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How to Use Glassdoor Effectively: Tips for Interpreting Company Reviews

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Sites like Glassdoor are useful for job seekers, as they provide information about salaries, benefits, and company culture at various organizations. However, it's essential to remember that the information provided on these sites may be biased and not represent the company as a whole. Here are some tips for interpreting the information provided by sites like Glassdoor:

  1. Consider the source: The information on Glassdoor is provided by current and former employees of the company. Keep in mind that people are likelier to leave a review if they had a particularly positive or negative experience. This means that the overall rating and reviews may be different from the company as a whole.

  2. Look for patterns: While it's important not to place too much emphasis on individual reviews, it can be helpful to look for patterns in the reviews. If multiple people mention the same issues or concerns, these points are worth considering.

  3. Take the reviews with a grain of salt: It's important to remember that the reviews on Glassdoor are subjective and may not reflect your own experience at the company. Use the reviews as a starting point for your research and rely on them sparingly.

  4. Use multiple sources: Glassdoor is just one source of information about a company. It's a good idea to supplement the information on Glassdoor with other sources, such as the company's website, LinkedIn profile, and articles about the company in the media.

By considering the source, looking for patterns, taking the reviews with a grain of salt, and using multiple sources, you can better understand a company and make more informed decisions about whether it's the right fit for you.

Here are some alternative sites to Glassdoor that can also be useful for job seekers:

  1. LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a professional networking site that allows you to connect with other professionals in your industry and learn about job opportunities. In addition to job listings, LinkedIn also has a feature called "Company Pages" that provides information about various companies, including their mission, values, and employee benefits.

  2. Indeed: Indeed is a job search website that allows you to search for jobs based on location, job title, and company. In addition to job listings, Indeed also provides company reviews and ratings, which can be helpful when researching potential employers.

  3. PayScale: PayScale is a website that provides information about salaries and benefits for various jobs and industries. In addition to salary data, PayScale also provides information about job satisfaction and job stress levels, which can be helpful when evaluating potential employers.

  4. Fairygodboss: Fairygodboss is a website that allows you to search for jobs and get advice from current and former employees at various companies. In addition to job listings and company reviews, Fairygodmax also provides information about company culture and benefits.

By using a combination of these sites, you can better understand potential employers and make more informed decisions about your job search.

Keywords: Glassdoor, company reviews, bias, patterns, multiple sources

The Great Resignation: How Canadian Leaders Can Retain Talent and Navigate the Labour Shortage with Four Key Strategies

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

TL;DR: By implementing four key strategies, which include promoting a growth mindset, normalizing departures, and supporting employee engagement and recognition, Canadian leaders can effectively address the Great Resignation phenomenon and retain talent in the face of a labour shortage.

The Great Resignation is a phenomenon in which millions of employees have left their jobs searching for new employment opportunities. With Canadian organizations facing labour shortages, leaders must focus on hiring new talent and retaining existing employees. It is essential to recognize the value of remaining employees and support them during this challenging time to maintain stability.

In light of empirical research, we propose four strategies for leaders to address the Great Resignation effectively:

Recognize your influence. 

The actions and words of leaders have a significant impact on the perceptions and attitudes of employees. Examine your communication style to ensure you are not inadvertently exacerbating fear and uncertainty among your employees. For instance, instead of saying, "we don't know what the future holds," try saying something like, "we are prepared to weather any storm with our collective efforts." Understanding your impact will help you to lead your team toward a more positive outlook. For example, rather than highlighting a team's difficulties, leaders can focus on the solutions and the opportunities available.

Emphasize potential and opportunities

In times of change, a growth mindset, which emphasizes learning and potential, can foster resilience. For instance, when faced with a challenging task, people with a growth mindset might focus on the skills they can learn, while people with a fixed mindset might focus on the potential for failure. Encourage your employees to envision the best outcomes for your organization and discuss what excites them about the future. Feelings of fear and uncertainty can be alleviated by creating a sense of potential and opportunity.

Normalize departures

Respectful offboarding processes have been shown to improve the psychological well-being of remaining employees. Recognize the contributions of departing employees and express gratitude for their service. For example, hold a farewell party for an employee who has been with the company for many years and shares stories of their impact on the team. Considering departures as a natural part of the employment process can contribute to a more positive working environment.

Acknowledge and support your employees

Retention and organizational success are strongly correlated with employee engagement. Reconnect with your employees, discuss their aspirations, and recognize their efforts during difficult times. For instance, take the time to appreciate accomplishments made by team members or colleagues and thank them for their contributions or check in to see how they are doing. Make sure your organization's compensation and recognition systems are fair and transparent. Engage employees in problem-solving and decision-making processes to enhance their engagement.

Conclusion

Finally, Canadian leaders must address the challenges of the Great Resignation and focus on supporting their existing employees. Ensure that employees are heard, understood and valued to create an atmosphere of inclusion. This will help ensure that employees remain committed to their work and their teams. Giving employees autonomy and control over their work will empower them to make changes and drive innovation. Companies should also invest in training and development opportunities to ensure employees have the skills to stay competitive. Finally, providing benefits and rewards that recognize hard work and effort will help show employees they are appreciated.

#GreatResignation #CanadianLabourShortage #EmployeeRetention #LeadershipStrategies #GrowthMindset #PotentialAndOpportunities #NormalizeDepartures #RespectfulOffboarding #PsychologicalWellbeing #EmployeeEngagement #Inclusion #FairCompensation #TransparentRecognition #ProblemSolving #DecisionMaking #AutonomyAndControl #Innovation #TrainingAndDevelopment #TalentRetention #OrganizationalSuccess #EmployeeRecognition #EmployeeAppreciation #WorkforceManagement

5 Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them: Tips for Acing Your Next Job Interview

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Interviews can be nerve-wracking, especially if you're unsure what to expect. While every interview is different, certain questions come up more frequently than others. Here are five common questions that are asked at modern interviews, along with tips on how to answer them:

  1. "Tell me about yourself." This is often the first question that is asked in an interview, and it can be intimidating. Keep your answer brief and focus on your relevant skills and experience. Avoid talking about personal or irrelevant details.

  2. "Why do you want to work for this company?" This is your opportunity to show the interviewer that you have done your homework and are genuinely interested in the company and its mission. Mention specific aspects of the company that appeal to you, such as its values or the opportunity for growth and development.

  3. "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" When discussing your strengths, be specific and provide examples. For weaknesses, try to turn them into positives by discussing how you are working to improve or overcome them.

  4. "Tell me about a time when you faced a challenge at work and how you dealt with it." This question is designed to test your problem-solving skills and ability to handle difficult situations. When answering, focus on the steps you took to overcome the challenge and any lessons you learned.

  5. "Do you have any questions for me?" Always have a few questions prepared to ask the interviewer. This shows that you are engaged and interested in the position and the company. Good questions include ones about the company's goals and objectives, the day-to-day responsibilities of the role, and opportunities for growth and development.

By preparing for these common interview questions and practicing your responses beforehand, you can increase your confidence and increase your chances of making a positive impression during an interview. Good luck!

Keywords: job interview, questions, strengths, weaknesses, challenges, questions to ask

What makes a good Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Only five years ago, the title of Chief Information Security Officer was likely awarded to an employee that had worked hard and was dedicated to the company. It was an honorific title often given as a reward. Times have changed and companies need a new breed of CISO.

The number, severity, and impacts of cyber threats are continually increasing. Companies now rely on complex highly integrated IT systems whose confidentiality, availability and integrity are paramount. 

The WannaCry ransomware was a good example of how poorly managed security can cripple an organization. The National Health Service in the United Kingdom had up to 70,000 infected devices and was forced to turn away non-emergency patients. (1)

The CISO is now a senior-level business executive who can directly impact the profitability and viability of an entire organization. Instead of being a technical specialist, the CISO must now be a seasoned business leader that can become a trusted advisor to other executives within the organization. 

CISOs can help maintain your brand value, help build relationships with various stakeholders, and are charged with protecting an organization's most important assets (the digital ones).

The job of a true modern CISO is getting harder by the day, and organizations need to ensure they have the best CISO they can find & afford, to guiding them. 

If we agree that the nature of the CISO's role has changed and that the modern CISO is a very different creature than his predecessor, what makes a good CISO?

1 - Problem solvers

A modern-day CISO can solve complex rapidly changing problems under stress and high pressure. A CISO must enjoy solving complex puzzles while being able to juggle day-to-day tasks and driving the organization's long-term vision. The CISO must understand that every decision made today can have dramatic repercussions tomorrow. 

2- The CISO must be a people person

The modern CISO is often a front-line representative of the organization to shareholders, customers, partners, and regulators. They must have the ability to build strong relationships based on trust and respect. The CISO must have the ability to communicate complex security issues to stakeholders that may not understand even basic IT. The modern CISO must be a people person. The modern CISO must lead his team with fervor and engender commitment from the security team. 

3 - The CISO is a citizen of the world

Information flows without respective national boundaries, but companies are being asked to navigate complex global regulations that sometimes contradict each other. The only way a CISO can manage this increasingly complex regulatory environment is with non-traditional skills (for an IT person) that include law, business, compliance and governmental relations. 

4 - The CISO must be business minded

The CISO must make security decisions based on how it impacts the organization or enables the organization to perform its primary business functions. The CISO must weight security decisions against profitability, efficiency and must build a competitive advantage for the organization. A CISO must be obsessed with efficiency and must be resource conscious (people, time and money). Gone are the days when a CISO makes purely technical decisions based on technical need. 

5- CISOs tend to be workaholics

Even if work-life balance is all the rage, a CISO is always on call. Unfortunately, the bad guys never take a break and often neither does the CISO. It is common for a CISO to work long hours and weekends while guiding the organization to where it needs to go. The modern CISO is humble and respects the capabilities of his/her adversaries. A CISO must always be vigilant. A CISO is continually thinking about how he/she will keep the organization one step ahead of threat actors.

6 - Strong team building skills

CISOs work long and hard but so do their teams. A CISO must be self-confident enough to hire the highly skilled professionals the organization needs to succeed. I have met many CISOs who refused to hire employees that were more technically competent than them for fear of being replaced. This is the reflex of a "bad" CISO that doesn't understand his/her new role. A good CISO will hire the best resources he/she can find and them coach them to grow and become exceptional. The stronger the team, the better the CISO.

7 - Your CISO doesn't need to be certified 

Full disclosure, I do not currently hold any security certifications but I believe I can challenge anyone that does. The CISO is a business professional with security experience, not a security professional with business experience. 

You should rely on the proven track record.

Conclusion

The role of CISO is constantly changing, and the ideal candidate must also be constantly evolving.  I have been a security executive since 2001 and have seen the role of CISO morph from a backroom function performed by geeks, to a font of the house leader that can communicate with clients and regulators. The right CISO can drive business growth while the wrong one can sink your entire organization. 

Invest the time, energy and resources required to hire the right CISO for your company. If you have a CISO already, make sure he/she is the right one your organization needs right now. 

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(1) Ungoed-Thomas, Jon; Henry, Robin; Gadher, Dipesh (14 May 2017). "Cyber-attack guides promoted on YouTube". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 14 May2017.

3 secrets to using LinkedIn to advance your career

GeneralEdward Kiledjian
Image by Adriano Gasparri used under Creative Commons License

Image by Adriano Gasparri used under Creative Commons License

LinkedIn has created a unique niche for itself amongst professionals looking to bolster their career. Read my article about The You Brand , and you may start to see opportunities to use LinkedIn as your personal self promotion platform. 

Related Articles:

Here are some of the elements you could use to improve your overall LinkedIn visibility and credibility.

Update Your Profile

Sounds pretty basic but it deserves a special spot here as the first suggestion.  Remember that LinkedIn is where potential employers go to discover who you are. It is often the first opinion a potential partner or employer will have of you. 

It is very important to remember:

“LinkedIn is not Facebook, please stay professional”

Make sure everything in your profile exudes professionalisms from the level of english you use to describe your positions to the picture you upload. You'll notice on my LinkedIn profile that my background (on the very top) is a serene picture of a forest. Chose something that describes you without going overboard. 

LinkedIn also allows you to add other content which may be relevant to your future job prospects such as whitepapers, images, presentations, etc.

LinkedIn Profile Tips:

  1. Have a well lit professional looking photo
  2. Have an original (non job title) tagline that describes your capabilities
  3. Have more contacts. Add anybody you have met to LinkedIn. There is something powerful when that 500+ connection number is shown on your profile
  4. When using LinkedIn for intelligence work, turn on anonymous browsing (link) to do it discreetly
  5. Linkedin in NOT a resume and shouldn't be treated as such. Consider it a living document that describes you. 
  6. It is important to update your LinkedIn status at least once a week. Remember to stay professional.
Image by Sean MacEntee used under Creative Commons License

Image by Sean MacEntee used under Creative Commons License

Blogging

Blogging is the great equalizer of the internet. Everyone has an equal opportunity to produce quality content and demonstrate their thought leadership capabilities.

In fact this article you are reading will be posted on my own personal blog at kiledjian.com and also cross-posted on LinkedIn using their blogging feature.

If your readers like your content, they can like or share it which increases your visibility beyond your own network.

Image by Hans Põldoja used under Creative Commons License

Image by Hans Põldoja used under Creative Commons License

Nurture your network

LinkedIn created the Connected app (link) and describes it as: " Because most opportunities come from the people you already know, and fostering genuine relationships can help you be more successful."

LinkedIn is telling you how important nurturing your network is... Are you listening? 

You want to be top of mind within your network. If an opportunity comes up, you want your contacts to think of you. Remember that 70% of jobs aren't posted so your LinkedIn army can help you get hired.