Hiring in 2022: Overcoming The Virtual Shift

The past two years have imposed many obstacles for businesses adapting to the online shift of the pandemic. While this has become our new reality, companies are embracing this opportunity of being able to work from different locations. While some have been able to work from home, others have not been as fortunate.

Canada had a spike in unemployment rates at the start of the pandemic, and the country being shut down provided challenges for people to find work. These rates have dropped over recent times, but the shift to remote work may be something that is here to stay, making it worthwhile to learn about the trends of hiring remotely.

With millions of Canadians and over 70% of U.S workers doing their jobs from home, the majority of the North American market is now virtual. For a business to keep up with this shift, they need to ensure they are hiring individuals capable of operating in this new norm. Being unable to operate at the level expected will be detrimental to someone looking for a job in these times. Remote work requires the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively in an online setting. As a leader, you must be able to trust that your employees will be able to do so.

With so many people looking for jobs and some employees leaving their position for opportunities elsewhere or retiring because of the pandemic, your company will inevitably undergo online interviews. Online interviewing is not as formal as an in-person interview, yet remote hiring still requires you to look for all the qualities you would look for in an in-person interview.

Remember that even once you’ve hired someone, the online onboarding process will take time. It is important to use your emotional intelligence to assess the areas in which your employee will need the most coverage and attention. This major shift leads us to a point where we need to consider the hiring trends for this year. What can make your business stand apart in your talent acquisition?

Embrace Working Remotely

To get a sense of just how popular remote work is becoming, statistics show that almost 85% of employees find it extremely beneficial. This same study found more than half to admit they were more productive while working remotely. No matter what industry you’re in, competing this year will require your business to have a strong system for remote work. To operate this effectively, your company must have policies and training for employees to use these online platforms. Again, the onboarding process in this manner will be challenging. This is a major reason to have systems in place which relay the methods of operations to all employees.

When meeting with candidates, ask them their background with remote platforms or if they have any experience with the ones your organization uses. Another important focus point, you should pay attention to candidates' comfort being on camera. Working remotely will require individuals to be on camera for meetings, calls, presentations, whatever it may be, to ensure they can handle themselves on camera. While employees may be working in the comfort of their own domestic spaces, they are still representing the company with how they conduct themselves in the remote workplace.

DEI Initiatives

A workplace that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) will not only benefit their public image but also stand out to those looking for jobs. It will be worthwhile to bring this up in an interview to see how the candidate understands DEI in the modern workplace. Someone who shares this support will boost morale in the online environment, making it easier for team members to collaborate.

Keep in mind, even though you may be operating your business online, employee satisfaction needs to be standard practice. Also, while you may be in the power seat of offering someone a job, there needs to be an attraction for candidates to want to join your team. This should entice any company to have DEI efforts, especially considering almost 80% of workers say it is important for them to work in an environment that promotes diversity and inclusion. High-quality employees come for a position that will make them feel comfortable and able to express themselves.

Hybrid Work Opportunities

One method to consider looking into is a hybrid work model, which combines a balance of office days and remote workdays. The benefit to this model is the flexibility it allows employees, contrary to the phrase being “cooped up in the office”. Hybrid work gives freedom to employees to increase their overall well-being which is important in a time when mental health is so commonly talked about.

As an employer, you want to make sure you are offering a position that will make employees feel excited about their jobs and not trapped in a position of discomfort. Many candidates today are looking for positions that promote work-life balance, if this is something your organization can provide, it will be a big driver in applicants. Employers will notice improvements in their teams' productivity as well, this model has shown benefits in employee engagement. 

Conclusion

As we are emerging from times of COVID-19, we are not leaving without changes that the pandemic left us with. Remote work is something that saved our economy, as well as the mental well-being for some. This put in perspective that employees don’t need to commute to an office to do work, they can be just as efficient from home. As a result, organizations can bring in talent from just about anywhere.

People are becoming more creative with what they can accomplish in this digitalized world. With the availability of being able to hire from just about anywhere, job candidates are becoming more in demand. The creativity we’ve seen accompanied by the digital shift is bringing out talent never seen before. If you are looking to hire someone like this, what can you offer?

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!

Leadership Methods: Taking Control

Leadership is a privileged position to be in, apart from the day-to-day care that we show ourselves and the work we put in which makes us look good. In a leadership role, this attention is dispersed among the members of your team, you are included, but you have to be far more attentive. Leading people is not something just anyone can do, this is a role that takes mental toughness and real-life experience to carry out tasks based on a vision.

Leadership involves acting in the best interest of the group as a whole and tending to the needs of members of the team. This can be difficult, especially when there are members who aren’t pulling their weight or are falling behind. However, leadership is not a place for blame, you as the leader are responsible for any and everything that goes on within your operation. This is a testing position, it will require you to maintain a high level of emotional intelligence. With that being said, here are seven pieces of advice that can help you lead to the best of your ability.

1. Take Accountability, Don’t Look For Blame

When an issue arises, you need to take accountability for what went wrong. It’s easy to say “well this person didn’t do this” but what you need to say is “I didn’t prepare this person to handle this, let me change that”. If you point fingers at your team, they will start to lose interest in being led by you and the task at hand. Instead, use your emotional intelligence to assess where there is room for improvement and apply action.

2. You Set Your Standard

If an underperforming member remains in a position that is hurting your objective, this is your fault, not theirs. What you allow to happen is your standard, not what you would like to happen. Leaders all have ideals for the way their operation should run and they consider that to be their standard. Their actual standard is evident in the way their operation is running and the efforts they are taking to improve. In short, if you allow mediocrity on your team then your standards for results are mediocre.

3. Everyone Must Be All In

Communication is everything, it is crucial to communicate the reasoning behind tasks so that team members are invested to get it done. It is also important to communicate and handle issues as a team when they arise. When your team knows what is trying to be accomplished, their productivity improves. This all stems from communicating and ensuring that everyone knows what is expected of them. It also means that you must know what is expected of yourself as a leader. Again, you are responsible for the outcome, examine the areas of importance, and review them with your team.

4. The Task Must Be Easy To Understand, But That Doesn’t Make It Easy

It must be made sure that the members understand the plan as straightforward. However, this doesn’t mean that it will be a breeze to conduct. Members must be willing to endure the struggle associated with the task. 

5. Set Your Priorities

The to-do list will get long and stressful situations will arise, handling this properly will determine the productivity of your team. It is best to prioritize the most pressing tasks first and then complete the rest the same way. By doing this, you prevent multi-tasking, which is a killer to productivity and will only create more, unnecessary stress.

6. Give Team Members Responsibility

Over time, after credibility and communication skills have been established, trust your team members to make decisions. This will make them feel valued and demonstrate that you trust their judgment. Decentralizing authority will motivate your team and allow you to focus on other areas more closely. Giving your team members responsibility will allow them to improve and achieve more in their future endeavors. 

7. Build Self-Discipline

Every day is an opportunity to achieve, but every day provides challenges that can inhibit your effectiveness. Start the day with something you don’t want to do, wake up early, and don’t look at your phone for 30 minutes. Take that time to instead get a head start on the day as opposed to checking your socials. An act like this will demonstrate your self-control and allow you to carry that throughout the day. This will translate into your decision-making and productivity as the day progresses. Ultimately, put yourself in uncomfortable situations to grow and make yourself better, then use it to make the people around you better.

Conclusion

Good leaders can create amazing things in this world, more than that they can inspire people to better themselves and achieve. Having this impact is a privilege that is earned, not given, and takes very mentally equipped individuals. So whether you are the CEO of a company, the captain of a team, a teacher, or any sort of role model, you are paving the way for others. The results of which do not come from those you lead, they come from your ability to lead them.

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!

Business Presentations: How You Can Succeed

If you work in a company, are a student, or even a business executive, the most beneficial skill you can have is being a good presenter. Presentations often are the lead determiner to the majority of decisions made in a company. Presenting effectively can set your career on a trajectory to high-level positions. As a result, if you are a great presenter, you will thrive in communication skills and form relationships, leading to opportunity. 

Oftentimes, speaking in front of people can create anxiety, especially when presenting to a boss, professor, or classroom. It’s important to know that this is a normal feeling when going into any situation that entails an unknown outcome. The first step is to recognize this feeling not as anxiousness, but as excitement. Anxiety and excitement are relatively the same feelings, yet one connects to negativity. Embrace the feeling, but recognize it as exciting to give you an added layer of confidence before going into these next 5 steps:

Know Your Material

Before you speak to your audience, make sure that you understand your information perfectly. Using things like cue cards is helpful to grab information and slides for your audience to see a representation of what you’re talking about, but you cannot rely on them alone. Practice and familiarize yourself with what it is you’re talking about, why it’s important, and what the intended outcome is. This will heavily benefit you in keeping your audience engaged and persuading them to rationalize with your intent. 

Be Passionate

It’s one thing to know your material, but presenting it with enthusiasm is what separates good from great. Your audience will easily lose interest if you are monotone, standing tight, and treating it like it is truly just a job to you. You must loosen up, use body language, own the room, this will demonstrate that you believe in what you are saying and truly care. Do not read from a slide, this is the easiest way to lose an audience's attention and your credibility as a presenter. Simply use the visuals as a background piece to display simple information and not blocks of text, you are adding a visual to the words you are saying.

Arrive Early

Familiarize yourself with the space in which you will be presenting. Make sure all technical equipment is working or charged, also practice using the equipment. This is extremely beneficial to prevent technical errors that could disrupt your presentation. It is best to arrive 30 minutes to an hour before the presentation. A practice run before is also beneficial. Aside from the benefits of preparation, this will express your care for your cause. It will also give you a chance to possibly meet your audience or the ones responsible for the organization of the event.

A Strong Introduction

Catch your audience's attention early, use facts, stats, or even a story that is sure to grasp their attention. I’m sure you’ve heard of the importance of first impressions. In the case of public speaking, this can make or break a presentation. There are numerous creative ways to construct a good introduction, as the presenter, it is up to you to decide which best fits your content. As well, once the introduction is developed, the rest of the content can be built around it. 

Add Humor, When Necessary

When presenting, it is always a good idea to break up detailed stats and information with something that can make the audience enjoy themselves. This creates a form of bond with your audience that makes them view the presentation less strictly, giving emotional relief. Tailor your approach to the audience and find subtle ways that work well with your material to slip in humor. It is also a cognitive effect called the humorous effect that allows people to better retain information when they find it funny.

Conclusion

Speaking in public can be difficult, nerves can overtake your thought process and cause you to stress out. It is important to know that this is normal, but it is more important to know that practicing the advice you just read will have you prepared to succeed. Mastering the skill of presenting effectively will open doors in your career. It will put you in a position to feel free in whatever it is you do, as you are expressing your thoughts.

Do not shy away from uncomfortable situations, this is what makes people grow into the best version of themselves. At the end of the day, if you are confident in your beliefs and decisions, you will live a very fulfilled life. It is up to you if you want to be like the majority who shy away from discomfort, or take on a position of power, what will it be?

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!