One of the phrases that has bothered me the most over the past year is, “We are all in the same boat.”

The more I have heard it and the more I think about who I know… oh (censored) no we are not.

While we are all in the same storm, our boats are very, very different.

How the storm of 2020 unfolded (I am thinking about COVID 19, politics, social justice and the economy) has been very different for people.

As will the “recovery” of 2021-2022 be. More on that later.

This past year through today…

I know of many recruiters (corporate, search and consulting) have been very busy at their companies, firms. I know recruiters who have not worked in a year.

I know of many CEO’s whose companies have done very well the past year. I know CEO’s who have used their homes and assets to secure loans to cover payroll and they are hanging by a thread. I know CEO’s who have lost everything.

I have friends who have transitioned to work from home without skipping a beat. Others were in already toxic situations and being home made it worse.

Some friends have had promotions while others have had both partners go through furloughs and/or layoffs.

Some have been able to take vacations and others rely on a social safety net to get through the week.

Women, People of Color, hourly and frontline essential workers have generally been the most impacted.

And many parents who have become teacher, principal, counselor, nurse and social worker.

Episode Two of What You Should Know is above.

What you should know before clicking play is that the first 8 minutes of the video is a bit pixelated and the software picked up my laptop audio and not my “cool” mic.

If you’re new to me and this series there is “first some background…” at the bottom that tells the story.

Here are the topics links to people, companies, events, etc. mentioned in the episode:

At the Farm

Web site | Instagram

Black Tech Talent

Web site | Instagram | Mike Jackson

LeapGen

Web site | Jason Averbook | Jess Von Bank

Minnesota Headhunter Blog Posts

How Do You “Interview”: Recruiting, Job Search And Dating

Recruiting In A Pandemic: Wake Up Your Company And Leadership Social Media Accounts

Here it is… my first episode of What You Should Know.

First some background…

I have long missed my conversations before, during and after with Casey Allen and Kathy Grayson when we did the MSP On Deck Podcast.

Like when I started this blog in 2005, I have things to get out of my brain.

With the “shutdown” one of the most frequently asked questions of me is, what’s going on in/with (fill in the blank).

This July 7th text from Kurt Schmidt (@krts), President of Foundry and Creator of The Schmidt List:

Idea: “This week in TC Tech Hiring” a weekly show where you give the low down on who’s hiring and laying people off. I’d listen to it.

And then a marathon of a catch up all with Kurt last week that included a commitment by me to do something like this and a promise from Kurt that if I didn’t there might be bodily harm done to me.

Look at me… did it in less than five days.

When you woke up this morning… how did you feel? Did you feel rested and ready to go or did you feel anxious, apprehensive and scared?

After you put your feet on the floor… were your steps with purpose and direction or did they waver, stagger and with no place to go?

This is a chance to choose our direction.

Our time to choose who we listen to.

An opportunity to choose a new job or career. A time to build a stronger business. Do the thing(s) professionally you had been thinking about in some cases for years.

Have you helped your neighbor, friend or stranger?

Are you feeling and being strong for those around you?

Have you stayed on the couch binging on show after show or have you taken walks, climbed stairs, done some pushups and sit ups?

Are you focusing on sunrises and sunsets… being grateful for the day or are you stuck watching the latest news?

Are you reacting to what is happening around you or are you being aggressive and finding opportunity?

This moment… this pandemic is being called our “Pearl Harbor” and “our 9/11”.

Years from now how will you remember what you did? What stories will you be able to tell?

Last Friday I had a blog post => It’s Time To Go and in part:

Recruiting Into A Slowing Economy, Recession And Coming Out The Other Side

To be blunt… most companies are dropping the ball. So many groups have a blank career page. At a time when they could be communicating about future hiring needs and collecting contact information… they have nothing.

Whether we will have a V, W, U or L shaped recovery it will take most groups some (a lot) time to staff up again. This will increase the length of the slowdown for them. I don’t get it. They’re making it worse.

So… I will do a free webinar giving ideas that that leadership and recruiting teams should be doing during this time.

This morning I had a call with a CEO and they were wondering why I would do such a thing. They were not looking for how to recruit, but… why. Why should they continue to recruit during the shutdown.

We were on a video chat and I struck the pose above. I was wearing a hoodie but the facial reaction is the same.

Today’s edition of… What I’m Thinking About

I posted this earlier today on Facebook:

Let me be serious for a moment…

Get away from a potential baby boom, lost spring break trips and March Madness being cancelled for a moment and think about our families, friends, neighbors and those we don’t see often… I’m worried about:

• Those in bad, abusive relationships: more time at home with those who are hurting others

• Food supply: those with low incomes, who lack transportation, don’t have adequate storage

• Isolation: those who are already alone and isolated will be even more so

• Parents: those who already severely struggle with the role and may be without a paycheck or working from home and are not set up for it

• Stress: we all have more about finances, health, kids, parents, jobs

• Elderly: this is obvious

• Healthcare workers: They're taking care of our families and their own. And they're working in this "petri dish" every day.

While we are all trying to find some levity and have our own situations to think, worry about… let’s keep our eyes and ears open to trouble others may be having.

I know that people are not being flip or dismissive of what is going on.

The idea of quality family time, living room forts and people “reconnecting” are good.

While in the back of my mind I have been thinking about the health outcomes of the virus and long ago made contingency plans with my Mom… it is the economy that has had me worried.

Last week I went from cautious, to concerned to worried about it… in one week.

It was when I started checking in with friends about how they were doing that the macro impact… mental health side of this got my attention.

When you can… reach out to those around you.

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Every day your employees, teams, staff are watching what you do, what you say and how you say it.

In the past days and weeks they have been watching you even more.

In the weeks, months and quarters through this year… you’ll be working in a fish bowl.

They want to hear from you.

They want the truth.

They know things may not be OK today or the next quarter… they want to know you have a plan. That you have direction.

That you have their back.

And if they know that… they’ll have yours.

It’s time to lead.

Click Minnesota Headhunter for current blog posts, Work With Me if you are growing your team and Minneapolis Tech Jobs for Minnesota IT searches I am working on.

Stay in touch with me by clicking: