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Leading with Trust: Actionable Advice for HR and Business Leaders in 2025

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Leading with Trust: Actionable Advice for HR and Business Leaders in 2025

In today’s fast-evolving and uncertain economic landscape, employee trust is a vital yet delicate organizational asset. 

Recent surveys highlight a global decline in trust, signaling a weakening of the employer-employee bond. 

This poses a critical challenge for leaders and HR professionals: how to restore trust and foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and psychological safety to strengthen resilience. 

Drawing from insights of business executives and HR experts, this article offers practical, actionable strategies. 

From ethical leadership to transparent communication and true partnership, these leaders provide a roadmap for creating a workplace rooted in honesty and shared purpose.

Read on!

Meyr Aviv
Founder & CEO, iMoving

In light of the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer findings, it’s clear that businesses must take bold steps to regain employee trust. 

At iMoving, we prioritize transparency by involving our team in decision-making processes and openly sharing both successes and challenges.

Additionally, fostering a culture of recognition and empowerment can bridge the trust gap, proving that authenticity and accountability are non-negotiable in today’s workplace. 

It’s time for leaders to shift from mere policies to genuine relationships—because trust isn’t built through words, but through consistent actions.

Transparency and Relationships Rebuild Trust

Eugene Leow
Director, Marketing Agency Singapore

After a stressful Q4 where deadlines piled up and communication frayed, we saw morale dip. 

I started doing something deceptively simple: every end of week, I’d write a “behind-the-scenes” email explaining why leadership made certain decisions that week: what went wrong, what we learned, and what’s next. 

It turned transparency into a routine, not a reaction. Within a month, feedback loops got healthier and cross-team assumptions dropped. 

Trust rebuilds when leaders stop gatekeeping context and start narrating the journey openly even when it’s messy.

Open Transparency Rebuilds Team Trust

Samuel Huang
CEO, Tele Ads Agency

A few years back, when the whole company got restructured, I made a stop to productivity due to trust issues which were not caused by any skill shortage. I found out that trust is not a one-off agreement; it is something you do every day.

For transparency to be rebuilt, it should be practiced radically.

Leaders have to speak their business problems out loud and give all workers the freedom to suggest solutions. I hold monthly sessions named “Ask Me Anything” where every issue is up for discussion; these have been built as a foundation for our culture.

The next important thing is the ongoing acknowledgment which, in contrast to just recognizing results, helps employees by reminding them they are appreciated.

Lastly, doing what you say you will do is the most important. Unfulfilled promises destroy credibility even more quickly than any company policy can fix.

The trust that has been stretched, will not restore itself immediately. But with consistent, human-centered leadership, it can be more robust than ever before.

Trust is a Daily Leadership Practice

Kevin Heimlich
CEO & Founder, The Ad Firm

In my experience running a fast-moving digital marketing agency, trust breaks down when people feel ignored, unclear, or undervalued. 

Rebuilding it requires returning to fundamentals such as clear communication, follow-through, and showing up consistently.

The first thing I do is talk to the team directly, not through memos or long emails but through actual conversations. I ask where things went wrong and what they need from leadership moving forward. Then I act on it. Trust doesn’t come back through promises; it comes from visible changes.

People don’t expect perfection. But they do expect honesty and consistency. If you say you’re going to fix something, do it. If you made a mistake, own it. Small and persistent behaviors are more important than any big speech.

Trust Returns Through Visible Changes

Marin Cristian Ovidiu
CEO, OnlineGames

Trust is more than just being correct—it is being authentic.

Thus, we took a leap into complete openness. We made the roadmaps public, acknowledged our errors, and delivered the reasons behind every decision, even when they were not favorable.

To be able to reconstruct trust, you have to show the same effort in three areas: communication, accountability, and involvement. Talk to people often and sincerely—even if there is uncertainty. Apply the same rules on leadership as on the rest of the team. And bring employees into important discussions to make them feel included, not isolated.

Trust is being rebuilt, not through big actions, but through daily proof of the value you attach to people’s time, voice, and wellbeing.

The gap of trust cannot be closed with a single action, but little transparent steps can make a significant difference in a short time.

Honest Transparency Rebuilds Employee Trust

Andrew Lokenauth
Founder, TheFinanceNewsletter.com

I’ve learned that rebuilding trust isn’t just about fancy programs or HR initiatives — it’s about consistent, tangible actions. Last March, we faced a major trust crisis after a restructuring that didn’t go as planned (honestly, it was pretty messy).

The first thing I did was implement complete financial transparency. I started sharing our quarterly numbers — the good & the bad — with everyone. Not just the executive summaries, but the actual data.

When we missed our Q3 targets, I walked the entire team through why it happened & what we were gonna do about it. That transparency alone boosted our internal trust metrics by ~25%.

One of the biggest wins came from our “open-door Wednesday” policy. Every Wednesday, my office door stays open for 4 hours straight. Any employee can walk in & talk about anything. Sometimes it’s about budgets, sometimes it’s about their career concerns. The thing is, it’s not just about listening — it’s about taking action. When someone pointed out our outdated expense policy was causing frustration, we changed it within 48 hours.

I’ve found that money talks when it comes to trust. We implemented a profit-sharing program that’s tied directly to company performance. Everyone — from entry-level to senior management — gets the same % based on our quarterly results. It’s amazing how trust grows when people can see their direct connection to company success.

But here’s something that might surprise you — I actually started sharing my own mistakes in our monthly town halls. Like when I miscalculated our expansion budget by $500K. Being vulnerable about my own screw-ups has made a huge difference in how people view leadership. They see us as human, not just suits in corner offices.

Communication is crucial, but I’ve learned it needs to be consistent & predictable.

We now have a strict “no surprises” policy for major company announcements. Everything gets communicated at least 2 weeks in advance, with clear explanations of the ‘why’ behind decisions.And speaking of decisions — we’ve completely changed how we make them. Now we use what I call the “3-2-1 method”: 3 possible solutions presented, 2 rounds of employee feedback, 1 final decision with clear reasoning. When we were deciding on our new healthcare provider, this approach led to 90% employee satisfaction with the final choice.

The hardest part for me personally was learning to say “I don’t know” more often. In finance, we’re trained to always have answers. But I’ve found that admitting uncertainty & then following up with research builds more trust than trying to have all the answers immediately.

One thing that’s been particularly effective is our monthly “numbers & narratives” sessions. Instead of just presenting data, we share stories about how our decisions affect real people. When we increased our R&D budget by $2M, we had the actual researchers share how it impacted their work.

From my experience, rebuilding trust takes time — usually 6-8 months to see real change. But the investment is worth it. Our employee retention has improved by 35% since implementing these changes, & our productivity metrics are up significantly.

The most important lesson I’ve learned: trust isn’t built in big moments, it’s built in small, consistent actions over time. And it starts at the top — if leaders aren’t willing to be transparent, vulnerable, & accountable, no amount of programs or initiatives will make a difference.

I regularly discuss this and have many years experience, so I’d love to help! I’ve earned my degree in this area and held leadership positions across institutions such as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and Citi. I can also share your article with my 100,000+ newsletter subscribers.

Rebuilding Trust: Small Actions, Big Impact

Christopher Falvey
Co-Founder, Unique NOLA Tours

No matter the size of the business, always involve employees in decisions that affect them. There is no better way to gain trust than having employees partake in the actions that need to be trusted.

Lack of trust is easy to fall into when decisions are made without input from those you’re asking to have trust in you. People believe in what they have a stake in.

Involve Employees in Decisions to Gain Trust

Dr. Beth Ribarsky
Director & Professor, School of Communication & Media

People first framework – Recently, my program underwent a significant change in leadership. 

My new dean stepped in with a “people first framework” – prioritizing the well-being and interests of the faculty and staff within our college. 

He focused less on what employees could do for him and more on how he could help employees. 

He sought out to engage with faculty and staff on a personal level through actions such as walking the hallways and stopping in to chat or swinging by a departmental happy hour. 

As simple as it sounds, these actions created a shift in the culture of our college – one marked by trust and transparency. 

Seeing how this transformed the culture, as a new leader of my specific program, I implemented a similar perspective – being transparent with budgets and decisions and seeking ways to recognize my faculty members on a personal level.

People-First Leadership Builds Trust and Transparency

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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When Leadership Talent Is Scarce: Key HR Strategies in a Tight Market

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When Leadership Talent Is Scarce: Key HR Strategies in a Tight Market

By Eric Walczykowski, CEO, Bespoke Partners

Talent is a market like any other, with buyers and sellers.

Buyers are companies; sellers are prospective employees.

The law of supply and demand applies: when willing sellers are scarce, the market tightens, competition among buyers increases, and price (compensation) rises. That determines how easily you can find the talent you need at a compensation level that fits your budget.

So what do you do when the talent market gets tight?

A case study is playing out right now in private equity (PE). It offers lessons for HR leaders on finding the right executives when competition is fierce.

PE firms buy companies, improve them over a few years, and sell for a profit if all goes well.

The sector is huge. In the US, PE-backed companies directly employ about 13.3 million workers and support roughly 31–33 million jobs when you include supplier and consumer-spending effects. Nearly one in five US workers gets a paycheck linked to PE’s investments in our economy.

Leadership talent is essential to a profitable exit, so PE firms focus heavily on finding leaders who can execute growth and value-creation plans. Increasing scarcity of qualified leadership makes this much harder.

A bottleneck has developed because exits have been extremely low for an extended period. When an exit happens, senior executives typically become available for new assignments.

But US PE exits fell 25% in Q2 this year, according to PitchBook, amid economic uncertainty and tariff concerns. PitchBook analysts estimate PE firms hold an all-time-high inventory of more than 12,000 unsold US portfolio companies—a logjam caused by poor exit opportunities.

The exit problem means leadership churn isn’t happening. The most experienced executives are staying put, pursuing elusive exits, and are not available to lead the many companies now crowding PE portfolios.

The PE Leadership Bottleneck

As supply tightens, HR teams recruiting for PE face scarcity of qualified leadership.

It’s harder to find candidates with PE portfolio experience. Searches are longer and harder to close. When leaders are willing to consider new roles, compensation demands are much higher. Our latest data shows C-suite salary and bonus for software and SaaS executives is now consistently in the mid-$500,000 range—up about 25% for some roles over just a couple of years. That’s exactly what supply-and-demand dynamics predict: the “price” for a scarce resource rises.

Competition is fierce. Experienced leaders often field multiple offers simultaneously, especially seasoned CEOs and go-to-market executives in sales and marketing.

Fortunately, the same market rules suggest ways to mitigate tightness. Many of our clients use six recruiting strategies to ease constraints and improve their odds of hiring the leaders they need.

These apply well beyond the PE sector, and can be used by any HR professional hiring senior executives when those executives are scarce.

Impact on Leadership Recruiting

1) Make succession continuous, not episodic

Waiting until an immediate need arises locks you into that moment’s market conditions. Like all markets, the leadership market changes frequently. The most effective HR leaders run year-round succession programs that map and track potential needs and potential availability.

2) Expand the funnel with “step-ups”—and de-risk them

Hunting for C-suite “unicorns” with the exact resume narrows the pool and elongates searches. Consider VP-level “step-ups” who are ready for the C-suite. This can double or triple the candidate pool and reduce tight-market pressure. Our data shows step-ups achieve exits in PE-backed companies as often as seasoned C-suite counterparts as long as the new C-suite executives are vetted and supported properly with onboarding and mentorship or other support. The step-ups are hungry to prove themselves and will put in outsized effort.

3) Elevate HR as a strategic function

Traditional HR handles operations like payroll, benefits, and onboarding. But the most effective HR leaders elevate the function to be a true strategic partner. Because talent is mission-critical, HR and leadership needs belong in enterprise-level planning and decision-making. In PE, firms are adding full-time talent in operational advisory roles who help portfolio companies find and maximize impact from talent.

4) Get creative on compensation

As “market price” rises, recruiting qualified executives gets expensive. But talent isn’t a commodity with a single price. Use multiple levers—equity and options, milestone payouts, incentives tied to strategic success, and even remote work flexibility—to attract top leaders, sometimes at lower cash levels.

5) Streamline decision-making

When competition is intense, slow movers lose—both because candidates field other offers and because a slow process signals bureaucracy and a less-than-nimble culture. Top companies treat recruiting as a priority. Before engaging candidates, they align internally on the scorecard, references, compensation, interview cadence, and interview focus.

6) Work with external specialists

There’s a temptation to run searches in-house. But external search firms usually deliver better outcomes. They continually network with prospective candidates, giving you wider visibility. They track careers, know which roles will appeal and how to pitch them, and have real-time compensation data to guide negotiations and benchmark offers.

Six Strategies for a Tight Talent Market

Even in tight markets, some companies still land the best executives and set themselves up for success. The six strategies above are the tools they use to beat the competition for PE executive talent. You can apply them in any sector. The overarching strategy: run an efficient process, get creative, and broaden your market visibility to counteract scarcity of qualified talent.

Winning in the Tight Market

About Eric Walczykowski

Eric is the Chief Executive Officer of Bespoke Partners, a leading executive search firm for private equity portfolio companies.

Bespoke Partners delivers a scientific approach to search by leveraging proprietary tools and methodologies that lead to high impact executive teams that stay through the investment thesis 99% of the time.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Responsible AI Hiring: Mitigating Major Risks

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Responsible AI Hiring: Mitigating Major Risks

The integration of Artificial Intelligence into the hiring process promises unprecedented gains in efficiency, but it has also introduced a complex new set of challenges. 

While AI tools can help screen thousands of resumes and streamline workflows, a growing chorus of business leaders and HR professionals are sounding the alarm about the serious risks of relying on these systems without critical human oversight. 

From reinforcing historical biases to overlooking exceptional but non-traditional talent, the consequences of unmitigated AI in recruitment can be severe, leading to legal liabilities, a lack of diversity, and a team that lacks true creative and collaborative strength. 

This HR Spotlight article compiles invaluable insights from a diverse panel of experts, revealing the key dangers of AI-driven hiring and offering a strategic blueprint for how organizations can balance technological efficiency with the human judgment, empathy, and oversight necessary to build truly resilient and innovative teams.

Read on!

Andres Bernot
Founder, WOW! Shirts

Hiring Needs Human Touch For Creative Roles

I’ve always thought that originality and a personal touch are important.

AI-driven hiring carries a significant risk of ignoring the individuality and enthusiasm needed for creative positions. Because AI favors efficiency over true innovation, hiring decisions may be made based more on patterns. For instance, AI might overlook applicants who think creatively when searching for designers who can make innovative concepts a reality.

Our hiring procedure retains the human element. To make sure we’re not just filling a position but also adding someone with new, creative ideas to our team, we prioritize in-person interviews and creative portfolio reviews.

Although technology can be useful, people are what truly contribute creativity.

Alec Pow
Founder & Editor, The Pricer

AI-Driven Hiring Risks Societal Biases

In my view, the most concerning consequence of this is the risk of inadvertently reinforcing societal biases and stereotypes. These biases can be encoded into the algorithms if the data used for training the AI is skewed or unrepresentative of the diverse society we live in.

For instance, if an AI model is trained predominantly on successful profiles of male software engineers, it might unwittingly favor male candidates over equally qualified female ones. This could perpetuate gender disparity in the tech industry, a problem we’re actively trying to solve.

At ThePricer, we’re mitigating this risk by cross-checking our AI models with diversity and fairness audits.

This involves running the models against a diverse dataset and comparing outcomes for different demographic groups. If we find any discrepancies, we fine-tune the model to ensure it doesn’t favor one group over another.

An actionable tip for others in the industry would be to involve human oversight in the AI hiring process. Combining AI’s efficiency with a human’s capability for nuanced judgement can help strike a balance between speed and fairness.

Remember, technology is a tool that reflects our intentions. It’s up to us to use it wisely and responsibly, ensuring it promotes diversity rather than stifling it.

Mark
CEO & Co-Founder, Mein Office

The Bias in AI Hiring Is Real

An adverse consequence of AI-driven hiring is the reinforcement of historical biases embedded in training data, leading to unintentional discrimination against qualified candidates based on gender, ethnicity, or age.

This is particularly problematic in industries like tech or ecommerce, where legacy data often reflects past hiring inequities.

To mitigate this risk:

We audit AI models regularly using diverse data sets.

We deploy hybrid models where human oversight supports all critical AI decisions.

Our hiring platforms are configured to anonymize attributes unrelated to job performance (e.g., name, graduation year).

Additionally, our HR team collaborates with DEI consultants to set benchmarks and accountability for fairness. AI should amplify inclusion—not replicate bias—so human validation is essential.

Joe Sagrilla
CEO & Principal Consultant, Faculty- Horizon Business Consulting LLC

Meaningful Predictors Over Correlation

A serious adverse consequence of blind reliance on AI tools for hiring is decisions made on flawed models built from spurious correlations rather than meaningful predictors of job performance.

For instance, a journalist investigation revealed that some AI video interview platforms generated different candidate ratings based solely on superficial factors like wearing glasses or a scarf—demonstrating how AI can mistake irrelevant patterns for valid insights. This results in unreliable and potentially arbitrary hiring outcomes.

To address this, I advise clients to use AI to enhance, not replace, proven human-led processes, ensuring all AI-generated recommendations are explainable and rigorously validated before implementation.

This approach safeguards decision quality and maintains accountability.

Ben Schmidt
Founder & CEO, LoopBot

Needs Competency Verification

AI-driven hiring is headed in the wrong direction.

We’re creating an arms race between AI resume writers and AI scanners, rewarding those who hack the process, not those with true ability.

We need to pivot towards verifying workplace competencies before we hire, even simple things like learning aptitude.

If we don’t, we’ll build teams based on performative marketing, not genuine skill.

At LoopBot, we’re changing this by measuring the skill and learning pace of every individual within an organization, revealing true aptitude and eliminating purely self-promotional preferences and biases.

Julie Ferris-Tillman
Vice President and B2B Tech Practice Lead, Interdependence

Bias Is Created By Humans

Interdependence Public Relations, has decades of experience as a hiring manager in PR and marketing. Her insights are as follows:

AI in applicant tracking systems is improving but still relies on humans to tell them what to search for.

AI-bias is created by the hiring team, not the AI. Too often, a hiring manager feeds recruiting or HR their talent needs and waits for candidates.

Recruiting inputs to the ATS leveraging what they can access, too often that’s old job descriptions or cold, formal materials that leave out the nuance hiring managers haven’t specified.
Collaborative approaches training the AI are essential or it will always be biased toward scoring candidates on outdated descriptions.

Though AI helps review thousands of applications, another bias exists if the recruiting team doesn’t do their own investigation beyond the AI’s top-ranked candidates.

Teams should assemble all applications to assess trending skills and continuously improve how to match their AI’s ability to pair with talented humans’ ways of describing their experience just as much as applicants need to think about matching the AI.

Jon Hill
Chairman & CEO, The Energists

AI Hiring Risks Lawsuits, Reputational Damage

We’ve embraced AI-driven hiring at The Energists, and have experienced first-hand how these tools can improve both the efficiency and the quality of the hiring process. However, we are also mindful of the risks, including the potential for bias, and taking steps to mitigate those concerns is absolutely imperative for anyone planning to make use of AI for recruitment.

The most serious adverse consequence that could stem from AI-driven hiring is the risk of lawsuits or regulatory sanctions, along with the reputational damage these things could cause.

Discrimination against candidates on the basis of race, gender, age, or disability can be just cause for lawsuits, even if that discrimination was unintentional.

In addition to bias concerns, AI tools use sensitive candidate data, which could open you up to transparency and consent concerns under data privacy laws.

Our strategy to mitigate these concerns starts with expert insight. We had our legal team assess our AI system for compliance with labor and data protection laws before putting it to use, and performed the same due diligence with our cybersecurity experts to ensure we are handling candidate data in a secure and responsible way.

Along with this, we maintain full transparency about our use of AI with our clients and candidates. We explain how we use AI in the process to candidates and give them the option to opt out of AI sourcing or screening.

Regular human review of the results delivered by AI tools also helps us verify that they are free from bias and allow us to make corrections as necessary to ensure our hiring process is fair for all candidates.

Renante Hayes
Executive Director, Creloaded

Screening Risks Overlooking Diverse Talent

Having personally reviewed over 3,000 tech resumes in my career, I’ve witnessed the double-edged sword of AI hiring tools.

In the ecommerce development space, AI-driven hiring risks eliminating candidates with non-traditional backgrounds but exceptional creative problem-solving abilities. Last year, we discovered our AI screening tool was systematically filtering out self-taught developers who lacked formal credentials but possessed remarkable real-world coding experience.

At creloaded, we’ve implemented a hybrid approach where AI handles initial screening, but human reviewers evaluate a randomized 25% of rejected applications. This process has helped us discover multiple overlooked talents and continuously refine our AI parameters to recognize diverse expertise patterns rather than just conventional signals.

Hanzel Talorete
Head Coach, Get Smart Series

Hiring Overlooks Innovative, Non-Traditional Talent

Having worked with over 500 professionals on career development, I’ve witnessed firsthand how AI-driven hiring can overlook non-traditional career paths that often bring the most innovative thinking.

In the education technology sector, the most concerning consequence of AI hiring is the potential elimination of candidates with unique problem-solving approaches that don’t fit standardized patterns.

These are often the exact minds that drive breakthrough innovations.

At GetSmart Series, we mitigate this by implementing a two-phase evaluation process. Our AI screening is complemented by human-designed situational assessments that measure creative problem-solving and adaptability – qualities algorithms struggle to detect.

We also regularly audit our hiring outcomes to ensure diverse thinking styles are represented in our team.

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Unpacking Stay Interviews: Goals, Questions, and Why Some Skip Them

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Unpacking Stay Interviews: Goals, Questions, and Why Some Skip Them

In an era of dynamic workforce shifts, where employee loyalty is more fragile than ever, organizations face a critical challenge: how do you proactively retain top talent and address disengagement before it leads to unwanted turnover? 

The traditional annual performance review often falls short, providing a backward-looking perspective that fails to capture the real-time pulse of employee sentiment. 

In response, a growing number of leaders are championing a more forward-looking, conversational approach: the stay interview. 

This practice is designed not just to assess performance, but to understand what motivates employees to stay, what challenges they face, and how their individual career goals align with the organization’s future. 

This HR Spotlight article compiles invaluable insights from business executives and HR professionals, revealing their strategies for conducting effective stay interviews, the crucial questions they ask, and the tangible benefits of using this practice to build a culture of trust and proactive engagement.

Read on!

Rebecca Martin
EVP, Culture & Talent, Beehive Strategic Communication

Stay Interviews Build Trust, Engagement

Beehive started implementing stay interviews in 2023, in the wake of The Great Resignation.

We wanted to better understand the reasons employees stay and what might cause them to leave. The input we gather in stay interviews provides us with valuable information on what is working well and where we can proactively make changes to improve engagement and satisfaction.

Supervisors facilitate employee-led stay interviews six months after an employee’s annual review.

Questions are provided in advance, so employees have time to consider what they’d like to discuss and prepare to share their experience, input, suggestions, ideas and feedback.

Doing stay interviews, however, doesn’t mean anything if organizations don’t act on the feedback provided.

Beehive leaders review stay interview input and always follow up – both when changes are implemented and when they can’t be, including context and rationale for the decision.

When done well, stay interviews can build trust and engagement.

Tetiana Hnatiuk
Head of HR, Skylum

Quarterly Stay Interviews Boost Talent Engagement

We conduct stay interviews quarterly at Skylum to identify what keeps our talent engaged and address concerns before they become exit reasons.

Our team leads run these conversations with direct reports, asking what they enjoy about their role, what challenges they face, and how we can better support their growth.

We’ve found this approach particularly valuable during our recent product launches, as it helped us adjust workloads and recognize team achievements appropriately.

These conversations give us practical insights we couldn’t get from annual surveys alone. For example, we discovered our designers needed more cross-team collaboration opportunities, which we’ve since implemented with great results.

Leila Rao
Agile Coach, Author, & Business Strategist, Cultural Cartography

Daily Standups Foster Engagement, Open Dialogue

Keeping top talent engaged during uncertain times means understanding what they value beyond salary and benefits. Instead of formal stay interviews, I prioritize ongoing conversations.

One practice we’ve adopted is daily standups. Our team uses these 15-20 minutes to check in, catch up, discuss roadblocks, and share progress.

These brief touchpoints create space for open, honest dialogue, and help me gauge morale, engagement, and where my staff might be thriving or struggling. They also provide insight into which projects are energizing, and which are causing potential burnout. If we need to make a shift in any direction, these conversations are the first step.

Now more than ever, engaged, talented staff is my most valued asset. Ensuring they know the lines of communication are always open is essential to my company’s survival and success.

Marcus Denning
Senior Lawyer, MK Law

Stay Interviews Proactively Boost Talent Retention

In my experience of leading teams, I’ve found that stay interviews can be a game-changer in retaining top talent. Our organization has seen firsthand how this practice can prevent unnecessary turnover and boost employee morale.

The plain fact is that keeping talent is far less expensive than bringing in new talent, yet stay interviews are usually neglected.

Do you want to wait until an employee resigns or tackle possible problems before it’s too late? We do stay interviews every six months, hoping to catch any early warning signs of disengagement and enhance retention. Core questions are about career growth, job satisfaction, and team relationships.

As Gallup reports, when organizations use stay interviews, they have 14% improved retention, and our own statistics support that as well, indicating a significant drop in turnover after we implemented them.

Steve Faulkner
Founder & Chief Recruiter, Spencer James Group

Stay Interviews Enhance Retention, Engagement

We do conduct stay interviews at Spencer James Group, and have done so for roughly the last 8-9 years.

We started to conduct stay interviews in response to a sudden spike in turnover.

Since Spencer James has a relatively small team, losing an employee can have a major impact on our operations and ability to serve our customers. Because of this, I knew it was crucial to get insights from our team about what issues they’re experiencing so they can be corrected to keep them with us.

It’s also an opportunity to talk with employees about their career aspirations and work environment, identifying unmet needs so that we can ensure everyone on the team is enabled to excel and continue growing with our team.

We conduct stay interviews twice a year, and they’ll typically be conducted either by myself or the employee’s direct manager. The core questions we ask are:


– What do you enjoy most about your job?

– What are the most common frustrations you experience in the workplace?

– How would you describe the work culture?

– Do you feel valued and appreciated in the workplace?

– How do you see your career growing with our company?

– What skills or knowledge areas would you like to develop further?

– Do you see any areas for improvement in our workplace culture or communication?

– How can leadership better support you in your role?

I may ask other questions specific to the individual, current projects, or recent changes we’ve implemented, but those ones above cover the basics for taking the pulse of the employee and our team as a whole.

Steve Nixon
Founder, Free Jazz Lessons

Informal Check-Ins Boost Team Engagement

Over the years, I’ve learned how important it is to keep the team happy and motivated, especially when you work closely with people in creative fields.

We don’t do traditional stay interviews, but we make sure we’re always having honest conversations with the team about how things are going.

Every few months, we have one-on-one check-ins with everyone. These aren’t formal meetings, and we don’t stick to a set list of questions.

The idea is to create a relaxed space where people feel comfortable talking about what’s working for them, what could be better, and where they want to go next. I like to think of it as a two-way conversation where we listen, ask questions, and take action based on what we hear. It’s a great way to catch small issues early and make sure everyone feels heard and valued.

These regular check-ins have really helped us keep the team engaged. People appreciate having a voice, and they feel like their feedback matters.

It’s not just about fixing problems, it’s about keeping things fresh and finding ways to help everyone grow. It’s a simple way to keep the momentum going, and it’s worked wonders for us.

Tracie Crites
Chief Marketing Officer, Equipment Appraisal

Stay Interviews Cut Turnover, Boost Morale

I’m Tracie Crites, Chief Marketing Officer at Heavy Equipment Appraisal. We believe that keeping a pulse on employee satisfaction is key to reducing turnover and improving company culture.

We conduct stay interviews quarterly, usually with team leads or HR managers, and aim to understand what’s working and what might need attention.

Core questions focus on job satisfaction, growth opportunities, and work-life balance. For example, “What would make you consider leaving?” and “Is there anything that’s preventing you from doing your best work?”

In the past year, we’ve seen a 16% decrease in voluntary turnover thanks to insights from these interviews. The feedback has helped us tweak benefits and streamline workflow, making a big difference in morale. Stay interviews help us ensure that we’re listening before issues escalate.

Hayden Cohen
CEO, Hire With Near

Honest Feedback Drives Trust, Improves Management

We don’t call them “stay interviews,” but open, honest feedback from our employees is an essential part of our approach to management.

The feedback we get from these conversations is incredibly valuable because it’s so specific; employees know exactly what they want to improve about the way they work. It’s also the kind of feedback that can help us get at personal failings and conflicts in a way that helps us overcome them.

The trick is building trust to the point where you can have these kinds of conversations.

Smart employees usually don’t want to rock the boat by criticizing their bosses or company policies too directly, but that’s exactly the kind of stuff we need to hear if we’re going to fix it.

Patty Pavia
People & Culture Manager, Biöm

Stay Interviews Boost Engagement, Retention

At biöm, we conduct stay interviews twice a year to understand what keeps our team engaged and what might improve their experience.

The goal is to proactively address concerns before they become reasons for leaving. These one-on-one conversations are led by department heads or HR and focus on questions like: What do you enjoy most about your role? What challenges do you face? How can we better support your career growth?

If we notice trends—like a need for more learning opportunities—we act on them quickly.

Stay interviews have helped us improve team morale and retention

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Freedom or Control? How Companies Manage Employees’ Personal Branding

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Freedom or Control? How Companies Manage Employees’ Personal Branding

Let’s face it: relying on one perfect, corporate voice in today’s digital world is getting old.

The real power and influence now come from a more authentic place—the genuine voices of a company’s own people.

We’re seeing it everywhere: a single honest post from an employee can get way more engagement than a super-polished corporate announcement, especially on platforms like LinkedIn.

This creates a big challenge and opportunity for business and HR leaders.

How do you empower your team to build their personal brands and share their expertise in a way that helps your company, without losing control or risking privacy?

This HR Spotlight article brings together expert insights from industry leaders. It’s a playbook for creating a flexible, trust-based culture that turns employees into powerful, authentic brand advocates, giving your business a major competitive edge.

Read on!

Nirmal Gyanwali
Founder & CMO, WP Creative

WP Creative Supports Team Expertise as Win-Win Strategy

At WP Creative, we fully support our team in building their personal brands and sharing their expertise, even when referencing their current role. We see it as a win-win.

When our people grow professionally, the business benefits too. Whether it’s speaking at industry events, contributing to blogs, or posting insights on LinkedIn, we encourage it, as long as it reflects our values and is communicated professionally.

Our approach is flexible, not restrictive. We simply ask for transparency and alignment with our standards, especially when team members are representing both themselves and the company publicly.

A great example is our recent involvement in WordCamp Sydney and WordCamp Nepal. Several of our team members participated as speakers and organisers, openly sharing their expertise while proudly representing WP Creative. It not only elevated their personal profiles but also strengthened our brand in the WordPress community.

Gianluca Ferruggia
General Manager, Design Rush

DesignRush Policy Makes Personal Expertise a Mutual Benefit

Our personal branding policy is flexible and supportive, provided it stays true to our values and professional standards. It’s good for everyone when team members can confidently share what they know with the public. It helps their personal brand and makes DesignRush look like a trustworthy source of information in the field.

There are rules about what you can and can’t say, how you should treat clients’ privacy, and how you should be known. DesignRush employees can talk about their jobs, but they need to be polite and not give out any private information. Also, we ask that our communications team approve and help with any big projects or appearances in the media.

This policy has worked really well for us. Giving employees the freedom to talk about their job with confidence makes the organization look good both inside and outside. It’s not about limiting personal voice; it’s about making sure it makes the person and the brand seem good. We think that personal branding done well shows that a workplace is healthy and engaged.

Dhari Alabdulhadi
CTO & Founder, Ubuy Qatar

Balanced Approach Safeguards Interests While Encouraging Leadership

Our company maintains a balanced approach to personal branding, encouraging thought leadership while safeguarding proprietary interests.

Employees may reference their current roles when sharing expertise, provided they include a standard disclaimer (e.g., “Views are my own”). We emphasise transparency: content should align with our ethical guidelines, avoid confidential data, and never imply official company endorsement without approval.

For example, engineers may write technical blogs, and marketers can discuss industry trends, but all must steer clear of sensitive projects. Leadership reviews ambiguous cases proactively.

This policy fosters professional growth while protecting organisational integrity. We’ve found it boosts morale and attracts talent, as employees feel empowered to amplify their voices without compromising trust.

Dragutin Vidic
Founder & CEO, Theosis App

Theosis Founder: Let Believers Speak Without Fear

At our company, we don’t just allow personal branding — we actively encourage it. Because the truth is: If your team isn’t talking about your mission publicly, either you hired the wrong people, or your mission isn’t worth talking about.

We believe employees are not extensions of corporate messaging. They’re amplifiers of belief.

At Theosis—a platform for spiritual discovery and theological depth—every team member is invited to post, write, speak, and lead in their own tone. No copy-paste comms. No approval loops. Just clarity on what we stand for and full trust in the people we brought on board.

If you want believers, not just employees — let them speak Loudly, Authentically  and without fear.

Gene Genin
CEO, OEM Source

ITAD Provider Sets Clear Limits on Knowledge Sharing

We take care to reconcile knowledge-sharing with inflexible limits of security. We cannot be ambiguous as we are R2v3 and NAID-certified ITAD providers. The employees are suggested to publish their posts with the coverage of more general themes, recycling standards, hardware reuse, or circular economy transformations. One of our technicians publishes acute comments on the safety of the lithium-ion batteries. That type of exposure is beneficial to all.

What is not allowed, anything that relates to clients, any proprietary processes or the chain-of-custody information . Training is completed on what can be published before employees reference OEM Source publicly. We provide them with talking points of certifications and performance measures. One of the managers composed a post about decommissioning data centers. We enabled its rewriting so as not to derail any security or alignment in the audit. That is the line and we are straight about it.

Tonjua Jones
Regional Director, Boston Scientific

Employee Branding Advances Mission And Credibility

At Boston Scientific, we encourage employees to share thought leadership and industry insights — provided it aligns with our company values and respects compliance guidelines. Personal branding, when rooted in authenticity and value creation, is a professional asset.

As a Regional Director in Interventional Cardiology, I actively share weekly insights under the banner of #WinsdayWisdom, spotlighting growth, mentorship, and sales leadership. The policy is flexible with clear expectations to avoid sharing proprietary data, product claims, or confidential strategies. This balance empowers employees to build personal credibility while advancing our shared mission of transforming lives through innovative medical solutions.

Mariana Delgado
Marketing Director, Design Rush

Employee Branding Is A Necessary Tool For Growth

Our company believes that employees should be encouraged, if not required, to build their own brands.

They should use available platforms to share their thoughts and talk about real-life experiences, whether they are related to their job or not. They can be event speakers or article writers as long as they are honest about their work and don’t share any private or client-sensitive information.

I believe it’s good for both the company’s image and employees’ careers when people see them as experts they can trust.

In fact, some of our team members have gotten fresh leads by simply being open about what they’re doing. People here don’t think personal branding is a risk; they think it’s a good thing and necessary for growth.

Matt Woodley
Founder, International Money Transfer

Employee Branding Showcases Expertise For Mutual Benefit

Here at InternationalMoneyTransfer, we also highly promote the development of personal brands by employees, who form a personal brand by sharing their knowledge in the form of blogs, videos, etc. We think that not only this assists the people to develop in their professional betterment but also shows the expertise of our company in the area of international money transfer.

Yet, we will have rules so that anything that mentions the company is clear and transparent. We value the opinions that employees have and would like them to express them but we request that they do it so as to make people understand that it is their own opinion and not that of the company. This safeguards the personal brand of the individual as well as the reputation of the company.

We give the employees freedom to develop content as long as it fits our values and it does not distort the company. Such strategy could be advantageous to both the employees and the company creating a professional growth and a healthy brand image that is sustained.

Kiara DeWitt
Founder & CEO, Injectco

Accountability Empowers Employee Voices For Growth

Personal branding at Injectco is encouraged, but with clear guardrails: transparency, professionalism, and no overselling. I want my team’s online presence to spark genuine interest, not raise compliance headaches.

I mean, employees reference Injectco and their credentials freely on LinkedIn, conference panels, and social media, as long as they keep it factual and skip the hype. If someone wants to promote their own training, they just need a quick internal check to confirm accuracy.

So, our policy is flexible within reason: no wild claims, no confidential info, and nothing that would put our reputation or licenses at risk. It is not about policing, it is about protecting everyone’s hard work and good name.

Basically, professional pride is welcome, but accountability is non-negotiable. In reality, this balance has helped our brand grow faster. Our injectors get recognized, and Injectco stays trusted across Texas. If you want real thought leadership, you have to let real experts have a voice… just keep it real and keep it clean.

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Stand Out and Impress: Interview Tips From HR Pros and Business Leaders

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Stand Out and Impress: Interview Tips From HR Pros and Business Leaders

The modern job market is more competitive than ever, and while a strong resume gets your foot in the door, a standout interview is what lands the offer.

But what separates the good candidates from the truly great ones? It’s often not just about a list of accomplishments or a perfect resume.

It’s about the unspoken signals—the mindset, preparation, and subtle behaviors that demonstrate a candidate’s true value and potential.

This HR Spotlight article compiles invaluable insights from business leaders and HR professionals, revealing the top strategies and hidden elements they look for in a candidate.

From demonstrating a growth mindset to asking the right questions, these experts share how to go beyond the basics and present yourself as an indispensable asset to any organization.

Read on!

Irmgard Naudin ten Cate
Global Talent Attraction & Acquisition Leader, EY

Ace Interviews with Strategy and AI

Here are the quick tips to set candidates up for success in the job search and interview process.

Know your value and keep learning: Understand your strengths and what makes you unique. Employers are looking for skills, but also mindset and potential. Confidence in what you can bring to the table is key. Keep upskilling, stay curious and show that you’re willing to grow – whether that’s through learning, training, mentorship or hands-on experiences. In today’s workforce, soft skills like adaptability and decision-making are just as critical as technical experience and be sure to be able to share relevant examples.

Network with purpose: Your network is more powerful than you think. Connect with people, ask questions and open yourself to learning. Sometimes opportunities come from unexpected conversations. Continue asking thoughtful questions in the interviews so you can learn more.

Using AI is advised – if used responsibly: AI is a smart resource for your job search and to prepare for interviews. When used responsibly, AI can help candidates identify great roles. Use AI to immerse yourself in the company’s vision and values. Look for values that align with you and prepare for interviews by identifying anticipated questions.

Alexei Morgado
Realtor & CEO, Lexawise

Tech, Data, Resilience Win Interviews

Highlight technical competence: Show up with a professional digital portfolio on a laptop or tablet containing your finest listings, video tours, and AI-generated marketing materials—a showcase for the tech-savvy advantage Florida brokerages favor. Next, talking about how you utilize tools such as ChatGPT to generate client letters or automate proposals clinches the deal: it indicates that you understand how AI functions and leverage it for productivity.

Lead with Data-Driven Market Insight: Lead with hyper-local figures Florida’s single-family median sale price in December 2024: $415,000; how long it took them to list: approximately 70 days—they live and breathe them. Having a one-page visual of these figures is proof that you’re able to take information and boil it down into actionable information.

Show Resilience and Drive: Third, give an example of a specific experience when you rebounded from a fallen deal in last year’s slump and closed an even better one. This self-discipline and perseverance witness the resiliency that high-end brokerages value, demonstrating that you perform well when the market fluctuates.

Alexis Truskalo
Strategic Operations Partner, ConsciousHR

Empathy, Skills, Initiative Boost HR Success

An ideal candidate looking to break into the Human Resources field would be able to demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, clear communication and a genuine interest in people development and assistance. Personality-wise, it helps to have empathy, the ability to absorb chaos vs contributing to it, and be able to maintain confidentiality in many forms.

A foundational knowledge of HR principles such as: compliance, recruitment, people management, and employment relations is essential whether gained through education, certifications, or on-the-job experience. Generalists often have to have the administrative and payroll experience, or the ability to learn quickly when hired.

While experience may be limited, a candidate who shows initiative, a willingness to learn, a willingness to assist staff (often with repetition), and alignment with a company’s values and culture can stand out. Generally speaking, those with people-management skills or background: retail, store management, etc find a smooth transition into the Human Resources field.

Garrett Yamasaki
CEO, WeLoveDoodles

Solve, Empathize, Learn from Failure

Demonstrate cross-functional problem solving: I’ve seen engineers thrive by merging analog design principles with software workflows. Candidates who share examples like “I applied manufacturing QA tactics to debug cloud latency” stand out. Show how your niche skills solve unrelated problems, it signals adaptability.

Practice customer whispering: When hiring for WeLoveDoodles, I prioritize candidates who obsess over user pain points. One applicant redesigned a pet carrier’s latch after watching 50 TikTok reviews. Share how you’ve turned customer gripes into solutions. Bonus points for quoting specific feedback from the company’s Amazon reviews.

Use failure as fuel: At Broadcom, a chip design error cost me 3 months. I now value candidates who unpack failures and their rebound. Example: “My app crashed at launch, so I open-sourced the code and crowdsourced fixes.” Vulnerability + iteration = gold.

Dennis Shirshikov
Founder, Growth Limit

Prep, Clarity, Fit Win Finance Interviews

Here are a few hints on interview preparation for accounting or finance candidates specifically. Working closely with people in our profession, at all stages of their development, I’ve seen firsthand how certain qualities can set a candidate apart. Three elements are the ones that attract my attention on the interview in my case:

Preparation: A candidate’s power to convey knowledge about the company, its business or industry signals seriousness and engagement. It’s not just a matter of reading the company’s website — it’s about knowing the challenges the company faces, its competitors and the current state of the industry it’s in.

You can be a little bit brusque, because you have no time. A candidate who can clearly communicate what they are thinking without stumbling around to express their thoughts is communicating both competency and the capacity to positively influence others.

Cultural fit: Tech skills are most important to me, but I look for candidates who are a perfect cultural fit for the company. Enthusiasm, a willingness to pitch in and an ability to work in a change-oriented atmosphere are important ingredients in our scramble.

Kevin James Saunders
Global Learning & Performance, Oculus Training Group

Dress, Research, Showcase for HR Success

Dress to fit in: While it’s important to dress your best, consider the company’s culture. As a HR company, we appreciate a smart casual look. When a candidate mirrors our style, it’s easier for us to envision them fitting in.

Be Proactive: Ask questions and do research before the interview! Demonstrate to the interviewer that you understand the company’s mission, values, goals, and key team partners. By connecting your answers to the information you’ve prepared, you will show that you have done your homework and are ready for the opportunity.

Examples: Do you have case studies, data, social media posts, or other materials that demonstrate your abilities? Visual resources can be incredibly effective. Being able to present specific projects or data that highlight your results can have a significant impact, just like the experience listed on your resume. This approach will boost your confidence and affirm your competence in your abilities.

Matthew Goulart
Founder, Ignite Digital

Analyze, Reflect, Strategize for Marketing Success

Reverse-engineer our marketing before you walk in: The best candidates come in having run a technical SEO audit on our site or analyzed one of our ad funnels. When someone shows up with actual observations like, “I noticed your local SEO structure on service pages could benefit from internal linking to sublocations,” I’m all ears! You just proved you can do the job without being asked.

Cite failure with clarity: One thing I always ask is, “What’s a campaign you ran that didn’t work—and why?” I’m not looking for a sugar-coated answer. I want to know what brought you to your knees, how fast you pivoted, what you learned, and whether you blamed others or took ownership. Resilience beats perfection in this game.

Ask layered and intelligent questions, not lazy ones: “What’s the culture like?” is entry-level. As a candidate who wants to stick in your interviewer’s mind, ask “How does your team balance client success metrics with Google algorithm changes?”

It tells me you’re already thinking like a strategist under pressure—exactly what we need in digital marketing.

Monique Farmer
Founder & CEO, Avant Solutions

Impact, Alignment, Self-Awareness Win Interviews

Connect the Dots: It’s not enough to list achievements. I want to hear how your work moved the needle. Did your campaign drive engagement? Did your strategy shift public perception? Walk me through the why and the impact—not just the what.

Mirror the Mission: Show me you’ve done your homework. The most memorable candidates find a way to weave our mission and values into their answers. When you can speak to how your purpose aligns with our work, I know you’re not just looking for a job—you’re looking for this job.

Lead With Self-Awareness: Confidence is great, but what I’m really listening for is insight. Candidates who are honest about their growth edges—who can say, “Here’s where I’m strong, and here’s where I’m still learning”—earn my respect every time.

Nicole Martins Ferreira
Product Marketing Manager, Huntr

Connect, Smile, Relax for Interview Success

There are things to keep in mind in an interview. First, acknowledge every person in the call or room. Don’t choose to connect with one person and ice out another. Also, smile a lot as it helps you connect with people positively.

The last thing to remember is to relax your shoulders and make the conversation casual instead of formal; it’ll allow you to connect better with your hiring managers.

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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