Top 20 Interview Questions to Ask a Sales Executive

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Sales roles in particular have some of the highest turnover rates when compared to any other department or industry. Because of this, it’s important to productively utilize your time interviewing, on-boarding, and training a new sales executive. As a hiring manager, it’s crucial you go into each interview as prepared as possible in order to make the best decision.

Asking the right questions during an interview will lead to key insights you’ll need when weighing the options. Information related to the role, company culture, and a candidate’s work ethic are all important to touch on. Use this list of interview questions as your guide next time you’re hiring a sales executive. You may be surprised to see what insights you’re able to gain when you dive deeper than the stale “walk me through your sales experience” type of inquiries.

Sales Executive Interview Guide

Personality & Relationship Skills:

1. What’s your favorite part of a sales job/process? Least favorite?

This response will offer key insight when fitting candidates to your exact sales role. For example, if the role you’re looking to fill is 60% cold calling/prospecting and the candidate replies with this being their least favorite – the role most likely isn’t a fit. Often, sales executives will shy away from admitting something they don’t enjoy in fear of not coming across as a team player. There are multiple ways to frame this ask if you don’t think you’re getting a straightforward answer from a candidate. Asking “In your last position, how much time did you spend cultivating customer relationships versus hunting for new clients? Did you enjoy that?” often does the trick.

2. If you asked your manager what your biggest strength and weakness is, what would they say?

Asking sales executives about their strengths and weaknesses may seem like a basic interview task but it’s common for a reason. Framing this from the perspective of their current or previous manager will give you even more insight to their past experiences. This will also shed light on the candidate’s confidence level in those roles. Often, sales executives will dodge the weakness aspect of the question. Don’t take “none” for an answer and try to uncover how they are at “selling” themselves, and how they are at critical thinking/problem-solving.

3. Given these three terms: promotion, money, and recognition; put them in their order of importance.

This question will give insight into what a sales executive values in both their career and in life. As a follow up question, ask them to explain what each of those terms look like to them. Their answers will explain what they’ll be motivated most by and what they’ll use as a benchmark for success. Be sure to leverage the answer if you end up managing them, and you’ll already be ahead of the game.

4. If you had no obstacles and could start your dream job tomorrow, what would that role look like?

This more creative way of asking the tired “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” question will keep an interviewee on their toes. It still allows you to break down their short-term and long-term goals, but also sidesteps the possibility of a candidate providing a manufactured answer. Oftentimes, the 5-year question usually prompts a response that the candidate thinks you want to hear.

Regardless, planning for the future of any employee you decide to hire is important. Thinking in terms of the future benefits not only the sales executive, but the manager and company as a whole as well. When forecasting team strategy, you’ll need to know your sales executives are here for the long haul. To help avoid even higher turnover rates, asking this question weeds out the candidates who aren’t truly passionate about the position, and helps you determine whether or not you’d be able to offer them their dream job, either now or in the future.

5. Tell me about a time when you collaborated with other sales team members and those outside of the sales team.

This answer will be key when deciding if they’re a team player or a lone ranger in the field. If one or the other is important to the role, the response can be extremely useful. In most sales roles, relationship building and collaboration skills are essential, so don’t be shy with follow up questions if you need more information! Asking “What impact were you able to make or what goals did you achieve?” can lead to further insights. Again, this will depend on the exact position the interview is related to. If the role will have a high amount of internal collaboration with a team – focus on that, and vice versa.

Ideal Work Environment Insights:

6. What type of work environment do you thrive in?

This question and answer often gets overlooked but can be one of the most detrimental if discovered post-hire. In order for a sales executive to thrive in any position, the environment and culture around them needs to be a fit. Take the candidate’s response and compare their preference to the environment they will be in at your company. Does it seem like a match? If you don’t value the same things here, turnover can be expected and moving forward with the hiring process wouldn’t make sense.

Another thing to consider is that all 2022 hiring trends point to the remote and hybrid workforce continuing to grow. Experts predict that by 2025, roughly 36.2 million employees in the US will work remotely. If the role you’re hiring for permits, be sure to ask candidates key questions surrounding their remote working experience. Ask if they thrive most in a remote, hybrid, or in-office work setting. From there, you should be able to gauge if they require consistent team interaction to succeed, or if they are sufficient working independently majority of the time.

7. Have you ever had a manager you didn’t like? Why?

Management styles can alter the success of a hire in the same way as a work environment. Dive deep into the candidate’s ideal management style and compare it to your own. Can you see yourself working closely with this candidate? Do they seem eager to learn from you and willing to take direction? These are all good follow-up questions to ask yourself after reflecting on their answer.

Also, be sure to note how they portrayed their past experiences. Did they bad-mouth their previous manager, or did they offer facts and expand on the lesson they learned from their experience? Venting and talking negatively about a past role or leader can be a sign of arrogance and lead to a toxic relationship down the road.

8. Which sales metrics do you pay attention to and why?

In sales, personal drive is essential. Asking what metrics they specifically look at when determining success for themselves will give great insight into how they operate. Are they motivated by the same things you use to track success and promotions? If not, it may be hard for the sales executive to feel fulfilled and experience growth in the role.

Ability to Remain Resilient:

9. What do you do to regroup and recover when you have a bad day? Bad week? Bad month?

Sales requires a lot of resilience and the ability to deal with rejection frequently. Asking if sales executives have an established coping mechanism will be telling in how dedicated they are to succeeding in their role. You’ll also be able to reflect on how much experience they’re bringing to the table. This is especially important if the role you’re hiring for will require a lot of cold-calling. Have the sales executive provide personal examples of this experience, which will shed light on how they’ve succeeded in previous roles.

10. How do you motivate yourself?

Along with overcoming rejection, sales roles typically require a good amount of self-motivation. Similar to the previous question, asking how a candidate motivates themselves will highlight their work ethic. An ideal sales executive will have a detailed answer based on past experiences.

11. Describe a time when you had a difficult prospect but were able to persevere and win the sale.

Ideally, the last two questions will lead into a version of this question naturally - but if not, it’s a good one to follow up with. Don’t be afraid to ask for specifics! Some sales executives are pros at misdirection. Candidates who give vague, wordy answers should be a red flag. By asking for a specific time when candidates managed a difficult prospect, and how the situation played out, you’ll be able to gather the details you need to trust their skills. An ideal sales executive will offer insight on lessons they learned and will be able to explain how they applied that knowledge to future situations – preferably without having to be asked. This highlights strong customer service and interpersonal skills that are essential in any good sales executive.

Sales Executive Expertise & Other Skills:

12. Explain the steps you take from the beginning of the sales process to the end.

Look for detailed answers here that point to their confidence and industry expertise. See which tasks will be similar to the role you’re hiring for. Make note of what will need to be retrained and what will be a breeze for them to pick up when it comes to transitioning into your company’s processes.

13. Pitch me our company’s product/service.

This question is a spin on the classic “sell me something” concept and shows how much knowledge the candidate already has. The biggest underlying insight you’ll gain from this question is the amount of research they did to prepare for this interview with your company. A sales executive with a firm understanding of what the company does and the products and services they provide will ultimately be a dedicated addition to the team. Those who did their homework should be noted, as it directly reflects one’s work ethic and initiative.

14. What’s your proudest sales accomplishment?

This question leads to insights into the candidate’s skill level, confidence, and how large or small of sales they are used to closing. This will also point to their passion for the industry. From their response, you should be able to tell what gets them excited about sales.

15. Have you used CRM software before? If so, which one and how advanced are your skills?

This may seem like a basic, technical question but it allows for major bonus points if the candidate will be able to breeze through learning software during training. Even if the candidate hasn’t worked hands-on with the exact software you use, you can ask them if they’re familiar or have heard of it as follow-up questions. Even a little bit of familiarity and knowledge is better than starting from scratch!

16. How do you stay knowledgeable about your target audience?

A dedicated and passionate sales executive will take the initiative to stay up to date on their industry’s trends and updates. Ask what specific resources they leverage or how often they review industry news. Watch for vague answers here, this is one candidates may try to talk themselves into a circle about if they don’t have a solid answer. Bonus points if they can tell you a bit of recent news they’ve heard with specifics on how they are planning to implement it into their process.

Company Culture Fit:

17. Why did you apply for this position?

This question is a great way to uncover why they’re looking to leave or why they left their current role. Be sure to take notes on how they talk about their previous or current company. As mentioned earlier, bad-mouthing of any kind should be a red flag. This question will also give insights into what drew them to your company specifically. If the vision that was portrayed to the candidate doesn’t fit what you want it to, this then gives you insight on how to better market yourself as an employer.

18. Are you ready to jump on a sales call right now?

In other words, this question asks, “Did you do any research on our company and product offerings?” This will show either a strong work ethic and desire for the role, or a lack of ambition. If you like the answer you receive, another great follow-up could be “If you were to start the job tomorrow, what would you be doing tonight to prepare?” Again, this will shine a light on their motivation and drive to succeed in this role.

19. Why do you want to work here/sell our product/service?

It’s no secret that an employee who is passionate and invested in the company they’re working for will out preform those who aren’t. Gallup's report on employee engagement shows that companies with a highly engaged workforce have 21% higher profitability. This question allows sales executives to open up about what they find intriguing about the role and overall company. Play close attention to see if any buzzwords from your company’s core values show up in their response. Finding candidates that have similar values to what your company is striving for is an excellent bonus.

20. How do you think our company can improve?

Loyalty plays a big role in employee retention. If you can decide which candidates already have initial loyalty to your brand, that’s a big plus! By asking what the company can do to improve, you’re really asking “How much do you care about the company succeeding?” This is a good question to watch for some common red flags as well. Often, you’ll be able to notice if the candidate is the type to tell you what you want to hear, or if they are critical thinkers. Those that answer honestly and critically are more likely to work through challenges to help better the company.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, not all sales roles are created equal. Leverage these interview questions as an outline but be sure to adjust to fit each role’s specific needs. While it’s very important to prepare and have a roadmap for leading the interview, don’t be afraid to get creative and be ready to pivot with follow-up questions based on candidate’s answers.

Once you’ve ran through all the questions you prepared, a great way to wrap up the interview process is by opening up the floor to them to ask you questions. Sales executives who ask questions show they are inquisitive about the role and company culture – which means they are trying to picture themselves there. Declining to ask any further questions is a tell that they may have bad communication skills and may be afraid to ask for what they want – not a skill you want in a strong sales executive. In this sense, be prepared to answer some questions of your own! 67% of employed Americans say that job interviews influence their decision to accept a job – so be sure to portray your enthusiasm for the role, company, product, and/or service offered. LinkedIn reported that the most important considerations in accepting new jobs are compensation (49%), professional development (33%), and better work/life balance (29%). Make it a point to touch on these key points to get sales executives excited about joining the team.

When preparing for the undertaking of hiring new staff, remember that Blue Signal can help alleviate the stress. As experts in the hiring process, our recruiters can help not only coach you through the interviews, but help with sourcing candidates, scheduling interviews, negotiating hiring terms, and so much more. Contact us today to get matched with a specialist in your industry!

How to Approach DEI with a Remote Workforce

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Over the last two years, businesses have shifted to a remote or hybrid work model as a result of the pandemic. Remote work has sky-rocketed in priority among job seekers, proving to be a top hiring trend that’s here to stay. Similarly, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has increased in priority for candidates. Recent studies have shown 2 out of 3 candidates seek out companies with diverse workforces, and 47% of candidates actively look for DEI when considering future employers.  

While DEI efforts appear attractive to job seekers, it also brings unparalleled benefits to the company. Companies that incorporate DEI into their workplace see higher levels of engagement, productivity, and innovation. According to Deloitte, millennials are 83% more likely to be engaged at work at inclusive companies. Additionally, inclusive companies earn 2.3x more cash flow per employee. Although implementing DEI may seem like a no-brainer, it can be daunting with a remote workforce. Not sure where to start? Follow our tips below on how to approach DEI with a remote workforce. 

Reflect on Your Current DEI Efforts 

Graphic titled "Reflect on your current DEI efforts" with 5 questions listed below. Backround image of coworkers putting their hands together in a group.

What Do Your DEI Efforts Look Like Today?

All companies’ DEI efforts have to start somewhere. Before jumping into implementation, take a moment to reflect on your company’s current DEI efforts. Do you have an established DEI practice? If you don’t, you can look at how similar companies are implementing DEI into the culture of their remote workforce. At Blue Signal, our DEI practice focuses on championing diversity efforts and actively working to educate our internal recruiters, hiring managers, and candidates to ensure the hiring experience is free from discrimination and implicit bias. Examples of our DEI efforts include companywide trainings, seminars, and other educational activities. However, there is no one-size-fits-all guide for DEI. Take a look at the companies around you and use them for inspiration for establishing your own practice. 

Who's Involved? 

Next, reflect on who’s involved in your DEI efforts. Is the Human Resources team or DEI committee doing all the heavy lifting? It may be inauthentic to your brand if you’re not practicing what you preach. DEI efforts need to extend beyond the designated committees as the only representation. It’s important to have all aspects of the business involved, so that DEI efforts are fully assimilated into company culture.  

Similarly, look at how your leadership team is involved. As the faces of the company, the leadership team needs to be at the forefront of company-wide initiatives, especially when working remotely. Lack of buy-in from your leadership team will reflect a lack of participation from the rest of the company. Leaders can participate through hosting virtual meetings, guiding activities, or sharing their commitment to DEI through a statement or presentation. For example, Blue Signal’s CEO Matt Walsh wrote and distributed an important message on diversity. 

Now it’s time to look at your remote workforce. Do they play an active part in your DEI efforts? To ensure your DEI efforts go beyond a company statement, it’s crucial to engage your remote employees. Spurring participation can be tough without an in-person setting, as people are heavily influenced by those (physically) around them. However, you can get your remote employees involved through virtual training, discussion boards, online seminars, or activities. To involve our remote workforce, Blue Signal has held virtual DEI certification trainings, created employee-led groups, and given back to underrepresented groups in the community through philanthropic donations. 

Is Your Management Team an Accurate Reflection? 

Finally, how does your management team reflect your DEI efforts? Despite diverse management teams leading to 19% higher revenue, 78% of employees who responded to a Harvard Business study said they work at organizations that lack diversity in leadership positions. When looking at your management team, do they represent diversity in age, gender, and/or race? If not, make a plan to address that and begin to implement DEI into your hiring practices. 

Implement DEI into Your Hiring Practices

Diversity, equity, and inclusion in hiring is more than hitting a quota. To foster a more diverse and inclusive remote workforce, it is crucial to implement DEI into your hiring practices. Consequently, setting up a diverse hiring team should be the first step in revamping your hiring and recruiting processes. This ensures DEI efforts start even before employees join the team.  

Graphic showing a flow chart with ways to implement DEI into your hiring practices

Recognize Unconscious Bias 

During the hiring process (both remote and in-person), hiring managers should be aware of their unconscious bias. Unconscious bias, or implicit bias, refers to the negative attitudes or stereotypes about a group of people that impacts an individual’s understanding, actions, and choices unconsciously. According to BrightTalk, “79% of HR professionals agree that unconscious bias exists in both recruitment and succession planning decisions.”  

Understand Microaggressions 

As a result of unconscious bias, microaggressions can occur. Microaggressions are brief verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults to marginalized individuals and groups. Both unconscious bias and microaggressions are forms of discrimination that can hinder the hiring process. 

Increase Personal Awareness 

Increasing awareness through education and training can help prevent unconscious bias and microaggressions altogether. Harvard University offers free online tests to uncover implicit bias, with topics spanning religion, race, sexuality, appearance, and ability. Hiring managers that are aware of these factors within themselves will be able to better implement DEI best practices into the hiring process. 

Look for “Culture Adds” 

In addition, hiring managers should look for candidates that are a “culture add” rather than a culture fit. “Culture adds” are potential employees that could add to the existing culture by bringing their diversified ideas and experiences, rather than mirroring it. Looking for those candidates that will build on to your culture will eventually result in more diverse teams. Ultimately, implementing DEI into your hiring practices will set the foundation for a diverse and inclusive workforce. 

Provide Resources 

Whether you're a veteran in the DEI space or just learning about it, resources can greatly benefit your DEI practice. Providing resources can encourage employees no matter where they are in their personal DEI journey. However, with a remote workforce, it can be difficult to gauge where each employee is in their journey. Through one-on-one discussions or surveys, you can assess each employee and provide them with apt resources; such as online article libraries, DEI newsletters, infographics, or quarterly book clubs. It’s important to have resources that are readily accessible and at every level of experience.   

Companies can also establish groups or forums where diversity, equity, and inclusion are promoted, encouraged, and can be discussed. Our employee-led group, Blue Signal Search Women of the Workplace (BSS WOW), serves to promote the education, connection, and empowerment for women (and those who support women) and their contributions to the broader goals of Blue Signal and beyond. BSS WOW meets virtually bi-monthly, covering complex topics on diversity and inclusion, biases, intersectionality, discrimination, privilege, and more. This resource has positively affected the remote culture at Blue Signal and has increased involvement in other companywide DEI efforts.  

Watch the video below to hear from some current members about how BSS WOW is breaking biases, how it's impacted company culture, and what they’ve learned from the group. 

Embed DEI into Your Remote Culture 

DEI is not a single initiative, but an element that should be embedded into your company culture. In the age of working from home, new obstacles arise daily – but a remote workforce doesn’t have to be one when implementing DEI efforts. You can still implement initiatives and activities virtually. Consequently, embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into your remote culture will bring unparalleled benefits in maintaining connections. 

When dealing with a remote workforce, the aspect of inclusion is especially prominent. According to Gallup, the biggest struggle among remote workers is “loneliness,” as remote environments can leave employees feeling isolated. Thus, establishing a sense of belonging through inclusion efforts is incredibly important. One way you can do that is by aligning company values and DEI goals with remote employees. Giving employees opportunities to provide input and help improve the company will create a deeper connection to the company, which in turn creates stronger employee engagement. However, make sure that all voices are equally heard. Establishing an anonymous DEI suggestion box could help mitigate people feeling pressured to give feedback based on being the token representative. 

In addition to establishing a sense of belonging and increasing employee engagement, embedding DEI into your remote culture can improve innovation. Inclusive companies are 35% more likely to outperform their competitors, and 1.7x more likely to be innovative. Furthermore, 74% of millennial employees believe their organization is more innovative when it has a culture of inclusion. Not only will embedding DEI into your culture ensure the continuity of the efforts, it will drive your company’s success.  

Conclusion 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a marathon, not a sprint. If having a remote workforce makes the process seem daunting, start by reflecting on your current DEI efforts. If your practice is not already established, look to similar companies and take inspiration from them. Then, strategize ways to implement DEI into your hiring strategy, as your company should be a reflection of diverse hiring. After assessing where your company is with DEI, make sure resources are readily available and varied. Finally, ensure the continuity of DEI by embedding it into your company culture. This will result in an increased sense of belonging, innovation, and engagement among remote employees. However, good leaders and companies should always be open to evolving and adjusting, as these essential factors will continue to transform as understanding deepens and needs change.  

As recruiters, we play a key role in advancing and promoting workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. If your company needs help with DEI recruiting support, strategy, or implementation, reach out to us today.  

4 Ways to Support Employee Mental Health Outside the Office

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Mental health has become increasingly important, both inside and outside of the workplace. Along with employee satisfaction, mental health can impact your team’s performance and if not taken care of, can lead to burnout, stress, and turnover. As evidenced by the ‘Great Resignation’ of 2021, people are more willing than ever to quit their jobs to find companies that support their needs. Along with ensuring your employees are taken care of during the workday, you should also take steps to support their mental health outside of the office. This can not only boost your team’s overall satisfaction and engagement with your company, but it can also result in increased productivity and retention. Here are a few ways you can show your support.

Employee Mental Health Outside the Office

Promote a Healthy Work-Life Balance

An important part of fostering strong mental health outside of the office is allowing your employees enough time to enjoy themselves aside from work tasks. According to a recent report from Mental Health America, 9 in 10 employees say their workplace stress affects their mental health. Making sure a healthy work-life balance is part of your company’s values can help create a positive team culture and ensure your employees aren’t letting their work responsibilities overwhelm their personal lives.

A simple way to do this is by offering flexible schedules and allowing employees to choose their own hours – in moderation of course. This practice has become increasingly popular and common after many companies went remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this may seem like a small change, it can make a big difference on your team’s mental health and wellbeing. Especially if much of your work is self-motivated, this flexibility allows your team to work when they’re most productive, giving them the ability to focus on their personal needs and mental health throughout the day. For instance, some employees may want to work earlier in the day so they can pick up their kids from school, while others may want to work later to account for morning exercise. While it may seem scary to loosen the reins, you can always set a few guidelines. Setting parameters such as designated working periods and regular mandatory meeting times can establish more consistency.

Along with offering flexible schedules, it’s important to encourage employees to use their vacation time. Beyond that, make sure they aren’t contacted about work during their time off. Allowing your team to truly unplug and relax during their well-deserved vacation days will ensure they have enough time to focus on their personal needs without having to worry about work.

Additionally, allowing employees to flex their working hours for appointments and other responsibilities is another valuable practice that can improve their mental health. Letting your employees make up the missed time for menial tasks rather than using their paid time off can reduce scheduling stress and allow them to make better use of their vacation time. Overall, promoting a strong work-life balance can give your employees more time to focus on their mental health and personal needs. This can also help attract new employees as this is an important benefit that many job seekers value when researching companies.

Offer Financial Education

Another way to support your team’s mental health outside of the workplace is offering financial education. Finances can be a major cause of anxiety with 73% of Americans ranking finances as the number one cause of stress in their lives. Although this hardship may not be directly related to work, it can negatively impact your team’s focus and productivity – especially if they’re in debt. Giving your employees the resources they need to educate themselves and relieve their financial stress can help them feel more secure, resulting in improved mental health.

Although your company may offer financial benefits, your employees may not know how to effectively utilize them. Both younger and older employees have differing financial challenges to face, such as student loan debt, mortgage payments, saving for retirement, and more. By improving your team’s financial literacy, you can help them use their paychecks to the fullest and create a better quality of life for themselves. Providing resources on advanced financial practices like how to get a home equity loan to pay off high-interest debt or how to earn passive income through real estate investing can give your employees more stability and confidence with their money, allowing them to relieve stress. You can educate your employees through many outlets, like paying for an online course, providing reading materials, or inviting a guest speaker to discuss more specific financial topics your team may be interested in. No matter what format you choose, offering financial education resources can show your employees you value their wellbeing outside of work.

Provide Mental Health Resources

According to a Harvard Business Review study, 76% of employees reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition in the past year. Mental health conditions can take many forms and can vary from person to person, making it difficult for leadership and coworkers to determine effective ways to help. Some employees may not feel comfortable talking about these issues in the workplace, which is why it’s important to provide mental health resources that your team can access on their own and at their own convenience.

One popular way to do this is through an employee assistance program (EAP), which is an employee benefit program that assists your team with personal or work related problems. This program is free for your employees to use so they don’t have to worry about a financial burden. It also provides confidential support that your employees may feel more comfortable using. An EAP offers access to counselors and other mental health professionals along with additional resources employees can use to support their mental health and wellbeing. Even if you don’t use an EAP, providing mental health resources through online sources and other outlets can help your employees take care of themselves.

Encourage Physical Wellness

Mental and physical health often go hand in hand, as exercise has been proven to boost your mood by reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Along with other wellness initiatives, encouraging your employees to take care of their physical health is a great way to support their mental health. Especially as people spend more time at home due to the pandemic, there’s been an increased focus on staying active and healthy in these unique conditions.

However, certain fitness subscriptions can be pricey, and some employees may struggle to afford equipment needed to workout, which can prevent them from nurturing their physical and mental health. Giving your employees the tools they need to take care of themselves can show your appreciation and support for them outside of the office. This could be sponsoring a gym membership, paying for fitness classes, or offering a fitness stipend your employees can use for related expenses if your company is remote. No matter what you choose, your team will appreciate your effort to increase their quality of life.

An increased focus on employee mental health outside of the office may be just what your company needs to secure top talent in a competitive market. These practices can not only help your current employees feel valued and appreciated, but they can also help attract new candidates. Making sure you support your team’s mental health will set you up for long-term success and ensure your employees are taken care of.

8 Questions Successful Managers Ask Before the End of the Year

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The end of the year is filled with annual performance reviews, P&L reports, end-of-year budget meetings, a never-ending to-do list, and a thousand other holiday errands. As busy as the end of the year wrap up may be, the opportunity of a fresh start and a new strategic perspective on the coming year is something all leaders should take advantage of. That being said, good business strategy cannot be reduced to a quick planning meeting. It is important to prioritize the time to self-reflect and ask yourself the right questions, because the strategy you plan now has a direct and lasting impact on what your next year will look like. Palena Neale emphasizes that it is vital that leaders make time to reflect on the past year in relation to business goals, actions, values, successes and, of course, their "best" failures.

As you sit down to review the last 12 months and begin planning future strategies, it’s common to feel overwhelmed and left asking, “where do I start?” We’ve gathered a list of the top eight questions successful managers ask before the end of the year to ensure you get started on the right track in the year ahead. These questions are designed to zero in on the important things that tend to get overlooked in the holiday haste. As a best practice moving forward, you can also implement opportunities to review and follow up on these questions quarterly. Checking in on these main ideas will lead to a more realistic view of the overall year and in turn be a more productive use of your time.

8 Questions Successful Managers Ask Before the End of the Year

Question #1: How would I Summarize the Year?

Looking back on the entire year can seem daunting but it’s a great first step in your reflection process. Take a step back and review the past year as a whole. How would you summarize the outcome? Check in with the business goals you had set for the year and see what was met and what fell short. Take this time to dive into the overall performance of your team, individual employees, and most importantly, yourself as a manager.

When looking at the overall performance as a team and individual employees, it’s important to remind yourself to humanize the workplace. It’s okay to report on highs and lows of the year and have open conversations around both. Collaborate with your team about next steps and break down the work that comes from it. When evaluating yourself, don’t be afraid to be brutally honest and truly look for areas of improvement. Once you gather your findings in each area, ask yourself what you can learn from each. List out clear takeaways that you can turn into actions items to accomplish in the future.

Question #2: Where was the Majority of My Time and Energy Spent in 2021?

Pull research and look back to find where your time was allocated the most and where it was lacking in the past year. Are these findings sustainable going forward? Do they make sense in relation to your business goals? When looking at how time was spent, try to pinpoint what caused stress and be aware of signs of burnout.

Stress in leadership can lead to more negative effects than just personal wellbeing – businesses in the US suffer a $300 billion loss every year because of workplace stress. Additionally, almost 60% of leaders reported feeling tired at the end of each day, which can be an indication of burnout. One recent survey found that 44% of leaders who felt worn and used up planned to move to a new company in order to advance their careers. When deciding how to disperse your time, remember that when you’re at your personal best, the company can succeed. Inga Bielińska, a coaching and consulting mentor, recommends looking at the coming year’s agenda and planning for family events to participate in, friends’ reunions or routine outings to go to, winter holidays, summer holidays, and regular “me time” to help combat stress.

Question #3: What Areas Can I Take a Step Back From?

According to a recent survey, developing the next generation of leaders is the top challenge for 55% of CEOs. In most cases, taking a step back will create the opportunity to delegate tasks and responsibilities to those who are ready to step up in the company. This allows you to encourage individual growth on your team and it frees up your time for overall business development opportunities. It’s a win-win. Remember it’s your team who has led the company to its success so far. Trust them to take on more responsibility and show you what they can do!

Once you identify areas you are able and willing to delegate, set aside the time and resources you’ll need to properly train the individuals taking them on. Avoid throwing anyone in the deep end and make sure they are confident in their new role and expectations. Additionally, schedule future meetings to follow up on how things are going after team members have had time to settle into those new responsibilities. This will allow them the opportunity to ask questions and will ensure you are both on the same page moving forward.

Question #4: Where am I in My Personal Five-Year Career Plan?

This is the time to be a little selfish. Just as you would evaluate business performance, it’s equally important to conduct personal evaluations. Check-in with yourself and your business goals – more specifically, where you are in your 5-year plan. You can do this by conducting a personal SWOT analysis and looking at it from a technical standpoint. Loren Margolis, from Training & Leadership Success LLC, suggests asking yourself questions such as, "What are my top leadership strengths and weaknesses?", "What are my growth opportunities?", and "What are the internal (mindset) and external (marketplace) threats to my success?"

In the same sense, take this time to revisit your long term goals. When answering these questions, you’ll determine if you’re on track with your goals and certain areas that need more attention. Remember that all goals are works in progress and you can add and adjust them based on where you are today. Once you’ve reflected and updated, you’ll need to develop an actionable plan to continue on the path to meeting those milestones.

Question #5: How is Overall Employee Engagement?

Once you take a look at your personal progression, the next step is to do the same for your team. This starts with evaluating employee engagement. Studies show that 78% of business leaders are focused on improving their engagements with employees. In turn, engaged employees outperform their peers that are not engaged – and overall, companies with high employee engagement are 21% more profitable. A good place to start asking the right questions is during employee performance reviews. G. Riley Mills, from Pinnacle Performance Company, shares that “despite common conceptions about workers receiving performance-based feedback, research shows that they not only want it, but they also want to give it to you. A whopping 65% of workers want more feedback – and that number swells to 80% for younger workers (76% of which also want to give their bosses feedback).”

Before the new year, carve out the necessary amount of time to meet with employees one-on-one to touch base. Take this opportunity to notice anyone starting to show symptoms of burnout, or those who need more of a challenge. Be sure to set the necessary follow ups to discuss next steps and note who will need more attention in the coming year.

Question #6: What Gaps Does the Team Have?

No team is perfectly balanced all the time, especially when the company needs to make changes to stay competitive – and that’s okay. When looking for gaps, it’s easiest to tackle this separately from performance reviews. Individual annual performance reviews are critical, but they don’t give a holistic, big-picture view of a team. Meet as a team and create an open discussion regarding where employees are noticing gaps – be open to feedback.

Once identified, categorize them by priority. Which gaps are the most important to close and which are less urgent? Analyze what it would take to close them, such as incentives for the team to work harder, redistributed duties, improved technology, new hires, or more training. Prioritize which gaps to close based on projects and available resources. Oftentimes this can lead to the realization of necessary budget increases for departments. Going into that discussion with this tangible analysis can help increase chances of approval.

Question #7: What Technology Changes are Around the Corner?

Automation, smart devices, IoT, cloud computing, and other advances are changing the landscape very quickly, even in businesses outside the technology industry. No matter the industry, ask yourself how you will remain innovative in the near future. As remote work has taken off in the past two years due to Covid-19, technology and processes have advanced quickly to meet the communication standards among teams working across the country. Many businesses have identified software, programs, and devices to implement or better utilize for reliable internal communication, streamlining processes, remote work, etc. The innovation of 5G has brought a particular shift in advancing technology we use daily.

More specifically – cybersecurity has proven to be more important every year. It’s crucial to keep teams up to date about what skills they need to stay competitive. Additionally, pay attention to market trends throughout the year – last-minute technology upgrades are never convenient or cheap. After you reflect on these points, you may find it’s time to hire new IT professionals or teams to manage internal technology advancements. Remember that Blue Signal can help!

Question #8: What Would a Successful 2022 Look Like to Me?

After all the self-reflection and input from the team, the last step is to set business goals and intentions for the year. The hardest part of goal-setting is being realistic. Keep in mind – not all dreams should be goals. A great place to start when mapping out your business goals is to ask yourself what will stay the same, what will change, and how. All of these answers should lead to insightful follow up questions and provide you with the necessary steps needed to plan for success.

When setting these intentions, it’s important to focus on hard numbers and actionable projects. In turn, this helps outline expectations and clearly communicates what considers a goal complete. The best goals have benchmarks and key performance indicators to measure success along the way. A great tip is to dig up your previous business goals - not just from this last year, but 3-5 years back - and look for trends. Look for similar, overly ambitious goals you tend to make year after year and decide how to make them more achievable or choose to scrap them altogether. If you find yourself getting stuck and unsure of what’s important, ask your team for input! This will ensure all department’s individual business goals are represented in some way when it comes to the company’s future plans.

Once you’ve settled on your goals – memorize them. Throughout the year you should be able to clearly visualize what you’re going to accomplish – almost manifesting the outcome. Share company business goals with your team as well and remind them to refer back to them often.

In the busy month of December, it is easy to get buried in small tasks and miss critical opportunities to get ahead in the coming year. Optimizing these questions can help you stay organized and zero in on important business goals and action items to take. When reflecting, remember to celebrate the wins as a team and try not to tread on the goals you didn’t hit. A new year is the perfect opportunity to clean the slate and start fresh with an ambitious mindset. Alexsys Thompson, from Alexsys Thompson Intl., states that “as a leader reviews the wins and losses of the previous year, it is powerful to revisit the wins that were experienced, and acknowledging the misses through story will help ensure lessons are taken forward as valuable learning experiences.”

As you build out your 2022 strategy, remember Blue Signal can be a vital resource! Our seasoned recruiters can partner with you to help answer these questions and deliver action items related to hiring to hit your business goals in the year to come. Contact our qualified team of recruiters to learn more about the wide range of services we offer.

How Unified Communications Has Paved the Way for Remote Working

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Many professionals today are familiar with standard UC (unified communications). It has been around for a while and was traditionally used for in-office communications. On-premise PBX allowed you to call up your boss’ office or email a request for printed documents to your secretary. With VoIP (voice over internet protocol), people had calling, messaging, and collaboration capabilities all over an internet connection.  

Today, with this change in the way we “go to work,” unified communications has adapted to meet our remote needs. Taking it a step further, it’s evolved to provide the capability for instant messaging across the globe, instantaneous file sharing through the cloud, and reliable video conferencing to help connect people wherever they may be working. Thanks to UC, we now have better options when it comes to “going to work.”  

 

How Unified Communications Enables Productive WFH Results 

With many companies opting in for UCaaS (unified communications as a service), they are experiencing the best of VoIP without the need and cost of infrastructure. When working from an office, UC depended heavily on fiber connectivity. Today, anyone can work from anywhere given a good internet connection – even wirelessly.  

This UC development means employees are able to bring their own devices (BYOD) and leverage their own computers and mobile devices. This can save employers expensive equipment costs, reduce ramp up periods and time needed to train new hires on equipment, and eliminate the need for installation of fiber or other infrastructure. More importantly however, it’s causing employees to become more efficient and productive. It makes sense that people perform better on the devices they already know how to use. With the ease of use and the effortless adoption, this remote working norm is set to be the #1 thing to stick around from the changes the COVID pandemic made to how we work.  

Not to mention, modern UC is more scalable than traditional data centers. Without the need for servers, telephony equipment, or phone lines – growth is only limited to bandwidth of a user’s internet connection. This makes it easier for hiring managers to grow their workforce by hiring people remotely. In turn, providing UC options really widens the potential candidate pool when hiring.  

 

How Unified Communications Enables Safer WFH Results  

What many people don’t realize is that leveraging UC when working from home actually has benefits that extend beyond working hours. With encrypted communication channels and the endpoint security that comes standard with most UC, people feel more secure sharing their data over personal networks because their work’s unified communications system helps safeguard their network at home. Cybercrime has increased 63% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, making network safety a top priority.  

benefits of unified communications

What This Means for the Future of UC 

In simple terms, unified communications is here to stay. It’s estimated that the UCaaS market will surge past $100B by 2024. In order to stay ahead of the game when it comes to the digitization of the workplace, businesses need to consider switching from traditional PBX to UC. In the same effort, those that are early adopters should further build out their UC strategy.  

When it comes to implementing and developing unified communications in any business, Blue Signal has the talent it takes to be successful in this evolving space. Whether you’re looking to support and build out remote teams and WFH policies, or you’re just curious what your first step should be in your UC journey, Blue Signal has your back. Contact our qualified unified communications recruiters today to get started.  

6 Ways to Attract Remote Workers

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COVID-19 has forever changed the workplace in addition to how, when, and where people work. Companies have come to the realization that remote work is not just smart, strategic, and sustainable, but it improves their bottom line and provides benefits to their overall staff.

Before the pandemic, only 5.2% of the U.S. workforce worked from home full time. Today 58% are working remotely. According to a recent FlexJobs survey, 65% of 2,000 pandemic remote workers would prefer to stay fully remote after the pandemic, and 58% say they would “absolutely” look for a new job if they weren’t allowed to continue working remotely in their current position.

Having a significant number of “work from anywhere” employees brings new challenges for benefits design and administration. In addition to traditional benefits, like health insurance and vacation time, remote workers and job hunters seeking remote work opportunities are adding items to their checklist of qualities they’re looking for in a new job. If you plan on hiring remote workers for your team, follow these 6 tips to attract new talent.

1. Set Clear Guidelines About Working Hours

Since remote workers don’t necessarily have to be living near a home office location, businesses can hire candidates from different time zones. This is great for sourcing talent outside of the local pool of candidates. However, that does open the door to another set of problems, specifically ensuring coverage during hours of operation. Managers may find candidates that have a flexible schedule and can wake up early or stay up late in other time zones to meet with a team located somewhere else, but this might not always be the case.

For organizations to stay competitive, leaders need to partner with their Human Resources teams to establish a clear set of rules regarding when people can and should be working online. It’s not just for employees based in different time zones, flexible working hours are also becoming relevant for job hunters. They want to be able to pick up their kids from school or make appointments during the day. Organizing clear expectations surrounding flex time can help companies attract the best talent.

 

2. Continuously Review Compensation Plans

Compensation, pay, earnings, they’re all the same thing: money. People still need to make a good wage in order to survive. With prices rising on everyday items, as well as housing and food, pay is something all job hunters are watching. Properly compensated employees are key to a company’s success.

Although there are many factors that go into how employees are paid, businesses that take pay away from employees are often tossed into the people’s court of opinion. For instance, DoorDash received negative press after the company took tips away from their delivery drivers. Google also received backlash after cutting pay for their remote workers.

In order to avoid risking an organization’s reputation by shortchanging employees, companies need to review their compensation plans periodically to ensure that they meet the standards of the current economic climate. As many states raise the minimum wage, remote workers are able to determine the level of pay they should receive for their work.

 

3. Invest in the Technology That Employees Need

Aside from proper pay, candidates need the right tools to do their work. Individuals shouldn’t be expected to outfit themselves with the technology they need to do their job, so companies need to keep the cost of technology in mind when they establish a budget for their remote workers.

If in-office staff need two monitors for doing their work, then remote workers should be offered this option as well. If an individual needs a Wi-Fi booster in their home, that’s something else offices would normally provide for in-person workers, and need to provide for remotes as well. There is a baseline that managers can set for what will and will not be provided to their employees. This should be established by management so that everyone is held accountable.

For remote workers, there needs to be a technology support system. Leaving them high and dry with a broken device can lead not only to frustration but possible turnover. A job seeker may ask a hiring team about their technology support for remote work in an interview, and having prepared answers will help give that person an understanding of what they can expect from the role.

Infographic containing a list of 6 ways to attract remote workers

4. Treat Everyone as Individuals

In today’s climate, job seekers are digging deeper and looking beyond pay, technology, and schedules when it comes to making a career move. They want to know how they’ll be treated as an individual. It can be easy in a remote setting to group everyone together in endless meetings and not touch base with people for one-on-one sessions. However, this can cause problems for both employers and employees.

Each person on the team has a unique set of expectations, concerns, and experiences. At the same time, each person has their own way of doing things and interacting with other team members. Managers need to consider that much like a traditional office setting, remote teams need to have individual sessions to get people’s perspectives. This isn’t just for performance conversations or project check-ins; this can also be a way for leadership to gauge how effective they are supporting their teams and discover what the company can be doing better for employees. After all, individuals are what really power successful businesses – and we should treat them as such.

 

5. Consider Different Levels of Stability

Everyone has their own unique work style and a preference in regard to how much they want to work. Some employees thrive working multiple jobs, while others prefer to work a single, steady nine-to-five. Companies need to think about how their current job openings can meet the standards of different types of remote workers. As flexibility and freedom become more important to new hires, businesses need to rethink their job descriptions.

Perhaps it’s breaking one position into a few that can be outsourced to freelancers. Maybe it’s combining two different part-time jobs into one for a full-time position. Workers are being more thoughtful in their approach to returning to work, so investigating open slots to find these opportunities before making new hires will help companies operate more efficiently in the long run. Recall that these openings are meant for remote workers so consider those unique requirements as well for attracting the best person for the position.

 

6. Create an Interactive Business Culture

All work and no play doesn’t make the job any fun, and that’s something worth considering when hiring remote employees. How will you build a culture around people who are located around the globe? Will you video conference with everyone daily? Are people going to have to report to the office once a month?

Knowing the answers to these questions will help organizations build a collaborative and fun virtual work environment. When potential candidates are reviewing a business, they want to know the values of it, and how everyone interacts with one another. While it is quite different pulling off culture in a completely digital world, there are many ways to succeed in doing so. Whether it’s an in-person event or a slated video conference every month, take time to relax with your team rather than talk shop.

Much like businesses would’ve hosted in-office events like holiday parties or other celebrations, leaders need to think about translating this into the virtual world. Virtual events build comradery within a team and give the opportunity for people who don’t normally interact with one another the chance to do so. New hires rely on these events in order to network and feel part of the company. When hosting these types of events, photograph them to showcase on social media and other channels, so job seekers can see an insider’s view too.

Job seekers are looking for many things when searching for a new position. But as remote workers, companies need to get creative and strategic with their offerings in order to stand out. By following the six ideas mentioned above, organizations can successfully pull in the best talent possible for their teams, and more effectively retain their remote workers. If you need additional help recruiting top remote talent, reach out to Blue Signal today.

About Our Contributor, Sara Carter:

Sara is the co-founder of Enlightened Digital, entrepreneur, and Bostonian. She spends her days writing code, chasing her children and/or dog, and perfecting her brownie recipe.

About Enlightened Digital:

Enlightened Digital is a digital magazine dedicated to the top tech and business news, updates, and analyses from around the web. Their aim is also to explore how these changes affect business growth and professional development for women. They believe that delivering objective facts and figures on the newest releases and events in the tech world no longer suffices to keep consumers informed. As new technology and updates hurl businesses faster and faster into a future that seems less predictable, Enlightened Digital will try to make sense of not only what is happening, but why, and how it impacts our lives.

Is Allowing Staff to Work from Home the New Key to Retention?

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Recent economic changes have influenced businesses to adapt and create alternative working methods. Whilst healing from deep Covid pandemic scars, employers dodged redundancies and attrition through adopting remote working conditions. Even pre-pandemic, remote working has influenced a wide variety of impacts for businesses on a global scale.

Beyond safety benefits like social distancing, remote workers gain comfort from flexible working conditions, zero-commuting strains, and a more stable work-life balance. In turn, this has increased business performance, productivity, and created opportunities for savings on infrastructure and maintenance costs.

Whether on-site or off-site, employers hold responsibility for workers health, safety, and wellbeing. Through proper support, allowing employees to work remotely can increase their sense of value and engagement – resulting in improved employee retention for your business.

 

What is a Remote Worker?

A remote worker is an employee who works outside of the traditional workplace. The basis of their job conditions allows them to work remotely – either permanently, temporarily, or on a hybrid basis where time is split in and out of office. Customer service, sales, engineering, and most computer-based jobs are common roles that could benefit from remote working conditions.

Newly developed communication tech like VoIP and cloud systems enable this remote workforce to accomplish all the same tasks as they would in a traditional office setting. With productivity remaining consistent in these fields, the appeal of remote working is on the rise.

Remote work is nothing new. Even prior to the pandemic, companies were leveraging expertise from geographically diverse candidate pools to help set their companies apart. Research by Global Workplace Analytics found that, since 2015, the number of people who work from home has risen by 140%.

Work from Home for Retention Blog Graphics Graph

Benefits of Working Remotely

The benefits of hiring remote workers aren’t some big secret. A global talent pool can present a wider range of unique candidates - bringing fresher entrepreneurial talent and business productivity. Research done by PGI found that businesses who introduced remote working options saved $11,000 per worker, per year. In 2015, telecommuting saved employers $44 billion! Not to mention drops in unscheduled absences, transit subsidies, janitorial services for facilities, and much more. Imagine the savings you could gain from a workforce made of full-time remote workers!

 

However the benefits are so much more than just financial gains. Harvard Business Review found that remote workers were more productive, more willing to work overtime, and most likely to stay working for a business longer than colleagues who worked in-office. One study by Prodoscore found that “on average, those who work from home spend 10 minutes less a day being unproductive, work one more day a week, and are 47% more productive.” Contrary to popular belief of the opposite, 75% of people who work remotely do so because it provides fewer distractions. 86% of people feel that working remotely reduces stress, according to FlexJobs research. Not to mention, people who work remotely at least once a month were found to be 24% more happy and productive than those who didn’t. The math is simple: happy workers = retained workers.

 

Developing a Strong Work from Home Policy

You’d think that with so many benefits, it’d be hard to justify not going remote. People tend to hold onto tradition, but even beyond that, there are some concerns employers struggle with when making the decision to shift to telework. This includes possible loss of productivity due to distractions like kids and housework, detachment from co-workers resulting in communication issues, and effects on employee wellbeing like feelings of loneliness or isolation. The trick to avoiding these pitfalls is to establish a strong work from home policy early on.

Work from Home for Retention Blog Graphics Policy

Good remote work policies should support both new hires and employees transitioning to remote working by making all employees aware of resources, entitlements, and benefits. Simply offering work from home options isn’t enough. If you want to leverage remote work as a retention tactic, you need a strong base for it. Some things to consider in developing a telework policy for your own company can include the following.

 

1. Designate which Jobs are Eligible

In order to properly consider which roles can be fulfilled remotely, look at the responsibilities and requirements of each role and decide on job eligibility based on duties, equipment needs, and legal and tax implications. Studies by McKinsey found that finance, management, professional services, and information sectors have the highest potential for remote work. Review the conduct and personality of current employees in these roles and rationalize whether or not they have the personality and drive to conduct their work remotely. Can any improvements be made if the job was done through hybrid working conditions? Leverage your HR team to apply and review proper legal methods to assign these roles the appropriate eligibility.

McKinsey Top Work From Home Roles

2. Draw Boundaries between Work and Personal Time

Whilst working under flexible working conditions, it’s likely some remote workers may blur the lines between work and home life. The spectrum can vary widely – from people being absentee from their desks during working hours, to people feeling the need to stay ‘logged on.’ This problematic Catch 22 can cause guilt that keeps employees from taking necessary breaks – resulting in burnout. You’ll need to take the guesswork out of scheduling by setting work agendas with suitable timeframes. Ensure remote workers take regular breaks and cease working at appropriate times. This way, you can extinguish any overworking by setting boundaries.

 

3. Schedule Regular One-on-One Time

All working relationships should have a comfortable and empathetic atmosphere. Through regular one-on-one meetings, leadership can offer remote workers accessible advice and support. These check-ins stand as great lifelines – particularly for new starters. By getting on a video chat or picking up the phone, you will have the ability to read emotional levels better than you would over email or text. This way, you can pick up on signs of anxiety and work-related stress on a regular basis and address them as soon as they start. Normalize conversations about mental and emotional support and work towards eliminating signs of stress, social anxiety, and burnout.

 

4. Deliver Physical Support

Employers can offer direct support through ergonomic work equipment. You wouldn’t want to work from your kitchen table long-term, and neither would your employees. 85% of workers want their employers to provide them with the technology they need to work remotely. To meet this market need, try to create work from home spaces as close to office settings as possible. Through keyboard risers, support cushions, gel rests, and maybe even ergonomic chairs, employees will be able to create a space in their remote office locations that is dedicated to work. This practice will increase their productivity and focus, and the supplies will soon pay for themselves.

 

5. Protect your Business with Cybersecurity Measures

As more of us become accustomed to newer forms of tech innovations and virtual communication, investing in cybersecurity is vital. Online hacking and data breaches aren’t fantastical myths you only hear on the news. Real-life threats can hit your business instantly - and the damage can be long-lasting. Breaches among small businesses can cost up to $3.62 million dollars. To avoid this before it becomes an issue, introduce regulations on cybersecurity measures that all employees must comply with, such as only working on company computers or avoiding public Wi-Fi access. Introduce encryptions, antivirus, or Virtual Private Network (VPN) software for extra safety measures. Additionally, you can hire cybersecurity professionals that are certified in information systems security and/or cloud security to to protect your IT infrastructure and network.

 

Prior to the pandemic, businesses tended to turn their noses up at the idea of a remote workforce. Repercussions due to the pandemic has inadvertently increased acceptance for hybrid work structures globally, some out of necessity and some out of empathy. Whatever the case, the trend with today’s workers is in favour of more telework options. According to Statista, as many as 40% of employees prefer to work remotely. Even further, 74% of workers said they would quit their current job if they were offered more flexible options elsewhere. In this candidate-driven market, this has become an important negotiating chip in hiring and retaining current employees. To keep with the demand of the market, employers must implement supportive and safe work from home policies. In turn, workers will surely reciprocate the appreciation through performance and loyalty to the business. In this recovering economy, increasing retention rates will make or break the success of many businesses.

Coffee with a Recruiter, feat. Wyatt Humrichous

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This Halloween season, perhaps one of the spookiest things the workforce has had to face is the shift to working remote. For our second Coffee with a Recruiter segment, we were joined by Blue Signal’s Human Resources Project Manager, Wyatt Humrichous, to discuss best practices when it comes to promoting a cohesive and engaging company culture within a remote workforce. Wyatt discussed some key points, including: 

  • Being present and consistent with remote teams can help ensure those satellite workers are staying engaged with the company culture. 
  • By fine-tuning the onboarding process, you are putting your best foot forward when it comes to including a new hire into the culture - right at the start. 
  • Simple voice-to-voice, and better yet, face to (virtual) face, communication can go a long way. Don’t underestimate the power of some traditional communication in forming bonds. 

 

Watch the video or read on to get the full scoop on combating these culture shifts! 

Question: What is one common misconception about company culture when working remotely?

Answer: “I believe a lot of people approach working remotely with this, “I could never do that, how could anyone stay motivated, working remotely just isn’t for me,” type of attitude and usually kill their fire before even considering a remote position or offering themselves the opportunity to really excel at one. I’ve found in my experience working remotely, as well as working to excite remote teams as we build out our remote model, that really the pros and cons of working in a traditional office and working in a remote office almost outweigh themselves. With the global pandemic, so many people have fathomed working from home now and have really put some thought into the possibility and reality of what that would look like. Through this experience I hope that many people will approach the idea from a different angle. 

At Blue Signal we have still been able to nurture a strong sense of community and team camaraderie by ensuring our teams are meeting weekly, if not daily. Being as present as possible and as consistent as possible are two ways to really ensure teams maintain their strength. Additionally, by doing the work of reaching out and understanding what support employees need as we all swim these new waters together allows us to create communication bonds and reassure our employees that our primary objective is to support them and see them through to their inevitable success. Finally, this may seem like a no-brainer, but by having the proper values and foundational structure in place to build your culture and policy around, you do yourself the favor of getting off on the right foot and avoid any cracks that may lead to troubles with culture down the road. At Blue Signal we adhere to a standard of excellence that is second to none, and this standard fuels our ability to provide a top notch service to our clients and be an invaluable resource to our candidates.”

 

Q: What has been one major challenge you have had to overcome in supporting a remote workforce?

A: “When it comes to supporting a remote workforce so many hiccups come with onboarding. Screening, interviewing, sending offers, negotiating, equipping, training - all of these core components of onboarding adjust greatly based on your business model and a prospective or new employee’s life-cycle experience right from the jump. By diving in and fine tuning so many of our onboarding details, we have taken what can seem like a daunting task with never ending steps and made it concise, friendly, and engaging for everyone involved.”

 

Q: What are some tricks and tips you have for keeping employees engaged with their teams in a remote workforce?

A: “With so many of us working in our siloed home offices and lacking good old-fashioned communication that we so often thrive on, I’ve found that calling employees instead of emailing sometimes is a great way to engage folks and remind them that they aren’t alone. I hear stories of employees that work elsewhere going a day - or even days sometimes - without real voice-to-voice contact with a fellow colleague. That sounds like a nightmare to me! Anytime you’re able to connect with someone via video conference or phone call, take that opportunity, as they are few and far between and mean so much more now that we don’t get caught in elevators with co-workers, or have lunch in the break room together anymore. While we are all looking forward to that again, for now it’s important to reach out in those traditional fashions. 

Also, we’ve found that by providing fun opportunities for employees to get to know each other and cut loose aside from work hours, it really can boost morale. We’ve hosted Happy Hours on video conferences, put together health initiatives to try and promote some healthy competition from our own homes and neighborhoods, we have implemented small video segments, sharing photographs and personal statements about each other, airing them company-wide for all employees to gather a glimpse of what we are all like. We have found each of these items, as well as a combination of them, to really promote the interconnectivity that we like to foster here within our Blue Signal culture.”

Wyatt Humrichous

Wyatt Humrichous, HR Department

“Wyatt Humrichous supports the entire Blue Signal team through a variety of projects including operational management and human resources support. As a subject matter expert on company culture and employee retention strategy, he is the ultimate resource when it comes to ensuring employee buy-in and overall morale.”

With over 120 years of combined experience in the industry, we have seen and heard it all when it comes to the good and the bad of company culture. More often than not, bad culture is what drives employees to want to make a move. Leverage our insight and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to hear more about our tried and true best practices when it comes to employee retention and successful company culture. 

Guide to Working from Home with Roommates, Spouse, Kids, or Parents

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For many companies that made the switch back in March, working from home is becoming the new normal with over half of Americans going remote. This change - which in the beginning seemed only temporary - is now a much more permanent solution for many businesses nationwide. Since these companies have already implemented so many new technologies and processes to collaborate as a team remotely, they’re realizing they can save money on office and real estate costs while still supporting a high-functioning staff. According to Global Workplace Analytics, employers can save up to $11,000 a year for each employee who works remotely even half the time.

Being able to work from home can be a great perk as far as cutting out your daily commute and knocking out chores around the house on your lunch break. On the other hand, it also means that your spouse, children, and roommates now become your new co-workers who can often be much more distracting. This can be difficult to navigate as you work out a plan and get used to spending a lot more time together. To help you find your new normal, here are some helpful tips and tricks to co-habitating and co-working with all members of your household. 

Working from Home with Roommates Graphic

Set Realistic Expectations 

With such a big shift in your routine, there are bound to be some kinks that will take time to iron out, and that’s ok! Be upfront and set expectations with not only your housemates, but more importantly your coworkers. Everyone’s situation is anything but normal at the moment and there is no reason you should pretend it is. Whether you have kids being kids, or a roommate with a noisy call center job, it’s important to accept that things might not be 100% professional 100% of the time. 

Start a conference call or zoom meeting by explaining your situation; “My kids are playing in the other room and might need my brief attention throughout the call” or “My husband’s on a call in the other room if you hear any background noise.” This sets the tone of understanding from the beginning so if anything does come up, everyone is prepared. Being open and honest about how you’re managing distractions can also be reassuring to your fellow coworkers who may be feeling overwhelmed, and show that they’re not in it alone.    

Create Office Hours and Respect Them

Now that there’s no need to worry about commuting in morning traffic, you have the luxury to sleep in later and take your time getting to your desk. That being said, this can make it more difficult to get into a working state of mind and mentally ready for the day. A helpful tip is to wake up a little earlier and get something productive done before you even sit down at your desk. Something simple like unloading the dishwasher, journaling, or getting in a quick workout can wake you up and tell your brain you’re going to have a productive day. 

When it comes to multiple people working different jobs under the same roof, getting on a similar schedule can help everyone stay productive and keep the peace. It’s important to set strict start/stop times and communicate those clearly to everyone. This helps to avoid any misunderstandings between significant others, kids, or roommates about when the house needs to function as a working office. 

A good tip to communicate this to children is by using visuals to act as a constant reminder that you’re “on the clock”. Put up a gate or hang a sign on the door that requires them to stop and think if it's necessary to interrupt. This can actually be helpful for roommates too as no matter the age, sometimes people need a subtle reminder! 

Communicate Your Schedule

Communicating not only your start/stop times but also specific events throughout your day can make the co-working process much more seamless. Take the time to create a shared calendar or plan weekly chats about important meetings, calls, deadlines, etc. you have coming up. Shared calendars are a great tool as you can color code events based on what you need from your roommates. Note events where it is crucial that the room be silent with no interruptions, and video meetings to ensure no one gets caught on camera unexpectedly. This way, each of you can plan your schedules accordingly. 

For example, if you know your spouse has a video call late in the morning and needs a quiet room, you could maybe plan to take your lunch a little early that day to create a more relaxed environment. This is a great way to show you’re willing to be flexible and most likely they’ll return the favor for your next big meeting.   

Define your Space

Small spaces can mean short tempers. We understand this is often unavoidable, but you can still find ways to define what’s yours and what you’re willing to share. Setting boundaries on things like office equipment may seem slightly petty at first, but when you’re scrambling to get a deadline turned in and your laptop charger is nowhere to be found, tension is bound to boil over. Clearly keep your things separated and in a safe place so you always know where to reach for them. 

When it comes to finding your space, get creative while searching for quiet places to work and clear your head. Your car can act as another private room with a door that locks, for short term calls/meetings that you can’t be interrupted during. Taking a walk outside with fresh air can also be helpful when looking to relax or invigorate a new perspective on a project. It’s also a great way to take a call without others listening in from the next room. 

When sharing communal spaces, make a plan about where you’re each going to work and when. Maybe one of you gets the living room/dining table to check emails while sipping coffee in peace in the morning and the other gets the space after lunch, or switch off days of the week. There is always some common ground to be found but it’s up to you and your housemates to communicate and work together to find it. 

When it comes to working from home with kids, roommates or significant others, it’s important to accept that things aren’t going to be seamless and easy going from the start. Finding what will work for both of you is all about compromise and adjusting. If you decide on things to be one way and you find it’s not working, communicate and try something else! It’s going to take some time to settle into your new routines, but you will. 

While navigating all aspects of your new normal, make sure to take the time to regularly check-in on your roommates and family as WFH can often cause some added stress. A simple check-in or a night set aside to enjoy each other and do something out of the ordinary is a great way to boost everyone's mood and create a better work/life balance within your home turned office. 

Whether your situation is temporary or going to be a permanent schedule moving forward, being productive at home is achievable! Enjoy the added perks and give yourself and your housemates time to settle into these new roles. 

Staying on Task and Motivated – 4 Tips for Working from Home

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With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a huge surge in remote work options. HQ offices are enforcing the shift, and people who are accustomed to office work, are now working from their homes. With this change in scenery, there will be a lot to learn and adjust to. In the following guide, we hope to help you navigate some of those challenges, by helping make your work from home experience more on task and productive. 

Tips for Working from Home Blog Infographic

1. Make a Real Home Office

The best way to make your home feel like the office is to enforce office rules! Set a schedule of hours, and stick to it. Just like you wouldn't be late to the office, log in on time. (Or early!) Ideally, keep a dedicated office space. If you have the space, or a spare room, work there. Try not to work in high-traffic areas like your kitchen. And finally, set boundaries for those around you. If you have kids home from school, or partners that are also WFH - make sure expectations are clear that when you are on your work computer, it's work time.

 

2. Schedule Breaks 

Utilize your full company-allotted break times. Walk away from the computer screen and your phone to reset and take care of personal items. As is safe, leave your house during lunch. Make sure to leave the building once a day, whether that's weeding the garden or walking the dog. Fresh air helps! And, to safeguard that time away from your desk, have a separate phone number to maintain better work-life balance. 

 

3. Stay Socialized 

Use chat channels and video chats to stay socialized with co-workers. Even if you aren’t super extroverted in your communication style, use these applications at least once in a while to keep that channel open in case you need it down the line. When on conference calls, be sure to speak up so everyone knows you're there! It doesn’t even have to be work related - just saying “Hello!” and “Goodbye!” can be beneficial. Attend optional meetings for even more opportunities to socialize. And, if your WFH is more permanent, be sure to ask your manager about team building trips or supplemental training.

 

4. Communicate 

Ask for what you need - you won't be productive without the proper equipment or if you are uncomfortable. Communicate your steps. Repeat yourself, keep your team updated on project completion, report when you are away, all of it. Err on the side of over-communicating so that your team knows your status. And finally, be positive! The less face time you get, the more people can miscommunicate tone. Use emojis, exclamation points, and kind words to make sure your tone comes across kindly. Chances are, your other remote coworkers are having a hard time adjusting too. 

 

Always look on the positive side of things in times like this - your company being flexible and considering your health and safety as a top priority means you’re working for a company with its values well-aligned. Working from home can provide its challenges, but with the right toolset, you can set your career up for huge success. This is the way the market is leaning, with remote work having grown 400% since 2010. If you are in the market for a more flexible role, talk to one of our specialized recruiters today about your needs! 

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