Companies are hiring, and that’s good news! Much of the interviewing is being conducted remotely, with the interviewer and interviewee in separate locations. The virtual format can present challenges, but taking certain steps can make it a smooth process for all. Whether you’re conducting the interview or being questioned yourself, follow these tips for remote interviews to get the best results.
Rules for the Job Candidate
Keep everything but inanimate objects out of sight. This means keeping the kids away. Keep the pets away. Make sure they can’t be seen—or even heard.
Present a tidy environment. Another job interview tip is to be mindful of what the interviewer will see in the background. If you’re in the kitchen, make sure there are no dirty dishes around. If you’re in the bedroom, your bed must be neatly made. Do not do the interview from a basement with poor lighting.
Set up good lighting. Lighting is important on video calls. Position the light behind you, or sit in front of a window so there is natural light behind you. Good lighting can help you appear…in the best light.
Put down the cell phone. It should go without saying, but do not text during a video interview. If the phone is near you, turn the ringer off before the interview starts.
During a phone interview, stay still. Don’t go outside for a call, because the wind can affect the sound. Don’t do the interview while driving, either. You want to maintain safety and sound quality.
Check your equipment beforehand. Test your connection, including your audio and video, prior to the interview. While you can’t always avoid technical glitches during a video call, running a test lets you be as prepared as possible.
Do all the in-person interview things. Research the company ahead of time so you sound informed during the interview. Follow up with a thank-you email to the interviewer.
Rules for the Interviewer
Provide clear information on logistics. Send the job candidate a link prior to the meeting. Consider sending a “looking-forward-to-meeting-you” email that morning to put the candidate at ease.
Give the interviewee some slack. Despite best efforts, the individual might have technical difficulties. Don’t hold it against them if it appears they prepared for the interview. Leave enough time between interviews to accommodate unforeseen technical trouble.
Prepare. First, prepare questions that can help you gauge a person’s behavior since you can’t fully gauge their body language through a screen. Second, in case there are sound issues, have questions prepared that you can share on the screen. Then you can ask the candidate to submit the answers.
Keep privacy in mind. If you share your screen, make sure sensitive internal information and information on other candidates are not visible.
Remove distractions. Just as the interviewee should keep children and pets away, so should you. It can unfairly distract a candidate trying to make a good impression.
Rules for Both Parties
Our rule for both the interviewer and interviewee is to dress appropriately. It’s an interview, after all. Skip the sweats and baseball caps, and wear professional attire.
Prospective students sometimes ask why learning Medical Terminology is important. Depending on the type of career you choose to pursue, having the ability to recognize and decipher complex medical terms can be a game changer. We often think of the obvious examples such as doctors, nurses, physician assistants and medical billing specialists to name a few. However, you might be surprised to learn how many other careers require a working knowledge of medical terminology.
Medical Terms Make it Easier to Communicate Across the Healthcare Industry
Healthcare is an $800 billion market growing at 7.3% annually. Healthcare and social assistance is the largest employment segment in the U.S. employing 20 million+ people. Medical Terminology is important to healthcare professionals who work directly with patients but there are also support positions that require knowledge of the subject.
For instance, let’s think about the average family practice with 4-5 doctors and 8-10 nurses. In addition to the professionals mentioned above, these practices would typically employ medical billing and coding specialists. The responsibility for generating billing documents falls upon these employees. An understanding of medical terms helps ensure billing codes are accurate which results in more timely payments for the practice. It also allows the practice to receive the maximum payment possible for a particular service. Since payment delays are often a result of improper codes, it’s important for these professionals to understand the terminology they work with on a regular basis.
Documentation Becomes Much More Simple
After the medical billing department sends bills out for payment, an employee from the health insurance company reviews the incoming bills for accuracy and entry into their accounting system. Without understanding medical terminology, it would be difficult for these professionals to perform their responsibilities effectively. This knowledge helps people in these industries work more efficiently and effectively. Medical Terminology is a common language used to communicate complex medical data between health professionals, patients and many others.
Medical Terminology Plays an Important Role in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Let’s take a look at another industry. After the last year, we’ve all heard or read about the COVID-19 clinical trials performed by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. Before a drug, or vaccine is approved, it must be submitted to a rigorous clinical trial. The pharmaceutical industry regularly recruits patients into their studies. Employees tasked with qualifying patients for the trial, creating intake materials and developing trial notifications need to have a basic knowledge of medical terms to communicate the various aspects of the clinical trial.
In addition to the recruiting professionals, pharmaceutical companies also employ Clinical Data Analysts. These highly skilled professionals are responsible for verifying the data gathered during the trial period as well as reporting on the results of the clinical trials. They’re required to write reports that use terminology to communicate disease states, patient conditions, adverse events and more.
Knowing the Right Terms Keeps Everyone on the Same Page
Analysts use computer software to record and report clinical trial results which brings us to our next profession. It can be quite appealing for a programmer or front-end developer to have completed an accredited online medical terminology course. Knowledge of the subject helps employees communicate with each other effectively which helps to keep everyone focused on the same goals. Clinical Data Analysts will use the software developed by these programmers to submit reports to the FDA in the United States for drug approval and other milestones throughout the lifespan of the drug.
At the FDA you will find doctors, scientists and other health professionals who all need a working knowledge of medical terminology. Imagine how difficult it would be to read incoming reports without knowledge of medical terms. It would be virtually impossible, or at least extremely time consuming, to decipher reports and make informed decisions.
Once approval is granted a drug is ready for market. Most of the time that involves pharmaceutical sales representatives visiting doctors to promote the new drug. It’s imperative for sales representatives to be able to speak the doctor’s language. Without prior knowledge of medical terminology, the sales representative would not have the skills to discuss the target diseases that a drug is designed to address or the body systems it is intended to affect.
When a doctor prescribes a medication, they rely on a pharmacist to fill the prescription. From the pharmacist at your local Walgreens or CVS to the pharmacy assistants, it’s important that they all understand the patient’s medical conditions and the prescriptions they’re filling to recognize potential interactions before they occur.
Working in A Pharmacy
Occasionally the pharmacist will have to call the patient’s health insurance company to confirm information. They are expecting to reach an insurance professional who has knowledge of the drugs, diseases and side effects associated with the drug(s) being prescribed. All of these touch on medical terminology in some shape or form.
Learn Medical Terminology From Our Online Class
While the pharmaceutical industry provides us with several solid examples of professions where medical terminology is used, it does not end there. Every day we receive course requests from paramedics, court reporters and even tattoo artists. If a career in healthcare is something that interests you, consider an online course covering medical terms to boost your resume or meet a prerequisite. If you have any questions about how taking an online course can help you, feel free to reach out to us.
When used properly, personality assessments are a phenomenal tool for any workplace. The information they provide can help enhance employee communication, resolve team conflict, and make employees aware of their own behavioral inclinations. When used improperly, to make hiring decisions…that’s a “don’t.”
This is important, because these days the majority of Fortune 100 companies use some sort of a personality assessment as part of their hiring process. To encourage proper usage here is how to use personality tests and the dos and don’ts we recommend.
The Dos
We offer personality assessments because we have seen the incredible workplace transformations they’ve created. Here is how to use a personality test for the best results:
Use a research-validated assessment. All personality assessments are not created equal. Many out there are not backed by research. That’s one of the reasons we offer DiSC® assessments.
Give everyone the same assessment. This way, you compare apples to apples.
Educate the assessment givers and takers. It’s important that the people giving the assessment fully understand what the assessment measures. It’s also essential that they convey to the assessment takers, “This is not a test. There are no right or wrong answers.”
When using an assessment in the hiring process, follow up. If a candidate’s results show inconsistencies or potential characteristics that might not align with the role, use interview questions to learn more. Remember that you can learn a lot about someone from an interview.
Don’t
There is one crucial “don’t” when it comes to using personality assessments, particularly if you’re using them as part of the hiring process. Don’t. Pigeonhole. People. In other words, don’t rule out a candidate just because their results show them to be in a certain personality/behavioral category.
Please always keep in mind that assessments are not designed for this purpose. While you can learn a lot about someone’s innate style from their results, that should only be a small portion of what you’re considering.
At the same time, if you’re using assessments to learn more about the people already on staff, don’t excuse poor behavior just because of an individual’s style. If an employee keeps showing up late, for example, their style does not make that acceptable.
Taking an assessment? Don’t try to trick it or answer questions in a way you think would sound good. The assessment gets to the truth.
Do let us know if you’d like more information on how to use personality tests.
Corexcel has focused on workplace trends for years, but we’ve never seen anything like this. The pandemic has brought about a workplace shift that’s becoming as widespread as the virus itself. Last spring, businesses, and organizations scrambled to establish work-from-home arrangements for employees. Now, nearly a year later, businesses throughout the U.S. are embracing hybrid work style and fully remote work options.
For a change of pace, we’re sharing our own work experience as it might serve as a useful example for other businesses.
Our Hybrid Experience
At Corexcel we went fully remote in 2020, and we recently transitioned to a hybrid work arrangement. We’re still ironing out the kinks, but for now, our team is working remotely on Mondays and Fridays and in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. So far, we’re finding the three-days-in-the-office-two-days-at-home arrangement to be a good balance.
We decided to try a hybrid format to:
Provide flexibility for employees
Reduce our rent expense
Lower the company’s carbon footprint
Before going hybrid, we polled the Corexcel team and, interestingly, no staff members indicated a preference to work virtually every day. While that might not be the response at every business, we’re finding that our team members aren’t missing a beat. In fact, our employees are comfortable and working effectively with the new arrangement.
We asked why they like the hybrid arrangement and received these comments, among others:
“It’s nice to skip the commute sometimes after being on the go with the kids.”
“I can work more at my own pace.”
“I appreciate the mix. I get quality time with the kids, but I also get time in the office with no kids and no dog.”
“Hybrid is so flexible. We can start a project in the office and finish the work at home at night if that works best with our schedule.”
These benefits would resonate with employees at other organizations as well.
Why Hybrid Instead of Fully Virtual?
As we see how our hybrid work arrangement plays out, we might decide to go virtual; who knows. For now, we like coming in part of the week to get a sense of normalcy. Our time in the office works well for meetings, too. Employees who might be hesitant to speak during a Zoom call are often open to speaking at an in-person meeting. For us, the hybrid model seems to be the perfect mix.
A Trend That’s Here to Stay
From our own experience, though brief, as well as input from other businesses, we believe a hybrid workplace could be the wave of the future. We’re hearing that business owners feel hybrid work styles widen the hiring pool. Candidates who might find the commute too much on a daily basis based on their location might be willing to travel two or three days a week. In addition, if a hybrid structure makes employees happy, they’re going to be loyal to the company. Hybrid workplaces could lead to less employee turnover, and in turn lower costs.
Going Hybrid?
If you’re going hybrid, there are several factors to consider. SHRM’s article, “What to Consider When Moving to a Hybrid Work Model,” is a good place to start. If you’re concerned about hiring when your team isn’t in the office full-time, we recommend using a hiring assessment tool to screen candidates. PXT Select™ lets you assess candidates on thinking style, behavioral style, and interests—from wherever they are. If you’re thinking of going hybrid, please let us know!
The past year has been a lot—at home and on the job. With the pandemic causing substantial changes to the way we live and work, that might be an understatement. But along with change comes the possibility for something new. Maybe you lost your job. Or maybe all this time at home has you contemplating a new career. If you’re looking for a job-related fresh start, here are some of our recommendations:
Update your resume. Does your resume reflect your current position and responsibilities? Make sure it clearly highlights the experience your potential employers would find useful.
Update your references. Check with the people vouching for you that they’re still on board to field calls about you and your work.
Create or update your LinkedIn profile. A current LinkedIn profile is a must as you look for a new job. You can search for jobs on LinkedIn and apply for jobs on the site when it’s an option. If you’re being considered for a job that’s not on LinkedIn, recruiters will still look at your profile to get a feel for your experience. Tip: Your LinkedIn profile should be more conversational in style than a resume.
Brush up on your interview skills. Job interviews are stressful. Going in prepared alleviates some of the stress, so practice answering common interview questions.
Prepare your technology for interviews, too. Chances are, you might have a few virtual interviews. Check your connectivity and your lighting to make sure you’re seen, literally, in the best light.
Join/subscribe to career development podcasts and career-related social media groups. They can provide helpful advice and insight on various careers, and they offer support from fellow jobseekers.
Take a course. Getting an introduction to a field you’re interested in is valuable. It can confirm you’re getting on the right career path—or let you know you’re not. Having a course under your belt can also make you more marketable. If you’re interested in the medical field, for example, our Medical Terminology or Microbiology course is an excellent first step.
With these tips, you’re ready for a career-related fresh start. Good luck!
What a year we just had; businesses and organizations across the board scrambled to revise operations, workers went remote, and hiring in many sectors came to a halt. As we enter a new year, hiring freezes are beginning to thaw. If you’re fortunate enough to be hiring, be sure to hire right with these best recruitment practices.
Employing the wrong candidate comes at a cost. It costs you money. It costs you time. In fact, the cost of a bad hire is considered to be the equivalent of an employee’s first-year salary*. According to surveys conducted by John Wiley & Sons, which questioned 2,000 individuals, hiring practices are a common problem:
39% of hiring managers do not always align job requirements with candidates.
54% say candidates are not always assessed with a structured interview process.
65% of hiring managers rely on their instincts rather than data.
To help ensure that you bring the right individual(s) on board follow these best hiring practices:
Establish a consistent hiring process. This ensures that hiring is fair, and it makes it easier for you to compare candidates. Consider creating a checklist that keeps the position’s requirements and the qualifications you seek front and center.
Use data in the hiring process. We use data to make lots of decisions these days, so why not use it for hiring? While the impression the candidate makes during the interview carries considerable weight, going exclusively with your gut is so yesterday. Data offers valuable input.
Use PXT Select™. This online assessment is designed to help you select the best candidates for your organization. Candidates take an assessment, and PXT Select generates a report that provides insight into their behaviors and interests. It also tips you off to their verbal and math skills so you can see if they’re a good fit for the position.
PXT Select lets you compare candidates to one another and a single candidate to multiple positions. In addition, the reports have ongoing use as they provide tips for an individual’s onboarding, training, and development.
After the year we’ve had, focusing on 2021 is a welcome development. If your organization is growing, congratulations. We’re here to help you do it right.
Relationships are Hard. Need We Say More? (We do when it comes to workplace relationships.)
Anyone who’s watched a traditional rom-com (i.e., everyone) knows that relationships are hard. Through the trials and tribulations, all ends well: Boy gets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy eventually gets girl back. Cue the happy ending with the triumphant music. While there’s somewhat of a formula for these feel-good movies, there’s no formula for work relationships. These relationships are tricky, but essential, in the workplace.
So what’s the trick to productive work relationships? Like it or not, there’s no playbook. You don’t choose your coworkers, and people with different backgrounds, beliefs, personalities, and communication styles are all thrown into the mix. Fostering an effective work relationship requires being open to learning more about yourself and your colleagues. In other words, getting along with others at work takes, well…work.
The key element to good work relationships is the same as it is for personal relationships: communication. And the key to better communication among coworkers is the Everything DiSC® System. That’s because DiSC delivers insight into your own behaviors and the behaviors of coworkers—and it offers recommendations on how to mesh styles and work productively together.
DiSC looks at each individual in four categories: Dominance, Influence, Conscientiousness, and Steadiness. Each category has specific characteristics:
Here’s how they play out in a workplace setting. Say, two colleagues, Ann and Jess, are working together on a project. Ann is along the “D” and “i” range; she’s fast-paced and outspoken. Jess falls along with the “C” and “S” range; she’s cautious and reflective. Ann also works fast, always has a lot going on, and quickly pivots as developments arise. Jess prefers a predictable work setting and does what it takes to get things right. Here, DiSC would recommend to Ann that when she interacts with Jess she should skip the small talk and focus on the facts.
No matter the particular individuals being assessed, DiSC provides recommendations on:
Relationship-building strategies
Adapting your approach to accommodate others
Initiating a dialogue with other employees
and much more.
Once your organization has open, productive communication underway, your teams can thrive. While you won’t have Meg Ryan or Julie Roberts on hand, you’ll still see more smiling faces around the office. In the workplace, good relationships are everything.
Dictionary.com defines agility as “the power of moving quickly and easily” and “the ability to think and draw conclusions quickly.” These are valuable traits to have in an ever-changing workplace. And really, in a world where COVID-19 is dictating new work and school arrangements seemingly every week, being agile can help us get through all aspects of the day-to-day grind.
The reality is that we all have a natural inclination for how we handle new situations as well as conflict that arises. Do you easily adapt to new situations, not just in the workplace, but in society? Your level of agility can affect your relationships with colleagues, family members, and friends. At work, having an agile approach to new projects enables you to successfully manage and execute the tasks at hand. It’s important to note that your agility skills don’t just reflect how you respond to stressful situations—they reflects how you respond to positive developments, too!
If you’re unhappy with your ability to handle various situations, or you’re not sure just how agile you are, you’re not alone. You can’t get out a yardstick and measure agility, after all. The solution is Everything DiSC® Agile EQ™. This DiSC®-based assessment:
Provides awareness of, and insight on, your natural tendencies.
Offers tips for moving beyond your familiar patterns, so you learn how to adapt to whatever situation you’re facing—even when it’s difficult.
Recommends steps for adapting to others’ emotions and effectively interacting with those whose agility is quite different than your own.
Say you’re assigned a new project, and you say, “OK, let’s get this done!” Your co-worker, on the other hand, says, “Let’s do a little bit day by day.” The more agile you both are in this setting, the stronger your relationship will be, despite your differing styles.
You can use Agile EQ for one-on-one counseling or as part of a larger training. Either way, create an action plan, and improve agility in the workplace!
Wiley Publishing has recognized Corexcel as a Diamond Award Winner for its 14th consecutive year!
Becoming a partner with such an established, successful company such as Wiley Publishing is an honor within itself. To be named a Diamond Award winning partner for over a decade is an accomplishment that brings great pride!
Many thanks to Wiley Publishing for being excellent to work with over so many years! Corexcel and all of the employees are humbled and honored.
DiSC is a behavioral-based learning assessment that is offered in many forms. The DiSC Assessment helps people identify their DiSC personality type or style by completing a series of questions. Occasionally referred to as the DiSC Personality Profile, the assessment helps people:
Understand their behavior style(s), also often called personality types.
Discover how to adapt their behavior to improve communications.
Learn about other DiSC personality types to help them understand why people do the things they do and why they think the way they think.
Enhance their performance, and their team’s performance, through their newfound understanding and improved communications.
This model focuses on four distinct DiSC personality types. The four distinct personality types are represented in the DiSC circular model pictured here.
Several DiSC-based assessments exist in the market today and their terminology varies from one flavor to the next. Most of these assessments use similar terms to identify the four personality types. Basically, the general theme is the same. However, the assessments and the corresponding reports vary a lot. Some DiSC personality types even use colors or animals to represent the four different personalities. I’ve never been a fan of the colors or the animals but they do appeal to some. These assessments are not all created equally but we’ll discuss the differences in another post.
What does the “D” style represent?
Someone with a “D”, or Dominance style, will be focused on achieving results and taking action quickly. We all know this personality type. It may be ourselves, a co-worker, or maybe even our boss. The word dominance is a perfect descriptor because D’s are often perceived as being dominant in the workplace and in their personal relationships. They’re motivated by competition, winning, and success.
Individuals having “D” DiSC personality types are typically direct and to the point. This means they would prefer you to be direct and to the point when you are communicating with them. Imagine how effective a salesperson would be if they adapted their communications to appeal to others. Adjusting tone, or even the number of words, can make communications much more appealing to the person on the receiving end.
If you haven’t noticed already, the dominance personality type, as with all of the DiSC personality types, has its drawbacks. People identifying with the “D” style often come across as having little or no concern for others. Sometimes they can appear impatient and insensitive. Often these people do not realize how they’re perceived. One of the benefits of learning about your DiSC personality type is recognizing the negative aspects of your own behaviors. Understanding their style can help D’s to slow down and be more sensitive to the people around them.
What does the “i” personality type represent?
The small “i” indicates the Influence style. People demonstrating the “i” type often express their enthusiasm openly and they’re usually very friendly people. You might refer to them as a “people-person”. Influencers prefer to act on things quickly and they inspire collaboration in the workplace. People identified with the Influence style enjoy talking and working closely with others. It’s important to them to be recognized socially, especially in the workplace. They put a premium on public recognition.
Things you may notice about someone with the “i” personality type:
They often come across as charming.
They show enthusiasm in most of the things they do.
They’re often more optimistic than most.
They can be talkative.
As with the “D” personality type, influencers also have their drawbacks. They can appear to be impulsive and disorganized. If they don’t take deliberate measures to stay organized, they have a tough time following through on tasks and projects. Often people with the “i” style do very well in sales positions. However, it’s important to note that the DiSC Personality Assessment is a tool to help people gain understanding. It’s not a perfect prediction model for success in a particular job. The assessment can certainly help provide that type of insight. Although it’s much more effective to use an assessment specifically designed for selecting and hiring employees.
What does the “S” DiSC personality type indicate?
The “S” stands for Steadiness. You can probably guess the characteristics of the “S” style. These people enjoy providing support and maintaining stability. A stable workplace environment is very important to people with the “S” personality type. As an employee, they prefer receiving feedback from their supervisor regularly. They’re also consistently looking for ways they can help others.
Individuals with the “S” personality type tend to be more concerned by change than most. If you think about it, that makes perfect sense considering they prefer stable situations and environments. They tend to shy away from conflict and may be overly sensitive to feedback. Maintaining harmony and keeping the peace is important for people who exhibit “S” style characteristics.
As with all of the four DiSC personality types, characteristics viewed as strengths can lead to negative perceptions from others. For instance, people exhibiting the “S” personality type are often viewed as over accommodating. Their desire for stability can make them resistant to change. The S’s will often avoid change altogether. They subscribe to the “if it isn’t broken don’t fix it” approach.
The “C” Personality Type
The “C” in the DiSC acronym stands for Conscientiousness. People with the conscientiousness personality type tend to place priority on accuracy, maintaining stability, and challenging assumptions. They are motivated by opportunities to use their expertise whether it’s at work or at home. People identifying with the “C” personality type desire activities where they can use their expertise to produce quality results.
Being wrong, being criticized, and working with slipshod projects are all fears for people possessing the “C” style. They place a premium on doing things the right way regardless of how long it takes. People with the “C” style often refer to themselves as perfectionists. They’re good at tasks that involve detailed analysis and precision but try not to ask them to do something that needs to be completed right away.
People often notice that C’s operate in a quiet and reserved manner. They prefer to work alone rather than working in a group. Occasionally they can come across as skeptical and overly critical. Sarcasm is a trait that can help you identify someone with the “C” personality type. Colleagues who possess the “C” style can appear as:
Private
Methodical
Skeptical
Precise
Since they place a high level of importance on ensuring accuracy, C’s can tend to overanalyze. Recognizing this potential problem will help people with the “C” style avoid being bottlenecks within an organization.
Learn More About DiSC
DiSC is an assessment model that has been used by individuals and corporations for 40+ years. As people begin to understand their personality type they also begin to recognize other people’s DiSC personality types. This knowledge helps them grow professionally and personally. It improves their ability to communicate and makes them much better at working with others. Relationships improve and they become more effective in their careers. It’s an interesting and amazing transformation.
Dictionary.com defines agility as “the power of moving quickly and easily” and “the ability to think and draw conclusions quickly.” These are valuable traits to have in an ever-changing workplace. And really, in a world where COVID-19 is dictating new work and school arrangements seemingly every week, being agile can help us get through all aspects of the day-to-day grind.
