are filled via networking, according to a survey. While you may have immense respect and trust for those preferring the talents, you should personally interview the candidates and conduct due diligence before making your decision.

    Related: 4 Strategies for Hiring the Right People at Your Startup

    Again, being an entrepreneur entails lots of hiring. While some roles may seem pressing at first, they might not exist for so long. You need to figure out which roles will exist over the span of your company’s existence. Only these roles should be filled by employees. Freelance workers and independent contractors could work just fine for other roles.

    Once you’re sure of the role’s long existence, you have to define the employee’s everyday job and expectations before moving on to start looking for who to hire. Although well-defined responsibilities are essential, you should look out for candidates that have can-do attitudes and are willing to take on more responsibilities. Finding these talents on your own is hard, but utilizing your network for referrals can significantly increase your chances of getting it right on the first strike.

    Judah Longgrear

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  • Are You Guilty of Poor Onboarding? The Consequences Are Worse Than You Think. | Entrepreneur

    Are You Guilty of Poor Onboarding? The Consequences Are Worse Than You Think. | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Starting a new job is like diving into a swimming pool. A refreshing and invigorating dive can make for a memorable experience, while a belly flop can leave you in pain and feeling embarrassed. The onboarding process is the dive, and just like a dive, when done poorly, it can leave lasting consequences on new hires, especially remote and hybrid workers. A recent survey by Paychex reveals the effects of poor onboarding on new employees and their inclination to stick around.

    First impressions matter: The onboarding experience

    Picture this: You’re attending a party, and the host greets you with a warm welcome, introduces you to the guests, and offers you a drink. You’d feel comfortable and well-received, right? Onboarding should be like that — a seamless, positive and engaging experience. But the reality is different for many employees.

    Only 52% of new hires feel satisfied with their onboarding experience, with 32% finding it confusing and 22% disorganized. Remote workers fare worse, with 36% of them finding the process baffling. It’s like trying to assemble an IKEA furniture without the instructions.

    Interestingly, 54% of finance industry employees are most likely to be satisfied with their onboarding experience, compared to only 31% of employees in the business industry. Generationally, Gen Zers are the happiest (62%) while Gen Xers lag behind (43%). This generational gap is a crucial factor for HR departments to consider while designing their onboarding processes.

    Related: 3 Steps for Onboarding Remote and In-Person Employees That Make Your Hybrid Team More Collaborative

    Onboarding gone wrong: The fallout

    A poor onboarding experience is like an ill-fitting shoe; it leaves employees feeling uncomfortable and dejected. The most significant impact is that 52% of new hires feel undertrained, with small company employees (66%) and remote workers (63%) suffering the most. It’s like trying to win a marathon with flip-flops.

    The generational factor also plays a role, with 58% of Gen X feeling undertrained compared to 45% of millennials. Addressing these gaps is vital for companies to retain their workforce and maintain productivity.

    Pushing new hires out the door

    An undertrained and disoriented new hire is like a fish out of water — they’ll flop around, gasping for air, and looking for an escape. In this case, escape means quitting. A staggering 50% of newly hired employees plan to leave their job soon, skyrocketing to 80% for those feeling undertrained due to poor onboarding. On the flip side, only 7% of well-trained employees plan to leave soon.

    Size does matter, as small-company employees are more likely to quit (59%) compared to those in large companies (38%). Surprisingly, despite feeling satisfied with their onboarding, Gen Zers are the most likely to plan a swift exit (58%). It seems that onboarding is a crucial make-or-break experience for new hires, particularly for older generations.

    Re-onboarding is like giving your employees a second chance at a first impression. By taking all employees through the onboarding process again, you can re-engage and revitalize your team. The results are impressive: employees become more focused (47%), energized (42%), productive (34%), and efficient (33%). Plus, re-onboarding increases employee retention by a whopping 43%.

    Case studies of poor onboarding

    I’ve seen a number of case studies of poor onboarding harming companies. For example, a middle-market SaaS firm experienced high turnover rates among its remote and hybrid employees due to a poorly executed onboarding process. New hires were not provided with clear guidelines, expectations or adequate training. As a result, employees felt undertrained and undervalued, leading to a lack of engagement and commitment to the organization. Within six months, the company saw a 60% turnover rate among remote and hybrid employees, leading to significant recruitment and training costs.

    A large marketing agency encountered growth challenges due to its poor onboarding process for remote and hybrid workers. New employees were not equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in their roles, leading to subpar work quality and missed deadlines. The company’s reputation suffered as clients became dissatisfied with the level of service provided. The agency struggled to attract new clients and retain existing ones, which hindered its growth and expansion plans.

    A mid-sized financial services firm faced compliance issues due to poor onboarding of its remote and hybrid employees. The onboarding process did not adequately cover essential policies, procedures, and legal requirements, leading to errors and oversights by the new hires. The firm was eventually penalized by regulatory bodies for non-compliance, causing financial strain and damage to their professional reputation.

    In each of these case studies, the organizations faced significant challenges due to poor onboarding of remote and hybrid workers. Proper onboarding is crucial to ensure employee satisfaction, productivity, and company success in today’s increasingly remote and hybrid work environments.

    The psychological pitfalls of onboarding

    In addition to the logistical challenges of onboarding new remote and hybrid hires, cognitive biases can also play a significant role in shaping the experience. These biases can cloud judgment, hinder decision-making, and create misconceptions about new employees’ performance and potential. Let’s explore two specific cognitive biases and their impact on the onboarding process: the halo effect and optimism bias.

    The halo effect occurs when an individual’s positive qualities or achievements in one area influence our perception of them in other areas. In the context of onboarding, a new hire with an impressive resume or a glowing recommendation might be seen as more competent and capable than they actually are. This can lead to unrealistic expectations and a lack of appropriate training and support during the onboarding process.

    For example, a remote employee who is an expert in their field may be assumed to excel in all aspects of their job, including time management and communication skills. However, they may struggle with the unique challenges of remote work, such as staying organized and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Failing to recognize these potential shortcomings due to the halo effect can lead to insufficient support and training, ultimately affecting the new hire’s performance and job satisfaction.

    To combat the halo effect, it’s essential to provide equal training and support to all new hires, regardless of their past achievements or qualifications. This ensures that each employee receives the necessary resources to succeed in their role, setting them up for long-term success.

    Optimism bias is the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of positive outcomes and underestimate the probability of negative ones. In the onboarding process, this bias can manifest in several ways, such as underestimating the time and resources required for effective onboarding or assuming that new employees will easily adapt to their new work environment without much support.

    For instance, a manager might be overly optimistic about a hybrid employee’s ability to balance their time between the office and remote work. This misplaced confidence can result in inadequate training and support, causing the employee to struggle with time management, communication and collaboration.

    To counter optimism bias, it’s crucial to approach the onboarding process with a realistic mindset, recognizing the potential challenges that new hires might face, especially in remote and hybrid work settings. By proactively addressing these issues and providing appropriate training and resources, you can create a more supportive and successful onboarding experience for your new employees.

    Related: 7 Common Customer Onboarding Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs

    How to optimize your onboarding process

    Having worked with a number of large and middle-market companies to optimize their onboarding process for hybrid and remote staff, I can say that a successful onboarding process should be like a warm embrace, making new employees feel welcomed, informed and valued. By refining the onboarding process, you can boost employee retention, morale and productivity. Customizable onboarding software and tailored approaches can help create a smoother experience for all employees, especially remote and hybrid workers who require extra attention. By focusing on the unique needs of employees in different industries, generations, and company sizes, you can ensure that everyone has the support and resources they need to succeed.

    Here are some tips to enhance your onboarding process:

    1. Prepare a comprehensive onboarding plan

    A well-structured onboarding plan is like a roadmap, guiding new hires through their initial days and setting them up for success. Outline the goals, key milestones and timelines for new employees, ensuring that they have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

    2. Assign buddies or mentors

    Pairing new hires with experienced colleagues can provide invaluable support and guidance during the onboarding process. This mentorship can help them quickly navigate the company culture and address any concerns they may have, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie.

    3. Offer continuous training and support

    Onboarding isn’t a one-time event, but an ongoing process. Regularly provide new hires with opportunities for growth, skill development and support, ensuring they feel well-equipped to tackle their roles. This can be particularly crucial for remote and hybrid employees who may need additional resources to succeed in a virtual work environment.

    4. Encourage open communication

    Establish a culture of open communication, encouraging new hires to ask questions, share their thoughts and seek help when needed. This can help employees feel more comfortable in their roles and promote a sense of trust and transparency within the team.

    5. Gather feedback and iterate

    As with any process, there’s always room for improvement. Gather feedback from new hires on their onboarding experience and use this insight to fine-tune your process. By continually iterating and adapting, you can ensure that your onboarding experience remains fresh, relevant, and effective.

    Related: 5 Best-Practice Tips for Onboarding Remote Employees

    Conclusion

    A thoughtful and engaging onboarding experience is the foundation for employee success, particularly for remote and hybrid workers who face unique challenges. By investing in a comprehensive onboarding process and providing ongoing support, companies can foster a motivated, well-trained and loyal workforce that is ready to contribute to the organization’s growth and success. Just like a well-executed dive, the right onboarding process can make a splash and leave a lasting impression on your new hires.

    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • 4 Key Indicators It’s Time for You to Hire Your First Employee | Entrepreneur

    4 Key Indicators It’s Time for You to Hire Your First Employee | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Recognizing when to transition from a solopreneur to a team leader by hiring employees is crucial for sustainable growth. Most of my time with Strategic Advisor Board (SAB) is spent consulting new business owners reaching this pivotal point in scaling. Many business owners know they need help with maintaining their workload and deliverables, but they’re afraid of having enough resources to bring on employees and still be profitable.

    Let’s explore the key indicators I teach new business owners that signal the need for expansion and practical insights on navigating the transition efficiently and effectively.

    Related: 6 Signs It’s Time to Hire Employees for Your Startup

    1. Overwhelming workload and burnout

    As a solopreneur, you are tasked to fulfill every need and request of your business, I was there at one point myself when I started. From operations to marketing, and customer service to administration — it’s all you. This is a time of 60-hour work weeks and zero personal time; all work and no play. Your partner tells you they don’t recognize you anymore and your kids complain about all the soccer games and recitals you have missed. Your friends may even wonder if you are alive anymore.

    Many of my clients feel hopeless and as though they just created their own 9 to 5 (or 9 to 9) instead of an actual business. Hiring employees can help distribute tasks more effectively, reduce stress and improve your work-life balance. By delegating responsibilities, you’ll have more time and energy to focus on strategic initiatives and higher-value activities that drive growth.

    2. Declining productivity and quality

    Maintaining high productivity and delivering exceptional quality can be challenging for solopreneurs juggling multiple responsibilities. When you notice a decline in your output or struggle to meet customer expectations consistently, it’s a sign you need to bring in outside help. It often looks like missed deadlines, subpar projects being sent out the door and struggling to bring in new clients because you don’t have enough time to bring on more business and still get everything done. This decline may be due to being spread too thin, lacking a specialized skill or simply running out of time to deliver high-quality work.

    Bringing in skilled employees can not only enhance productivity but also streamline processes and ensure your products or services maintain high standards. When it’s time to bring in help, I understand it can be scary to hire a full-time employee. That’s why I tell my clients it may be easier to ease into the hiring process with a part-time employee or contractor.

    Related: Hiring Your First Employee? 5 Things You Need to Know.

    3. Limited time for strategic growth

    A comprehensive growth strategy becomes crucial as your business matures. If you cannot dedicate sufficient time to plan for the future and you spend more time working in your business rather than on it, you need additional resources. One effective way to optimize your business is by hiring employees to manage daily operational tasks. This would enable you to devote more time and attention to strategic initiatives like exploring new market opportunities, developing partnerships or expanding into new product lines or services.

    By prioritizing strategic growth, you can fully unleash your business’s potential and stay ahead of the competition. I always focus my efforts on how best to create smaller inputs in my companies that provide far larger outputs in terms of revenue generation. This also allows you to allocate more funds to reducing tactical tasks and workloads on your end and delegate appropriately.

    4. Increased customer demand

    A growing customer base is a positive sign of business success, but it can also strain your capacity as a solopreneur. If you find yourself consistently overwhelmed by customer demand or are forced to turn away potential clients, it’s a strong indicator that you’re ready for expansion. Hiring employees allows you to scale your operations to meet customer expectations. You can deliver prompt and efficient service with a team, maintain high customer satisfaction and capitalize on new business opportunities.

    Additionally, as you grow your customer base, having employees who can focus on customer relationship management becomes vital, ensuring each client receives the attention they deserve. The increase in customer demand also stresses fulfillment and leads to an imbalance in the growth and scale of the company. Putting the right people in the key seats that support fulfillment will relieve this strain. This is a lesson I learned by practical application a decade ago.

    Related: 4 Things Every Entrepreneur Must Consider Before Hiring Their First, or Next, Employee.

    Requiring new diverse skillsets

    Early on when I work with clients, I suggest they take a personal time inventory or a “time study.” First, look into where your skills aren’t at the highest level they could be, and then find out what you’re spending way too much time doing on a weekly basis. If you’re not strong in marketing or you’re spending way too much time balancing your books, consider finding an employee that brings these skills to the table. This will establish a more varied and capable team, enabling your business to progress in further growth.

    If you’re a small business owner, expanding from solopreneurship to having employees is a crucial step toward growth and sustainability. You can identify signs such as reduced productivity, insufficient time for strategic growth, increased customer demand and excessive workload to decide when to diversify your skillsets by hiring employees.

    Establishing a strong team of members who share your business’s values and mission is crucial for achieving sustained success. Skilled individuals can lead to discovering new prospects and driving your business forward, and by having more hands on deck and more minds problem solving, no doubt your business will head towards growth. Creating the right dynamic team is and will always be a challenge. Take your time and interview many people to fill key roles before actually hiring them. Ensuring you have the right people in the right seats on the bus will be critical to your success in being able to scale your company from a solo operation to a full-grown business.

    Jason Miller

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  • 10 Strategies to Hiring Your Dream Team | Entrepreneur

    10 Strategies to Hiring Your Dream Team | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The founding team lays the foundation for culture, processes and norms that will shape a company for years to come. With limited resources and high uncertainty in the early days, startups must maximize the collective intelligence, energy and motivation of their people. This requires forming a team of the right “culture-fits” who share the same vision and values and then fostering an environment of flexibility, autonomy, feedback and continuous learning.

    As an early employee or founder of a startup, forming the initial team falls on your shoulders. The people you hire in the first few months will significantly impact your company’s trajectory. So how do you recruit and develop the team that will propel your vision forward? Here are the top 10 things I believe you must consider.

    Related: How Your Company Culture Can Be a Force Multiplier (For the Good and the Bad)

    1. Hire people who share the same vision and values

    The most important factor for team cohesion is whether team members share the same vision and values for what the startup is trying to achieve. Discuss the company vision, goals and culture in detail during the hiring process. Bring candidates into discussions with the founding team to gauge their opinions and fit. Hiring the right culture fit is more important than hiring the best skills at the early stage.

    Related: How to Hire Someone Aligned With the Company’s Mission

    2. Focus on high effort and willingness to learn

    More than specific skill sets, look for candidates who demonstrate a high level of effort, willingness to learn and ability to adapt and grow. Early-stage startups require employees to learn new skills, pivot direction and handle multiple roles. Prioritize candidates who demonstrate a growth mindset, self-motivation,and initiative. You can teach skills but not attitudes.

    3. Build a flexibility-first organizational structure

    Rather than rigid roles and job descriptions, develop a flexible organizational structure where employees can wear multiple hats and take on new responsibilities as needed. Encourage team members to step up and volunteer when help is needed. Focus on outcomes over fixed tasks and micromanagement. Allow autonomy and trust people to get the job done.

    Related: Workplace Flexibility Can Impact How You Attract, Hire, And Retain Talent

    4. Form cross-functional, collaborative teams

    Break down silos between different functions like engineering, design, marketing, etc. Bring team members from diverse backgrounds together into collaborative project teams. Cross-functional teams foster communication, spark innovation and create a culture of sharing knowledge and helping one another. Look for candidates who demonstrate good collaboration and communication skills.

    5. Hire people smarter than yourself

    The best startup teams hire people who are smarter and more capable than the founders. Even if a candidate challenges your ideas, that can be good. Hire team members who can provide a different and valuable perspective, even if it means your initial vision needs to evolve. Your job as a leader is to synthesize the best ideas, not have all the answers from the start.

    Related: How to Find, Hire (and Fire!) Rockstar Employees

    6. Don’t be afraid of attitude, passion and ego

    While attitude and ego can cause issues in larger companies, they can be an asset in early-stage startups if channeled properly. Look for candidates who demonstrate passion and a competitive spirit. An element of healthy ego and ambition can provide the fire and motivation needed in the early stages. Just ensure you have the leadership skills to navigate any potential conflicts constructively.

    7. Build a feedback-first culture

    Establish processes and norms where team members freely share feedback with one another to improve and grow together as a unit. Schedule weekly one-on-ones and retrospectives where individuals can voice their opinions openly. A feedback-first culture allows everyone to bring their best ideas to the table and quickly course correct when needed. Transparency and psychological safety are key.

    8. Create a productive work environment

    Provide the tools, resources and workspace that allow employees to do their best work. This may mean flexible hours, coffee bars, game rooms, top-notch hardware and software, or whatever helps people stay productive and motivated. The details will differ for each team, so actively solicit feedback and experiment to find what works. A ‘hustle culture‘ itself is not productive — create an environment where people thrive.

    Related: Why Hustle Culture Might Be Toxic to Your Business

    9. Invest in meaningful teambuilding

    Schedule regular team outings, events and activities that allow employees to bond beyond work. Get to know each other on a personal level and build strong interpersonal relationships and trust. Team building should not feel forced – start small and organize events that team members genuinely enjoy. Seeing the human side of coworkers fosters empathy, collaboration and psychological safety.

    10. Lead by example and show vulnerability as a founder

    As a founder or early employee, set the tone from the top by rolling up your sleeves, taking on the toughest tasks, admitting mistakes and showing genuine appreciation and care for team members. Be vulnerable and honest about challenges and uncertainties. Leading by example and creating a transparent, humble culture will inspire others to give their best. Be careful not to take more credit than you deserve.

    As SnapBlooms continues to grow, we are mindful that our people and culture will ultimately determine our success or failure. And we foster an environment of transparency, feedback and experimentation to learn and adapt as an organization quickly. Our hope is that by following these principles, we can build an effective team culture that empowers us to revolutionize the floral industry.

    The right people are your most valuable resource as a founder. So invest heavily in recruiting, developing and keeping your early team members happy. The efforts you make now will pay enormous dividends as your startup scales and your initial team members become the culture carriers that onboard future hires!

    Murali Nethi

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