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Feedback and Self-Reflection Promote Personal Growth

As I said in my last article, it’s important for leaders to reflect on lessons learned from the past year as they begin business planning for the next one.

It’s equally important that leaders make some time to reflect on their own performance and behaviors and consider any adjustments they need to make going forward.

There are a couple of ways to do this. One is for leaders to set aside time to ask themselves (and give honest answers to) questions such as:

What was my biggest accomplishment this year?
What was less successful and how will I improve it?
What are my top 3 strengths?
What are 3 areas where I need more development?
What am I going to stop doing, start doing, continue doing?

Another – and much better way – is to seek feedback from others.

Leaders’ actions and behaviors have broad impact. The individuals who report to them, their peers, their own leadership, customers, vendors, partners, and the organization overall. Gaining insight about how they positively impact others as well as areas where they could do better will promote their personal growth. This feedback is more meaningful if it comes from a variety of sources – immediate leader, direct reports, colleagues, and business partners, for example. And the tool for that is a 360 Review.

A 360 Review helps leaders build self-awareness by pointing out strengths and illuminating blind spots that may be preventing them from becoming a more effective leader.

In a typical 360 process the participating leader identifies several stakeholders who then give feedback (anonymously) via a set of questions. The same questions are answered by all stakeholders. Responses are then consolidated and summarized into a report that highlights strengths, development areas and any emerging themes. When specific themes emerge based on feedback from several stakeholders rather than just their immediate leader it’s harder to dismiss that feedback.

The 360 process benefits both the leader and the organization by providing a foundation for the leader’s development to build on strengths and address any blind spots or areas for improvement. Often the next step is coaching to help with the leader’s development.

If you are interested finding out more about the 360 process for a leader in your organization, please reach out to me at michelle@connecttohr.com.

Supporting a DEI Culture Through Coaching

Creating a strong DEI culture doesn’t happen overnight.

Even when senior leaders implement all the suggestions I’ve made in my last two articles (catch up with them here and here) there will be those leaders and employees who have a hard time outgrowing baked-in biases and ways of communicating.

Such was the case with one of my coaching clients. Although his team praised him as a leader who supported them and had no problem pitching in to help when things needed to get done, they also described him as someone who was often insensitive and judgmental, making assumptions about people based on preconceived notions rather than actual evidence.

This is called unconscious bias. “Unconscious” because often we don’t even realize that we are making judgments about someone’s abilities, intelligence, experience, credibility, etc., based on factors that have nothing to do with those qualities. The first step in overcoming these biases is to be made aware of them and the impact they have on others.

In this client example, I was brought in to help my client develop awareness around his communication style, his leadership style and the impact that both had on the people who worked for him and with him. We used a 360-assessment tool, which gives stakeholders the opportunity to comment on the leader’s strengths and areas for development. The 360 is a very powerful tool because it helps leaders develop self-awareness while giving stakeholders (direct reports, colleagues, and the person’s leadership) the ability to provide feedback anonymously. Leaders need honest feedback from various sources to be able to learn and grow.

A key requirement for an effective leadership coaching engagement is for the leader to be coachable. In this case my leader/client was very responsive to the feedback. He recognized that he often made snap judgments and that sometimes his communication style could be interpreted as insensitive. In addition to our coaching sessions, he also completed a DEI training class.

At the end of our coaching engagement, I performed a follow-up assessment to determine (from stakeholders) how he was implementing what he’d learned and to identify and create a plan for areas for continued growth. I was pleased to learn that stakeholders saw marked improvement in his self-awareness and in better adapting his communication style. They also remarked that he had implemented practices that he learned in the DEI training.

Effective leaders continue to learn and grow and one of the ways to do that is through Executive Coaching. Contact me today at michelle@connecttohr.com and let’s discuss how my coaching services can help the leaders in your organization.

Called for an Interview? Be Clear About Expectations!

In a recent blog I wrote about the importance of job seekers (and hiring managers) making a good first impression during the interview process. This starts with arriving on time, dressing for success and, if it’s a virtual interview, being sure that your technology is working.

Once you are in the interview, there are several best practices that are also extremely important and that can help make your interview – and the impression you leave – a positive one.

Job seekers

Be prepared to state an expected salary range. By California law, hiring managers can no longer ask you about your current salary or salary history. They may, however, ask about your salary expectations. Be prepared. Do some research, give it some thought, and determine a salary range that you’d be happy with. What’s the lowest salary you’d find acceptable? Hedging on this question or refusing to answer will only waste your time and the hiring company’s time if your expectations/what they’re willing to offer are too far out of alignment. And don’t forget when you calculate your range expectations to factor in any commissions or bonuses you typically receive.

Be clear about other, non-salary expectations. Part of the needs assessment at the beginning of a job search is to identify all your must-haves in a new opportunity – role, responsibilities, work environment, culture, type of employer, etc. As you prepare for your interview, be sure you develop questions that will help you determine whether the opportunity meets those needs. And be sure that your talking points clearly state what you’re looking for.

Be honest. If you are nearing the offer stage with a company and have another offer on the table, be honest about it. Playing games or creating a “bidding war” is a bad practice and wastes everyone’s time. It will also leave a bad impression.

Hiring managers

Stay engaged. This is especially important during virtual interviews, which are now so common. Remember that the candidate is evaluating you as much as you are evaluating them. Make eye contact, turn your phone off and conduct the interview in a place that is devoid of distractions. If it’s a panel interview don’t turn off your camera or do other things while others are asking questions. Demonstrate to the candidate your respect for their time and your interest in learning about them. We are in a market where job seekers have lots of choices and where they don’t hesitate to share their interview experiences with other job seekers on Glassdoor, etc.

Are you planning to look for a new opportunity in 2022? Check out my Career Coaching Packages.

Contact me today and schedule a meeting to learn how my services can help you. https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr. You can also reach me directly at michelle@connecttohr.com.

Coaching to Land Your Dream Job

In my last article I shared that I have three Career Coaching packages to choose from based on what your needs are as a job seeker. If you are ready to find that ideal position that checks all the boxes on your wish list, then my Landing Your Dream Job Package is the one for you.

This comprehensive package provides all the tools and support you need to plan and implement an effective job search. With coaching you will:

Gain clarity on your ideal job, career direction, desired company, and work environment
Develop a targeted resume and LinkedIn Profile that aligns with your career goals
Learn how to leverage your network to generate job leads
Practice interviewing and receive feedback, coaching and support
Create a plan for the first 30 days of your job search

Additionally, I’ll provide guidance through the offer process and negotiations so you can get what you want, and I’ll help you create an effective 30-day onboarding plan for a successful transition.

Here’s an example of how one of my clients landed her Dream Job with this package.

My client was a pharmaceutical exec with a nursing background and nursing degree who had been out of the workforce for 10 years raising her family. She was ready to search for a new opportunity and get back to work but was struggling to get started. She was concerned about the career gap and wasn’t sure whether to go back into pharma or pursue a nursing career.

We started our work together with an assessment of her experience and skills to identify her unique qualifications and map those to several possible opportunities. We then worked on creating new personal marketing tools for her – an updated resume and a more professional LinkedIn Profile. I coached her on trends in the recruitment process and changes in the work environment. Through some “homework” exercises, I helped her think through how she could best combine and leverage her skills and experience from her two prior careers to stand out to a potential employer. By encouraging self-reflection and helping her recognize strengths she may have overlooked, I was able to build her confidence level for the job search journey. Although she initially wanted a corporate job, after working with me she decided to return to her nursing career because it would offer her the flexibility that she needed. I helped her gain clarity on which path to pursue first, and we also came up with a back-up plan in case things didn’t work out. She’s now been happily employed as an IVF nurse for several years.

Another advantage of working with a coach and taking the time to assess your skills, experience and what you want in terms of work, environment, culture, etc., is that you might find that your Dream Job isn’t somewhere else, but where you are – just in a different department or branch. That’s what happened to another one of my clients who really liked the company but wasn’t feeling fulfilled in his job. After we went through the various components of the program, he decided to look internally at opportunities with his current employer. As a result of the coaching program, he now has more confidence in his background, skills, and experience.

If you are ready to explore what is next in your career, please contact me today and schedule a meeting to learn how my services can help you. https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr. You can also reach me directly at michelle@connecttohr.com.

Connect to HR Adds Career Coaching Services

I’m happy to announce that Connect to HR is officially launching a new service focused on helping job seekers successfully navigate the process of landing a new, more fulfilling opportunity.

Although we are definitely in a job seekers market, there is still a lot of competition and the basics of an effective job search still apply – clarity of vision, planning, effective personal marketing tools, preparation, practice, etc.

Too often job seekers are in a rush to post their resume and don’t take the time to think through what it is they want to do next. As a result, they may end up with the same job in a different place and be no more fulfilled than they were before.

This is where a career coach can provide insight and guidance. It’s important to note that career coaching is more than just helping you find a new job. It’s about helping you find the right job, employer, work environment, and potential for you. It’s also about helping you develop job search skills and knowledge that you can continue to use as you navigate your career path.

My career has given me experience working on both sides of the talent equation. I’ve worked in recruiting for large organizations and have consulted with business leaders about effective hiring strategies and processes. I’ve also worked with individuals at all career levels to help them create a results-oriented job search plan and powerful personal marketing tools.

I’m now putting this experience to work in career coaching for people on the move. This is in addition to my HR Advisory Service and Executive Coaching.

Connect to HR has 3 Career Coaching packages to choose from based on your needs.

Our Resume and LinkedIn Starter Package is designed for those who just need help ensuring that they have powerful personal marketing tools. With this package I’ll work with you to co-create a targeted resume that captures the attention of recruiters. I’ll also help you develop a LinkedIn Profile to enhance your online presence. Your resume and LinkedIn profile are often the “first impression” you give to a potential employer, and you want that impression to be a good one!

Our Career Clarity Package is designed for those who are ready for a change and need help getting started. It includes a career strategy session on positioning and marketing in today’s job marketplace and will help you gain clarity on ideal jobs, career direction, desired company, and work environment. It also includes the components of the Starter Package, i.e., a targeted resume and LinkedIn Profile.

Our third package – Landing Your Dream Job – is our most comprehensive package and I’ll talk about that next time.

Are you planning to look for a new opportunity in 2022?

Contact me today and schedule a meeting to learn how my services can help you. https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr. You can also reach me directly at michelle@connecttohr.com.

First Impressions Count!

If you’ve been following my last few articles, then you know I’ve been sharing success tips for both hiring organizations and job seekers in the candidate/job search process.

Here’s a recap of what I’ve covered so far:

For hiring managers:

Be sure that you review and update job descriptions before posting to ensure that they align with your needs today and into the future.
Don’t rely solely on applicant tracking systems – they often overlook good candidates through their keyword filters; leverage your networks.
Train all interviewers, and prepare good questions that evaluate skills, experience, and behaviors that are a fit for the job and the organization.

For job seekers:

Before updating/posting your resume, take time to gain clarity about what you want next – the skills you want to use, the type of organization, the work environment, etc.
Do the research (or work with a coach) to ensure that your marketing tools (resume, LinkedIn profile) reflect your career vision and that you have a job search plan; leverage your networks.
Spend time before each interview researching the company, preparing answers to anticipated questions, and preparing questions to ask. Practice, practice, practice.

Now I’d like to talk about the importance of making a good first impression.

These tips apply to both the hiring organization (HR, hiring manager, all interviewers, even the receptionist) and job seeker.

Be on time. Whether it’s an in-person interview or, as so many are today, a Zoom interview, be ready at least 5 minutes in advance so you can start on time.

Test your technology. For remote interviews, be sure you are familiar with the technology being used and that you are set up in a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Don’t forget to turn your camera and speakers on.

Dress for success. Whether in person or remote, dress professionally.

Pay attention to your body language. Nonverbals speak volumes. Sit up straight, make eye contact, smile, and convey that you are engaged in the conversation. Consciously suppress any little habits you may have, e.g., tapping your pen, as these can be a distraction.

Are you planning to look for a new opportunity in 2022? My Landing Your Dream Job career coaching package includes all the job seeker tips I’ve talked about so far and much, much more.

Contact me today and schedule a meeting to learn how my services can help you. https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr. You can also reach me directly at michelle@connecttohr.com.

Preparation is Critical to Job Interview Success

For my last couple of articles, I’ve been writing about the things that hiring managers and job seekers have in common. I’ve also provided some tips on how to overcome barriers to finding the right candidate or finding the right job. If you missed previous articles in this series, you can find them here and here.

This time I’d like to focus on the importance of preparation – for both the hiring manager and the job seeker.

Preparing for the interview – hiring manager

The candidate interview is an opportunity to learn more about the job seeker both in terms of their skills and qualifications and whether they are a good fit for the role and organization. All too often hiring managers and others involved in interviewing go into it unprepared.

Good hires result from a well-defined interview process. Each person interviewing the candidate has been trained on how to conduct an interview (what can and cannot be asked) and each interviewer has a specific set of well-thought-out questions to ask. Without a strategy around the questions to be asked, a candidate may be asked the same question over and over and key information that could have resulted from good questions is lost. All candidates for a particular role should be asked the same questions.

Interviewers should be prepped on desired skills and behaviors and should know enough about the organization to answer the candidate’s questions. It’s important to remember that the candidate is evaluating the organization and the people representing it as much as they are being evaluated. Be sure that those who conduct interviews represent the organization well.

Following the interview, the hiring manager and all interviewers should meet to compare notes and share their impressions.

Preparing for the interview – job seeker

Many people find job interviews scary, especially if they haven’t been through one in a while. The key to reducing the amount of angst is preparation.

As the job seeker, be sure you are thoroughly familiar with the job requirements and have researched the company/organization. At the very least you should know the information available on their website.

Be prepared to share how your skills/experience map to the qualifications for the role. Spend some time thinking about specific examples of past achievements, how you’ve handled various situations, unique value you’ve provided to your current/previous organizations, etc., so you will be prepared for behavioral interview questions. Use the easy-to-remember SAR model – what was the Situation, what Action did you take, what were the Results. Also, be sure to prepare some good questions to ask your interviewers.

Finally, practice! Prepare some questions you think you might be asked and have a friend or family member do a mock interview with you. The more you practice the less nervous you will be.

Next time I’ll talk about the importance of a good first impression and how to make one!

Looking for some help in preparing for interviews? Check out my Career Coaching Services – Landing Your Dream Job package.

Contact me today and schedule a meeting to learn how my services can help you. https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr. You can also reach me directly at michelle@connecttohr.com.

When Applicant Tracking Systems Aren’t Your Friend

In my last article I pointed out that hiring managers and job seekers have several things in common. One is the rush to post the job or post the resume without giving it a thorough review and update.

Another thing they have in common is what I call the opportunity-limiting impact of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

Many companies and job search sites rely on applicant tracking systems to do an initial scan of submitted resumes to filter out those that do not contain keywords associated with the job. With HR departments receiving dozens of resumes for a single position, this initial step in the process can save a huge amount of staff time. Theoretically, the remaining resumes to be reviewed by HR and/or the hiring manager are only those that meet the keyword criteria.

But here’s the thing.

Although the ATS can help reduce the number of resumes HR and the hiring manager ultimately have to review, it may be filtering out some perfectly good candidates simply because they didn’t have specific keywords on their resume. Maybe they had the requisite experience or skill but called it something different. Maybe their resume (when scanned by the human eye) conveyed talent, behaviors or potential that could be a fit for the role but was rejected because it didn’t match the machine criteria.

This can be frustrating for both the hiring manager and the job seeker. The hiring manager is losing out on potential candidates. The job seeker who may have been an excellent candidate is eliminated because they didn’t have the exact credentials programmed into the system. This is especially true for people who are recent graduates or who are switching careers and may have a great deal to offer. Also, an ATS may reject a highly qualified candidate for reasons such as a differently formatted resume or other technical reasons.

So, what are hiring manager and jobs seekers to do?

I always recommend that whether you are looking for talent or looking for a job you leverage your network. Who do you know that might know someone who could be a fit for your open position? Or, as a job seeker, who do you know that might know of an opportunity for you? Reach out to you family, friends, colleagues, past workmates, and online connections. You never know what might turn up.

Also, all of the packages in my Career Coaching Services include work around crafting a resume and LinkedIn profile that addresses some of the issues with applicant tracking systems.

Contact me today and schedule a meeting to learn how my services can help you. https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr. You can also reach me directly at michelle@connecttohr.com.

Whether Filling a Job or Finding a Job – Make Time to Assess Needs

One of the things that helps me in my coaching work is that I have experience working on both sides of the talent equation. I’ve worked in recruiting for large organizations and have consulted with business leaders about effective hiring strategies and processes during my entire career. I’ve also worked with individuals at all career levels to help them create a results-oriented job search plan and powerful personal marketing tools.

What I’ve noticed along the way is that there are several things that hiring managers and job seekers have in common. And when these things are not addressed early on, they can have a negative impact on bringing together the right person and the right job at the right time. I’ll be talking about these commonalities over the next couple of months and making suggestions on how you – as a hiring manager or as a job seeker – can avoid them.

The rush to fill a job

When someone leaves, especially when they’ve been in their role for a while, it creates a gap that the manager is understandably anxious to fill. The work needs to get done and remaining employees are already stretched and/or don’t have the appropriate skills to fill in. So, typically the first order of business is to dig out the old job description and get the opening posted as soon as possible.

But wait a minute. Jobs shift over time based on the needs of the team and organization, and often based on the person filling the role. Is what you needed when the job description was created what you need now and into the future to support company goals?

Before you rush to post, take the time to review the job description and conduct a needs assessment before you start the recruitment process. It will help ensure that you find the right talent for your needs.

The rush to find a job

It’s a similar situation for job seekers. Although it’s a best practice to keep your resume up to date, for many people it’s a last-minute scramble when the pressure is on to find a new job. So, they tack their latest job experience onto their resume and launch it into job seeker space hoping to attract something, anything. In today’s job market this is short-sighted and often has disappointing results.

Before you start your job search it’s important to gain clarity around what you want to do next, where you want to do it, and what that looks like, i.e., your work environment. I call this creating your Career Vision and it’s a critical first step for a successful job search.

If you need help creating your Career Vision or any other aspect of your job search, please consider my Career Coaching Services .

Whether you want to move up where you are, change employers or transition to a new career, I can help you navigate the process and achieve your goal.

Contact me today and schedule a meeting to learn how my services can help you. https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr. You can also reach me directly at michelle@connecttohr.com.

Returning to Work after a Career Gap

One of the challenges that many job seekers face is how to get back into the workplace after taking a break from their career. Maybe they stopped working to raise their children, care for an aging parent, or live outside the country for a while. Whatever the reason, taking that initial step to get back to work can be daunting.

But it doesn’t have to be. Especially in a labor market like the one we’re in today.

The key is in knowing what you want, as I talked about in my last blog, and in doing the discovery work around what you have to offer – your skills, experience, competencies and behaviors.

A good example of this is a coaching client I worked with a couple of years ago. She was an executive who had been out of the workforce for several years. She was ready to search for a new opportunity to restart her career but was struggling to achieve that goal while managing several major changes in her personal life. She contacted me for support in focusing her mindset and creating a structured plan to find the right opportunity.

We started our work together by doing an assessment of her experience and skills to identify her unique qualifications and map those to several possible opportunities. Since she’d been out of the workforce for some time, we then worked on creating new personal marketing tools for her – an updated resume and a more professional LinkedIn Profile. I coached her on trends in the recruitment process and changes in the work environment. I helped her think through how she could best combine and leverage her skills and experience from two prior careers to stand out to a potential employer. By encouraging self-reflection and helping her recognize strengths she may have overlooked, I was able to build her confidence level for the job search journey.

We created a tailored approach for each of several target opportunities and the result was that she found a position that she wanted, and that leveraged her experience and skills. She is still there today.

Don’t let a career gap hold you back. Do the work to gain clarity around your skills, experience, achievements, and unique qualities that you bring to the workplace and then map those to potential opportunities.

If you’d like to learn more about transitioning back to the workplace, I’ll be facilitating a panel discussion during the Phase2Careers Forum on November 3, 2021. You can register here.

Want to chat about your career and explore new options? Let’s do this! Contact me today and schedule a meeting https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr/45min. You can also reach me directly at michelle@connecttohr.com.