Big breaths… at the start of 2020, we were filled with optimism for a new world. We had a vaccine and hope that some things (not all the things) may return to normal, but change seems to be the normal. While change can be like wearing a shirt one size too small (incredibly uncomfortable), it can also get us to take action (rip it off, hulk style?) and unleash new ways of living and working. So, we want to take a moment to recap the top three ‘take forwards’ to bring into the New Year.
- SOME (MANY?) RULES NEED REWRITING.
If you update only one practice in your hiring, this is a game changer: Are you hiring based on someone’s experience (i.e. job titles), or their skills + performance even if it’s in a different role than you’re hiring for? Experience doesn’t predict performance.
Sourcing isn’t the end-all, in fact it’s just the first step. We see how often it’s the steps after sourcing that lose quality talent. Are you still thinking “if I only found the right person”? The coolest companies and very interesting work and teams are still getting turned down. Candidates want a holistic hiring experience, and much more than just to be “found”.
And if you want to find the best talent, maybe consider taking more (well-calculated) risks on who you invest in. This is the short list because we’re always finding new ways (thank you, science!) to master this craft of hiring and recruiting.
- HIRING IS HARD. AND SO IS RETAINING TALENT.
This is (of course) always true. So what’s new? This year, we focused a lot on figuring out better, more complete, and more long-lasting ways to not only hire talent, but help your current talent beat burnout and *hopefully* achieve well-being at work and overcome collaboration overload. Don’t have time to read or watch all that? Skip right ahead to our Top 3 Tips for Hiring. - THE FUTURE + THE PAST
The year started off a bit rough. There was too much work and not enough people to go around. The end of the year…well. That lead people to panic about losing the people they already have. And in the middle of all that, we celebrated our 10 year anniversary *champagne pop* and tried to figure out how we all move forward post-pandemic to the new future of work.
WHAT NEVER CHANGES (FOR US)
Sometimes the only way out is through, and we have a through line no matter the year. We still care a buttload (which is an actual unit of measurement…for real…it’s 126 gallons of wine) about well-being at work. We care about helping you find that successful hire (interim or long-term) so that you have your own oxygen mask from overwork, and then we want to help you all perform well, and feel …fulfilled (it is entirely possible—use your power wisely). We care about building on the foundation of brilliant science with experimental new thinking. And finally, we’ve always blended the autonomy of flexible work with the joy of in-person collaboration.
Thank you for growing with us this year. Here’s to a brighter 2022, where we continue to grow together and do our best work on terms that work for our full lives, without regret.
