You don’t have to be driven by one singular, solitary purpose to be successful and happy in your work. You simply need to find a career path that feels right and matches your natural interests. Here’s how to design a career path where work doesn’t feel like work.

“I am so excited to be waking up every morning making a difference.” Employees want to feel appreciated, taken care of, important—like what they’re doing matters, both collectively and individually.

Most CEOs want to be change-makers within their industries. A recent Gartner poll showed that 78% of CEOs see their companies as pioneers. To get there, CEOs must surround themselves with people who possess an “enterprising mindset.” Learn how to identify this candidate interest in your interviewing process in today’s blog.

If your company is on @Glassdoor—and it is—consider taking advantage of the “Why Work With Us” page Glassdoor provides companies.

“Matthew, when’s the best time to send a rejection letter to a candidate we aren’t going to hire?” I say, right away. You owe every candidate complete transparency and a chance to keep going with their job search.

Too many candidates means you’re not properly screening them. It’s a huge time suck for you, plus a lot of paperwork/administration. The most important thing is to find the right person. It’s certainly possible to arrive at that destination after interviewing even just one person, just make sure you have a solid vetting process.

You submit the resume. You wait.

You talk to the recruiter. You wait.

You interview. You wait.

So when is it appropriate to reach out to the hiring manager? Our latest post offers some advice.

It’s a good idea to communicate your greater hiring process to candidates in advance. When working with a recruiter, it’s also smart to make sure the recruiter is very clear on your typical hiring process so they, in turn, can communicate it to candidates.

Hiring? It’s great to work with a recruiter (ahem) but it’s also smart to take advantage of free options available on LinkedIn, such as using a #hiring photo frame for your profile pic and taking advantage of the new features currently rolling out.

When it comes to choosing a recruiter, it’s particularly important to keep in mind that this professional may be the first person a potential candidate meets “from your company.” Vet them as well as you’d vet a candidate for a permanent role.

Gaps in one’s resume don’t look great. But 2020 was an exception. The sheer number of people who were laid off and furloughed make it highly likely that a hiring manager will be talking to quite a few folks in this position. There’s no stigma.

Do you have a degree relevant to your job? If so, you’re in the minority. Most people swerve way off course once they graduate. I love Jason Shen’s @TedTalks on how to build a diverse, high-performance team by looking beyond the usual credentials. At the Source and Recruit Company, we do this using a tool called PXT Select.

We’ve seen again and again how candidates with high emotional intelligence (EQ) tend to thrive and succeed. These are the kind of people you want on your team.

The ability to give/receive feedback graciously is central to most corporate jobs. Yet we’re all mostly pretty terrible at it. One @TEDTalks I recently heard from cognitive psychologist LeeAnn Renninger offers up a 4-part approach to feedback that works.

Even if it’s only a sometimes or even a once-in-a-while thing, having a particular recruiter you work with every time is a smart hiring practice.

You’re hiring a recruiter because you’re too busy to handle every aspect of hiring yourself, plus, you want access to a higher caliber of talent. Understood, and allow us to help you help us help you. Our first question: How will this person fit into your existing team?

How important is a sense of belonging to happiness at work? Long before the pandemic sent many of us home to work, a substantial number of people reported feeling “physically and emotionally isolated at work” per @HarvardBiz review circa 2019.

Sometimes, the best candidate for a job you’re trying to fill doesn’t even realize they’re looking for the job. That’s where passive recruitment comes in. Encourage employee referrals, make sure people know about your company, and mine social media for potential hires.

Occasionally I hear from a job-seeker that they’re interested in a role but would like to negotiate the title. Is this kosher? Sometimes. The answer depends upon your motivation for wanting a different title.

Should you share interview questions with a candidate in advance of the interview? This is a contentious question for a lot of hiring managers. Pros — gives the candidate the best shot to shine. Cons — takes away the element of surprise and spontaneity.