Blog
4 Types of Company Culture
By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator
There are many benefits to culture in business. Apart from creating higher revenue, culture can also improve teamwork and cooperation between employees. Not only is a strong company culture the foundation for retention, but it can help attract candidates as well. According to a statistic from Team Stage, 86% of job seekers avoid companies with a bad reputation. Below, we will breakdown the top 4 company cultures to help you identify your organizational structure.
Clan
Clan culture is a people-focused, “family-like,” collaborative environment. Companies who have a clan culture are action-oriented, embrace change, and have a flexible mindset. Leadership are advisors and mentorship opportunities are encouraged. In clan culture, relationships, participation, and company morale is at the forefront.
Adhocracy
Companies who have an adhocratic culture are innovators and risk-takers. Adhocratic culture creates an entrepreneurial environment for creative, energetic, fast-paced individuals. These companies are goal-oriented and visionaries with an emphasis on new ideas and individuality.
Market
If your company has a “winning” mindset, they probably operate under market culture. This high-pressure environment is focused on profitability and the “bottom line.” Companies with market culture are results-oriented, competitive, and have a growth mindset. Their success comes from their aggressive goals to be industry leaders.
Hierarchy
When you think of “corporate culture,” you’re thinking of hierarchy culture. This culture is structured, organized, and operates under a strategic set of procedures and policies. Within hierarchy culture, there is a clear chain of command and a vertical career advancement. Hierarchy culture is stable and reliable and employees who operate under this culture have a sense of security as expectations and working conditions are predictable in this traditional culture.
Culture has become an important topic for businesses. Company culture can be a valuable asset for both executives and their employees. Having a strong and positive culture attracts high-caliber employees and leads to a 33% revenue increase. Companies with strong cultures are associated with increased productivity, better employee engagement, and higher profitability. There are many more types of company cultures and neither of them are alike. Organizations who are building a strong culture at the forefront of their success plans may find that combining aspects may work best for their growth initiatives.
What Employers Want from Remote Employees
By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator
Nowadays, many companies operate with a hybrid structure. While they may have an office where employees can go to work, there’s also an option to work remotely. According to a statistic from Owl Labs, 62% of employees aged 22 to 65 say they work remotely. When hiring for remote roles, your ideal candidate should demonstrate a variety of characteristics that indicate their suitability for the position. Below are traits you should look for in your remote employees.
Motivated & Confident
When working remotely, one must be self-motivated. It’s the employee's responsibility to make sure they are staying on task and getting things done. You’re looking for a self-starter. Someone who sets goals and follows through. The remote employee must be able to move forward without someone looking over their shoulder. With that comes self-confidence and the initiative to meet the role-specific goals and company deadlines without constant confirmation.
Communicative & Collaborative
Since you don’t share a physical space, strong communication skills are a must have in your remote employees. Through either synchronous or asynchronous communication, you may be collaborating through email or text, so having a remote employee with strong written skills is important since there is no context for body language and tone. When managing a remote employee its important to have frequent updates and check-ins to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Adaptable & Organized
Part of working remotely requires the employee to be independently organized. The ideal candidate will have strong attention to detail and time management skills. This will help them to adapt to any situation. The ultimate remote employee will be resourceful and adaptable. They will have a flexible mindset and problem-solving attitude.
Since 2009, the number of people who work from home has risen 159% and it continues to rise. Due to fast advancements in technology and the increased value on flexible work, remote work seems to be a permanent fixture of today’s workplace. Although a few hiring managers may have doubts about remote work, 85% believe that hybrid teams of remote and in-office employees will be the norm in the future.
Talent Trends in Private Equity: Acquisition, Retention & Building Culture in Today’s Market
In the current market, the labor dynamic is ever-changing, and organizations with the best talent strategies win. The Healthcare Technology team at Direct Recruiters, Inc. had the opportunity to interview several leaders within the Private Equity Healthcare investment space to discuss their perspectives. Industry leaders shared knowledge and helpful insight on acquisition, retention and building culture for today’s hiring landscape.
Jump to Interviews:
DRI’s Healthcare Technology team recently had the opportunity to interview Virgil Bretz, CEO of MacroHealth. Offering helpful insight, Virgil shared thoughts on company culture, leadership, hiring, and the overall outlook of the healthcare IT landscape.
Founded in 2017, MacroHealth is on a mission to modernize healthcare, making purchasing and selling healthcare services simple and powerful for the healthcare finance professionals who are dedicated to guiding members and patients to the best care, at the best price, for the best outcomes. Through their innovative MacroHealth Intelligent ExchangeTM (MiX) platform, they enable health plans, self-insured employers, network organizations and providers to transparently collaborate on a single platform.
A first-of-its-kind SaaS platform, MiX leverages data science and industry standard interoperability to create an Intelligent Health Market™- a transparent digital healthcare ecosystem where all players able to easily leverage key data to make informed business decisions and collaborate with best-in-class partners, enabling them to win.
Virgil Bretz, CEO
MacroHealth
Talk about your company culture and what makes MacroHealth unique.
MacroHealth is a healthcare IT company creating an intelligent, SaaS solution to bring desperately needed optimization and connectivity in the U.S. healthcare industry. What’s unique about MacroHealth is that our team is located across the United States and Canada, and is a mash-up of people with deep healthcare and deep technology experience. We have had to work hard to bring all of these people together and align our mindsets to create one of our core values, which is “One Team:”
- We act as one team with our fellow MacroMates, customers and partners
- We value humility, low ego, and collaboration
- We are All for One, and One for All
We are proud that earlier this year, we were recognized as a 'Best Employer' for both the Province of BC, where most of our product engineering team resides, and nationally in Canada. MacroHealth tends to attract people for a couple of reasons: In MacroHealth’s stage of development, we are not an early start-up, as we have blue chip clients and GTM fit, but we are still in the start-up stage, and it is a very exciting time for our team. Professionals who don’t want to work in a huge company get the best of a start-up and a stable employer. In addition, MacroHealth attracts those who want to make a difference in healthcare. Our team’s work measurably improves healthcare access, reduces costs, and in the future will improve healthcare quality.
What are the main traits/experience you look for in leaders?
MacroHealth looks for people who can demonstrate the ability to be confident, strong-willed collaborators. These individuals have strong opinions but work well with a team for the benefit of the team first, always. In addition, we look for leaders with a track record of delivering on promises, with a sense of urgency. We have a term called ‘Macro Thinking,’ within our team which is keeping a growth mindset, and connecting the dots between their work, the work of our organization, working with our clients, and ultimately our responsibility to make healthcare better for everyone.
What is the biggest issue on your plate in regard to hiring?
Finding and earning great talent is a huge challenge! The broad acceptance of remote work has expanded the geographical market for where we can hire most of our roles. This increases the chances of fantastic two-way fits, where we can find the best possible person for MacroHealth while being the best possible job and team for our ideal candidates. On the other hand, with increased remote work, the team needs to work hard to understand who the new hire is, their style, and how effective they will be without working together in person. On another front, hiring was extremely competitive over the past two years, but this competitive pressure is easing slightly as we continue to hire while many organizations are holding or shrinking their teams.
What are the biggest trends you're seeing in healthcare technology?
Healthcare is driven by exploding costs, an aging population, incredible advances in medical science, and of course, a global pandemic. This is a time of incredible change in our industry. Focusing on healthcare information technology in particular, there are a few current trends to highlight.
- Consumer Experience: The recent announcement of Amazon buying One Medical is one more headline illustrating what most of us think: the healthcare consumer experience has a lot of room for improvement. Challenges to finding providers, scheduling, long wait times before, during, and after treatment, and unpredictable pricing are just some of the factors. It can often feel like consumers are working for the current healthcare system and not the other way around. Over the past year I have heard most of our clients and partners talking about IT solutions to improve customer experience and the member journey.
- Interoperability: Our industry still works on a pre-internet, pre-API, non-real time architecture. EDI and X.12 are decades old, and this is inhibiting real-time customer experiences. For example, imagine if you called an Uber, and its data updated once a day! That second-by-second, real-time experience would be impossible in most of the healthcare industry today, so a huge trend is transitioning to modern interoperability standards.
- Transparency: There is a bi-partisan, government-driven push to increase the transparency of contractual pricing between Payers and Providers. Consumers, but also even employers and other health plan sponsors, have far too little information about how much healthcare will cost before, during, or even shortly after a medical event.
Healthcare IT can make an incredible, positive difference on all of these issues.
What do you look for in a partnership with an executive search firm?
MacroHealth looks for an executive search firm to invest time to understand us and our team. We look for a high EQ on understanding cultural fit. In addition, our partners need to have a proven ability to find and earn trust with passive candidates, which is hard. We look for them to focus on timely delivery and completion.
Christian Kurth, Vice President
JMI Equity
Christian Kurth, Vice PresidentWhat are the main traits/experience you look for in leaders?
We look for leaders with a strong track record of success in their prior work experience. That is goal #1. An added benefit is if that individual has domain expertise – we love finding leaders that have grown up in an industry or have “lived experience” in a particular space or sector. This allows them to clearly articulate and anticipate the trends, dynamics, challenges, and opportunities of that particular industry better than we as outside investors could. Executives need to do many things, including setting strong goals and a vision for their company and effectively leading people, but to me, the most important trait is self-awareness. No one is a superstar in every aspect of their job – leaders that identify where they excel and where they need to lean on the strengths of their team are the most effective in my experience.
What is the biggest issue on your plate in regard to hiring?
Speed. We are coming out of the most competitive labor market in recent history (maybe ever) where demand for talent has outweighed supply and employee fluidity has been at an all-time high. It is increasingly difficult to, 1.) hire well, and 2.) do so quickly. We work with our portfolio companies on building efficient and repeatable recruiting and interviewing processes so they can extend offers to candidates swiftly and with conviction. This is a critical component of scaling growth stage companies, as organizations with best-in-class talent lifecycles outgrow their competition.
How are you helping employees avoid burnout?
Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet answer to this question. That said, I’ve been incredibly impressed with the creativity exhibited by our portfolio companies around this topic. Some unique ideas include, picking a day for no internal meetings (i.e., no Zoom meetings on Fridays) or shortening internal meetings all together (i.e., doing 45-minutes vs. an hour to give people time to recharge in between meetings). It’s also critically important to have a robust benefits program available to employees, including a defined employee mental health strategy and resources that are actively promoted and easily accessible. Finally, it’s essential that leaders, and especially front-line managers, exhibit empathy and ensure flexibility for their teams. The traditional 9 to 5 is becoming a somewhat antiquated practice, so exhibiting flexibility and empowering employees to take control of their daily work schedule can go a long way in reducing burnout.
What do you think is going to be the next big innovation in healthcare technology?
I’m not sure if this is as much an innovation vs. a trend, but I believe there will be a renewed focus on clinical efficacy and quality as the digital health market matures. The pandemic spurred a tidal wave of innovation as virtual-first care took off to meet the needs of patients and members who were isolated or unable to access traditional care modalities – mental / behavioral health being probably the best example. While the growth in virtual care has greatly expanded access to care, I believe the conversation will shift from focusing on access to focusing on clinical efficacy and outcomes. The digital health vendors that can consistently deliver superior care quality and outcomes will rise to the top and achieve lasting market leadership.
Gordon Crenshaw, Principal
Blue Heron Capital
What are the main traits/experience you look for in leaders?
As a baseline, we look for leaders with a track record of success in their prior work experience. A history of promotions and extended periods of time within the same organization are key. We orient ourselves to references more than anything, both from managers as well as the individuals that a leader managed. We like both top-down references as well as bottom-up references. Ultimately, we look for executives as leaders of people, so experience and track record of how a leader manages people and how he or she manages up is extremely important.
What are your onboarding best practices to ease the transition between companies?
We hope the new leaders of our companies get inundated with as much information as early and often as possible, participating in meetings on day 1 and integrating them into the workflow of a business. With that being said, we want that period of time to be reserved for listening and learning; a little bit of walk before you run. It is difficult not to fall into the trap with a new leader of sprinting towards some company objective or goal, but if you are hiring talented leaders, you want them to be able to weigh in on if we are even running in the right direction in the first place.
What do you think is the greatest cause for turnover?
We think the greatest causes of turnover, especially in new hires, are not some of the most obvious, like compensation or culture clashes. What we see as the greatest cause is not being crystal clear on expectations of the job requirement. It’s critical that the preparation for a new hire includes spending a significant amount of time on the job req, roles and responsibilities, as well as making sure the board and leadership team are rowing in the same direction in terms of what will be asked of a new leader or employee. We find that it is this misalignment of what a candidate believes the job is versus what it actually is that is the biggest cause of turnover.
What do you look for when partnering with an executive search firm?
The key word in the question is ‘partner.’ You have to take the viewpoint that your executive search firm is not just a service provider but someone that will work collaboratively with you to build the best organization possible from a talent perspective. At the stage we invest in (early stage, growth stage businesses), many of our leadership teams don’t have significant experience working with an executive search firm, so it is a learning process. We don’t just want our executive search firm to identify great candidates and get to an offer as quickly as possible. We want help with that initial leg work of designing and implementing an effective process. The key for us is a partnership mentality with a great executive search firm.
What is the biggest issue on your plate in regard to hiring?
Given the incredibly tight labor market we’ve been in for the past several years, access to great candidates has been a challenge, but it always will be. We live in a competitive world. For our early-stage businesses, speed is the most challenging aspect of the hiring process. Given the way we like our companies to hire, the importance of culture, the importance of clearly defining expectations of the job, and making sure we don’t miss on a new hire, it has been difficult to keep up with the pace with which people will meet a candidate and lob in an offer. Ultimately, we’re in the people business, and you win or lose based on talent. So, for us right now, speed is the most challenging aspect of the hiring market.
How to Speed Up the Hiring Process
By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator
In the current candidate-driven market, the name of the game is speed. The traditional hiring process can be a long, drawn-out process that frustrates everyone involved. There are good reasons for taking your time during the hiring process like adequately comparing candidates or finding the best cultural fit. But if the hiring process takes too long, candidates might move on to other offers. It is necessary to move with speed and agility within your hiring process to keep candidates interested. As hiring experts, DRI is here to provide you with the key ways to streamline and ultimately shorten your hiring process.
Cut out Unnecessary Steps
It seems like a no brainer, but this first step will be crucial to streamlining your process. Take a close look at your hiring process to discover any bottlenecks or tasks that take a long time. Eliminate any unnecessary steps in your process. For example, if you have candidates fill out a 5-page questionnaire that takes an average of 5 days to return, you might want to revaluate if all the questions on the form are necessary.
Utilize Technology
In the midst of the pandemic, we saw an increase in digital interview tools that are still rising in popularity today. By utilizing email, text messaging, social media, and video, you can meet candidates where they are. Perhaps there are limitations on scheduling face-to-face interviews, and in that case, consider scheduling a video call. This also eliminates travel cost and time, ultimately creating a faster, simpler, more cost-efficient way to screen candidates. When you are more flexible with a candidate’s availability to communicate, you will get quicker responses and confirmed interest sooner.
Streamline the interview process
How many interviews is your organization putting candidates through? For entry-level and associate positions, two interviews will often suffice. For executive and C-suite positions, an additional interview may be appropriate. Much more than that and you run the risk of losing top talent. Many times, the root of the issue lies in conflicting schedules. Make sure all those involved have interview days blocked off so the process can move forward smoothly and succinctly.
Speeding up the hiring process without losing the quality of the process will deliver long-term value to your organization. For an added value, work closely with a recruiter to assist you in attracting quality candidates for your roles. At DRI, we build a customized recruiting strategy that fits your organization. We understand that your time is valuable, so we work hard to understand your company to find you the best organizational fit. By making changes like the ones outlined above, you are guaranteed to speed up your hiring process and create an interview process that makes everyone’s lives easier.
Returning to Work After Parental Leave
April 28, 2022
By Christy Pashkovskiy, Director of Marketing
Returning to work after an extended leave can be a tough process. Those with the luxury of family leave time after the birth or adoption of a child may be out of the office and out of their work routine for months, so the transition back can be intimidating. With preparation and managing expectations with yourself, your supervisor and your team, returning to work can be a manageable and even rewarding experience.
Below we have outlined helpful tips for employees to make a happy, productive, and successful return to work after leave, as well as best practices for companies to assist employees in the transition back.
Employee Return to Work Basics
Start planning for your return to work at the end of your leave. While it may seem daunting, preparation is key to a smooth transition back to work. Below are six things to do before your first day back.
- Reach out to your HR department. In some situations, there may be paperwork to fill out, the need for a healthcare provider sign-off, and confirmation of the date you are starting back. Discuss any questions and/or concerns you have with your HR manager.
- Call your immediate supervisor. Instead of waiting until your first day back, give your boss a quick call to communicate when you will be returning, and share any changes to your schedule that may need addressed.
- Get in touch with members of your team. To ease yourself back into the work culture, have a few conversations with co-workers to catch up on current projects and any major changes that may have happened since you have been gone.
- Lock in your childcare plans. An obvious, but sometimes difficult task, deciding on the right care for your child may be one of the most important things to figure out before your return to work. Be sure to test out your options and line up back up plans. You also may need to write out important contact info for the childcare provider, and details about your child that are necessary to know (such as sleep and eating routines, allergies, etc.).
- Develop a plan for pumping if needed. Those who breastfeed may need to put together a plan and schedule to do so. Important points to cover with your employer are scheduled pump breaks and a private space to pump. If this applies to you, organize your intended process and make sure that you have a bag for your pump, storage for milk, water and brainstorm snacks to take into work.
- Go through a practice run. Maintaining a routine will help both you and your child to adjust to your return to work. Going through your new process as a trial run will give you the time to work out anything unexpected and help you develop the right routine for your family. Think about things like dinner prep and your personal work wardrobe. Anything that can be simplified will help you in the long run.
Employee Mental Health
Anyone who has gone on parental leave and returned to work will tell you that it has its challenges. Some adapt easier than others but being in a good mental state and getting the help you need to accomplish that is important for you to put your best foot forward.
- Manage expectations with your employer. Have a discussion with your boss and ask for flexibility if needed whether you need to work different hours, consider part-time or a different flexible arrangement.
- Reach out to others who are going or have gone through the same situation. Friends or co-workers who have also gone on leave and returned to work can be a great support system and offer helpful advice in successfully returning.
- Make time for yourself. If you are emotionally drained, returning to work will be even more challenging. Try to get rest when you can and take time to do something fun for yourself periodically, even if it is something small.
- Expect change. You may feel a range of emotions as you transition back to work. Give yourself grace and know that it may not feel the same as it did before. You will create new routines and habits that work best for you and your family.
Employer Best Practices
As outlined above, returning employees have likely been out of work long enough to have significant obstacles and challenges to overcome in their return. To ease the stress and have a better chance of retaining these employees, there are various steps employers can take to make their return to work a better process.
- Offer substantial leave. While there are numerous caveats surrounding parental leave, companies who offer an attractive leave policy have a better chance of retaining high-performing employees. A paid leave policy with plenty of time off is a great way to stand out among your competition as an employer.
- Communicate. Although people who are on leave may be busy with a new child, it is important for employers to check in periodically throughout leave to understand how the employee is feeling and where they are mentally. This communication should continue and increase as the return-to-work date gets closer. Even a running document of updates, new projects, team wins, and more is helpful to put together for a returning employee.
- Offer flexibility for those returning to work. As mentioned above, employees may be more comfortable with a flexible schedule, remote work or other work arrangements upon going back to work. Some companies even build in a transition period with returning employees working part-time for a number of weeks before going back to full-time. Employers who are understanding of new circumstances for their employees and build in flexibility will reap the benefits when it comes to retention and employee engagement.
- Encourage support and community. Many employees will go through a leave time period and return to work at some point in their careers. Employers can help to set up sharing groups between these employees to help them overcome challenges, exchange advice and have discussions.
Parental leave is an important topic to consider for employees at their current organization, those searching for new roles, and the employers themselves. With time and thought, the return-to-work process can be successful for both the employee and employer.
Benefits of Job Searching with a Recruiter
Headhunters, Career Consultants, Unicorn Finders. Whatever you call them, recruiters are in high demand as the surge of open roles overtakes the lack of talent in the candidate pool. As a candidate in this market, you’re probably receiving calls, emails, text messages, and more from various recruiters who are trying to pitch you a role they’re working on. If you’re searching for a change in your career, here are 5 reasons why you should work with a recruiter on your next job search.
Additional Opportunities
Due to the high-impact nature of their available roles, employers don’t advertise their available positions and instead elect to work with a recruiter to source potential candidates. As a job seeker, if you choose to work with a recruiter during your search, you’re more likely to have access to those prized roles.
Save Time
Finding a job can be a long, tedious, and sometimes frustrating process but by establishing a working relationship with a recruiter you can save time and energy in your job search. As recruiters, our job is to find candidates whose background and experience match our open roles. We streamline the process for you and only offer opportunities you would be well-suited for.
Expert Advice
At DRI, we pride ourselves on being industry experts. This means we understand the culture, role, and expectations of your intended employer. We’re here to coach you through your interview and negotiation process to help you land your dream role. With over 39 years of experience in interviewing, consulting, coaching, and negotiating, we can confidently offer you advice and insight to help you land your dream role.
Confidentiality
Many times, candidates are looking for new opportunities while still employed. When you opt to work with a recruiter, you can ensure that there is little to no risk of your current employer finding out as we don’t blast your resume out where your employer could potentially find it.
Shared Interest in Your Success
When working with a recruiter, you can be sure that you both have the same goal: to place you in a job that is a perfect fit. Recruiters are invested in your success as it guarantees an accomplishment for us as well. We’re not here to waste your time as our end goal is find a career match for you.
A good recruiter will help to alleviate the stress of job searching, not add more. At Direct Recruiters, our team of recruiting experts are dedicated to helping you find the best career fit for you. If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to our team of talented recruiters today.
#BreakTheBias this International Women’s Day
March 8, 2022
By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition, bias is “an inclination of temperament or outlook especially a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment.” Biases, even those unconsciously promoted, are hurtful to the marginalized community that the bias represents. This International Women’s Day, #BreakTheBias invites society to stand up against judgments and stereotypes and celebrate a world of gender equality where being different is valued.
In a perfect world, once industries achieve gender balance, bias will decrease and gender gaps will close but it’s not that simple. Women account for 47.7% of the global workforce but only 27.1% of women hold leadership roles. Despite the fact that women score higher than men on 17 of the 19 most important leadership skills, according to a survey from Harvard Business Review. People tend to think that having more women present is all that’s needed to promote change, but traditional organizational structures and systems need to change to benefit everyone. Below are 3 ways to combat workplace bias to create a more inclusive company culture.
Turn the Unconscious into Conscious
Biases are so ingrained in our society and culture that many people don’t realize they are contributing to harmful stereotypes. The first step is to make people aware of how what they are saying or doing is harmful to the subject. While sometimes uncomfortable, this is an important first step in rewriting the narrative to be more inclusive. By having these conversations, (yes more than one is necessary), you empower those around you to reflect on their thoughts and actions and actively work to be more inclusive to those around them.
Control How Others View You (And How You View Yourself)
As women, we can also promote stereotypes by feeding into narratives about women in the workplace. We must combat these stereotypes with deliberate strategies to empower ourselves and others. It’s important to know your skill sets and boundaries. Knowing what you bring to the table and your self-worth can help to inspire confidence as a leader. That includes saying no. Many times, we are hesitant to say “No” due to our ingrained people-pleasing nature. To be recognized by the executive team, we overload ourselves with tasks and projects to equal or exceed our male counterparts’ contributions.
This can lead to burnout and mental health issues. According to a 2021 statistic from McKinsey, 42% of US female workers suffer from burnout, compared to only 35% of their male coworkers. Overall, burnout statistics and the rise of chronic mental illness has only intensified due to the idea of “always on” culture promoted and strengthened by the pandemic and remote working.
Find Allies and Be an Ally
Friends and mentors are important for everyone but especially for women in the workplace. Align yourself with like-minded individuals with similar goals to dismantle exclusive systems. McKinsey states that “women are twice as likely to do DE&I work, especially surrounding recruitment, and more likely to be allies to women of color compared to men.” Today, it is extremely important for people in leadership positions to inspire, mentor, and support those not in positions of power to create a more equitable and inclusive workplace culture.
Cherie Shepard, Partner and Founder of DRI’s Women’s Group shares why it’s so important to have a group dedicated to the empowerment of women.
"In conversations with the women in our organization, they share their gratitude and appreciation for having a Women's Group. It allows them to create and cultivate relationships with the women of Direct Recruiters – regardless of industry or station. The times we set aside throughout the year for our meetings and activities allow us to bond as a team, especially with a hybrid and remote workforce. This is a reminder that we are together; working to raise one another up and share in each other's successes and life events. These are the touchstones we have to remind one another that we are here for each other.”
In the end, dismantling these systems that no longer service the modern workplace is a job for men and women alike. Confront your biases, include women and POC in conversations, and work towards a common goal to create a more diverse and equitable corporate culture. This International Women’s Day, I urge you to reflect on your thoughts and actions and actively make a change to #BreakTheBias.
2022 Recruiting Trends to Win the War on Talent
December 23, 2021
By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator
2021 is wrapping up quickly and what a whirlwind it has been! As we reflect on all the hiring challenges we have faced, we look towards the future and predict what trends will be happening in 2022. While each trend is uniquely adopted by any organization, below are 5 trends that Direct Recruiters is predicting will affect your hiring procedures in 2022.
It’s Still a Candidate Driven Market
As 2021 comes to an end, the lack of available candidates and the surplus of jobs will carry into the new year. Many employers need the same skillset and talents, so candidates have multiple options from many different places. This has created an opportunity for candidates to leverage better salary and benefits and employers have no choice but to comply. Recruiters and talent acquisition specialists must work harder to standout against the influx of calls, messages, and emails. In 2022, expect to see more creative recruiting tactics. This could include better sourcing tactics, more data driven marketing, or stronger brand communication. In the end, those who move quickly to secure qualified candidates will win the war on talent.
Focus on Retention
In the last few months, we have seen an increase in The Great Resignation as many employees leave their jobs to pursue other opportunities. In an already strained labor shortage, losing these valuable employees creates an even greater issue. 2022 will ensure a renewed focus on employee engagement to increase retention and loyalty. A testament to strong company culture will be less about making the office a fun place and more about ensuring all employees feel seen and heard by their colleagues and managers. The organizations with strong values and a plan to invest in employees will succeed in the competitive market.
The Future of Ai and Automation
Even with new stresses and challenges, resilient recruiters are adapting to the ever-changing market. With the help of AI and Automation, recruiters can use more tools to access more of the available market. Using Ai tools to source, screen, schedule, and chat with candidates during the hiring process allows recruiters to draw in a larger candidate pool for the hiring managers to choose from.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are Must Haves
Employees continue to align themselves with organizations who reflect their own morals. In 2022, companies will realize that diversity and inclusion isn’t just a feel-good initiative but is central to a company’s success. According to McKinsey’s Diversity Wins report, companies in the upper quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity on executive teams were 33% more likely to have industry-leading profitability. And companies in the upper quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 21% more likely to outperform on profitability and 27% more likely to have superior value creation. DE&I is becoming increasingly prioritized within organizations who are in search of people to fill roles like “Chief Diversity Officer”, and “Head of Diversity & Inclusion”. Hiring diverse candidates and being transparent in your DE&I efforts will help your company succeed in 2022 and beyond.
Remote is Here to Stay
Many companies postponed their returns to the office this past year and they’re in no hurry to return in 2022 either. Remote hiring, onboarding, and working is here to stay. By hiring remotely, you have access to a larger and more diversified talent pool by not limiting to location. You are also able to recruit, hire, and onboard candidates faster using digital supplemental materials like training videos and virtual meetings.
No matter the industry you are in, change is unavoidable. By understanding the trends that will shape the workforce in 2022, hiring managers and organizations will be in a better position to face the challenges head on.
Best Practices for Quitting a Job You Just Started
December 16, 2021
By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator
Starting a new job can create mixed emotions. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed with feelings of excitement and anxiety but what happens when the excitement fades and the anxiety remains? Admitting you made the wrong choice in choosing to accept a job can be scary and finding out the job doesn’t meet your expectations can be disappointing. Before beginning the job resignation process, reflect and make sure that there are no other options. In the end, you have to move forward. Here’s how to diffuse the situation in the best way possible
Resign In Person… but also In Writing
You will need to draft a resignation letter when quitting your job for it to be considered official. When writing your resignation letter, make sure to use professional language. If you include a reason, make sure it acceptable. You should avoid criticizing comments about the company or coworkers. It is standard to give at least two weeks’ notice, however it is recommended to render a month of service before the resignation date to give your employer time to find a suitable replacement.
Have an Action Plan
Leaving a job after only a few months is tricky but sometimes it’s the best option. Make sure you have a plan in place that reflects the reality of starting the job search over. While two weeks is considered standard, a company is not obligated to keep you on or pay your notice after a short tenure. Make sure your prepared to potentially lose your income on the day of resignation.
Honesty is the Best Policy
An exit interview is standard for any resignations. These are designed to help your employer understand what happened so they can improve in the future. Be honest with your employer in a professional and respectful manner. Many times, people may choose to leave a job due to office environment, management team, or job tasks not being what was promised. Be prepared to explain why you’re leaving and offer any feedback to assist the company in the future.
Whether you have plans to stay within in the same industry or not, it’s best to avoid burning bridges. Finish the time at your job with a positive and professional attitude. Sometimes the jobs we end up with don’t meet expectations or sometimes it isn’t a good fit. It’s not illegal to quit this quickly so when you find yourself resenting your current position, its best to get back out there and keep looking. For both employer and employee, it’s better to cut the relationship off soon after discovering that it just doesn’t work.
DRI Interviews Stephanie Daley, VP of Market Expansion at Wana Brands
Medical Cannabis Practice Leader, Max Resnik, recently interviewed Stephanie Daley, VP of Market Expansion at Wana Brands, as part of our Thought Leader Interview series. Max and Stephanie discuss business acquisitions, the expedited growth of Wana Brands, cannabis misconceptions and the future of the cannabis market. Watch the full interview in the video below.