Question: During the pandemic, we hired nearly 30 new team members, most of whom never worked in our office. As we develop our return-to-work plans, I’ve been tasked to ensure those new team members acclimate to the organization regardless of whether they’ll work full time from the office or in a hybrid capacity. What advice can you give me for re-onboarding employees who started remotely?
Question: I recently started a new position as Director of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) at a municipal utilities company with over 3,000 employees. Before I was hired, the company offered bias training for managers and supported employee resource groups. Survey feedback showed that these efforts were “somewhat helpful”, but the company is still far from closing its gaps in D&I, so it has made addressing D&I a priority for the upcoming fiscal year. Can you recommend ways to adopt a more systemic approach to delivering on our D&I goals?
Question: I’m a partner with a small fintech remote startup. My colleagues and I are all Gen Xers or Millennials. We recently hired a new college graduate to help with marketing and administrative work. She’s very enthusiastic and smart, and I want to provide a good foundation to help launch her career. Do you have any tips for managing a new Gen Z employee in a remote work environment?
Question: My manager left our organization and I’ve been named his interim replacement. I’ve never been in an interim role before. Do you have any advice for how to lead a team as an interim manager and handle the stress of feeling like I’m in a constant job interview?
Question: I’m starting a new job where everybody is working remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. The job I’m leaving is remote too, so I’m not worried about the work. I’m more concerned about the social and relationship-building aspect of changing jobs. How do I get to know co-workers and build new relationships while we are all working from home?
Question: I manage a team of 12 people in the medical devices industry. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded last year, our team found it difficult to make informed decisions about our products, supply chains, and regulatory obligations in the midst of uncertainty. Like many other people in the medical industry, my team worked tirelessly through the year, putting themselves and their families at risk while they focused on doing their part in the fight. Their work is nothing short of heroic, and I want to do everything I can to keep them from getting serious burnout. What strategies do you recommend for mitigating burnout for my heroic team?