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Bringing Our Whole Self to Work

Monday, April 10th, 2023|

I decided to repost this article that I had originally written in 2021 because this past year has reaffirmed that as hiring managers we must encourage interviewing and meeting candidates with empathy and authenticity. There are gaps in many resumes these days. Before rejecting a candidate because their resume has gaps, or it seems they have job hopped, can we pause and ask why to learn more? These have been hard times for many. Layoffs are a reality. Short freelance stints are a reality. Covid and its emotional and financial repercussions are a reality.

Can we connect on a human level with one another?

This is my story:

When people hear that I’ve written a book, they generally assume that I’ve written about recruiting, human resources, or the culture of creativity. After all, with over 20+ years of experience in the creative recruitment field, it’s an expected assumption.

When they learn that my book, The Butterfly Years, is actually about the journey from grief toward hope, a puzzled look crosses their brows, expressing an initial surprise that I share so vulnerably my experience of loss and grief.

You may wonder, what does that have to do with my business? What’s the connection? Well, writing the book had absolutely nothing to do with my business and has everything to do with my business… because it has everything to do with me.

I choose to bring my whole self to my business.

In the book, Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations, Frédéric Laloux explores the concept of new organizations (Teal Organizations) where management and teams focus on creating a culture where the whole self comes to work.

My whole self has dealt with grief this past decade, including the loss of both my parents and step-parents. I wrote about grief because it was hard for me to concentrate, stay focused, or even remain positive. I worked hard to hide what was happening inside. Of course, I did not let candidates or clients, or even my team, get a glimpse at what was truly happening to me on the inside at that time. I thought that I needed to fake it so I could make it. I was wrong.

Over the past ten years, I’ve learned the importance of being true to myself, being authentic, and encourage genuineness from those around me, professionally and personally.

So this is a request to all the hiring managers and recruiters who are interviewing right now. Everyone, every single candidate that you connect with, is more than their LinkedIn profile. They are so much more than what you see on their resume. It’s key to learning more about a candidate’s interests and passions, about their core values, aspirations, and motivations.

As you interview new candidates or manage existing ones, ask yourself who is the “whole self” that you’re interviewing and meet them where they are with empathy and authenticity.

Katty Douraghy

President, Artisan Creative

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Tips for a Successful Video Interview

Monday, February 13th, 2023|

The ease of technology and virtual offices have made video interviews a necessary step in the overall interview process. Sometimes a video interview can pose additional challenges due to technology mishaps or the inability to see the other person’s reaction well, adding to the pre-interview anxiety.

No need to worry! Whether it’s Zoom, Teams, or a pre-recorded video resume, the tips below can help create success in your job search.

The main intention of any interview is to do your best so you can advance to the next stage.With over 25 years of helping candidates prepare for these types of interviews, we’d like to share some best practices with you:

The Video Interview

No matter the technology used adhere to this mantra: Test, and Test again. Test your device’s audio and video connections before the actual interview. Don’t wait until the interview day to download!
Confirm time zones in case the interviewer is in another state or country.
Practice ahead of time on screen and record yourself if possible. Pay attention to your posture, voice, lighting and background and adjust as needed.
Check the lighting and move your computer as needed so that your face is illuminated without any shadows. Get an external light such as a ring light if the room lighting is low.
Make sure your head and shoulders appear in the video frame – don’t get too close or move too far away from the camera.
Position the camera at eye-level and make eye contact with it! If you only watch the screen itself you’ll look like you’re not making eye contact with the interviewer.
Research the company, follow on social, and look up your interviewer’s Linkedin profile. You may find some things in common!
Ensure that you are in a quiet place.
Make sure your device is fully charged or plugged in during the interview
You’ll be using your voice and tone to communicate— be sure to speak clearly and succinctly.
Be friendly and smile while talking.
Be prepared to ask engaging questions about the company culture and the team.
Have your resume close by so you can refer to it.
Listen well and avoid talking over the interviewer.
Don’t discuss salary or benefits at this stage.
This is your first opportunity to connect and shine.
Dress and groom as if you were interviewing in person. Dress for the job you want!
Pay attention to your surroundings—especially the background. Select a clean, neutral, and distraction-free backdrop like a wall, or screen.
If you live with a roommate let them know you’ll be on camera to avoid unexpected noise or interruptions.
If applicable, have your portfolio loaded on your desktop in case screen sharing is needed. Make sure you have a clean, uncluttered desktop and if needed, change your desktop wallpaper to something creative but professional.

We wish you all the best in your next job interview! Be sure to check out all our interview tips on our blog.

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Avoid Doing These 6 Things During a Job Interview

Tuesday, September 13th, 2022|

Interviews necessitate that you make a good impression, however nerves or being unprepared can hold you back from presenting yourself in the best light. Here are six things to avoid during any job interview to ensure a successful conversation.

Being unprepared. Anticipate questions about your resume and experience, and have answers for the most common interview questions. Do your research to get an idea of company culture, products, and where your skills may translate. A quick search of the company’s website and social media channels will prepare you.
Being unprofessional. There are simple things you can do to solidify your impression as a professional. Arrive on time, say thank you, be respectful to all, and have a positive attitude. Dress professionally, and make eye contact. Turn off your phone and other notification so you can be present.
Discussing salary. Don’t bring up salary in the first interview. Only discuss it if the interviewer asks you about it first. Otherwise best to focus on the role and company culture and discuss salary in follow-up interviews. If you are working with a recruiter, they will have shared your parameters ahead of time, so leave the negotiation to your recruiter.
Being distracted. Let your friends or roommates know you are in an interview! Don’t get distracted by the chatter in the room. Pay close attention and listen! What is your interviewer asking you? If you’re not paying attention and either answer the wrong question or ask them to repeat it, you imply that your attention span or attention to detail is low. Show that you can follow directions and keep an open mind by simply listening. Listen well. Communicate even better by being concise, articulate, and to the point.
Putting down a former boss or company. Even if your former employer was a nightmare to work with, nothing will make you look worse than speaking ill about them. You also never know who knows who! If a previous job situation was truly terrible, practice explaining what didn’t work for you in that position in a positive way.
Being late. ABOT: Always Be On Time. If you don’t know where the company is, map it out before driving (or taking public transit or an Uber) so you know how long it’ll take to get there and can plan accordingly. Emergencies do happen, so if there is an outstanding situation for being late, like a car accident or a sick child, have `the hiring manager’s phone number so you can call and let them know what’s going on.

Good luck with your next interview.

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Continuing to Inspire Hiring

Thursday, June 17th, 2021|

When the pandemic hit, many of our marketing and design clients were impacted—projects were canceled, deadlines were pushed out and jobs went on hold…which meant, many of the amazing creatives, copywriters, designers, and marketers we work with, stopped working.

These challenging times brought out our entrepreneurial thinking, and to help in the best way we could, we launched InspiringHiring.com as a free portal for impacted creatives to post their resumes and get hired. While it may seem odd that a recruitment firm would open up its resumes for others to see and connect without any strings attached, we decided to do it anyway.

We were determined to inspire the hiring of the amazing talent we believe in, even if we weren’t directly involved.

Now on the eve of the first anniversary of this launch, we continue to help our creative community find jobs. If you are looking to hire, look here and reach out directly to the talent you see listed. And, if you aren’t able to find the exact candidate you are looking for, or need help with recruitment, then contact our Artisan Creative team.

If you are a candidate looking for a job, please look at our open jobs page, or post your resume here.

Together we can re-build a more creative world as we put the pandemic behind us.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 586th issue of our weekly a.blog.

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10 Tips for Building a Freelance Business

Tuesday, November 10th, 2020|

At Artisan Creative, we work closely with our freelance talent to help them create success in the creative, marketing, and digital fields and best market their services to maintain an on-going freelance business. Especially, during the current state of the economy, freelancing can provide a needed respite in between interviews and job searches. Below are 10 tips to help launch or enhance your freelance business.

Update your Linkedin presence and ensure hiring managers know you are open to new freelance and full-time opportunities. Focus your expertise, use SEO keywords, and ask for endorsements.
View your freelancing as a business. Revisit your resume or website to review all clients and brands served, list all new accomplishments, update software proficiencies, and highlight your client and/or project management skills.
Create your Portfolio. Be sure to update your most recent work, and present your best pieces first. Your design samples should be representative of the type of work you like to do, as well as showcase your range of skills. It must be well-organized with good UI, simple navigation, and include a description of the project and your role. If you are unable to build a portfolio, use some of the great free tools such as Krop or Behance.
Represent your Brand. Let your personal style shine through your presentation and create a consistent thread via the color palette, font, and imagery on your portfolio, resume, and social media assets.
Be a Subject Matter Expert. Join an online discussion, share articles, write blogs, become engage on Twitter. If you have the bandwidth, create your own blog or podcast, guest blog, or write articles to industry publications. These tools enable you to get your name and profile in front of a larger group of people to help establish your credibility and brand.
Volunteer. Volunteering for non-profits is a way to give back to an organization that can benefit from your services. All will help improve your portfolio/skillset and offer built-in opportunities to network as well.
Build your Network – In-person networking may be on pause currently due to the pandemic, however greater opportunities exist online. Join existing social media groups and discussions, and attend online industry events and expand your circle of like-minded creatives who can become collaborators on projects or be a great source for referrals.
Get Listed. Create your freelance business pages. Create profiles on directories, portfolio & resume portals as well as freelance portals where you can list your work and advertise your services.
Work with Recruiters. Recruitment agencies have access to opportunities that are not listed on job boards. This expands your marketing efforts for free by enlisting teams of connected specialists who also benefit from you getting work.
Perfect your pitch. As a freelancer, everyone you meet may be a potential client (or knows someone who could be a client). Work on your presentation and perfect your elevator pitch. Representing yourself professionally will speak volumes about your abilities, so don’t be shy about sharing how can be a great freelance resource.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 573rd issue of our a.blog.

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How to Hire a More Diverse Team

Tuesday, September 29th, 2020|

Hiring a diverse team provides a variety of perspectives and ideas that will move your business forward. Diverse teams are representative of greater markets and they inherently bring about greater creativity and foster increased innovation, leading to a potential increase in the bottom line.

Hiring a truly diverse team means diversity in gender, sexual orientation, skill level, education, disability, and socioeconomic status in addition to ethnicity.

Hoping to hire a more diverse team? Consider these recommendations:

Take A Step Back: The first step to creating diversity is understanding the true meaning of accurate representation. Ask yourself, “Does my team accurately reflect the proportions of different groups that appear in the real world?” Pinpoint where you feel your company is lacking in terms of diversity and set goals to improve.

Curate a Diverse Team of Interviewers: Porter Braswell, the co-founder of Jopwell, suggests having a diverse team of interviewers who represent a wide array of perspectives. Sometimes companies source diverse candidates, but these candidates do not get hired. This suggests problems internal to the hiring process that need to be re-evaluated. Having a diverse panel of interviewers helps eliminate perpetuating subconscious biases that maybe are existing in the hiring process.

Market Your Company Correctly: How is your company marketing itself to diverse candidates? From how your brand is presented as a whole, to how your job postings are worded, these subtleties can deter certain candidates. Be aware of how company values and culture are being portrayed, ensuring that they reflect those of a diverse array of groups. For example, some candidate segments may require greater flexibility. So if your company touts a highly structured corporate environment, these candidates are less likely to apply.

Expand out of your usual network: The key to diversity is engaging with a variety of social circles, often very different from our own. We surround ourselves with people just like us, so by hiring those we know, either directly or through social connections, inhibits diversity. So, in addition to using referrals to source new talent, use third-party recruiting firms or job boards.

Hire Blindly? Blind resumes and interviews are one of the best ways to decrease implicit bias. What does this mean? The content of a candidate’s application is evaluated separately from their name or appearance, ensuring that each candidate is hired based on their qualifications alone. Even a simple change such as removing names from resumes can help level your hiring playing field.

Group Hiring and onboarding allow diverse hires to feel more at home and connect with other new hires faster. Hiring a diverse team is just as important as retaining a diverse team. By hiring multiple candidates with similar backgrounds, you can help reduce overall employee turnover.

Remember, there are many ways to diversify, and there is more than one type of diversity. Having a greater awareness about how the company projects itself, and the implicit biases that may exist are the first step to creating a more diverse team. It will be a challenge, and one worth overcoming.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 570th issue of our a.blog.

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Effective Networking Tips in the COVID Age

Tuesday, September 15th, 2020|

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is nowhere near over, we are slowly starting to see a shift towards what we dare to call “normal life.” The pandemic has increased unemployment to a record high and has impacted many businesses. This not only means many people are out of work but also that all they have to finds new ways to network and re-enter the job market.

Gone are the days of firm handshakes and in-person networking events. But although meeting others in-person has essentially become obsolete, networking has remained important to career building. So here is some advice for effective networking in our new normal world:

Be Genuine: Maintaining connections during this time can be difficult while everyone is dealing with their pandemic-related struggles. Therefore, it is especially important to acknowledge that things have changed and that many people have had to endure great losses. Approach communication with sincerity, and with the aim to check-in rather than solely for personal gain. Approaching networking with primarily self-serving motivations often does not breed success. At this moment, showing empathy is of utmost importance.

Expand Your Network: Online communication is now the norm. This means you have the opportunity to connect with people in different locations now that technology allows us to overcome the constrictions of time and space. Join groups and meet-ups to expand your circle and have a greater diversity of opportunities, learn new ways of thinking, and connect with a larger group of influencers.

Simply put: Don’t be afraid to talk to strangers!

Turn to technology: Since networking events cannot be held in person, it is crucial to stimulate an in-person environment as much as possible. For example, swap phone calls and telephone meetings with video chats. By this point, we are all experts at Zoom. You may not be able to meet in person but seeing the expressions and mannerisms of others fosters more fruitful communication. Platforms such as Virbella or Hopin allow for some online networking fun and learning.

In the same regard, a strong, tailored online presence is even more essential since communication has quickly shifted to online platforms almost exclusively. Check out our blog post on updating your LinkedIn to learn more about curating the perfect online profile.

Breakout of social media/ LinkedIn: Although seemingly contradictory to the previous piece of advice, online networking is not limited to social media and online job boards. Online courses are covering a diversity of topics, and groups to join with like-minded people, provide new networking opportunities. Have a mindset for expanding your horizons and meet new people. Because you are approaching networking with greater sincerity, you will make real connections and foster genuine relationships with people who will want to support your career.

Reconnect with your recruiter: If it has been a while since you last connected with your recruiter, be sure to get back in touch with your updated resume and portfolio and follow their LI page for updated access on new jobs. Join us here for Artisan’s LI page.

Good luck to you on your job search.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 569th issue of our a.blog.

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3 New Normal Job Search Strategies

Tuesday, July 21st, 2020|

These unprecedented times require applicants to be more creative in utilizing new networking channels and better job search strategies to connect with hiring managers and companies.

The first step is to look at the industry and vertical you are interested in to find out if this particular industry has been impacted positively or negatively by the pandemic. Then, determine whether that industry is growing or shrinking its current workforce.

Once you’ve set you’re your parameters, the following channels and resources can be beneficial to learn more about that industry or a specific company, its culture, and the leadership team before you apply. You may also make some valuable connections to help you directly apply to a hiring manager.

Slack

There are thousands of Slack communities that are focused on specific industries or interest groups. Hone in on your specific skill set or target industry and network there. Solfie is a great resource to help you find the right group for you. For example, if you are a marketing candidate or an SEO specialist a resource such as Ahref’s Slack channel can help with both upskilling as well as networking.

Podcasts

Special interest podcasts are a great place to get introduced to new companies and influencers within those companies. There are many design podcasts for freelancers and design professionals that include tips and best practices. Debbie Millman’s podcast Design Matters is a top podcast on design.

Additional design podcasts can be found here. Our own Artisan podcast with a focus on creativity, inspiration, and determination is another great resource to hear from creatives on how they got their start and what keeps them going and growing.

Social Media

Follow thought leaders, influencers, and companies you are interested in on Twitter. This will give you an opportunity to create conversations and learn more about the philosophies and methodologies of companies who are game-changers in their verticals.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for showcasing your candidacy as well as searching for and learning about job openings. LinkedIn has a weekly article featuring hiring activity in various industries. The benefit of LinkedIn is that you can actively join industry groups and network, respond to and follow thought leaders within your circle of interest, get recommendations, and update your profile and availability.

As you update your LinkedIn profile, make sure you upload your resume to other design portfolio sites and job boards as well. Also check out our newly launched Inspiring Hiring portal where you can create a profile, upload your resume, record a video of your accomplishments and thought process, and share your core values with hiring managers.

The best approach in this climate is a multi-pronged approach. Leave the guesswork and haphazard approach to your competition—and plan your success to stand out from the crowd.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 565th issue of our a.blog.

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How to Discover Your Core Values

Tuesday, July 7th, 2020|

“Our values are at our core, and are an expression of how we act every day.”

Warren Rustand.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting a lot on my core values, how I define them, and how I remain true to them.

Warren Rustand, a successful entrepreneur and the Dean of Leadership for The Entrepreneurs’ Organization, says our values carry us through good and bad times. “Our values are everything we do, our acts, and behaviors. It tells people what we actually value, they define our character, they create and compose our integrity.”

Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People defines these as our three moments of truth:

Discovery of our values. We realize what our core beliefs and values really are.
Discovery of what we stand for when we commit to those values.
The moment we act on those core beliefs and values.

In the corporate world, it is common-place that companies define and share their core values and display them in their offices, on their website where customers, employees, and candidates can see them.

We did the same at Artisan Creative and I’m proud that our a.team helped articulate ours after several conversations together. They are Accountability, Agility, Trust, Communication, and Enthusiasm. These are the core values we embrace every day, and how we conduct ourselves in business year over year.

If companies take the time to discover and articulate their core values, why don’t we do this for ourselves? For our families? How can we better share what we stand for and what our values are to others and to our children?

It’s often during difficult times that we need to evaluate what is important to us. Today, with one of the highest unemployment rates on record, many are going through challenging times. Candidates are evaluating and contemplating what their next step can be, and what type of company they want to work for. I’ve heard from many who no longer want to commute long hours, no longer want to work for a company without a purpose, no longer want to travel just for work. They no longer want to work for someone whose values don’t align with theirs.

We live our lives by a certain internal compass, a moral code, and although many times we may not know how to articulate these actions as values, it is in challenging times that we can rely on them.

So as we are in this time of reflection, it’s important to determine and articulate our own personal core values and share them with one another.

Here are three steps to help define yours. This is a process of putting together seemingly disparate puzzle pieces until finally, an image emerges. It requires patience, thoughtfulness, and reflection.

Write down your answers to the following questions:

Reflect back to a time when you were faced with an important decision and ask:

How did I behave?
How did I feel?
What did I want?
What was important to me?
What was I willing to stand for?
What did I NOT stand for?
What was my non-negotiable?

Reflect back to a time when you were faced with a challenge in your life and ask:

How did I behave?
How did I feel?
What did I want?
What was important to me?
What was I willing to stand for?
What did l I NOT stand for?
What was my non-negotiable?

Reflect back to a time when someone needed your help:

How did I behave?
How did I feel?
What did I want?
What was important to me?
What was I willing to stand for?
What did I NOT stand for?
What was my non-negotiable?

Additional questions to bring clarity:

How do my friends describe me?
What gives me joy?
What brings meaning to my life?

Once you’ve answered all the questions, look for common themes, phrases, and words.

Circle those words, or search for other words that resonate with you.

What emerges? Who emerges from those words? Do they resonate with you, and are they who you are at your core?

Once you know them, share this with others. Then, add them to your website and your resume. Let potential employers and employees know how you live by these values.

In the words of Gandhi, “Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.”

Please connect if you are looking for your next opportunity or your next hire.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 564th issue of our a.blog.

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3 Tips to Navigate Your Job Search

Tuesday, May 12th, 2020|

The current massive unemployment rates have many talented candidates out of work and searching for new opportunities. Additionally, the impact of stay-at-home measures is clearly exasperating the job search efforts for many.

As we navigate these unchartered waters and contemplate what the next version of what “work” is going to mean, it becomes important to take a moment and reflect. Julio Vincent Gambuto calls this moment “The Great Pause”.

We are indeed in a (prolonged) moment of pause—which is not comfortable. However, since we are unable to rewind and go back to what once was, we can be more fully present and work on evaluating the future and possibilities that we can create.

To do so, here are three tips on how to evaluate what you really want to do next.

Define your Core Values

Take the needed time to think about what you want to do next and how that may align with your core values and purpose. If you haven’t had a chance to define your core values yet, now is a good time to partake in core values or visioning exercises to discover what is important to you.

Focus on Upskilling

As you re-imagine what that future of work will be for you, now is also a great opportunity to upskill. Many well-known universities around the world are offering free online classes. If you’ve been thinking of pivoting into other fields such as UX or product design, now is your chance. Ideo offers Design Thinking classes, as well as Leadership and Innovation classes. Masterclass is another great resource to try out a new hobby, learn something new, or write the story you’ve always wanted to tell.

Give Back

Volunteering is a great way to keep busy, make new connections in a new field, and help others in need. If you’ve always wanted to help out a non-profit what better time to share your expertise? It also provides a great opportunity to enhance your resume. More importantly, giving back is a great mood enhancer as it boosts oxytocin levels by creating levels of engagement, productivity, and usefulness which leads to gratitude.

We wish you the best as you embark on your job search. For additional tips on resume writing and interviewing please check our a.blog. We hope you’ve enjoyed our 560th issue.

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