Emotional intelligence sounds like a buzzword, but it's far from that. It's a critical skill that lays the foundation for other important skills like empathy, kindness, listening, communicating, connecting, and influencing to be present and fully used with intentional purpose. When it comes to leadership, emotional intelligence is taking center stage, with many organizations, as a major consideration at hiring and promotion times. Going hand-in-hand with emotional intelligence is the ability to show presentism.
Presentism opens the mind and allows one to focus on the immediate situation and people in the moment. It's an ability to focus on one's own emotions, reactions, and moods, along with recognizing these traits in others. So, basically, by learning and practicing emotional intelligence, we learn to be good observers of our own surroundings and the people we come into contact with every day.
The world of work is rapidly changing. Employment laws and what constitutes a "gig" or on-demand worker are a work in process, as is how the workforce is pivoting to integrate on-demand workers into their hiring and workflows. Benefits, worker protection and wages are under scrutiny but are likewise an acceptable trade-off for many on-demand workers given the flexible and desirable nature of gig work.
One of the factors leading to why the nature of the gig worker remains clearly undefined is that it lacks a firm definition. This gray area means that employers cannot set forth well-defined policies and protections when hiring gig workers. Given the rise in demand for gig workers, lawmakers are working with employers on a local and national level to define and qualify what constitutes an on-demand worker and what employers also need to know to protect themselves from litigation. However, conclusive data about the on-demand workforce, mostly at the state level, remains undefined.
According to the US Chamber of Commerce, introverts have skills and behaviors that make them a great business owner. They possess good listening skills, pay attention to details with greater concern, and are thoughtful before speaking with their opinions. They also have a reputation for being strong leaders because of their ability to really listen and to bestow credit where it belongs.
In the business world, they blend well into online communication venues such as chats and groups where people share opinions and offer advice. They mesh best with more outgoing people than themselves, and when introverts and extroverts collaborate, the results are generally good because the results gain the benefits of both sides' strengths.
Today I’m welcoming Ed Thompson, CEO / Founder, Uptimize to talk about an aspect of diversity in the workforce we probably need to focus on a lot more — and that’s neurodiversity. Whatever workplace you’re in, it’s more than likely you’ve got a whole range of different thinking styles on your teams. But too often, they’re not all appreciated — let alone recognized. We do know, however, that diverse teams are far more effective and innovative — and diversity of thought is a big component in that. We’ll be talking about how neurodiversity enhances your teams and your work styles — and why it’s time to embrace the fact that we’re all wired differently — and find ways to best support that.
The world of job search and recruiting has been turned upside down. What was, generally, expected from employers and job seekers has taken a turn and not for the best. Companies have laid off people and jobs are scarcer now due to the recession of a pandemic 2020. However, business still needs to keep moving forward, which means having people continuing day-to-day duties and atypical fashion.
Evermore necessary is the skill of possessing great communication skills. Being able to interview virtually has taken on a new role. At one time, it was something done by large enterprise companies who had the budget to purchase this technology. This is no longer the case, as most companies now must rely on technology to assess candidates, hire, and onboard these individuals into the company. Being able to rely on technology that is well connected and intersects with other technologies, coupled with excellent communication capabilities, is essential for any organization and is quickly becoming the standard practice for talent acquisition.
For job seekers and candidates, getting comfortable with using technology for job search and interviewing is no longer an option, but is a must. Developing a comfort level using technology will be one of the factors recruiters will use to assess someone's job candidacy, along with the customary historical items. Coming prepared to the interview with good questions and insights, showing an ability to communicate as though you were sitting face-to-face, will fall into the assessment bucket.