How to Get Hired Be Successful At Memorial Sloan Kettering

How to Get Hired Be Successful At Memorial Sloan KetteringHow to Get Hired Be Successful At Memorial Sloan Kettering In a competitive labor market, one of the biggest challenges that any company faces is recruiting talent to choose their organization over all others. But thats one problem that Memorial Sloan Kettering is lucky enough bedrngnis to face, admits theirSenior Vice President and Chief philanthropisch Resources OfficerKerry Bessey. People really want to work here its a pretty easy sell, she says, laughing. Perhaps its not much of a surprise. After all, when your long-term goal is to eliminate cancer, who wouldnt be on board with that?But the truth is, a clear and compelling mission is only half of the story of MSKs success as an organization. The other half is about rallying the team around that mission, and then providing them with all of the tools they need to be successful - something that MSKs CEO Dr. Craig Thompson has done well enough to earn a sp ot on Glassdoors Highest Rated CEOs list for 2017. And of course, he wouldnt have been able to do it without an incredible HR leader right by his side.MSKs Kerry Bessey spoke with Glassdoors Emily Moore recently to discuss how she works with Thompson to make their organization a great place to work, how to hold difficult conversations, and how to ensure that your HR department receives the budget and resources necessary to do a great job - here are a few highlights from their conversation.Kerry Bessey Youre right - Craig deeply cares, so its not an issue here I think company culture translates to what makes people want to work some place. If your CEO doesnt care about your culture it may be that culture hasnt been framed around metrics, metrics such as turnover and engagement . At the end of the day, the stimmt genau culture gets batted around a lot. I prefer to think about the elements that make employees want to work someplace and stay some place. Engaging leadership in th at discussion is a lot easier than talking about something that sounds amorphous.Kerry Bessey I think were very fortunate and stand somewhat apart from many organizations because people believe so deeply in our mission . When you have that kind of common foundation, people work for mora than money. I think they find that they like working with people who share that sense of mission with them. Its in our DNA and makes employees value being here and makes them want to stay. Having said that, there are, of course, in any organization leaders who either arent focused on the employee experience or dont know how to work with their employees. We focus on giving them both information and tools. Additionally, we try to tie everything that we do to both the mission and our strategy, and how it will support the institution and the work we are trying to do.Kerry Bessey I think people are going to give you feedback one way or the other, through a variety of mechanisms, whether its absenteei sm, leaving, or worse than that - resigning on the job and not being engaged. Employees are constantly giving you feedback. If you pay attention to it, you can learn something and do something about it while theyre still here and still engaged. Its worthwhile to get even bad feedback or negative reviews, if it helps you understand what your employees are feeling and what theyre saying to other people about your company. Kerry Bessey The good news for us is we havent had to have too many difficult conversations with our workforce. However, when we have, we err on the side of transparency and give as much information as we can, because people, if they dont have information, will imagine something or make something up to fill in the gaps, which can be far more negative than the actual facts. Even if you have a negative message, the fact that you are being straightforward and transparent with your employees will be respected.Kerry Bessey Its all about making a business case and using metrics in whatever business youre in. Ive been in tech, and Ive been in publishing, and Ive been in healthcare - the fact is that all businesses run on metrics associated with people and the acquisition and use of people in the organization. I think its about understanding what metrics really resonate with your leadership team, what metrics drive the business, and understanding how the delivery of quality hires and retention of really good people matters. Kerry Bessey Our secret weapon is our own people who refer people to us constantly. We also incent employees to refer people for hard to hire jobs, and of course we do all the things that every other sophisticated business does. But people really want to work here its a pretty easy sell. I have an easy job. Im sorry. LaughsKerry Bessey There is a very special kind of camaraderie and culture here. One of the things that we do to make sure that that doesnt change is we listen to employees . We focus on the data we get from e mployees, both about patient care and about the workplace. And whether its informal in terms of focus groups or skip-levels or more formalized through surveys, we really pay attention to the feedback that we get and I think that makes a big difference. We listen to what is working for them and what isnt working for them. We try and get some concrete wins on the things that arent working for people. We do that on an ongoing basis.Kerry Bessey Its an intangible. Its hard to describe, but people are so focused we have the advantage of having a long-term strategic goal of curing cancer. That is a pretty lofty goal, but we also have the day-to-day opportunity to see patients and families in our environment, and I think everyone is focused on making sure that they are getting the best care and the best support that they can. unlike the strategic mission of curing cancer, patient care is more tangible and immediate, taking place every day. That combination of an important long-term goal a nd the short-term reality of caring for patients and their welfare really unites people.Kerry Bessey I was meeting the people on the leadership team. I met a lot of them, including members of the board. I asked them as many questions as they asked me, and one thing that really impressed me was the shared geistesbild they had about where they were going, how they wanted to get there, and what was important. When you are able to see that a leadership team has that much unity of vision, that was very compelling for me.Kerry Bessey Actually, I think its pretty simple. I think leadership is the ability to inspire and enable the people that are working in the organization to come together to realize the organizations mission. It really is creating an environment and support for people doing their best work.

3 Situations Youre Probably Overanalyzing (and How to Stop)

3 Situations Youre Probably Overanalyzing (and How to Stop)3 Situations Youre Probably Overanalyzing (and How to Stop)Its human nature to analyze situations. At the end of the day, we all want to survive (both literally and figuratively), and we turn to our brains to figure out how to do that when things get tricky. However, sometimes analyzing a simple scenario quickly turns into an overanalyzing nightmare- and if youre trying to figure out a workplace issue, overthinking it can have hazardous effects on your career. Co-workers might put turned off by the anxiety that ensues from your worrying, or you might make the wrong decision or drop the ball on a project because youve second guessed yourself.So, how can you stop? Here are three common workplace issues and how to deal if you find yourself way overanalyzing them.1. A Colleague Is Rude to YouWhether its a co-worker or your boss, at some point in your career, someone wont be nice to you in the office, and it can really leave you f eeling uncertain. Is he actually unhappy with you, or is he just having a bad day? Should you confront her or let it go? Your decision could affect your relationship with that person.The first step, as with any sensitive situation, is not to panic. If your colleague just made a comment or said something rude one time, it was probably just an off statement. Also take note if that person is acting out toward other people in the office. If so? Remind your overly active brain that the situation likely has nothing to do with you, and spend that mental energy on something else.If, however, you notice the trend continuing and that person seems to be singling you out, its time to take action. Fact is, trying to figure out what someone else is thinking in your head (or worse, with another colleague over drinks) does nothing but add to the already tense situation- and one short conversation can do wonders to defuse it. Ask the offending co-worker for a quick walk or coffee meeting to mention your concerns (even a, How are you feeling? You seem a little off, could do the trick).2. You Think Youre Going to Be Fired or PromotedWhen you think youre about to move up the food chain or be taken out of it, its easy to want to analyze every single cue that comes your way. Your boss mentioned the yep fired and looked in your direction? Uh oh. A colleague whispered that someone in your department was getting promoted? Yay- maybe?The easiest way to handle this situation is to keep doing whatever it is youre doing. Even if something big is on the horizon, reading into every interaction typically only leads to disappointment (I got her coffee and she didnt offer me a promotion). Hang tight and keep doing your job right. If youre supposed to go somewhere else, someone will tell you.3. You Had an Email MishapWhether your important client memo included a typo or you sent a message to the totally wrong person, one of the most common things to overanalyze is email. After all, you probably spend all day in your inbox.First off, to avoid future email issues, I highly recommend going to the Labs tab of your Gmail settings and enabling the Undo Send vorkaufsrecht so that you can cancel messages if you notice a problem with your email right after the fact. That will eliminate half of the stress right there.On top of that, if you think your email contained a serious issue, its always better to confront it head-on in a quick follow-up email (and preferably in-person if its harmful) rather than waiting it out. (Oh, but definitely dont lose sleep over a typo. It happens.)Overall, keeping yourself from overanalyzing is understanding when its appropriate to step in and when you just have to let things go. If youre really not sure, ask a trusted friend or colleague for some advice. But at the end of the day, heres something comforting Often, the only person whos aware that youve messed up is you.Photo of people thinking courtesy of Shutterstock.

Structure and Spontaneity How to Leverage Both in a Job Search

Structure and Spontaneity How to Leverage Both in a Job SearchStructure and Spontaneity How to Leverage Both in a Job SearchAre you someone who recoils at the idea of having things too planned out because youre afraid that youll miss out on opportunities for spontaneity and serendipity? If so, you may be taking these principles too far during your job search, since planning ahead and creating structure can help you land new opportunities. Relying too much on structure when looking for work, though, might cause you to miss out on meeting people or having organic experiences that can be just as effective in leading to your next position.The key to this conundrum is figuring out the right blend of structure and spontaneity in your search. By taking the following steps toward creating balanced structure, job binnenseekers can get close to the best of both worlds.Heres how to leverage both structure and spontaneity in a job searchSelect networking venues in advancebut still leave somethin g to chance.If youre trying to build your base of professional contacts in a specific industry or meet people who work at a company that youre interested in working for, then its smart to use a structured approach. Attending any old job conference will help you meet people- but elend necessarily people at the right level, position, or organization that you need.Choose a handful of networking events or expos that attract attendees in your industry of interest. But once youre there, mix things up a little by letting yourself choose sessions to attend by what draws your interest. You can also stay spontaneous by talking to people you meet along the way rather than scheduling all of your meet-ups prior to the conference.Rely on regular job sites for leadsbut try a new forum once in a while.Depending on the goals of your job search, youll likely find some job sites more helpful than others. If youre targeting employers that offer flexibility, for example, visiting should be on your daily to-do list, or you might want to regularly explore LinkedIn or Glassdoor to learn more about specific companies.Once youve identified your tried-and-true sources for job leads, however, you can add power to your search by branching out. Ask friends what job sites are their favorites, for example, and check out a new one once in a while. You never know where that perfect-fit position will come from.Map out a plan for your job search strategybut ditch it when opportunity knocks.Structuring your job search around specific actions can help you stay focused and on track. For example, the first leg of your journey might involve getting your resume, cover letters, and other job search materials into shape. Next, you might set a goal to spend three hours a day researching opportunities online, and to attend an industry event for networking once a month.With your strategy of choice as your foundation, you can then stay alert for the unexpected. Dont feel married to your basic plan if an int eresting option comes your way through another channel. For example, be willing to cut your daily online search short if someone invites you to coffee- even if they arent in your field, they might turn out to have a job lead through their network.As you can see from these suggestions, theres no right way to go about finding a job. But when you combine a reliable framework with a curious mind thats open to possibilities coming your way off the beaten track, youll give yourself the best chance for preparation to meet opportunity.Know someone looking for a job? Refer a friend to with this link- youll get a month free service and theyll get 30% off