New Hanover County shared a new report on April 18, produced by a locally-based firm Greenfield, about the current status, challenges, and potential of economic development in our region. It contains plenty of information local employers should be aware of, but the length of the report – around 100 pages – will likely present a barrier for the typical busy business owner. 

  We already know that employee wellness programs increase job satisfaction, employee retention, well-being, and likelihood to recommend employment. However, the wellness program needs to be successful and engaging to accomplish those things. Once you have a successful wellness program, then you can really start to see the benefits to employees and the cost-savings.

  According to a 2022 Gallup poll, one in five Gen Z adults, and more than 7 percent of Americans altogether, identify as LGBT. This segment of the workforce population grows year over year, and your company could miss out on recruiting and retaining top talent from this community if you fail to offer an authentically welcoming and accepting environment.

We love personality tests. In fact, it’s one of our founder’s favorite pastimes – she’s gained quite a reputation among her friends as the go-to for discussing and comparing results to countless varieties of tests… just for fun. So if a personality test of sorts existed that specifically catered to professionals and was intended to be used by leaders as a tool to improve the way their team works together, wouldn’t Montani HAVE to facilitate such a test? Absolutely.

Based on results from a Workhuman® iQ survey of 2,268 full-time workers across the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Ireland, their in-depth report explores the state of human connection at work. But they share more than just findings – the report offers actionable tips for business leaders to create more “human-centered work cultures.” 

Job description, job ad, key result areas (KRAs)… they’re all similar, but they’re certainly not the same. We know HR lingo can be confusing, so we’re here to tone down the jargon and explain the role of each of these three vital documents and how they contribute to setting up a candidate for long-term success. 

In 2022, 16% of companies worldwide are entirely remote, and 74% of U.S. companies are using or plan to implement a permanent hybrid work model (Zippia). Our team knows that this new work-life demands different approaches to motivating, engaging, and satisfying team members. Casual Fridays in the office and unscheduled catch-ups in the break room are no longer options. Nowadays, intentionality is critical.

A few months ago we stumbled across a very interesting article that got the Montani team thinking, “How much should we as recruiters still care about a person’s resume?” In the article, the CEO of the company that owns Glassdoor and Indeed argues that the recruiting field at large is too dependent on this somewhat antiquated form of communicating a candidate’s credentials. And, he says, this is only making the current problems with labor shortage worse.

This year, the Montani team will work on getting gritty. A term made popular by Psychologist Angela Duckworth, grit is the combination of passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. People who are gritty, says Duckworth, tend to work in a diligent, daily way to improve. It’s having the stamina to “stick with your future” day in and day out. Not for the month, but for years. 

SHRM recently shared an article, “Family-Building Benefits,” that sparked a million thoughts. What I really love about this article are the quotes from families. Things like, “They made it possible for us to have children,” and “It’s been family-altering,” and even, “It makes you realize the possibilities.” As a mom of two young children, there is nothing more rewarding than raising my sweet babes and seeing their smiles as often as I can. But I also want to feel like I have the support from my employer I need in order to maintain a productive career. I want my employer

“Happy Holidays!”  If you’re tired of hearing this particular phrase, buckle up: It’s likely only going to get more popular. But if you ask us, that’s a positive change that reflects a much larger movement of much-needed inclusivity well beyond the holiday season. This more inclusive, albeit generic, phrase – along with the likes of “Season’s Greetings!” — is being employed by more and more employers as we collectively nudge closer to a work culture that accepts and celebrates the differences of its team members. 

Over the course of 15 years in human resources – interviewing thousands of impressive individuals – I (Katherine Daniel) have learned to pick up on the subtle things. It doesn’t take long for me to get a solid idea of where someone’s true passion lies and in what type of role they would likely excel. Call it a sixth sense.