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Empathy in the Workplace

Greer Campbell • May 26, 2023

In 2020, the country shut down. Students, children, professionals, everyone locked at home to sit with their pets, and their thoughts. This quarantine shifted the majority of our nation’s professional mindset. Incentives, benefits, culture, all took an unfamiliar front seat in career decision making.


With this shift in mindset, came the Great Resignation. So, what are job seekers really looking for? Well, for one, a good and comfortable culture fit. Compensation is no longer the driving factor leading to an accepted job offer, but how are you as the employer going to take care of your team.


The idea of empathy in the workplace has formerly been perceived as taboo. “There is no room for emotions in the workplace” is a sentence that many organizations stood on. Now, that ideology is not going to retain talent, or a cohesive team. Empathy absolutely must have a seat at the table in your organization. It needs to be represented at the Executive roundtable discussions, at your employee 360 review at the end of the year, and everywhere in between.


Because this is a huge adjustment for many, the question becomes, “Where do I begin?”. It takes time, attention, and effort, but here are a few tips to get your organization started.


What is Emotional Intelligence and How Does it Show Up in the Workplace?

When an organization is looking for their next leader, or next addition to a management position, there are many skill-sets that are required of the applicants. Years of leadership experience, a college education, certifications, but one key qualification that has been looked over is Emotional Intelligence. To be emotionally intelligent is an individual’s capacity to be aware of, manage and express emotions and to be able to manage the emotions of others (Gerri Grossman, 2008).


To be a leader is to be a coach, a mentor, a confidant. If a manager does not have the ability to effectively express or receive emotion, it is impossible to be an outlet or person to confide in. If your team does not feel comfortable in having an open and honest conversation with their leader, the success of the team and company will be greatly impacted.


How to Create an Empathetic Environment

One-time trainings or video presentations will not be enough to become more Emotionally Intelligent. Starting with educating yourself is a great first step into shifting the level of empathy that exists on your team. Begin by taking an assessment to get an understanding of the level of Emotional Intelligence you currently possess.


Get to know your team’s work, and communication style. Give your team the EQ assessment to see where the gaps are, and collaborate one on one in honest and open dialogue on how to move forward and cultivate an safe and comfortable culture.


Making the effort is the first step toward making the change. Your organization’s success will continue at a quicker rate when you invest internally into the people behind the magic of the operations.


If you or your organization need assistance in taking the first step to cultivating an equitable and inclusive culture, contact us and let’s discuss.

Interview Questions Your Team Should Avoid

By Greer Campbell • 04 Mar, 2024
Growing your organization requires the right team. Hiring the right team requires the right approach. Vetting and getting to know potential hires is key to building an effective culture. Interviewing candidates is your first chance to understanding applicants, their skill sets, their professional goals, and more. But just as you are vetting applicants, they are vetting you. The interview process allows applicants to gain a better understanding of your organization’s goals, culture, and needs. Setting the right example and perspective on your company begins with your interviews. One wrong or controversial question, and that could break a potential beneficial business relationship. See below for examples of questions to avoid asking candidates in interviews, and why. Are you planning to start a family soon/Are you planning to expand your family soon? While this seems like an obvious conflict, many companies are still asking this to potential employers. This makes the applicant feel like that would make or break their candidacy. Mothers and fathers in business want to feel support from their employer, an unspoken sense of support. Starting a family or having a family does not dictate a candidate’s professional abilities, therefore there is no reason to ask. What are your religious, political, and sexual stances? Again, these are personal attributes that do not affect a candidate’s ability to perform professionally, therefore can be seen as inappropriate and reason for termination of consideration for candidacy. Where are you originally from? While on the surface this may seem like an innocent question, it is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 making it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of national origin. If you ask, you could be accused of discriminating against them. You can, however, ask if the candidate will be able to report to the position location required by the job opening. How old are you? It is illegal to ask someone’s age, you are only allowed to confirm the candidate is of legal age to work full time, being 18 years old. What salary did you make at your previous role? Many states have implemented a salary transparency law, enforcing job postings and descriptions must portray the salary range for the position. Even if your state does not have this law, it is safe to avoid asking a person’s salary history. Instead, share the salary range and confirm the candidate’s expectations are within the range. As the market continues to be competitive and ever changing, engaging a 3 rd party service like Diverse Talent can greatly benefit in finding your organization’s right fit based on our industry expertise.

Employees & Technology are the Driving Factor of HR in 2024

By Alanna Jones • 23 Jan, 2024
After resignations and layoffs during 2023, it is crucial for employers to leverage technology to help their employees thrive. Employees are seeking good company culture, growth opportunities, and company priorities which help to retain and attract employees. When looking for new talent, we first must understand what job seekers are looking for. Here are some of their top priorities in 2024: Participation in meaningful work Engagement with good management Increased work-life balance Desire for hybrid or remote work The labor force is changing, and employees aren’t afraid to stand up for what they want. Job descriptions and interviews can portray the company values and culture which can make all the difference in the choice an employee makes. Including remote workers in your search opens opportunities to find talent in a wider area and reduces the impact employees have on the environment by reducing or eliminating their commute. With the focus on new employees during 2024, focus still needs to be on the current employees, the ones who the workforce is not limited to understanding what jobseekers are looking for. Current employees also have desires. Some of which are listed here: Retention Promotion and growth Development and upskilling Fear of job replacement by technology Your employees want to stick around and as a business leader you are responsible for giving them reasons to. Competitive pay is a bonus, but also leveraging HR and creating a space where your employees feel comfortable and valued is just as important. Help provide your employees with the resources and time to learn more skills, after all it only makes them more valuable to your company. How can you leverage technology in HR in 2024? Writing job descriptions and filtering candidates Automation of tasks and training Finding and generating key words Gathering data to make informed decisions Technology and AI will continue to have an increased presence in the workplace and should be used as tools. They are not meant to replace your work and instead should be used to drive efficiency. You should use AI to help write job descriptions, assist in scheduling, generate interview questions, help jumpstart a brainstorming session, and improve your company’s visibility through SEOs. Your company should even use technology to gather data on employees. See what skills they lack, what your company culture is lacking, and then use online platforms to train and upskill your employees. In 2024 decisions regarding employees should be driven by data. If your company does not leverage all the data accessible you will fall behind. Use technology to find, retain, and train your employees. If you are looking for talent or HR services, contact us at DT@diverse-talent.com . We’ll help gather data throughout the search process to ensure that we bring quality candidates to you. We focus on highlighting a workforce that reflects our country’s demographics and are eager to connect with potential candidates to fill your open positions.
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