From the first cry we make as an infant to the meeting you had with your team yesterday, the ability to communicate effectively directly impacts outcomes. Your success in navigating relationships with others and conveying salient points in business communications directly impact results, both for you personally and for your business. Those interpersonal communication skills are the true key to success.

The holidays are upon us. They are a time of joy and family gatherings. They are a time when we take stock of our blessings, and we prepare to begin a new journey into the new year.

Right now, all over the world, CEOs are sitting with their most trusted leaders to draw up a post-Covid recovery strategy. HR plays a vital role in this conversation. There are so many human capital issues to discuss, like training and support for employees, facilitating the move to remote, and the unfortunate need for some firms to restructure. And yet, HR isn’t always at the table. Often, the senior leadership make strategic decisions and leave HR to figure out the logistics. So, how can HR ensure that they have a voice in these crucial discussions? In a word: trust.

Covid-19 has made us all appreciate the things we used to take for granted, like having all your people in one office. When everyone was together, you could swing by someone’s desk to check in or gather the whole team for a meeting. That’s no longer possible in an age of remote working.

An important member of your team has recently left your company. The role is essential to the function of your company. Yet, you are unsure where to begin your recruitment efforts. Additionally, you feel as though you have a limited bandwidth, time, resources, and overall expertise. Given these reasons, you feel partnering with a recruitment agency would be your best option for finding the most qualified candidate for your vacancy. However, prior to selecting an agency, take into consideration a few of the following factors.

With the uncertainty that COVID-19 brings, employers are reacting in a variety of ways. Some have an immediate response and cut staff, while other employers shift seamlessly to a telework model to save on operational costs. There are companies that implement a hiring freeze, and some use innovative ideas to create a “business as usual” environment. Current staff and future potential employees are watching and evaluating the decisions employers make today, and they base employment choices on what they see and hear.