Organizational Success – Talent Market

Talent Tip #172: The DOs and DON’Ts of RTO Mandates: Part 2

May 18, 2025

Last month, we provided our first installment of tips to help your Return to Office mandate go smoothly. This month, we’re back to give you the second and final installment.

Before we jump into Part 2, I have to share some terrific feedback we received after last month’s article.

One legendary leader in the liberty movement told me this:

I’ve found that employers have a couple of pain points with WFH staff:

It takes a lot…

Talent Tip #171: The DOs and DON’Ts of RTO Mandates: Part 1

April 22, 2025

Return to Office (RTO) mandates!

Is there a hotter topic right now? (Ok, maybe how crappy the new Snow White movie is.)

Now that we’re firmly past the peak of the Covid era, more organizations are pushing employees back into the office — whether by transitioning fully remote roles to hybrid, increasing the number of required in-office days, or mandating a full return to five days a week.

Most recently, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon made headlines by requiring…

Talent Tip #167: Rizz meets Righteous: Finding the “Just Right” with Gen Z in the Workplace

November 19, 2024

Stephanie Keaveney

As the “middle child” on a five-person team at Talent Market, I get the best of both worlds—I equally enjoy my more senior colleagues’ Office Space jokes and my Gen Z colleagues’ daily contributions of slang and memes in the team chat. Working between these two groups has shown me just how different perspectives can bring out the best in a team.

But it’s not all smooth sailing. I’m often reminded of the story of Goldilocks and how it took…

Talent Tip #164: Dating and Side Hustles: It’s Complicated – Part II

August 27, 2024

Last month’s newsletter article broached the hot topic of side hustles. Among other things, we talked about how not everyone is okay with sharing and that transparency is critical from the start. We also discussed how the substance and timing of the side hustle can make or break a situation.

But there is more to discuss! So here we are with Part II!

You can’t be two places at once. Picture this: you are single and a cute…

Talent Tip #163: Dating and Side Hustles: It’s Complicated Part I

July 23, 2024

Not sure if you’ve noticed, but side hustles are having a moment.

An increasing number of jobseekers these days have or are considering side hustles in addition to full-time jobs. The proliferation of virtual work has provided fertile ground for budding entrepreneurs to take on more than one opportunity.

And we’re noticing that both job seekers and hiring managers aren’t entirely sure how to navigate these uncharted waters.

If you’ll indulge me for a moment, I think there…

Talent Tip #162: Dating Advice from My Parents…for Hiring Managers

May 21, 2024

Claire Kittle Dixon

Back in the day, my parents gave me a ton of dating advice.

And trust me when I tell you that I needed it. (Next time you see me at a social function, preferably one that serves copious amounts of alcohol, ask me to tell you about “Mean Dean” or “Mr. Insaneholtz”.)

We were just reminiscing the other day about all of the gems of relationship wisdom they shared. And as we talked…

Talent Tip #155: What Promposals Can Teach Us About Hiring

July 18, 2023

Picture the scene. It’s prom season at Brookdale High School. Emotions, hormones, Taylor Swift, and the faint scent of benzoyl peroxide permeate the air.

Brandy is a popular and pretty senior who is perceptively aware that she is both popular and pretty. She makes it clear to all of her friends, enemies, frenemies, and the entire social media universe that she is excited about prom…but does not yet have a date.

After sending out her social SOS, she…

Talent Tip #149: Hiring Horror Stories: (Just in Time for Halloween!)

October 25, 2022

Katelynn Barbosa, Stephanie Keaveney, Lydia Ocampo, Katy Gambella, Claire Kittle Dixon

In the spirit of Halloween, our team wanted to share our best hiring horror stories with you. Names and identities have been altered to protect the innocent (and the ghoulishly guilty!).

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When a Stranger Calls
Years ago I arranged a phone interview with a candidate for a search I was managing. I called at the time our interview was scheduled, but my call went directly to voicemail. I…

Talent Tip #148: Six Things The Movie Castaway Taught Me About Hiring

August 24, 2022

Katelynn Barbosa

I don’t know about you but for some reason, the dog days of summer make me nostalgic and I start re-watching old movie favorites. This past weekend, on the docket was the 2000 film Castaway starring Tom Hanks.

If you haven’t seen the film, let me give you a brief summary. Tom Hanks plays an extremely busy FedEx systems analyst executive (don’t ask me because I don’t understand either) who runs all around the world…

Talent Tip #146: 5 Reasons Candidates Decline Job Offers

June 27, 2022

I know a thing or two about rejection.

I once went on a blind date with a guy who, from the moment the date started, clearly did not want to be there. He had this disapproving look on his face the entire evening, almost like he was a member of the Royal Family or maybe had just gotten a whiff of woefully expired cottage cheese. Alas, this was just his natural reaction to me! His eyes kept darting…

Talent Tips: Organizational Success