Tag: co-working | Page 2 | Artisan Creative

Understanding Team Dynamics

Wednesday, July 26th, 2017|

As hiring managers, we have to think about our existing team dynamics each time we add a new team member.

Our new hires will need to be fully integrated into our existing team structure—and the success or failure of that integration depends on our orientation and on-boarding best practices, our timing, and the team’s group performance requirements.

Additional considerations range from current interpersonal team structure to culture and skills level of the current team.

What type of environment are we adding the new person into and what is our goal? Are we looking for someone to strengthen missing skills, to complement the current thinking, or to challenge the team and take their performance to the next level?

In 1965, Dr. Bruce Tuckman introduced the team-development model of Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing.

It’s an interesting study based on recognizing where your current team is, and what happens as a new member is added.

In this example, we’ll use a marketing team to demonstrate.

Forming

In the marketing team’s forming stage, the Marketing Manager or Director will be very hands-on to set the tone for team, establish direction, set individual roles and responsibilities and provide overall vision and guidance.

The Marketing Manager must be prepared to manage every aspect of decision making, and answer questions about the team’s goals and objectives, as well as set expectations internally and with external stakeholders.

At this stage, the team tends to avoid conflict or push boundaries. The team is just in the process of forming—and there are more individual thinkers operating in silos.

This is a perfect opportunity for individuals to get to know the strengths of one another, create friendships, and align in order to move from silo-ed thinkers towards a larger team mentality.

Storming

In the storming phase, the team may not be in total agreement or come to consensus quickly. Individual members may try to find their own voice within the group and establish presence. There may be some challenges and conflict—this is OK! Breaking paradigms and new ideas can emerge here, and the team has the ability to grow. The Marketing Manager guides the team through this stage, allowing the team to confront their diversity of thought, and ensuring that challenges or drama don’t derail the team’s success.

Norming

In the norming phase, the new team starts to hit its stride. There is harmony, and synergy amongst the group and the Marketing Manager moves to be more of a facilitator than a hands-on implementer. The team is aware of responsibilities, and natural leaders develop within the group to handle simpler decision making on their own.

There is commitment, strong workflow, good discussions as well as building friendships amongst teammates.

Performing

In the performing phase, the team is high-functioning with a shared strategic plan.The vision is clear, and the team knows its purpose and its why.The team is focused, and clear on goals, takes responsibility for achieving them, and makes most of their decisions against criteria agreed upon with the leader.

The team has a high degree of independence, and can delegate tasks internally. They can resolve internal conflicts as they come up, and have strong interpersonal relationships.

The Manager moves into more of a coaching role and can assist with growth and development, as they are no longer being called upon to manage day-to-day tasks. However, it remains important for the manager to ensure the team is still being innovative and not falling into complacency of thought, or group think.

Sharing the knowledge of the concept of “Team development” can be helpful to a team—especially in the storming phase.

As you look to add to your teams, dissolve project teams, or move team members to other groups, it’s a good idea to be aware of the overall team dynamics and recognize what stage the group is in. It will certainly play an integral part into your orientation and onboarding practices.

Artisan Creative’s a.team is here to help you build your dream team. Contact us today for assistance with your hiring needs.

Artisan Creative is celebrating 20+ years in staffing and recruitment of creative professionals. Over the years, we’ve learned a thing or two that we’d like to share with you. We hope you enjoy the 435th issue of our weekly a.blog.

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Remote Work Best Practices

Wednesday, May 10th, 2017|

Artisan Creative is celebrating 20+ years in staffing and recruitment of creative professionals. Over the years we’ve learned a thing or two that we’d like to share with you. We hope you enjoy the 424th issue of our weekly a.blog.

More and more employers, employees, and freelancers are thinking outside the cube.

According to a recent Gallup survey covered in The New York Times, as many as 43% of employed Americans spend at least some of their professional time working at home or off-site, representing a four-point increase from 2012 and indicating a growing trend toward remote work.

This trend may seem liberating, however, with freedom comes responsibility. Remote work pumps different muscles of accountability and discipline.

If you’re new to remote work or plan to work remotely in the future, these best practices can help maintain or improve your productivity.

1. Get to know the team

When starting a new remote freelance assignment or a new full time remote job, you’ll want to learn everything you can about the company, its team, and its culture.

Since you will not be seeing everyone in person on a daily basis, it may take longer to get to know the team or manage issues as they arise. Miscommunication may affect your work and your relationships if you aren’t familiar and intuitive enough to mitigate them.

However, if you understand the people you work with and share their values and mission, you will have an easier time hashing out difficulties through email or video meetings.

2. Keep the Paths of Communication Open

When you are communicating as a remote worker, err on the side of generosity.

If you can, schedule regular check-ins to discuss how things are going and address any potential issues before they turn into active problems. It’s key to be open, honest, and thorough in all your communications. Setting up virtual zoom meetings or participating in your company’s slack channels can be a good way to stay connected.

Since most of your communication will be digital, take care to avoid digital miscommunication. Learn to convey your professional diligence and interpersonal skills through digital channels, and respond to any questions or concerns as quickly and thoughtfully as you can.

3. Find the Right Environment

For some people, working from home is a dream come true. They roll out of bed, start the coffee maker, and “commute” to their desks, twenty seconds away.

Others may work better in “third places” that are neither homes nor offices. These workers may find their ideal environments in coworking spaces or coffee shops. It is no coincidence that, as remote work has increased, new spaces and industries have appeared to accommodate those who still need to separate their work from the rest of their lives.

Wherever you decide to work, make sure the atmosphere is ideal for your productivity. If you are energized by the bustling ambiance, try working from a coffee shop. If you need quiet and isolation, find a peaceful place to work and set boundaries to protect it.

This requires some trial and error, so before you commit to full-time remote work, understand your own patterns, preferences, and boundaries. Any assignment is easier when you’re tackling it within your designated sweet spot.

4. Know Thyself

The right external environment is as essential as the right mindset. The relative freedom of remote work can empower you to play to your strengths.

The new world of work provides more freedom than ever before. Making the most of it requires wisdom, experimentation, and sensitivity to your own body and mind.

That’s where Artisan Creative can help. We work with a wide variety of talent with different styles and work preferences. We can help you play to your strengths and uncover opportunities where your skills and efforts will be the most appreciated. Contact us today to learn more.

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Agency vs. In-House: Which Is Right For You?

Tuesday, March 7th, 2017|

Artisan Creative is celebrating 20+ years in staffing and recruitment of creative professionals. Over the years we have learned a thing or two that we’d like to share with you. We hope you enjoy the 415th issue of our weekly a.blog.

In order to thrive as a creative professional, start by seeking the right teams and culture that best match you. Whether you pursue a variety of freelance roles with different companies or decide to take on a full-time job, you’ll have the choice of working with in-house creative teams or as part of a creative agency. Either option carries the potential for learning, growth, and professional fulfillment, yet they have distinct differences.

Is #AgencyLife the Life for You?

A creative agency is a service-based business that works for a variety of clients and brands. These teams of creative professionals tackle different projects for multiple clients. Many agencies have their own distinguishing approaches and values, and some are famous for the distinctive flair they bring to their work.

If you work for an agency, you may work on the agency multiple brands. You may have the opportunity to be in a client-facing role and pitch your team’s ideas to influencers and executives. Even if you don’t attend client meetings, your work will depend on the client’s specifications and feedback, and mutual respect is the key to a productive relationship.

The best agencies have an electric creative atmosphere that has influenced pop culture, launched online communities and real-life meetup groups such as 99u and Creative Mornings and inspired the Twitter hashtag #AgencyLife. For many creatives, working for the right agency is a professional dream come true.

Finding a Home In-House

Many large and small companies have their own creative teams, consisting of design and marketing talent. If you’re a professional who wants to be part of an established company, or to work and grow one brand consistently, you may want to consider working with an in-house team.

Depending on the size of your company, you may interface with a variety of internal & external stakeholders or work on a range of collateral that includes B2B and B2C deliverables. You can build great rapport with the brand over the years on a variety of different projects and become an expert in a specific vertical.

You should consider joining an in-house squad if the values of a particular brand align well with your own. Working through the years on perfecting one brand’s messaging can bring great personal satisfaction if it’s a brand you truly believe in.

At Artisan Creative, we have worked with many creative professionals, and we’ve helped them figure out what settings are most in sync with their skills and goals. Get in touch and we’ll share our expertise.

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Avoiding Digital Miscommunication

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017|

Do you get confused reading certain emails because you can’t decipher the writer’s tone? Have you ever been surprised at how different a personcan sound depending on whether they’re using the phone or speaking face to face? Have members of your team asked you to clarify a memo or email when youthought you were 100% clear?

Well, you could be caught in that trap of digital miscommunication.

As we have embraced globalization, virtual offices, and meetings conducted via Zoom, or chatted using Slack, we have had to rapidly adapt to new forms of communication. “The medium is the message,” as futurist Marshall McLuhan wrote, and the nonverbal cues we use in person don’t always translate via this new medium.

Communicating clearly through any method is an essential requirement for any career advancement, your team’s success or developing interpersonal skills. It’s often a process of trial and error, and here are a few general rules that will help avoid costly misunderstandings.

Clear, concise communication is a strength and one that all job descriptions ask for. For some it comes naturally, for others the following tips can be beneficial:

Write like you talk

Avoid confusing jargon and ensure that your point gets across in the simplest possible manner.

For practice, read your emails aloud before you send them. As you get used to editing yourself, you will sharpen your thinking as well.

Keep it simple

If you write and speak clearly you will earn the respect of your colleagues by saving their patience and time.

If you’re a long-winded writer, run your text through Readability Score to make it more concise before you hit “send.”

Be present

As you keep your message simple and brief, make sure you don’t leave your colleagues guessing about essential information. Your colleagues and communications deserve your full attention. A simple mindfulness meditation practice can train you to focus on what’s in front of you right now and in turn tune out what’s not currently important.

Be Empathetic

The Harvard Business Review suggests professional empathy as a way to disarm potential misunderstandings. When you connect with another person, no matter what the medium, try to see things from that person’s perspective and interpret the world through a language that person uses and best understands.

This isn’t just for salespeople and therapists; active listening can help anyone establish more meaningful and effective connections and reduce team friction.

Ask Questions

If you are unclear, asking direct questions will get better results than making assumptions and pretending you know more than you do.

Asking the right questions gives you a chance to learn how other people communicate and think. As a result, your own communication will become much more effective when you understand how your colleagues approach their work.

Asking questions conveys curiosity and enthusiasm which indicates active participation in the world around you. When you think the conversation is almost over, asking one more question can yield a key insight.

Communicate Visually

Along with asking questions and adapting to your audience (or “reading the room,” as comedians call it), Supervisor Essentials suggests that you learn to communicate your ideas visually. Digital communication is growing increasingly visual, and there are many new tools that will enhance the experience for all, from infographics to animated gifs.

Studies suggest that 65% of us are visual learners. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a designer, you’ll be better equipped to get through to your visually inclined colleagues if you can master the basics of visual communication. It can also help you make those (at times) rather dull web conferences more useful and engaging.

At Artisan Creative, we help creative professionals connect with clients and opportunities, and we know that effective communication is the essence of a good connection. As you build your communication skills and become fluent in the language of business, we can provide resources for growth, put you in touch with industry leaders, and help you build a career you’ll love. Get in touch today to learn more.

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Our Favorite Apps of 2016

Wednesday, December 21st, 2016|

Artisan Creative is celebrating 20 years in staffing and recruitment and over the years we have learned a thing or two that we’d like to share with you. We hope you enjoy the 404th issue of our weekly a.blog.

Our constant use of apps has greatly impacted how we complete tasks, stay in touch with our network and run our business. The variety of iOS and android apps available and our reliance upon them increases exponentially year over year. For 2017, the number of smartphone users in the United States is estimated to reach 222.9 million, with the number of worldwide users forecasted to exceed a staggering 2 billion users.

Smartphones graduated from being a tool for texting and calling, to serve as an access point for managing a wide array of crucial life and work events, from job applications to house hunting, banking, and healthcare.

At Artisan Creative, staying connected with our a.team and to the outside world is vital to our day to day interactions. With this in mind, we thought it would be interesting to share the apps our team felt they couldn’t live without. We’ve included everything from meditation, time management, and those all-important delivery services.

Headspace

An app that makes “meditation made simple.” Headspace is your personal brain trainer that allows you to take a time out anytime, anyplace, and anywhere. They already have 5 million users and you can tailor your meditation to fit with your lifestyle and schedule. It’s surprising how much calmer you feel after a 10-minute time out.

Be Focused 

The Pomodoro Technique used in this app is a simple time management process that tells you to take a 5-minute break every 25 minutes. After you’ve worked four consecutive pomodoros, you’re rewarded with a longer break. Frequent breaks coupled with periods of focused attention on tasks enable you to do more and work smarter.

1Password

Protecting your identity online is every internet user’s concern. 1Password consolidates all your passwords and keeps them safe with strong encryption. It also creates difficult passwords for every site that requires a login. It integrates with desktop and mobile, meaning you never need to remember or worry about your passwords and personal information again.

Slack 

Slack is our go-to team communication tool. We use the desktop version every day and as we’re often running to meetings, the mobile version means we can be communicative with the team while we’re on the go.

Venmo 

Owned by PayPal, Venmo is the easy way to send money to friends and family. We wouldn’t recommend sending large sums of money through the app, however, it’s a quick and painless way to split lunches, cab fares or send birthday money.

Postmates

Choosing our favorite delivery app was a tough decision for the team. Postmates comes out on top thanks to its ability to choose whether you have groceries, takeout or personal items delivered to your door in less than an hour. A new level of laziness or absolute convenience? Try it out and let us know.

Do you use any of the apps that made our list or do you have any you’d recommend to our team? Let us know in the comments below.

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Reasons for Being Grateful

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2016|

Artisan Creative is celebrating 20 years in staffing and recruitment and over the years we have learned a thing or two that we’d like to share with you.

This is the time of the year to reflect on the past year and look forward to new opportunities and adventures ahead.

As Shawn Achor states in his popular Ted Talk and best-selling book “The Happiness Advantage” one of the ways to create happiness and positive mental change is to express gratitude on a daily basis.

Here at Artisan Creative, we are grateful for so many things and wanted to share a few with you.

We are:

Grateful to celebrate 20 years of creative staffing & recruitment.
Grateful for the incredible, dynamic a.team. Always giving, always striving to be at their best.
Grateful for our amazing talent who continuously push the creative envelope.
Grateful for our long lasting client relationships and for the opportunity to help grow their teams.
Grateful for our furry 4-legged friends who keep us company at work.
Grateful for the opportunity to write the 400th issue of our weekly a.blog today.

Below are additional gratitudes from our a. team:

Laura

Grateful for my family and their health, support and love.
Grateful to work for a company I love.
Grateful that I get to spend every day with my husband.

Stephanie

Grateful that I live in Los Angeles. I’m grateful for my health, home, and to have worked with a great company for 10 years.

Margaret

Thankful for my family and friends, my wonderful husband and my “a” recruiting team who comes ready to work every day and is so dedicated.

Jen

Grateful for a supportive and passionate team that pushes me to my full potential every day.
Grateful for the ability to work from home.
Grateful for my husband who caters to my every pregnancy craving and mood swing.

Regina

I’m so grateful for my job! I am so happy every day.

Ana

I am grateful for my family that supports each other through thick and thin, for my long time friends that are like extended family, for my employers that provide an environment to live a balanced life and for my excellent health!

Cammy

I am thankful for the privilege of becoming a new aunt to my amazing nephew.
Also my family, everyone’s health, and good food!

Jamie

Working with a dynamic and committed team on a daily basis for over 20 years.
The opportunity to learn something new every day.
Simplicity in life and communication.

Katty

Grateful for the amazing a. team.
Grateful for family, friends, health and love.
Grateful to learn and grow every day.

What are you thankful for this holiday season?

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Creating and Nurturing Company Culture

Wednesday, November 9th, 2016|

At Artisan Creative, we believe in creating long lasting relationships—with our talent, with our clients and most definitely with our team.

Engaging in an integrated life-work philosophy and staying true to our core values has always been how we conduct business and have maintained our culture here at Artisan. We believe this is one of the reasons for our success over our past 20 years in this business.

We also believe that culture must be nurtured, cultivated and cared for.

As our California-based company has been virtual for over 7 years, we’ve learned to do things a little differently that allow us to continue to build a strong culture for our team members who all work remotely.

Many of our client companies have offices in multiple locations, and the tips we employ with our virtual staff can easily be applied to teams in remote locations as well as virtual teams.

Below are 5 tips for creating and nurturing company culture in a virtual work environment.

Befriend Technology! Use Slack, Yammer or any other team communication or collaboration tool to stay connected. We hold scheduled daily Zoom video huddles to brainstorm and share ideas, and use Slack to review assignments and execute our search plans. A good CRM system keeps track of communications, meetings, appointments and client and talent information.
Communicate metrics and expectations clearly— review them daily/weekly. Communicate the vital short-term goals.
Create a transparent environment so people understand their value and contribution.
Come together often. We have in-person team meetings once a month, and team members meet up for talent interviews and client site visits throughout the month.
Meet socially! We have team activities ranging from potlucks, paint nights, bowling and dinners out. We include spouses and partners in the social outings.

Please share any best practices for growing culture within your team.

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Our Favorite Places to Get Work Done in San Francisco

Wednesday, April 20th, 2016|

For those that work from home or have flexible office situations, it can be a nice option to try a new work location from time to time. We know the Bay Area is teeming with fabulous coffee shops and cafes that can offer a respite from the home office. Here are some picks to get work done in San Francisco while enjoying some tasty treats.

Coffee Bar (Mission): While the name might not stand out as special, the coffee sure does! (All the benas are sourced directly from local roaster Mr. Espresso.) Known for being a start-up hangout, this cafe is especially great for those who need to power through a work marathon. When you get hungry, grab some food from their full lunch menu.

Haus (Mission): This space offers Scandinavian minimalism and plenty of tables and chairs to accommodate all kinds of busy bees. Simple and elegant, Haus has coffee, tea, kombucha, and baked good. Best of all, on warmer days, you can work outside on the back patio with lots of seating.

Matching Half Cafe (Western Addition): Warm and charming, the floor-to-ceiling windows at this corner coffee shop lets in plenty of sun and serves pour-over Sightglass coffee, along with some lighter fare for breakfast and lunch. For those popping in towards the end of the work day, there’s local draft beer and wine, plus happy hour specials.

The Social Study (Fillmore): Vintage in its approach (exposed brick, pendant lighting, used books and globes scattered throughout for decor), this spot delivers on its name, making it a great place to study and socialize — like, say, meet a co-worker to go over a project, or set up a meeting with a client after hours. Hip-hop, disco, funk, and every other groovy beat that gets piped in through the speakers keeps you pumped throughout the day.

Nook (Nob Hill): For those in need of a hearty breakfast or lunch to fuel them, this neighborhood cafe has plenty of good eats, from a well-known Caesar salad to their vegan German chocolate cake. Watch as the cable car rolls past the sidewalk seating, or come in later in the day when you need a break for their daily happy hour and finish up the work day with a delicious Sangria.

Java Beach Cafe (Outer Sunset): Why work from home when you can work by the beach? Simple coffee, bagel sandwiches, and surfer clientele keep this place busy, even if it might look a little dated by SF standards. Cozy and comfortable, you can take in the sand dune views and watch the sunset while you wrap up the remaining pieces on that project.

Where are your favorite San Francisco coffee shops and cafes to get work done?

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Meet & Greet with Artisan

Wednesday, November 12th, 2014|

The holiday season is right around the corner but before you start stuffing turkeys and eating pumpkin pie, Artisan has a special event to ease you into the spirit of Thanksgiving.

On Tuesday, November 18^th we’ll be at our favorite co-working space, Kleverdog in Chinatown, Los Angeles for a meet & greet with job seekers and a drive to benefit two of our favorite charities.

We’ll be hosting the Meet & Greet with Artisan from 4 PM – 7 PM which will give people an opportunity to meet with our team and put faces to names. Bring your resume along and we will chat through open jobs, career advice, and resumes to help your job search be a successful one. We’ll have delicious snacks available, too!

Our chosen charities are NKLA and Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles. As advocates of rescue animals and with some of our team members being parents, we’ve chosen two non-profits close to our hearts.

No-Kill Los Angeles
NKLA is a pet adoption center led by Best Friends Animal Society. They’ve been working closely with animal welfare organizations, pet shelters, and volunteers to help end the killing of healthy animals. They offer spay/neuter services and hold events across the city to help find forever homes for unwanted animals. They have their own adoption center in Santa Monica so if you’re looking for a furry friend, be sure to check out their available animals or next adoption event.
Donations to bring to the Meet & Greet: pet food (unopened and unused), pet treats, and toys.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
A non-profit hospital serving over 100,000 children each year through care, education, and research. With only 10 children’s hospitals in the US, CHLA is ranked #5 in the nation. The entire hospital is designed for children and families and they depend on donations to help heal the children.
Donations to bring to the Meet & Greet: Books, unused toys, coloring books, and more. Check out their wish lists.

Make sure you RSVP and give us a heads-up if you are planning to attend. We look forward to getting into the holiday spirit with you next week and collecting some wonderful gifts for NKLA and CHLA.

Laura Pell – Recruiter at Artisan Creative

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A Guide to Relocating to Los Angeles

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014|

So you want to move to Los Angeles, but now what? LA is a place unlike any other. There’s the entertainment industry, the growing start-up area of Silicon Beach, the emerging creative world of downtown – it’s hard to know where to begin. As American poet and critic Dorothy Parker so eloquently put it, “LA is 72 suburbs in search of a city”. If you’ve yet to visit LA, it will all make sense when you arrive.

First of all, you will need to plan. Are you able to move without landing a job first? Do you need to find an apartment? If you’re outside of the US, can you legally work here? Careful planning and research will allow you to figure out budgets, timelines and scope. LA is an exciting city to live in and opportunities can be plentiful if you work at it.

Finding Work
Identify a few recruitment agencies you’re interested in working with. If you plan to make the move to LA after you find a job, be clear and concise with your timeline. Outline your availability for in-person interviews and communicate your travel arrangements. If you’re clear on these factors, it makes working together more seamless and cohesive.
If you’re planning to move here first, keep in mind that LA’s industry is very different to that of say, New York or London. It can take many people a few months to find work so be financially and mentally prepared.

Transport
Living in LA without a car is not impossible, but it is tough. LA is basically a series of towns connected by freeways. There’s a Metro system which can take you through Hollywood and as far as Long Beach and downtown but if you want to work on the westside, your options are buses or a ridesharing service such as SideCar or Uber. If you plan on using public transport, be clear to recruiters and companies you’re working with that you are without a car. That way they can look at their client base in your local area.

Accommodation
LA comes at a price. LA Times recently warned Angelenos to prepare for rent hikes over the next two years. Rent prices in areas such as Newport Beach where they’ve experienced a tech-boom average 2.5k per month. Renting rooms, sharing houses or renting studios are commonplace. Decide what will work for you with your budget but remember; LA salaries aren’t quite in line with New York or San Francisco. Use places like Glassdoor to find out the salaries of companies and positions you’re interested in and ask your recruiter to guide you on average market rates.

Making Friends
Rest assured that your friends and family will always want to visit the City of Angels. With the constant sunny weather and palm trees, it’s an inspiring city to explore. Use Meetup.com to find local events (and if you’re in the UX space, be sure to check out our friends over at LAUX MeetUp) and peruse our recent blog about co-working spaces which is a great place to start networking and making friends.

Have you made the move to LA and had similar experiences? Share your thoughts with us over on Twitter @ArtisanUpdates.

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