By now, most of us probably could have guessed it, but the statistics are in—mental health improves when you work from home. In a recent report by Prodoscore (an employee visibility and productivity intelligence software provider), 36.7% of those surveyed say their mental health has been impacted positively by work from home. In fact, 82% of all work from home workers are happier [...]
Wish you could pay your tax bill with your stash of crypto? Coloradans can. Colorado is officially the first state to allow citizens to pay their state taxes with either Bitcoin or Etherium. And that’s just the start. The government has plans to roll out crypto-pay for the rest of state government activities too, like drivers’ licenses and hunting licenses. State lawmakers also [...]
Networking is hard enough without worrying about whether the people you meet will actually remember you. If you've been at it awhile, you may have an "elevator pitch" down that sounds something like your business card: “Hi, my name is Tim and I’m a Executive Recruiter for Norstrem Associates.” Accurate? Indeed. Memorable? Maybe not. If you want to stand out and make people [...]
How’s it going with your New Year’s resolutions? If you even remember what they were, you’re doing better than most people. But chances are, it had something to do with getting healthier, skinnier, or more in shape — that’s the number-one resolution people make, according to most surveys. The Swedish startup GuineaPig is making it easier for even the laziest of us to take [...]
With virtual interviews now common, the ground rules need to be staked out. One question on the minds of a lot of my clients at Norstrem Associates: Should I record job interviews? While it might make sense to take advantage of the technology Zoom and other video-conferencing platforms offer, which tend to make recording any conversation easy, think twice. When you record a [...]
As a recruiter, my expertise is in hiring. But the flip side of that is also in my wheelhouse: when employees leave your company. Over the years, I’ve come to respect the importance of exit interviews as a practice. But for it to be a BEST practice, the way you handle the exit interview makes all the difference in the data you collect [...]
Where 10 or 15 years ago, employers focused on attracting employees with “perks,” today, companies are focused on using their “employer brand” to grab talent. But while onsite yoga classes and free espresso were relatively easy perks to procure and explain, employer brand is a much larger concept that’s harder to explain and control. As a recruiter, I like the way Harvard Business [...]
Excited about being back to in-office work? A lot of the leaders I work with in my role are. But not everyone shares your enthusiasm. With social distancing mandates ending, people are returning to the physical office in droves. But there’s an underlying anxiety for those who aren’t enthusiastic about sharing air again. How can you, as a leader, put their minds at [...]
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 [...]