Spring is a time to let fresh ideas blossom and challenge the status quo. Take the hiring process. There are some parts that are downright unpleasant. Never hearing back from an organization after what you thought was a successful interview? Frustrating. Being asked to participate in multiple rounds of interviews and complete a skills assessment or assignment with an unrealistic time expectation? Exhausting. Feeling completely unsure how to respond to questions from your potential future supervisor? Stressful. Thankfully, some of these negative aspects of the hiring process are starting to shift for the better, bringing a measure of transparency [...]

Just about every candidate, recruiter, team leader, and employee we talk to agrees that the onboarding process is a crucial time for any new members of the team.  It might seem straightforward to put together a plan for the first week or two, then have a check-in after 30 days, but effective onboarding plans take real work, require commitment on the part of new employees and their team leaders alike, and may extend across a period of several months. To that end, we’re offering up two sets of guidance in this blog post: one for the person who is [...]

Heading back to work (literally or virtually) after a break can help bring fresh perspectives to what you want out of your position. Today we want to focus on helping you achieve your goals around “upskilling” at your current job; that is, training programs and other development opportunities that support employees’ continuous learning and improvement. Many organizations have established a workplace culture where requests such as professional development dollars only occur during an annual performance review.  This can put staff in the unfortunate position of feeling powerless to negotiate aspects of their total compensation package outside of that one [...]

We’ll Make Sure You Don’t “Leaf” Anything Out Congrats! You just heard back from a recruiter, HR member, or hiring manager that you’re being invited to a call to discuss a position you’ve applied for. Your resume stood out from the rest, and you’re excited to move forward with the process.  And then…the panic sets in. Okay, “panic” might be a strong word, but for many of us, that first conversation with a potential future employer can be at least mildly stressful.  That’s why today we’re going to break down the two types of initial calls or meetings [...]

By: Chiyomi McKibbin Whether you’ve identified what you want to pursue as your next opportunity, or you are still trying to narrow down what’s next, we suggest asking people, who have a job title or career path that you’re seeking, to engage in a short “informational interview.”  An informational interview is basically just a conversation. It’s a low-pressure way for you to ask questions about what they do, what aspects of their job they like, some of the things they wish they didn’t have to do, and how they got to where they are. Particularly when you’re in the [...]