As a recruiter, when speaking with candidates a few of the first few questions I ask are, “Tell me about your company culture?” and “What are you looking for in your next job opportunity?” Responses I often receive include, “an environment that allows flexibility,” “a team driven environment”, “a family atmosphere”, “ a place where I can learn and grow”, or “a place where I can make a difference and help take a company to the next level.” In listening to these statements, it provides me with insight into a candidate’s current company culture as well as what the type of culture that they would like to work in.

Here we are, it's November 2020 and we've been experiencing a global pandemic for nearly a whole year. Stateside, this pandemic has manifested stress and anxiety for employees and leaders alike.

Covid-19 has shown us just how amazing people can be.

Few of us could have imagined 25 years ago how much the internet would change the way we work. Today’s globally connected labor force works whenever and wherever thanks to technology that has all but made the corporate office obsolete in certain fields. And thank goodness we have the technology and infrastructure set up as we face this global pandemic together, forcing so many employers to go 100% virtual practically overnight. While there are many great benefits of being virtual or remote, especially considering the safety and health of your team, it's not necessarily a cakewalk. The challenges with telework and virtual teams are real and require managers to think strategically and creatively.