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How to Ace Your Interview: HR and Industry Insiders Spill Their Secrets

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How to Ace Your Interview: HR and Industry Insiders Spill Their Secrets

Securing a job in today’s cutthroat market hinges on two critical steps: a standout resume to land the interview and a stellar performance to seal the deal. 

But what makes a candidate truly unforgettable? 

It’s not just about showcasing achievements or a flawless work history. 

The real difference lies in the subtleties—your mindset, the questions you ask, and the behaviors that signal your potential. 

In this HR Spotlight article, we’ve gathered exclusive insights from top business leaders and HR experts who reveal the strategies and unspoken cues they prioritize. 

Discover how to move beyond standard advice and position yourself as an invaluable asset to any team.

Read on!

Tricia Harrison
Online Business Manager, VA Recruiter & Remote Work Strategist

In my world of VA placement and online business management, the candidates who stand out own three things: preparation, presence, and proactivity.

Preparation: I love when candidates come with clarity, not just about the role, but about how they uniquely solve founder pain points. Knowing my company and the value of remote operations is a huge green flag.

Presence: Whether it’s a polished Zoom background or confident body language, show me you take the interview and yourself seriously. Remote doesn’t mean relaxed.

Proactivity: Ask smart questions. Reference the systems or gaps you’re excited to help fix. Bonus points if you’ve already peeked at my brand and can reflect back how you’d support our mission.

In short? Don’t just apply, align.

Preparation, Presence, Proactivity Win Hiring

Darcy Bevelacqua
CEO, SuccessworksCx

3 Tips in preparing:

  • Read and understand our company values
  • Be up to date on the company news (website, quarterly reports, industry news, etc.)
  • Read and digest the job description so you understand what we expect and can talk about the job responsibilities in the job description and why we should consider your candidacy

What we would like to see in a candidate:

  • Has specific examples of how they’ve solved our problems in the past
  • Demonstrates they have a continuous learning mindset and are able to pivot when needed based on changing market conditions
  • Ask intelligent questions that show knowledge of our company and industry.
  • Demonstrates confidence
  • Is excited about our company and what we have to offer

Preparation and Mindset Win the Interview

Sheraz Ali
Founder, HARO Links Builder

Preparation is key.

Candidates who come prepared with questions about the company’s mission, recent success, and industry trends indicate they care and are ready to make a contribution.

In my experience, individuals with specific questions regarding the company’s direction and challenges are evidence of a true desire to contribute. The type of preparation is unusual but not forgotten.

Professional demeanor cannot be overstated. Studies have proven that first impressions are created in seven seconds, and job applicants who are professionally dressed, maintain good eye contact and are confident are always deemed more qualified and credible. Everything, even grooming and posture, speaks of discipline and respect for the opportunity.

Authenticity is the biggest differentiator. I am always attracted to those who respond to questions thoughtfully, provide true stories of triumph over adversity, and don’t hesitate to display their passion.

When a person allows their true self to be seen, it’s interesting and memorable.
“Ready, polished, and authentic-these are the qualities that can turn a candidate into a leader of the future.”

Be Ready, Polished, and Authentic to Win

Edward Hones
Founder, Hones Law

Be Prepared with Purposeful Stories

One of the most impressive things a candidate can bring to an interview is a well-thought-out story that connects their past experiences to the role they’re applying for.

At Hones Law, we represent people whose stories have often been dismissed or minimized, so we look for candidates who can tell a story clearly, confidently, and with emotional intelligence.

Whether you’re discussing a past conflict at work or how you handled a demanding client, your ability to convey the facts, reflect on the impact, and show what you learned tells us a lot about how you’ll show up for our clients.

Show Sincerity and a Grounded Commitment to Justice. We work in a field where authenticity matters just as much as credentials.

I look for candidates who are genuinely passionate about workers’ rights, not just those who say the right things, but those who’ve done something about it. Whether it’s volunteering, organizing, or simply advocating for someone else in a tough situation, showing that you’re not just here for a paycheck but for a purpose will always stand out.

A calm, professional demeanor paired with a clear moral compass is the combination that catches my attention every time.

Purposeful Stories, Sincerity Win Interviews

Lilly Williams
Senior Recruiter, Greystones Group

Improve Your Interview Game

AI-Powered tools can now offer AI-driven mock interviews. These tools analyze your answers, body language, and tone of voice during mock interviews, providing feedback on how you can improve your performance. 

Some AI systems use machine learning to assess how your answers compare to successful candidates. They might provide feedback on how to improve your answers and offer suggestions on tone, pacing, and content. Tools like InterviewBuddy allow you to practice real-world interview scenarios with AI-powered feedback.

AI-Powered Mock Interviews Improve Performance

Paige Arnof-Fenn
Founder & CEO, Mavens & Moguls

I’ve interviewed candidates throughout my career from working in large companies, startups and now as an entrepreneur.

Given most people are working hybrid more, the skills I look for and questions I ask have shifted to reflect how fundamental soft skills like charisma/confidence can help you rise in the office environment, but when it comes to remote/hybrid work, groups value helpfulness/reliability over bluster/charm.

In a hybrid environment you want people who are independent/self-motivated/adaptable/flexible with strong communication skills.

The best marketers like asking lots of questions/are naturally curious, they listen for ways to help and share ideas.

A career in marketing/communications is about relevancy so every day you have to pay attention to pop culture/trends.

It’s critical to ask questions at the end of the interview to show you are interested/ambitious/have done your homework.

Many technical skills can be learned with training.

Cultural fit and attitude matter more now.

Remote Skills: Helpfulness Trumps Charm

Felicia Shakiba
CEO & Executive Coach, CPO PLAYBOOK

In interviews, I look for three things: intentional preparation, thoughtful presence, and role alignment over resume hype.

  • Preparation means more than Googling the company. Great candidates come in with insightful observations about the business and questions that show they’re already thinking like an insider.
  • Presence matters—especially in leadership or scaling environments. I look for composure, curiosity, and the ability to connect ideas clearly without overperforming.
  • Role alignment is crucial. The best candidates can articulate why this specific role is the right challenge for them at this exact moment—not just why they’re qualified.

“Great interviews aren’t performances—they’re shared diagnosis sessions. Candidates who lean into that mindset stand out.”

Intentional Preparation, Thoughtful Presence, Role Alignment

Mark Sanchez
Founder, Gator Rated

As the founder of Gator Rated, I regularly interview candidates for roles across our Florida real estate platform, so I’ve developed a clear sense of what makes someone stand out during interviews.

The most memorable candidates always do their homework—they not only know our company’s mission, but they reference specific features or recent projects that show they’ve dug deeper than a quick glance at our website.
Secondly, I value candidates who ask thoughtful questions that challenge the status quo or show curiosity about how our business works, rather than just waiting for instructions.

Third, authenticity goes a long way: I’m always drawn to those who admit what they don’t know but are excited to learn, rather than trying to appear perfect.

In my experience, these qualities signal long-term potential over just a polished interview performance.

Homework, Curiosity, Authenticity Win Interviews

Hayden Cohen
CEO, Hire With Near

Be honest: Our job is to place you in a job that’s going to be a good fit for your skills. If you try to make it sound like you have skills you don’t, or say you’re willing to take a job that won’t actually be a good fit for you, you’re hurting your chances.

Research your employer: The more knowledge you can show, the better this is going to go. The company’s website is essential reading, but look for social media and press coverage, and if you have a strong professional network, reach out to them to learn more.

Relax: If you overprepare or worry too much, they’re going to notice and it’s going to hurt your chances. If you’ve made it to the interview stage, you have the skills people are looking for. It’s just a matter of making a personal connection.

Honesty, Research, And Relaxing Win Interviews

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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Hiring a New Talent Pool: Strategies for Mid-Career Professionals

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Hiring a New Talent Pool: Strategies for Mid-Career Professionals

As organizations adapt to dynamic markets, hiring mid-career professionals making bold career shifts is a strategic advantage.

This HR Spotlight article gathers insights from business leaders and HR professionals on effective recruitment strategies for attracting these talented individuals.

From emphasizing transferable skills to crafting adaptive onboarding and mentorship-driven hiring, these experts share approaches that unlock diverse expertise and drive innovation.

By rethinking rigid job requirements and fostering inclusive processes, organizations can tap into the resilience and strategic clarity of mid-career talent, boosting retention, productivity, and fresh perspectives in today’s competitive landscape.

Read on!

Andy Wright
CEO, BRIX Recruiting Partners, LLC

In many cases, talented professionals are part of the passive candidate pool, so ideally, you’d want to build your recruiting strategy around targeting those who are generally ‘happy where they’re at’.

This means relying on proactive, outbound candidate generation methods as opposed to inbound and reactive job boards where top performers are rarely found.

The passive candidate recruitment experience should feel like a two-way courtship with open communication and transparency. It often takes longer to land that candidate, and you may need to get creative at the offer stage.

Zeroing in on candidates who see your opportunity as a level-up and are running to your company rather than away from theirs, should result in better retention and productivity.

Target Passive Candidates for Better Retention

Leigh Anne Taylor Knight
Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer, The DeBruce Foundation

A growing body of evidence shows people and their occupational interests are much more resilient and flexible than traditionally assumed.

As the economy becomes more dynamic than ever before, companies should be more open to applicants who took non-traditional career paths. And we encourage everyone involved in a hiring or recruitment process – and the AI tools that increasingly support them – to consider research suggesting people may be well-suited for jobs that seem vastly different from their current one, because those jobs use similar “Agilities.”

For example, a plumber draws on the same top “Agilities” as an airline pilot, and a kindergarten teacher uses the same top “Agilities” as a family therapist.

Most importantly, all of us need to let go of the idea that the work we do is a fixed choice. The career paths of the future will look even more like a stream of different twists and turns that draw on various skills we possess, acquire along the way, and transfer from one setting or job to another.

Non-Traditional Career Paths are the Future

Luca Dal Zotto
Co-Founder, Rent a Mac

Having founded Convert Bank Statement and changed careers a couple of times, I have had some sharp insights into hiring mid-career professionals who bring tremendous value to young companies.

Highlight transferable skills over industry experience. According to recent workforce studies, mid-career candidates possess 73% greater problem-solving abilities than entry-level candidates. I recommend competency-based interviews that assess strategic thinking, leadership potential, and adaptability over strict technical skills.

Mid-career candidates will likely introduce cross-industry thinking that generates innovation—something I’ve witnessed firsthand while hiring senior developers who’ve transitioned from finance to fintech.

Create adaptive onboarding programs that acknowledge their experience and incorporate firm-specific training.

Career professionals achieve full productivity 40% earlier when companies recognize their expertise and focus integration efforts on culture and processes rather than skill foundation building.

Also, emphasize opportunities for growth and meaningful work rather than traditional perks, as these professionals appreciate meaningful work that utilizes their learning and leadership potential.

Hire Mid-Career Talent for Transferable Skills

Doug Crawford
Founder, Best Trade Schools LLC

I analyze labor market trends and vocational education to help trade schools align training programs with workforce demand, including mid-career shifts.

In the case of hiring mid-career professionals making a transition to new sectors of work, organizations should emphasize on specific upskilling initiatives where the linkage between the previous and new work is clearly presented.

The individuals are normally rich in transferable skills but might require to acquire knowledge/technology in the industry. This gap can be overcome with a systematic process of onboarding, guiding, and customized training aiding their onboarding into the workforce.

Instead of just using conventional job advertisement, the organizations should actively recruit mid-career professionals in special networking functions, online social groups and collaborate with some schools to recruit talent.

These positions can be more attractive to point out any opportunities to grow and the possibility of new challenges. This method helps in acquiring the talent and prepares the scene towards long-term retention because it properly equips the employees to assimilate into new careers.

Upskill Mid-Career Pros for Better Retention

Sarah Chen
Founder & Principal, Recruit Engineering

I can’t tell you how many companies approach me as a recruiter saying they want to attract top problem solvers in the mid-career stage – those who have hit that sweet spot of experience but are still within reach salary-wise. It’s a smart goal.

Recruiting these professionals can address the challenges of a younger workforce and bring fresh perspectives to a stagnant work culture.

In other words, mid-career professionals are often “just right.”

And yet, when it comes to the actual assessment criteria, many of these same companies make little to no change to their rigid role requirements.

So, the first step any company should take to truly attract mid-career professionals is to back up their intention with action. That means shifting the focus from linear experience to transferable skills.

Prioritize core competencies, problem-solving ability, leadership, and adaptability over direct industry experience. Job descriptions should be rewritten to emphasize skills and potential, not just years spent in a specific role.

Additionally, the interview process needs to evolve. Incorporate behavioral interviews, case studies, and practical assessments that allow candidates to demonstrate how they think, how they learn, and how they solve problems, not just what they’ve done before.

This approach gives mid-career candidates a real chance to show their capabilities. These practical steps will open the hiring pool you’re looking for.

Hire Mid-Career Pros for Transferable Skills

Tracey Beveridge
HR Director, Personnel Checks.

When recruiting talented professionals making mid-career shifts, it is important to lead with the positives of the company culture, values and opportunities for personal development – just because the candidates aren’t fresh out of university doesn’t mean they will take any role, they may even be more selective.

Demonstrate why they would want to come and work for you, and how you would be a good fit for them during this mid-career transition.

A business that is only seeking employees who have the ‘perfectly aligned’ resume credentials may immediately alienate potential talent.

A recruitment strategy that welcomes a person with a combination of transferable skills, adaptability and a diverse career history may in fact bring the breath of fresh air that a team needs.

It’s important to ensure your background checks are suitable when recruiting any employee, but also those that are mid-career change. This will allow you to confidently employ candidates knowing their career change is a genuine and positive transition.

Attract Mid-Career Talent with Company Culture

Jamilyn Trainor
Owner & SPM, Muller Expo

As someone who has managed multi-disciplinary teams within Müller Expo, we regularly recruit from the creative, construction, and tech sectors and have found mid-career employees to be a secret weapon for innovation, provided we hire with intention.

The best approach is to hire for skills and not titles.

When recruiting organizations should map positions against not past job titles but transferable skills – for example, stakeholder management, client-facing delivery, logistical coordination – we also combine this with a short list of situation-based interviews to support their skill/ability to work in ambiguous situations – which is typically where someone who has made a career change will thrive.

Finally, consider your recruitment messaging: ensure you invite candidates from adjacently related industries. If your job description continues to sound as if it were written for someone who has previously held the role, then you are missing out on what could be your next best hire.

This has led us to be able to onboard people who see the role as a fresh opportunity for them to show their worth to us, and a chance for self-progression, with possible loyalty that often exceeds the loyalty of traditional candidates.

Hire for Skills, Not Titles

Bambi Rattner
Founder, Intensive Therapy Retreats

After working with clients aged 3 to 103 across every mental health setting imaginable, I’ve learned that the best talent often comes from unexpected places.

Mid-career professionals bring depth that fresh graduates simply can’t match.

Focus on transferable resilience skills rather than industry-specific experience. In my intensive therapy retreats, I’ve seen how someone who survived corporate burnout often has better emotional intelligence than someone who’s never faced real workplace adversity.

When I hire retreat facilitators, I look for people who’ve steered their own career transitions—they connect authentically with clients going through similar changes.

Create “story-based” interviews instead of traditional Q&A sessions. I ask candidates to walk me through their career pivots and what drove those decisions. The best hires are those who can articulate their journey thoughtfully, not just recite their resume. One of my most effective team members was a former accountant who shifted to mental health—her analytical background actually improved her therapeutic approach.

Hire for Transferable Resilience, not Just Skills

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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Beyond the Job Description: Why Verified Company Profiles Are Your Secret Weapon for Career Happiness

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Beyond the Job Description: Why Verified Company Profiles Are Your Secret Weapon for Career Happiness

By Jim Coughlin 
Founder, Remotivated

Most job seekers make career decisions based on incomplete information—and pay the price with years of professional frustration. Here’s how verified company profiles are changing the game for smart job seekers who want to find roles where they’ll actually thrive.

 

Traditional job hunting relies on three main information sources, all of which have fatal flaws:

Company websites and job descriptions tell you what organizations want you to believe, not how they actually operate. Even well-intentioned companies often have a significant gap between their aspirational culture and their daily reality.

Interview conversations are performative by nature. You’re meeting people who are specifically selected and trained to represent the company positively. You’re seeing their best behavior during a brief, artificial interaction.

Generic review sites like Glassdoor provide some employee perspectives, but they’re often polarized (very happy or very angry employees), lack context about remote work specifically, and don’t provide the systematic analysis needed to understand cultural patterns.

This information gap forces job seekers to make decisions based on incomplete data—and then discover the reality only after they’ve already committed months or years of their career.

This is where curated, verified company profiles provided by Remotivated become a career game-changer. Unlike marketing materials or scattered reviews, verified profiles provide systematic analysis of the elements that actually determine your day-to-day work experience.

Let’s examine what comprehensive company profiles uncover that you’d never learn from a job description:

The Verified Profile Advantage: Information That Actually Matters

Cultural Values in Practice 

Rather than aspirational statements, verified profiles show how companies actually implement their values. For example, a company might claim to value “work-life balance,” but their profile reveals whether employees actually take vacation days, work reasonable hours, and feel supported when personal life requires attention.

Leadership Accessibility and Communication Style

Profiles reveal whether leadership is accessible to remote employees, how they communicate company updates, and whether they demonstrate genuine understanding of distributed work challenges. This isn’t about whether they’re “nice”—it’s about operational competence in managing remote organizations.

Investment in Remote Employee Success

The specifics matter here. A $500 home office stipend signals something very different from a $4,000 equipment allowance plus annual refreshes. Comprehensive health benefits, professional development budgets, and retreat policies all indicate how seriously a company takes remote employee investment.

Actual Flexibility Policies

Verified profiles distinguish between “flexible hours” (which often means you can start at 8am or 9am) and genuine schedule autonomy. They reveal core collaboration hours, time zone requirements, and how the company actually handles scheduling conflicts.

Career Growth Track Record

Rather than promises about advancement, profiles examine actual promotion patterns, mentorship availability, and whether remote employees advance at the same rate as office-based colleagues.

Employee Retention and Satisfaction Metrics

Verified profiles often include data about tenure, internal mobility, and systematic employee feedback rather than cherry-picked testimonials.

Smart job seekers are developing new research methodologies that prioritize verified information over marketing materials:

Start with verified remote company databases that provide systematic analysis rather than self-reported information. These platforms often include employee satisfaction data, operational assessments, and third-party verification of cultural claims.

Look for companies that undergo external culture certification or participate in systematic workplace evaluation programs. Organizations willing to submit to external review demonstrate confidence in their actual practices, not just their marketing.

Analyze consistency across multiple information sources. When company claims align with employee reviews, leadership communication, and operational evidence, you’re seeing authentic culture rather than aspirational marketing.

Prioritize specific operational details over general culture statements. “We value work-life balance” means nothing. “Our team has core collaboration hours from 10am-2pm EST, with async handoffs for other time zones” gives you actionable information about daily reality.

The Research Process That Changes Everything

We’re moving toward a world where information asymmetry between employers and job seekers is disappearing. Companies can no longer rely on marketing copy to attract talent—their actual employee experiences are becoming transparent through systematic review and verification processes.

For job seekers, this represents an unprecedented opportunity to make genuinely informed career decisions. The challenge isn’t finding jobs—it’s finding the right jobs where you can build sustainable, satisfying careers.

The professionals who master this research-driven approach to job searching won’t just find employment—they’ll build careers characterized by consistent growth, genuine satisfaction, and long-term professional happiness.

Your next career move shouldn’t be a gamble based on limited information. It should be a strategic decision based on a comprehensive understanding of how companies actually operate and whether their reality aligns with your professional needs.

The tools exist. The information is available. The question is whether you’ll use them to your advantage. Check out Remotivated’s verified company profiles to find career opportunities with top remote employers.

The Future of Career Decision-Making

About the Author

Jim Coughlin is the founder of Remotivated, where he helps identify and celebrate authentic remote-first cultures. After leading a fully distributed fintech implementation team through a successful $500 million exit, he now focuses on helping job seekers and organizations understand what separates genuine remote culture from remote-work theater.

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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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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Cooling Workplace Tensions: HR-Driven Leadership Strategies

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Cooling Workplace Tensions: HR-Driven Leadership Strategies

As online debates spill into workplace tensions, cultivating a culture of civility is critical for organizational success. 

This HR Spotlight article gathers insights from business leaders and HR professionals on one key leadership behavior to promote a positive work environment rooted in respect. 

From modeling constructive curiosity to leading with empathy and accountability, these experts share strategies that transform conflict into collaboration. 

Their approaches emphasize safe spaces for dialogue, proactive problem-solving, and inclusive communication, offering actionable lessons for leaders to foster civility, enhance team cohesion, and drive sustainable growth in today’s dynamic workplaces.

Read on!

Marin Cristian Ovidiu
CEO, Online Games

One leadership behavior I rely on to promote civility is modeling respectful disagreement in public.

In a remote team of creatives, developers, and marketers, ideas will clash—and that’s healthy. But the tone and transparency of how I respond to pushback set the standard.

When I calmly acknowledge differing views and ask clarifying questions instead of reacting defensively, it signals that disagreement isn’t conflict—it’s collaboration.

I also avoid private correction for public debates; instead, I treat those moments as opportunities to show what respectful discourse looks like in real time. This has created a team dynamic where people feel safe sharing ideas, knowing they won’t be shut down or shamed.

In today’s digital-first workplace, civility isn’t just about being nice—it’s about showing emotional control and leading with curiosity instead of ego.

Model Respectful Disagreement for Civility

Josh Qian
COO & Co-Founder, Best Online Cabinets

One effective leadership behavior for nurturing a positive work culture is to prioritize and model accountability.

When leaders take responsibility for their actions and decisions, they set a powerful example for the entire team.

By fostering a culture where accountability is valued, team members are more likely to own their roles and contributions, leading to higher levels of engagement and collaboration. When everyone feels accountable for their part in the team’s success, it reduces blame-shifting and defensiveness, which can often escalate conflicts.

Encouraging regular feedback, both giving and receiving, reinforces this culture of accountability. It helps create an environment where individuals feel empowered to speak up and share their perspectives, ultimately leading to more constructive discussions and a stronger sense of team cohesion.

Modeling Accountability Builds a Better Culture

Rabbi Shlomo Slatkin
Certified Imago Therapist & Advanced Clinician, The Marriage Restoration Project

The one behavior which is extremely helpful is curiosity.

If an employee is disruptive, causing conflict, or underperforming, instead of rebuking or criticizing them, become curious about their story. Ask questions without interrogating. Find out what’s going on for them. Learn about what’s bothering them at work, at home, etc… Listen without judgment, without responding. As you listen long enough, they will undoubtedly make sense, even if you don’t agree.

Once people feel heard and that you care about what they have to say, they are much more likely to be responsive and more willing to collaborate.

After working with high conflict couples for over twenty years in his marriage counseling practice, I have discovered that the same process used with couples is exactly what companies need to do to sort out their workplace and communication differences.

Curiosity is a Leader’s Best Tool

Dennis Shirshikov
Head of Growth & Engineering, Growthlimit

At its essence, civility thrives when leaders regularly acknowledge and validate the different perspectives people bring to the table.

So, by actively seeking input from everyone, leaders indicate that all voices matter and opposing ideas are not quelled, but welcomed. This active recognition also contributes to breaking down hierarchical walls and stimulates open dialogue and reciprocal respect. It builds a culture where people are comfortable sharing concerns, questioning ideas, and sharing creative solutions. Because fundamentally, this behavior is indicative of a leader’s dedication not just to the performance metrics but to the human dynamics that will continue to drive long-term collaboration.

As perspective taking becomes a habit, ingrained as a cultural imperative, everyday interactions that reflect the organization’s deeper values of respect and inclusion emerge.

Validate Perspectives to Foster Civility

Steve Corcoran
CEO, Lawn Love

Be a leader who communicates well.

When it comes to conflict or issues with hostility in the workplace, those can be awkward situations to have to address. But, you have to be a leader who is willing to tackle them head-on and communicate clearly and effectively with your team. You can’t be a leader who shies away from the hard conversations and hopes that issues will resolve on their own.

This is just one of many reasons why it’s so important for leaders to be great communicators.

Communicating as a leader doesn’t just mean communicating with investors and external individuals – it means interpersonal team communication as well.

Leaders Must Tackle Hard Conversations

Adam Hamilton
CEO, REI Hub

Lead with compassion.

Compassionate leaders are able to lead in a way that always considers everybody’s feelings and makes sure to create a workspace where every single employee feels supported.

When you lead with compassion, you can help inspire compassion among those you lead, setting the foundation for how you want your team to treat each other. Leading with compassion also allows you to tackle delicate situations like conflict resolution with care.

Compassionate leadership is a type of leadership where you are able to both be effectively hands-on and you are able to set the tone for how your team acts even when you aren’t around.

Compassionate Leadership Sets a Positive Tone

Oleksii Kratko
Founder & CEO, Snov

One behavior I’ve championed across our 180-person global team (including conflict-zone engineers in Ukraine) is “Friction Fridays”: Every leader hosts a 15-minute virtual coffee where team members share one work-related frustration anonymously via sticky notes. The leader reads them aloud, and we collectively brainstorm solutions. No blame, just problem-solving.

This ritual transforms passive resentment into active collaboration.

For example, a note like “Design mockups always arrive late, making QA rushed” became a new Slack protocol where designers tag “ready for review” with a 24-hour buffer. The magic here is that vulnerability starts at the top, as I kickstart sessions with my own flaws (“I overbook calendar slots; call me out!”).

Civility isn’t about avoiding conflict, it’s about creating safe spaces to resolve it.

Friction Fridays Resolve Conflict with Collaboration

Davide Pirola
CTO, Trep Digitalx

One of the most effective leadership behaviors to promote civility is modeling ‘constructive curiosity.’

When tension arises, leaders should respond not with judgment or silence, but with thoughtful questions: ‘Help me understand your perspective’ or ‘What outcome are you hoping for?’ This shifts the tone from conflict to collaboration.

At Trep DigitalX, we actively train team leads to stay curious rather than defensive, especially in disagreement. It creates space for open dialogue without escalating friction.

By normalizing respectful inquiry, we create a culture where it’s safe to challenge ideas, not people. Civility isn’t about avoiding conflict; it’s about how we engage when it happens.

Constructive Curiosity Promotes Workplace Civility

Steve Schwab
CEO, Casago Vacasa

Good leaders should know how to resolve conflict.

They should know how to step in during the middle of an argument, how to handle a conflict once it’s happened, and how to prevent conflict in the first place. These situations can be a bit tricky to handle since emotions can be heavily involved, which is why leaders need empathy.

Leading with empathy allows you to see things from everyone’s perspective and come up with a course of action and resolution that respects everyone’s feelings and opinions.

So, having empathy and stepping in is necessary for any good leader to foster civility and handle conflict.

Empathy is Essential for Conflict Resolution

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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From Autopilot to Purpose: Transformative Habit Shifts

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From Autopilot to Purpose: Transformative Habit Shifts

Leadership habits shape organizational success, and adapting them intentionally can yield transformative results. 

This HR Spotlight article gathers insights from business leaders and HR professionals on one habit they consciously dropped and one they adopted in recent years, along with the direct outcomes. 

From abandoning micromanagement to embracing delegation, or shifting from over-efforting to seeking ease, these leaders reveal how small changes drive big impact. 

By fostering trust, empowering teams, and prioritizing clarity, their strategies enhance collaboration, boost efficiency, and create thriving cultures, offering actionable lessons for leaders navigating today’s dynamic business landscape.

Read on!

John Baldino
President, Humareso

I have pushed back on leader-centric branding. As a founder, it is a default for an organization to focus on the high-profile leader.

This often created bottlenecks in workflows, business development and customer success.

Being deliberate in pushing leadership to others in the organization and doing so in outward ways has proven valuable to both individual contributor development and brand identity.

Distributed Leadership Builds Brand Identity

Brittany Rogars
Founder & CEO, SKF Practice Solutions

I’ve been that manager. The one who caused good people to quit. If I am honest, that’s a pretty hard pill to swallow, but it’s true.

So when I started my own business in 2022, I made myself a promise: I will never be the reason someone dreads coming to work. But saying it and living it were two very different things. To actually become the kind of leader I wanted to be, I had to make two major shifts:

– I had to let go of the belief that I had to know everything. Somewhere along the way, I picked up this idea that being a leader meant having all the answers. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. What does it mean?

It means hiring people who are better than you in areas where you’re weak. Trusting them. Learning from them. And genuinely celebrating when they shine… even when (especially when) they surpass you.

– I had to give my team clarity and trust. We did that by building our rulebook, not a dusty policy binder, but our core values: Authenticity, Knowledge, Efficiency, Accuracy, Gratitude, Integrity. These aren’t just words we stuck on the website. They are everything. We talk about them in daily huddles. We hired them. We fire them. Every single person on my team knows where we’re going and how we’re getting there, because our values are committed to memory and engraved on their hearts.

Those two shifts changed everything. My business took off. Our goals stopped feeling like wishful thinking and started becoming reality. And my team? They became more confident, capable, and engaged than ever.

As the CEO of a growing consulting company, this evolution didn’t just help the business grow, it gave me the space to lead with vision instead of just managing chaos.

If you’ve ever looked around and thought, “This isn’t working”… it might be time to look inward. Because real leadership? It’s not about control. It’s about clarity. It’s about trust. And it’s about building something people are excited to be part of.

Leadership Shifts from Control to Clarity

John Krewson
CEO, Sketch Development

One habit I’ve intentionally adopted is asking a subset of the team to develop even deeply impactful strategies without my direct involvement. On the flip side, I’ve quit trying to be involved in every brainstorming session. I used to be so involved in shaping our messaging that I’d read every blog post before it got published (and edit heavily).

The hands-on approach got us where we are, and I don’t regret it. It won’t get us where we’re going though. We have a strong brand and team in place, so there’s no reason to let my own bandwidth limit either.

The team will do things I won’t like. Occasional failures are inevitable. We won’t let the fear of failure prevent us from putting things into production so we can gather market feedback. This is exactly what I discuss in my book, and what we teach our clients.

Trusting the Team for Growth

Dr. Jaime Goff
Founder of The Empathic Leader and author, The Secure Leader

My team and I design and run our company’s flagship executive leadership program, a high-profile initiative with a large budget.

In the early cohorts, I tried to empower my team by delegating key pieces, yet as launch dates loomed my anxiety and perfectionism kicked in. I slipped into micromanagement, asking them rapid-fire questions that felt like interrogations. I was projecting my stress and undercutting their confidence.

Recognizing this pattern, I turned the spotlight inward. When visibility and pressure rise, I now pause, breathe, and use quick reflective prompts to challenge the story in my head. I still check progress but with curiosity and support rather than control. The result is a calmer leader, a more capable team, and a richer learning experience for our future executives.

Curiosity Beats Micromanagement for Leaders

Paige Arnof-Fenn
Founder & CEO, Mavens & Moguls

As a result of the pandemic I stopped spreading myself too thin by overscheduling/hitting multiple overlapping networking events, etc.

I learned to disconnect from technology and focus on cultivating human/face-to-face relationships.

Meeting for coffee/lunch even virtually not only allows you to refuel/recharge but it also accomplishes so much more than e-mail/social media posts.

I now give myself permission to say no. Whether it means sleeping in (no to an alarm clock), meditating, taking a walk, or just turning off the phone/computer (no I will respond later on my own schedule), simple acts of letting myself relax and enjoy the moment are the very best gifts I can give myself.

What I have come to appreciate and realize is that “me time” is not a luxury or pampering like it was in my youth, now it is maintenance! Doing less can be more impactful.

Disconnecting and Learning to Say No

Jeff Williams
President & CEO, Aptia Group US

One leadership habit I consciously let go of was tolerating people who lacked integrity.

I call it my personal “no jerks” rule.

I made a promise to only build and lead alongside people of real fabric, people I trust and respect. If I’m going to pour myself into building something, it has to be with people I believe in and in a culture I’m proud of. Why give myself to anything less?

On the flip side, one habit I’ve intentionally adopted is what I call the power of a little bit more.

In a world that can feel fragile and uncertain, I’ve developed a mindset of giving just a bit more to my work, to my people, to my life.

I work out a little bit stronger, love a little bit harder, hug my wife a little bit tighter.

That small shift has created a life and leadership style driven by purpose, not just productivity. It has helped me build not only successful teams but meaningful ones.

Integrity and Purpose Define Leadership

Angela Justice
Founder & Executive Coach, Justice Group Advisors

I used to believe that if I wasn’t exhausted, I probably wasn’t doing enough.

So I overfunctioned. Took on too much. Made things harder than they needed to be. And I called it leadership.

The habit I dropped was over-efforting. What I adopted instead was asking: What would make this easier?

That question changed everything. It helped me see that effort ≠ impact. Now, before I take something on—or when it starts to feel heavier than it should—I pause and ask:

– What’s the simplest path to the outcome I want?

– What would this look like if it were 20% easier?

– What might I be making harder than it needs to be?

Now I move faster, lead better, and make more space for the people around me to do the same.

Ease isn’t lazy. It’s leadership without the drag.

And when other leaders hear that, they exhale—because they’ve been carrying too much for too long.

Ease is Leadership Without the Drag

Sarah Williams
Founder & Principal, Recruit Healthcare

In recent years, I made a conscious decision to let go of micromanaging.

It was actually a family member who first said something. We were making dinner together, and (as usual) I was trying to control everything from the oven temperature to the garbage collection. What I thought was just good advice was actually undermining her abilities, and suddenly, it hit me — I do this to my employees, hovering over them, and unintentionally limiting their independence.
And, just like in the kitchen, the habit wasn’t doing me any favors.

Since then, I’ve consciously replaced micromanagement with intentional delegation.

I’ve learned to trust my team with real ownership of their work and to give them the space to make decisions and solve problems without me hovering over every detail.

The change has been transformational. The team moves faster, takes more initiative, and genuinely feels empowered in their roles when less supervised.

Intentional Delegation Replaces Micromanagement for Growth

Sheena Yap Chan
Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, The Tao of Self-Confidence

One leadership habit I consciously dropped was over-explaining myself to be “liked” or validated.

As an Asian woman, I was taught to soften my voice and over-justify my decisions to avoid conflict or judgment. Letting go of that habit allowed me to lead with more clarity and self-trust.

The habit I intentionally adopted was listening more deeply without immediately reacting. Instead of rushing to fill space or provide answers, I now give others room to process and speak fully. That shift created stronger relationships, better collaboration, and more empowered conversations.

Real leadership isn’t about controlling every outcome—it’s about holding space and showing up with intention.

Leading with Clarity, not Over-Explaining

Harry Morton
Founder, Lower Street

One leadership habit I’ve intentionally adopted is being honest, especially when I don’t have the answers.

If someone comes to me with a problem I can’t immediately solve, I don’t bluff or pretend like I know it all, but simply tell them I’ll find out.

The same goes for mistakes that I will always own, and I expect the same from my teams. You will be amazed at how powerful mistakes can be as a leader.

I’ve also consciously dropped the habit of always trying to provide solutions.

I used to think offering quick fixes showed competence, but it actually discouraged creative thinking and added to my own stress. Now, I just focus on creating space for my team to bring their own ideas. And that has resulted in a more confident, creative team, plus a much healthier dynamic for everyone involved, including me.

Honesty And Humility Empower Great Teams

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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Discover the latest HR Tips and trends with our weekly newsletters!