Author Archives: Larry Janis

How To Master A Mock Interview In Any Industry

 

 

 

by Caroline Castrillon

 

Mock interviews, or practice interviews, aren’t just for students. In fact, a mock interview can benefit anyone at any experience level. Why? Because interview processes, tools and etiquette change over time.

A mock interview allows you to have a dress rehearsal where you can focus on building confidence, learning (or honing) interview skills and receiving valuable feedback. Also, it’s an increasingly competitive job market—especially for the technology industry. After mass layoffs, technical interviews are more grueling than ever. So, if you want to be well-prepared and stand out from the crowd, a mock interview is a great way to do it.

A mock interview is a practice session that simulates the interaction you would have with the actual interviewer. It can be conducted virtually or in person with a friend, mentor or former colleague. Preferably, choose an interviewer you trust who has industry-specific knowledge and experience. That way, the feedback you receive will be more objective, insightful and actionable.

The key to a successful practice interview is doing your homework. Here’s a guide to help you prepare so you can increase your chances of landing the ideal role.

Do Your Research
Mock interviews are most helpful if you treat them as seriously as the actual interview. In preparation, research the company to familiarize yourself with its goals, values and mission statement. Learn about the company culture and its competitive differentiators. Helpful information sources include the corporate website, social media sites, press releases and news articles. Use LinkedIn to find current employees who are willing to share information on what it’s like to work there. Remember, job interviews are a two-way street. So, as you conduct research, write down any questions you’d like to ask.

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Collaboration Requires Proximity – But It Doesn’t Have to Be Physical

 

 

 

 

 

by Manuel Sosa, INSEAD, and Massimo Maoret, IESE Business School

 

 

Even when colleagues are not in the same office, strong social ties can bridge the gap.

The future of work is undoubtedly hybrid. Major corporations from Apple to Zoom now require employees to be in the office two or three days a week, citing the benefits of face-to-face collaboration and culture building. Indeed, traditional thinking suggests that being physically close leads to better communication and collaboration.

Our recent research reinforces this idea, but also shows that social closeness (strong direct and indirect connections) can offset a lack of physical proximity. Namely, we found that when people are physically close, the need for strong social bonds is less crucial; conversely, strong social connections can compensate for physical distance. In other words, physical proximity and social closeness can substitute for each other.

Putting proximity to the test

In our study, we took advantage of the relocation of a global pharmaceutical company’s regional offices to conduct a quasi-natural experiment. The offices, located in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, were moved to new sites in the same cities. The new offices had an open-floor layout and hot desk policy where employees did not have assigned workspaces. 

We asked employees to identify their contacts at work, the nature of their relationships with those contacts and their work styles. We also collected data on the location of each employee’s desk before and after the relocation.

We examined whether changes in physical distance and social networks before and after the move were associated with changes in collaboration effectiveness. Our findings revealed that both physical and social proximity were positively correlated with collaboration effectiveness. 

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How CEOs Can Master The Labor Jigsaw Puzzle

 

 

 

by Anne Lackey

 

When I think about our tight labor market, I return to the puzzles I love to solve on our kitchen table. It takes such attention to snap it all together, but I love the challenge.

Today’s CEOs face a grand, complex labor jigsaw, and the pieces keep changing shape. Just when we think we’ve figured it out, we see gaps we can’t fill. And this puzzle is bearish.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects major demographic shifts already impacting the job market. Baby Boomers, the generation that has been the backbone of our workforce for decades, are retiring en masse. Gen Z is entering the workforce, but they don’t have the numbers to fill the void left by the exiting Boomers. The labor force participation rate, which measures the percentage of the working-age population that is either employed or actively seeking employment, has been on a downward trend for years. In 2000, it was at 67.3 percent, but by 2022, it had dropped to 62.2 percent. And it’s expected to keep dropping, with projections suggesting it could fall to 60.4 percent by 2032. We’re talking about millions of workers just vanishing from the job market.

But it’s not just a numbers game. There’s a qualitative shift happening, too. As more of the population ages, we’ll see a huge demand for healthcare workers. The surge in demand for healthcare services will pull even more people out of other industries. It’s like trying to complete a puzzle when the pieces keep disappearing right before your eyes. (more…)

Sr.VP Sales

 

 

 

 

The SVP Sales will be a member of sales leadership team and report into the Chief Growth Officer,

MRC, HPS, Procurement. You will be part of highly motivated, driven and high performing sales team.

 

Who we are looking for:

The ideal candidate will have deep domain understanding of Hi-Tech and Professional Services industry with a specific experience of selling BPM Services. They should have experience in designing and selling business transformation-oriented solutions that specifically cater to the specific client need.

They should have demonstrated experience in building relationships, creating compelling value propositions, and closing multi-million-dollar deals. Their prior experience should have created trusted relationships and a network of clients, partners, advisors and coaches that could be leveraged to initiate and develop a pipeline of deals

What will you do:

Prospect new business by conducting research to identify key decision makers and influencers within target accounts, such CFOs, Controllers, CAO’s, and Board members.

Experience:

  • 15+ years of solution-oriented selling to Executives in the Hi-Tech & Professional Services market
  • Strong Experience of selling BPO deals within Hi-Tech and Professional Services market
  • Experience closing $multi-million deals in Hi-Tech & Professional Services.
  • Proven experience creating relationships with C-level decision makers and the office of the CFO
  • Consulting background or experience working with advisory firms preferred
  • Exceptional persuasive communication skills (verbal and written)
  • Solid business acumen, management, and problem-solving skills

 

If you are interested or know someone who might be, please let me know!

Sincerely,

Larry Janis

Managing Partner I Integrated Search Solutions Group

P-516-767-3030

The big power of small goals

 

When Michael Phelps was 8 years old, he wrote down a set of goals. The long-term goal was to compete in the Olympics someday, and he included short-term goals for his upcoming races. The goal-setting habit stuck—for practices, meets, and aspects of his training—and when Phelps retired from swimming in 2016, he was the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, with 28 medals, including 23 gold (more than many countries have ever won).

Setting small goals can lead to big outcomes in business as well. Goals clarify objectives and have a positive psychological effect, giving people a series of small wins on their way to achieving bigger aspirations. Indeed, our research shows that when employees set small goals regularly (daily or even hourly), not only are they more likely than other employees to hit company performance targets, but they report higher morale as well.

We studied more than 1.5 million goals as reported by 12,000 employees at companies in various industries. The data was self-reported; employees set goals and broader key performance indicator (KPI) targets, and then reported whether they achieved their goals. For example, a goal for a sales rep could have been to generate six potential leads that week. A goal for someone on a customer support team could have been to respond to 15 customer complaints that day. For a graphic designer, it could have been to develop three versions of an ad as part of a new campaign that week. Separately, the employees received periodic online flash polls to gauge their mood in real time.

We tracked the aggregate goal-setting data for more than a year and found that people who set at least four daily goals per week—and hence were thinking actively about what they wanted to achieve—were 34% more likely to hit their KPI targets than those who didn’t. (more…)