Employers

Remote management has always had its own set of unique distance-related challenges, and with its recent surge during these uncertain times due to COVID-19, there are some added complexities as well.

Here are five tips for managers from Psychology Today on how to lead, manage, and inspire remotely:

1. Communicate.  The more, the better. As our new norm has become an unchartered environment where employees, contractors, and just about everyone else needs reassurance, have questions, and understandable uncertainty about the future, it only amplifies the need to communicate even more.
2. Positive Attitude.  Employees want management they can look up to and trust regardless if there’s a global pandemic happening or an economic boom. Leaders who project confidence and a calm, positive outlook are attributes that are now more valuable than ever. People want to feel safe and naturally respond to that.
3. Credibility.  A fundamental during uncertainty, credibility is at the top of the list. A positive attitude not tempered by realism lacks all credibility and trust. Leaving you and your employees with very little room for growth.
4. Set Clear Expectations.  In a period when so much is unclear, the value of managerial clarity is immeasurable. Thus, clear management expectations, both formal (the actual performance results expected) and informal (the everyday actions and behaviors desired), will likely be both necessary and appreciated.
5. Stay Connected.  Keeping remote workers and teams connected is an increasingly vital skill as the workforce has dispersed, and large numbers of people have become suddenly disconnected and cut off from normal social interactions. Regardless of the method used to connect (phone, video conferencing, text, email, etc.) so long as people feel in touch with one another consistently.

Strong management is often about consistency. In these times, it can help restore predictability in our currently unpredictable world. Contact us today if you are in need of a strong leader.

In the current climate, health is on everyone’s mind. 

We are washing our hands incessantly, wiping down surfaces, standing six feet away from each other, and running a mile when someone coughs.

 

 Dr. Kaite Deming, Radiation Oncologist, offers five tips for anyone looking for ways to give your immune system a little boost. 

 

Sleep 

 

Sleep plays a vital role in immune function. Studies show that a lack of sleep or poor-quality sleep can increase your risk of getting sick after exposure to a virus. For most adults, aim for seven to eight hours per night.

 

If you’re having trouble falling asleep, Dr. Deming suggests minimizing blue light from electronics in the evening. Set your phone to ‘dark mode’ at sunset and make sure to turn off all electronics at least one hour before bed. 

 

Exercise

 

It’s not surprising that physical activity is a great way to lower stress. Still, it also facilitates the transportation of infection-fighting white blood cells from the blood into the tissues of the body. 

 

That doesn’t mean you need to run out and buy equipment for a home gym. Walking is an excellent form of activity and provides the perfect excuse to get outside. If the weather keeps you from getting your steps in, try free apps like FitOn or Nike Training Club for more structured workouts.

 

Aim for 30 minutes a day.

 

Diet

 

There are fundamental principles of nutrition that will help your body fight infections.

 

Deficiencies in micronutrients such as zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C, and E can alter the immune response. You are likely to get all the micronutrients and minerals needed if you eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits (1.5 – 2 cups per day) and vegetables (2-3 cups per day). If not, consider adding a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement to your diet.

 

Social Connection

Social Distancing is a proven vital strategy against COVID-19. However, it’s essential to try and stay connected to friends, family, and coworkers. Isolation can cause significant stress and other health problems. 

 

Find some time to digitally connect via FaceTime, Zoom, Google Hangout, or other online video conferencing platforms. 

 

If you are sheltering in place with your family, holding hands and hugging can be therapeutic. (of course, after proper handwashing)

 

Stress Reduction

It’s crucial to find healthy ways of managing stress in your life. When we are stressed, it reduces our immune system’s ability to fight off antigens, making us more susceptible to infections. Dr. Deming says the stress hormone corticosteroid can lower the number of infection-fighting white blood cells. 

 

Use some of the tips above to help reduce stress; exercise, connection, sleep, and diet. Here’s another resource for more stress management tips. 

 

We hope these tips will help keep you and your family healthy. 

We are all facing an unprecedented challenge amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Organizations are working hard to protect their staff as employees are adjusting to working from home while dealing with school closures. Job seekers wonder if they’ll be able to find a new position, and employers have to change the way they hire.

First and foremost, INNOVA People hope that you remain healthy, and you are following all the necessary recommendations to stop the spread of this virus. We’re here to help. Our team is on call if you’re looking for guidance while transitioning to a “socially distant” recruiting model.

Here are some resources and best practices for virtual recruiting.

Recruitment

HR managers are quickly adjusting recruitment strategies. The time is now to move to a virtual recruitment plan — one that protects both employees and candidates and eliminates risk while continuing to drive hiring efforts.

While virtual interviewing can be different, experts say it’s not an obstacle and doesn’t take away from the interviewing experience. Joel Slenning, President of Strategic Talent Acquisition at INNOVA People, says, “Virtual interviewing can be a beneficial and thorough way of conducting the interview process. I recommend having an interactive experience by sharing screens and having candidates show their work, showcase their capabilities right on the screen with a challenge question, or coding example, etc..”

Save-time to hire

Video functionality lets you quickly schedule interviews with in-demand candidates who are in the final stages of a competing offer, live out of town, have limited availability to come in for an in-person interview, or require an interview team with demanding schedules. You will lose most of the candidates who are in high demand during the late stages of your recruitment process if your hiring process is slow.

Keep it Simple

If you aren’t sure what video conferencing tools to use, start by keeping it simple, consider what tools are already in place: GoToMeeting, Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, etc. can all be triaged into adequate video interviewing tools. If you need to think about solutions geared towards recruitment (so they’ll be more agreeable with your ATS, are built with compliance in mind, and more comfortable to schedule out of, etc.), there are a lot of options.

Get Familiar with your Video Conferencing Tools

Become familiar with the video conferencing tools and practice using them before the interview to avoid any day-of technical glitches.

Choose the Right Location

You may be in a makeshift home office but take some time to scout out the perfect location in your home to conduct a video call—preferably one that is well-lit with natural light and quiet.

Give Candidates a Heads-up

Give candidates a heads-up via an email from your ATS or a personalized email from your recruiter. Let them know that you are trying out or adopting video interviewing and why. Explain the benefits: convenience, reduction in travel needs, health/safety (in this current Coronavirus environment).

Dress as You Would at the Office

While it’s tempting to stay in sweats when you’re working from home, interviewers and candidates should make an effort to look professional. We recommend dressing as you would for an in-person interview.

For more tips and information to help see your business through the new virtual working landscape, contact us today.

 

 

 

 

Still, trying to staff that open position? Did you lose out on your top candidate to a competitor? You may be taking too long to make a hiring decision. Dragging your feet to present a job offer can turn candidates off. Here’s what candidates have to say about a lengthy recruitment process, according to a recent survey. Contact us for help landing the right skilled candidate for your team.

 

What’s the most frustrating part of the job search process?

54% of job seekers say it’s the long wait after the interview to hear back. Candidates want a clear timeline and regular updates during the hiring process. 

 

How long are you willing to wait after the interview to hear back?

23% of candidates will wait for just one week. 

 

How long is too long for the hiring process?

34% of job candidates say 7-14 days is too long.

 

What happens if the hiring process is too long?

57% of job-seekers lose interest in the job. 

 

You will lose most of the candidates who are in high demand during the late stages of your recruitment process if your hiring process is slow. When currently employed top performers decide to enter the job market; they are likely to be quickly inundated with recruiting requests and offers, which means that often they will only be on the job market for a matter of days. 

 

The speed of hire is most important when you are competing against other firms for currently employed “in-high-demand” top talent. If you wait too long the competition will take this top talent off the market before you have the time to make a hiring decision.

Layoffs accelerate as the coronavirus disrupts the American economy. If the outbreak worsens, some 24 percent of employers plan to downsize according to a survey of business owners conducted March 7-13 by the wealth manager UBS.

It’s a different story in the healthcare sector; healthcare workers are in demand more than ever. The wave comes as hospitals prepare for an influx of patients with COVID-19, potentially squeezing an already tight labor supply. As of Wednesday morning, there are nearly 7, 3200 cases of COVD-19 confirmed in the U.S., but that number will undoubtedly grow as testing becomes more widely available.

Frontline healthcare workers who come in contact with infected patients and become ill or quarantined could take away more desperately needed nurses and physicians.

Glassdoor is reporting a 3x increase in job postings in the U.S. in locations closely related to the outbreak’s spread. The top-5 states for job openings accounting for 61 percent of open positions including California, Washington, and New York.

In the U.S., 32 percent of these jobs are being posted by employers by the government, healthcare, biotech, pharmaceuticals, and nonprofit industries. Openings for registered nurses, epidemiologists, down to call center or front-desk workers who are helping handle the influx of community questions are in high demand.

We have openings we need to fill today to help combat this pandemic. Contact us today.

As the novel Coronavirus COVID-19 spreads across parts of Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the US, companies are quickly implementing remote work policies.

Major companies like Apple, Nestlé, Microsoft, Hitachi, and Chevron are asking workers to work remotely or are restricting all non-essential business travel as a precautionary measure against the rapidly-spreading disease.

Twitter announced it had joined the charge and changed its earlier guidance of “strongly encouraging work from home” to all 5,000 employees globally “must work from home.”

The CDC is recommending “that employers establish ‘nonpunitive’ policies, encouraging employees who are sick or exhibiting symptoms to stay at home,” per The New York Times.

If you do work an occupation that’s compatible with telecommuting but are unfamiliar with how to do it, here are some strategies to ease your transition to the home-office life.

Keep a regular schedule. Structure your day like you would in the office. To stay on schedule, segment what you’ll do and when over the day.

Choose a dedicated workspace. Twitter is offering reimbursement towards all home office set up expenses. For the best productivity, designate a room or surface in your home to work.

Get out of the house. Some days your home office might not be working for you. Coffee shops, libraries, or any WiFi-enabled public space can help stimulate the energy of an office.

Set-up remote meetings. Just because you’re not all sitting around a conference table doesn’t mean you still can’t set up and have productive meetings. Create and circulate an agenda ahead of the meeting and use video conferencing to connect.

Stay connected. Make sure you stay engaged and productive. Communicate frequently on the usual channels, e.g., Slack, email, phone, etc. but it also means communicating even more than usual about your projects and progress.

The ability to work from home has morphed into a highly valued perk and looks to continue to grow in popularity regardless of the Coronavirus pandemic. GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com data shows that regular work-at-home, among the non-self-employed population, has grown by 173% since 2005, 11% faster than the rest of the workforce. Telecommuting in the US has seen a 115% increase in the past decade.

Don’t have remote work policies in place? Contact our HR experts to help craft an airtight policy for your business.