Maintaining strong leadership of an entire finance team is hard, no question about it. But as CFOs have seen lately, remote leadership can present even more challenges.

When the pandemic hit, finance operations everywhere moved from corporate buildings and conference rooms to home offices and kitchen tables. And while some CFOs may now be raring to get their teams back into the office, in many cases, remote work arrangements have proved people can be productive at home.

To some extent, a dispersed workforce is here to stay. So, knowing how to manage your team remotely will be key even after the pandemic’s passed.

Read the full article at: www.cfodailynews.com

When asking college seniors where they want to work, their first responses might be Apple or Nike or Disney. The same might apply amongst any cohort you ask to list a company they want to work for, but it’s not because they have the best employer brand. All brands started unknown and had to build a reputation, a pattern of success in their industry, and a positive experience for users. All companies no matter their size, go through a version of this with hopes of winning more customers and earning more loyalty for their brand than the competition. To be successful, they must show how they are different and deliver what the customer is looking for. 

When your company is hiring, the same principles apply. You need to attract candidates, offer something candidates want and need, and do something better than your competitors. If your company has a smaller footprint, or does not produce household products or services or have an instantly recognizable brand, it can be more daunting to try and compete with large household names that attract thousands of candidates eager to get a big brand on their resume. It can be a challenge at times, competition is steep, and top talent has a lot of choice in the market—but it is not hopeless. While your talent acquisition function must focus on intentional planning and setting expectations for what you can offer candidates (your employer brand), you as an executive have an important role to play as well. 

Read the full article at: blog.shrm.org

The role of the CFO within the organization has long been changing—a process which was turbo-charged by the digital transformations and enhanced business challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. In a recent Q&A, Omar Choucair, CFO of financial software company Trintech, and I discussed the new essential CFO skillset in the post-pandemic world. It entails not just specific competencies but an updated frame of mind that puts the finance chief at the center of change and adaptation.

Jeff Thomson: Traditionally, the CFO was seen as performing two primary roles: custodian of the budget and protector of critical assets. Now the CFO must capture key performance indicators that provide insight and foresight, that will inform the future course of the organization. How has this focus on strategy and the future upended the traditional function of the CFO? What new skillsets must CFOs acquire to perform these new tasks?

Read the full article at: www.forbes.com

As more companies ponder the future of remote work, it’s going to be important to keep remote teams engaged with your business and brand. For the past 6 years, I’ve been a part of BKA Content, a award-winning company based in Utah, that has maintained a good reputation among its writers for creating an excellent remote working environment and known for its high standards.

According to Matt Secrist, co-founder and COO, BKA has over 600 independent contractors and 20 employees, all of whom work remotely. Over 200 of those writers have been with the company for two or more years. About 30 writers have been with the company for more than 6 years. It’s not easy to keep freelancers on board that long without some strong ties to the company.

Communication
Secrist states, “I think frequent communication…(makes) a huge difference.” I concur with this statement. BKA sends out a weekly newsletter to all its writers. After six years, I still enjoy reading it because it always gives relevant information. Their culture comes through in the newsletter. It’s not preachy. Sometimes, they have fun games and contests that create camaraderie and give us fun things beyond writing. 

Read the full article at: theamericangenius.com

Do you often wonder what the secrets to success are in management? You are not alone if so, as many managers find management to be incredibly challenging (especially when they first start out) but see many people seemingly born to be a manager. While it is certainly true that some people seem to be naturally good managers, there is also a lot that you can learn and skills that you can develop which could help you to excel.

The Secrets to Management Success

Discovering the secrets to successful management will help you excel in your role, get the most out of your team, overcome common business challenges and take the entire company forward. With this in mind, here are a few of the main secrets to management success that could help you to start making improvements right now.

Read the full article at: www.morebusiness.com

Hiring a new employee can be a time-consuming and tedious process. If you hire the right individual, then your business will do well, but if you hire the wrong one, then all the effort to hire that candidate will go to waste. This is why companies have turned to recruitment agencies to make the hiring process more manageable. 

Multiple Vacancies

When done in-house, recruiting can become a challenge, and many positions can take months to fill. If you have many vacancies and are looking to mass-hire, then an external recruiter is right for you. They can quickly filter a list of candidates that have the requirements for the position. External recruiters can also help you find candidates pre-verified with background checks before they even reach the interview room.

Read the full article at: businesspartnermagazine.com

Managing virtual sales teams is becoming a common theme in the workplace.  

As times change, so does the average worker. Many companies are turning to virtual sales teams to save money on office space and create a flexible working atmosphere.  

This trend will most likely continue to increase with the advancement of new technologies and the current social distancing measures.  

However, many managers tend to worry that their team is either binging on Netflix shows, doing laundry or otherwise goofing off – while in their pajamas.

Guess what? 

The truth is employees tend to perform better when working from home.

Here are some tips that will help you manage a productive and high-performing virtual sales team. 

1. Select the Right Candidates for Remote Work

While the data supports the idea that remote teams are effective, not everyone is effective when it comes to remote work. 

Before you allow a current employee to go remote, you should evaluate their work patterns and ethics. 

Read the full article at: www.vanillasoft.com

Read the full article at: www.chorus.ai

Covid-19 has taken its toll on the workplace; by some accounts, 7 out of 10 workers believe the Covid era has been the most challenging period of their professional lives. In healthcare—the industry in which I serve—I believe that ratio to be much higher.

The workplace disruption has translated into tremendous uncertainty in the executive job market. Candidates throughout the pandemic have been skittish though not shy about searching for new work. In a WittKieffer survey conducted last fall, 95% of executives indicated that they were at least open to a new role. Covid has given leaders a greater sense of prioritization about what’s important for them personally and professionally—and often this means a job or career change.

What has also changed is the way that executive recruiting is playing out. My colleagues and I have adopted new practices and habits in order to meet candidate expectations and serve clients better. 

Read the full article at: chiefexecutive.net

Since diversity and inclusion took center stage in corporate America, you might think the modern era work environment is becoming an equal place for all. However, have we forgotten about the worker over 50? Unfortunately, ageism in the workplace occurs every day across America, and it is often not recognized and sometimes even accepted as harmless. You have probably overhead the comments and quiet jokes about older workers being sluggish, mentally dull, or technologically illiterate.

The Great Disconnect

The Bureau of Labor statistics reports that workers age 55-plus comprise a commanding 40.2% of the workforce, and individuals age 65-74 make up 27.8% of the labor force. Yet even with strong representation in corporate America, surveys still show that three in five older workers have experienced age bias in the workplace. When the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) was passed in 1967, it protected individuals over 40 against discrimination based on age. So, if people are working beyond traditional retirement timelines and are protected by law, how did this bias become so pervasive?

Read the full article at: www.thestaffingstream.com

Hiring is never a simple process, and it becomes even more intensive when hiring managerial positions. These are the leaders of your team — the people who inspire and motivate. 

The procedure of hiring a sales manager is multi-layered because it’s a position that involves many different hats. Depending on the size of your organization, a sales manager may have several people under them. They must exhibit impeccable organizational and leadership skills. 

With so many people applying for jobs these days, how do you filter through resumes and cover letters that all appear to have the same qualifications? It might feel overwhelming. Have you considered working with a sales recruitment agency? The right recruiter can spot a great sales candidate from a mile away because their finger is always on the pulse of the sales talent market. 

Read the full article at: www.entrepreneur.com

There’s no doubt that the once futuristic hybrid work model is already here. Earlier this year, a Gartner analyst was quoted saying that about 60% of the workforce are choosing the hybrid option. Even as the world begins to open up, I suspect that we will never quite return to the way things were before this pandemic started.

During 2020, many business leaders including myself faced the challenge of moving hundred- or even thousand-person teams in one direction—rallying them to use the same digital collaboration tools and adopt the same process for working with remote, distributed teams. At Whatfix, we had the benefit of already running a global distributed workforce. However, suddenly shifting everyone to remote work and now formulating strategies to create a hybrid workforce brought about its own set of challenges and learnings. Throughout this journey, I’ve learned three do’s and don’ts that helped me guide my team, which I believe can serve as a blueprint for other business leaders as well.

Read the full article at: chiefexecutive.net

What if all this while you’ve been applying for the wrong jobs, and that’s the reason your job search has not been working? Sure, after so many late-night resume revisions without any job offer to show for it, it can be tempting to wonder if getting a new job is even possible for you. But, the problem might be that you’re trying to fix the wrong thing. 

One classic mistake I see often from high-achievers in a variety of industries is that they’re applying for the wrong jobs, and they don’t even realize they’re doing it. Instead, they focus on fixing things like their resume, not knowing there’s another reason they’re not getting interviews or job offers. Or worse, if they are getting interviews and job offers, they have a higher risk of landing a new job with the same problems that motivated them to search for another job in the first place because they’re applying for the wrong positions.

Read the full article at: www.forbes.com

The most sure-fire way for aspiring CFOs to attract the notice of CEOs and boards is to bring a strategic mindset, communicate well and showcase a background in operational finance, recruiters say.

The days of rising mostly through corporate accounting ranks are declining and taking that path can even be a detriment to the extent it makes your background seem too-tailored to your previous employer.

Coming up through the public accounting or consulting ranks, by contrast, practically sells itself, because it tells potential employers you’ve mastered the technical aspects of accounting from a best-practices standpoint.

Read the full article at: www.cfodive.com

The chief financial officer (CFO) plays a critical role in any major organization. The specific duties of a CFO can vary somewhat from one company to the next. However, in general, a CFO is tasked primarily with ensuring an organization remains financially strong.

It’s also worth noting that the nature of a CFO’s role within a company is changing throughout various industries. Across many companies, CFOs are becoming involved in duties and aspects of the organization where they traditionally have not had influence. If you own a company, it’s important to understand precisely how these changes are coming about. You’ll want to know which qualities to prioritize when hiring a new CFO. Even if your company ultimately decides to outsource its CFO, you will still want to make sure that whoever you work with is solid in the three categories listed below.

Read the full article at: www.under30ceo.com

In today’s era, millennials and Gen Z make most of the workforce in corporate organizations. Born in the 1980s and 1990s, millennials comprise 30 percent of the population and they will represent 75 percent of the global workforce by 2025.
workforce, Millennial Workforce

An increasing number of corporate organizations are into the employee experience. The new buzzword is making HR and talent managers discard the conventional strategies and adopt a fresh approach to make engagement sound better to millennials. It is essential for companies to create authentic employee experiences and compete effectively in the market.

In today’s era, millennials and Gen Z make most of the workforce in corporate organizations. Born in the 1980s and 1990s, millennials comprise 30 percent of the population and they will represent 75 percent of the global workforce by 2025. This generation was born during the urbanization of the world which makes them value interesting work and more opportunities to learn and develop new skills. As a result, the expectation of millennials includes a meaningful job, offers flexibility and mentorship.

Read the full article at: www.financialexpress.com

Whether it be deciding on the right time to hire salespeople or identifying potential candidates, developing a sales hiring process will certainly help streamline recruitment decisions. A clear and comprehensive sales hiring process can save resources, reduce turnover, and produce an efficient sales team.

Devising a thorough process in objective sales hiring is a critical component of sales management success. To simply put it, you need to build and manage a team that will get you to your numbers and delivers profitable revenue. 

For your business to hit its target sales and revenue, it’s extremely essential to hire the right people. 

Read the full article at: www.myvirtudesk.com

To succeed in sales, you have to be an extrovert and a natural at it. That’s straight-up nonsense!

• Many sales professionals get into the profession because they’ve been told they’re a natural. And sometimes, aspiring salespeople think they’re not cut out for the job because they’re introverts. 
• Both of these assumptions are myths, according to sales leader Kevin “KD” Dorsey, who says there’s nothing natural about selling, and that introverts are often better suited to a career in sales.
• KD clears up other popular misconceptions about sales, including money as motivation, the need to be passionate about products, and relying on a company to propel you forward.

Introverts, unite! (Separately, and in your own home.) 

Has there ever been such a prescient, perfect slogan for 2020? After all, this is the year of the virtual convention, the Zoom happy hour, and the “bubble” NBA.

Throw out misconceptions if you want to succeed in sales

But when we think about high-achieving sales rockstars, we assume they’re naturally outgoing, outspoken, and super social.

Read the full article at: www.vanillasoft.com

You should hire someone when you need to hire someone. More than 650,000 Americans work as recruiters. 

What does a recruiter do? What are some important skills that they should have? What exactly happens when a company recruits for a position? 

Answer these questions and you can enrich your understanding of human resources and job applications. Here is your quick guide. 

Recruiter Tasks 

A recruiter fills important jobs at companies. They are sometimes called “an executive recruiter,” focusing on filling high-level jobs for major corporations. But you can work as a recruiter for middle managers and less important positions. 

Read the full article at: businesspartnermagazine.com

There’s good news and bad news in the fight for gender equality in Corporate America.

The good news: according to a new Korn Ferry study, the percentage of female executives (identified as vice president and above) has risen considerably in the last five years, from 31 percent in 2016 to 39 percent in 2021.

The bad news: The Covid pandemic has been devastating for women on the rise to roles for the future, and there are still far fewer women executives than men in the C-Suite overall. This is particularly woeful in general management overall and in many key functions and industries, more specifically.

In many instances, setting out to simply hire more women executives won’t alleviate the gender gap at the top of organizations.

Read the full article at: chiefexecutive.net

Sales management is how sales managers organize, motivate, and lead their sales reps while tracking — and improving — team performance. This includes hiring top talent, training sales staff, coordinating operations across the sales department, and implementing a cohesive sales strategy that drives business revenues.

Think of it like a sports team. Have you ever heard of a top-ranked baseball team without a coach? Of course not. The coach provides the guidance, inspiration, strategy, and training that enable players to secure big wins. The best sales managers operate the same way, inspiring, educating, and guiding their teams to maximize revenue. The result? Consistent sales growth and a happy team — not to mention sizable commissions.

Read the full article at: www.salesforce.com

When someone claims that they know how to lead using a specific formula, run. There is no one way to lead or no specific formula to follow, but there are certain habits that if you practice daily, you will become a better leader.

“Leadership is influence — nothing more, nothing less.” — John Maxwell

Brene Brown defines leadership in terms of courage. She states that a true leader is a person who believes in her people’s potential and has the courage to develop them. John Maxwell agrees with Brene Brown but defines leadership by saying, “Leadership is influence — nothing more, nothing less.”

As we see above, it is hard for two experts to agree on one definition of leadership, so this article will not give you a single skill or formula to be a better leader. Instead, it will provide you something better, 10 habits that you need to gain influence with the courage to develop your team’s potential.

Read the full article at: medium.com

Of all the challenges an HR department runs into, diversity tops the list as one of the most discussed and most well-researched…and one of the most misunderstood and anxiety-provoking.

Let's start with a simple definition: Workplace diversity is the inclusion of different people in the workplace, and all that entails (diversity on teams, in leadership, voices making decisions, etc.)

What kinds of people need to be considered when organizations are thinking about diversity?

• Generations (Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, Gen Z)
• Backgrounds and cultures of origin
• Sexual orientations (LGBTQ+)
• Personality types (such as DISC types, or introvert/extrovert/ambivert)
• Socio-economic backgrounds
• Styles of learning (visual learners, auditory learners, etc.)

Read the full article at: www.hrdive.com