Posts by Rick Elliott

Like hiring, commuting, group brainstorming, and other aspects of the World of Work, #networking has completely changed due to COVID-19.

When it comes to establishing employee benefits, companies have no shortage of imagination. We’ve seen everything from craft beer taps and ping pong tables, to on-site barbers and valet parking. While these offerings certainly sound impressive, do you really value them? In my experience, these types of perks can attract talent, but never retain it.…

“Zoom fatigue,” the burnout associated with overusing digital communication platforms, is real — and many of us are feeling it as we enter the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 was a tough year. In addition to impacting how we conduct our personal lives, the pandemic has drastically transformed the World of Work and, unfortunately, many employees are feeling burnout as a result.

There are a number of things you’re probably doing every morning that are actually hindering your productivity. Whether it’s drinking too much coffee or trying to focus on too many tasks at once, we all experience lapses in productivity. Here are 9 tips to get it back on track when working from home or in the…

Culture, diversity, equality, and inclusion (DE&I) are front and center today as individuals contemplate a job change — and these topics are equally important for hiring managers to explore.

Most human beings resist change. After all, the unknown is uncomfortable. Changes in leadership are no exception — with them comes a natural apprehension. What direction will the new leader take? How does that impact your future?  However, with the right mindset and a smart approach, changes in leadership can lead to great opportunities. They…

Now that WFH has become the norm rather than the exception and many companies have moved to hiring new employees without ever meeting in person, the next step in adapting to the new World of Work is to build onboarding practices that can accommodate new hires starting from a home office.  Employee onboarding is essential…

It may seem counterintuitive that despite the pandemic — or perhaps because of it — a surprising number of people are considering a voluntary career move. They may be motivated by an increasing sense of dissatisfaction with their present position or, on a more positive note, they may be identifying new opportunities as business leaders…

By now you’ve seen and heard a lot about the hybrid workforce that is destined to be part of the new World of Work for the foreseeable future. As we get closer to a vaccine and the end of the pandemic, it’s unlikely that you will go back entirely to the old way of doing…

The new World of Work has compelled companies to take a fresh look at the way they do just about everything. And in the course of making necessary adjustments, they’ve come away with insights that will prevail well after the crisis has passed. From how they schedule meetings and manage teams to how they fill…

In 2021 and beyond, having remote workers at your organization will likely become even more prevalent. Therefore, it’s of the utmost importance to have a powerful strategy in place to ensure that your employees are kept engaged and motivated. After all, physical distance between a manager and workers can lead to mishaps, including poor communication,…

Motivation is the driving force that pushes and energizes us to channel our efforts in one direction. It’s the proverbial “get-up-and-go” factor; the indefinable impetus that makes us want to do something.  Employee motivation refers to the factors that drive employees to put their best efforts into their work. Motivated people are industrious, creative, dependable,…

Employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6x more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work. Employee engagement has been a topic of much discussion in HR and management circles over the last decade or more. Recently though, as the workforce changes and shifts with global happenings, engagement has once again bubbled to the…

It’s a new year, which means it’s as good a time as any to figure out ways to energize your workers for the year ahead. After all, happy and inspired employees mean a successful organization. Unfortunately, however, many companies are ill-prepared to successfully manage the flexible and diverse workforce that will define 2021 and the…

It’s the start of a new year, and with it comes the opportunity to change the way in which your employees work and how your organization’s culture operates. So, what’s one of the most powerful ways to boost productivity and make people who are employed at your business happy? Inspire a culture of learning. With…

Nobody likes annual performance reviews. Even high performing employees can be demoralized by a rigid or arbitrary goal. But what if you could find a way to flip it – turning the annual performance review process into a positive moment where employees feel empowered to learn and grow?  While goals have long been used as…

Financial planning has never been a particularly easy task for companies, but the pandemic has made it even more difficult. Those charged with creating viable budgets are used to accuracy, consistency, and fairly predictable planning cycles — not the uncertainty their organizations are living with today. “The five-year plan is no longer relevant,” says Bert…

Workplace dynamics have changed drastically over the last few months. From minimal personal interaction to increased reliance on communication technology, the word “office” has taken on a whole new meaning. As the year-end approaches, this leaves many companies wondering about the best way to conduct performance reviews. How can you evaluate your remote employees accurately,…

Whether a performance review is conducted face-to-face or remotely — as is likely today — the goal is the same: to have a productive discussion about your work. But you may be apprehensive about putting your best foot forward or communicating your concerns when you can’t sit down with your manager in a relaxed and…

Disruptions to the World of Work were underway long before the pandemic accelerated the velocity of change. The vast majority of companies are now navigating different ways of approaching how they structure their workplace and workforce in this challenging environment. This journey is driven by two fundamental forces. First is the opportunity to adjust the…