Your leadership may be impeccable — or at least, pretty good! — but how are your managers? A recent report cited by Human Resources Director says 82% would be inclined to quit their job because of a bad manager right now. This is true across sectors, too, from healthcare to insurance to finance. If your management team displays any of the following traits, think about whether [...]
New research from University of Pittsburgh psychologists shows that older adults may be able to prevent cognitive decline by regular exercise. Previously, there had been some connection shown between exercise that gets the heart pumping and brain health, but results had been mixed and unspecific. This time, researchers were able to combine data from 36 studies with specific criteria, and focus on one [...]
If you’re in the business world at all, you’re probably hearing the word “authenticity” a lot lately. It’s become one of the biggest buzzwords in business. Marketing has to be authentic. Sales pitches have to be authentic. Products have to be authentic. Leadership is under pressure to be authentic. But when it comes to leaders, being authentic might not always be the wisest [...]
While you’re interviewing for new jobs, it’s important to know what you’re looking for. I often suggest that job seekers separate their needs into two different lists: 1) Nice to haves 2) Non-negotiables While nice-to-haves might include things like your perfect schedule or full-time remote work, for the right job, you’d be willing to compromise on them. But non-negotiables are the things you [...]
It’s been a slog, this job search. And you’ve finally gotten an offer from a company you’ve had your eyes on. But hold up! Before you accept it, take some time to think it over. It can be easy to react from a place of fear: “What if this is the best or only offer I get? I need a job!” As a [...]
We’re all stalking each other all the time. Just as hiring managers check the social media accounts of potential hires before they extend an offer, those seeking jobs are quick to check out the online presence of a company under consideration. That’s why so many of the companies I work with at Norstrem Associates proactively market their worth as employers online. Here are [...]
“Tim, do you have a template I can use for cover letters?” I can’t tell you how often I have heard this question, and the answer is, not really — because I firmly believe cover letters should be original and authentic. Yes, there are common things. All cover letters should explicitly name the role you’re hoping to get, why you’re the right choice, and [...]
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to make progress. But what about the freight train? Founded by 3 former SpaceX engineers, start-up company Parallel Systems’ goal is to do just that. By modernizing freight trains, they hope to transport more goods by rail (and less by highway trucks) to combat pollution levels. To do that, they’re essentially reinventing freight trains as autonomous, [...]
When Glossier laid off a third of its employees in January, a lot of companies took away a big lesson: Scaling is difficult. CEO Emily Weiss handled the layoffs by telling employees, “We got ahead of ourselves on hiring. Those missteps are on me.” This isn’t the first big layoff for the beauty brand. In 2020, the company shut down its retail stores [...]
After Peloton announced layoffs of 20% of its corporate workforce, a wise move would have been to make sure those folks didn’t have access to virtual meetings anymore. Sadly, as you’ve probably read in the news, this task was overlooked. When brand-new CEO Barry McCarthy and former CEO John Foley got on the screen for a virtual all-hands in February, many PO’ed current [...]