As a leader in business, you know all about change. You constantly weigh the state of your industry, the economy, your budget, your competitors and myriad other factors, and modify operations to best fit the conditions. Without a willingness and ability to change, your business would quickly falter.
Change is equally important for community colleges. The concept is actually part of our core identity. Community colleges are designed to be nimble and move quickly in response to community needs. Change can be challenging, but it’s necessary and inevitable at all levels of the institution.
Tarrant County College has gone through a great deal of change in recent years. While the pandemic was a major driver, we also simply recognize that the ways of the past aren’t necessarily the best ways to recruit 21st century learners, encourage their persistence and success, and grow the pipeline of skilled workers. The future belongs to postsecondary institutions that define innovative practices for serving our students and the entire community, especially business and industry.
I am proud to say that TCC is doing that work. We partner with companies throughout the region to shape our programming, curricula and learning technology to match evolving employer needs. This is a major focus; per the Texas Commission on Community College Finance report recently presented to lawmakers, the state’s most urgent task is to develop a competitive workforce for the future.
Building that workforce isn’t just about what’s taught, but also how the material is taught and how we support our students throughout their studies. We are shifting to a more effective teaching model through our Engaged Learning Institute, and putting in place strategic initiatives and process improvements
focused on student enrollment and completion. This results in more highly skilled graduates prepared for lifelong learning and professional growth. By prioritizing student success, we are also prioritizing the success of Tarrant County business and industry.
Of course, it is not enough to change structures and systems. We make meaningful progress only when the thinking behind those systems also changes. Our faculty and staff recognize this and are doing the hard work to reimagine how we operate, educate and problem-solve. And we’re already seeing the results. TCC is ranked ninth in the nation for the number of associate degrees awarded; going forward, we will continue to elevate our goals.
Let me close by thanking you for the role you play in our work, whether that’s through serving on our program advisory committees (visit tccd.edu/community/business for info), turning to TCC’s Corporate Solutions & Economic Development team for customized training, hiring our graduates or reading this magazine. We are grateful for your support—and that’s something that won’t change.
Elva Concha LeBlanc, PhD chancellor, tarrant county college district
Take
by jennifer blalock, eddMaking
38 ‘We’re Looking for Lifelong Learners’
Recruiters, CEOs and career experts in Tarrant County sound off on the skills most crucial to regional success in the modern workforce. by tyler hicks
cover illustration by natalie hasty
Ageneral refrain we often hear is that in order to succeed, the first essential tool is a good education. That’s because education is the tried-and-true gateway between an individual and a prosperous life. But how does that correlate with the job market?
On the management side, hiring an educated and skilled team is, to be sure, the fastest and smartest way to implement a thriving, innovative and effective workforce. And what’s the quickest, most cost-effective way to bridge education with industry? Working through your local community college, of course!
Community colleges are the catalyst for making a significant impact on the talented workforce we produce across the country. According to Think Impact, a free resource for education- and career-related trends and data, there are 942 community colleges in the United States, and about 12.4 million students are enrolled in them. Other important notes of interest about community colleges:
• Approximately 66% of undergraduates have enrolled in a community college at some point after completing high school.
• On average, a community college student who graduates with an associate degree will earn $5,400 more annually compared with a college dropout.
Tarrant County College has grown to be the seventh-largest college or university in the state of Texas and one of the nation’s largest institutions of higher education. We provide a diverse, skilled and workforce-aligned talent pool.
Welcome to the sixth issue of our award-winning The Lens magazine, the only magazine in D/FW focusing on workforce and economic development topics. This issue examines why institutions of higher education and businesses must strategically align to ensure success for all parties involved (businesses, employees, customers). The focus is also on the importance of lifelong learning, workforce trends for 2023 and how to make your business a shining star to attract talent. Most important, we highlight Tarrant County College alumni who are thriving, and the impact their education had on elevating them to a successful life. We are so proud of our students and the careers they have built.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Shannon Bryant, MEd, CWDP, LSSGB
CHANCELLOR
Elva LeBlanc, PhD
BOARD
Teresa Ayala, President
Kenneth Barr, Vice President
Jeannie Deakyne, Secretary
Shannon Wood, District 2
Leonard Hornsby, Assistant Secretary
Bill Greenhill, District 4
Gwendolyn Morrison, District 6
EDITORIAL
Reginald Gates
jennifer blalock, edd Jennifer has spent over two decades leading teams in postsecondary education and municipal government. As the CEO of InJenuity Solutions, Jennifer develops, facilitates and evaluates workforce, economic and organizational development programs.
heide brandes
Based in Oklahoma City, Heide is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post, among others. She is also a historic re-enactor and an avid hiker.
tom delamater
Tom is an Ohio-based writer and editor, and longtime communications consultant to corporations, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. He is the former chief communications officer at Collin College.
tonya fitzpatrick, esq
Tonya is the CEO of World Footprints, a socially conscious travel media platform that includes the multi-awardwinning World Footprints podcast. She is a former delegate to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, and she’s been recognized as Black Travel Journalist of the Year.
ian fitzpatrick, esq
An award-winning journalist, Ian has written and spoken about workplace diversity and travel topics around the world. Based in Silver Spring, Maryland, he practices law in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
rick gosselin
A longtime sports reporter and columnist for The Dallas Morning News, Rick has covered the NFL for 50 years. He was enshrined in the writers’ wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in 2004. He is the featured columnist for The Lens
shika hershel, phd Shika has published articles in various commercial and educational journals. She is also the former team photographer for the Texas Rangers. Shika currently works in risk management at Charles Schwab & Co.
tyler hicks
Tyler is a freelance writer from Austin, Texas. He is a frequent contributor to a host of local media including the Dallas Observer, D magazine and Local Profile. His work has also appeared in American Way and Island Soul magazines.
james ndone, phd
James is an organizational and leadership communications scholar who specializes in crisis communication. Originally from Kenya, he has worked domestically and abroad in both education and industry. He has a PhD from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
Advertising in The Lens magazine doesn’t just align your organization with high-quality content in an award-winning publication. Being part of both the print and digital editions of The Lens also puts your business in front of thousands of readers, including Tarrant County executives, business leaders and economic development professionals. Secure your spot today to reach the decision-makers you want as clients.
for advertising opportunities, please email our publisher at info@midwestluxurypublishing.com we look forward to working with you!
The stats behind one of the fastest-growing markets in the country.
6% LOWER THAN THE U.S. AVERAGE COST OF LIVING2
1,105,206
PROJECTED TOTAL JOBS IN TARRANT COUNTY BY 2025 6
MEDIAN HOME VALUE3
$229,200
3%
INCREASE IN JOBS FROM 2020 TO 2022 SURPASSING PRE-PANDEMIC NUMBERS IN THE AREA 5
POPULATION1
2,126,477
1million
YEAR-OVER-YEAR NET CHANGE FOR PRIVATE-INDUSTRY SUPERSECTOR
EMPLOYMENT IN THE DALLAS METROPOLITAN AREA, NOVEMBER 2022 (IN THOUSANDS)4
After spending much of his professional career advocating for companies and organizations in business sectors such as transportation and manufacturing, Bill Webb found himself at a crossroads in 2020.
“An acquaintance of mine owned a large supply company, and both he and his customers were having a hard time finding skilled trades people,” he says. “They asked me if I would create and lead an effort that would promote the trades here in Texas.”
The rest, as they say, is history.
But Webb’s story seemed to suggest he might one day end up precisely where he is, doing exactly what he does: advocating and lobbying for the skilled trades as founder and CEO of Associated Industries of Texas (AITX).
The mission of AITX is “to build and maintain a coordinated, unified, focused, and effective effort to promote skilled trade jobs in Texas,” according to a statement on the organization’s official website.
Foremost among those goals, says Webb—a veteran of the trucking and logistics, retail and manufacturing industries, and former CEO of the Texas Motor Transportation Association—is the importance of presenting a unified effort.
“Finding skilled trades people was a problem that a lot of businesses knew needed to be addressed,” Webb says. “There are associations and companies that recognize the problem, but they’re not always working in unison.
“Part of our job is to identify how and where those efforts are being made and then bring them together for maximum impact.”
That approach is working. In just over two years, AITX has grown to more than 550 member organizations that support the association’s effort to connect qualified job candidates to careers in the skilled trades.
But wait: Did that say qualified candidates? Can’t just about anybody do those jobs?
That’s a misconception Webb and AITX are determined to battle. The jobs are called skilled trades for a reason: Not just anybody can do them.
By definition, skilled trades are occupations that require a specific skill set, ability or body of knowledge. They typically fall into five categories: agriculture, construction, manufacturing/ industrial, service and transportation.
Most skilled trades require specific training, which is available through career technical education, public or private technical schools or the military. Another form of education is an apprenticeship, which is typically on-the-job training that allows a candidate to earn while they learn.
delamater | illustration by lisa bairAnother misconception to dispel—one that is easier said than done—is to change the perception early on that trade jobs are fallbacks.
“If you can get kids at a young age, say as early as middle school, to focus on doing something they’re interested in, you have a better chance of them turning it into a career,” he says. “To talk to an eighth grader about what they’re going to do for a living may be a stretch, but to talk to them about what they enjoy doing is a different story.”
Webb points out that for decades, sometimes going back generations, many people who entered the skilled trades did so because their father or grandfather had been a truck driver or a welder or a carpenter. It was almost assumed they would follow in their footsteps.
The goals of the Associated Industries of Texas (AITX) are:
Encourage young people to be proud professionals in skilled trades
Make skilled trade professionals a first-choice career
Remove the stigma of blue-collar trades jobs
Promote the earnings potential and job satisfaction associated with skilled trades
Close the skills gap in Texas
Promote a public/private collaborative model to prepare the Texas workforce for the economic demands of the strongest state economy in the U.S.
Develop, execute, and maintain an effective political and image campaign that illustrates the importance of—and value in—skilled trade jobs in Texas
But that dynamic has changed, he says, and family traditions no longer draw young people into the skilled trades. As a result, employers and organizations like AITX have their work cut out for them.
“The perception developed that a trade is just a fallback position,” Webb says. “If somebody failed at going to college or didn’t get a four-year degree, they would just settle for a job in construction or plumbing or transportation.
“Even today, not many people get up in the morning and say they want to be a welder or a carpenter,” he continues. “So the big challenge is changing the perception in middle school and high school so young people—and their parents—don’t think of the trades as fallback jobs.”
The way to change that perception, he points out, is to change the conversation.
“We’ve got to change the language we use, to help parents understand that a career in the skilled trades can be long, fulfilling and often lucrative,” Webb says. “One way to get that message across to parents and their children is to put facts and figures into the hands of school counselors.”
To that end, AITX is developing a virtual toolkit to provide counselors with information about jobs, training and earning potential. The goal is to break down the stereotypes students and their parents may have.
One example would be a diesel mechanic. “They may be turning wrenches, but they’ll probably spend a lot more time on a computer than they do under a hood,” Webb says. “Then you get into robotics and other tools of the trade, and it’s a whole different ballgame.”
Another area of emphasis is working with public school districts that have the money to offer career tech programs but lack the business and industry connections in their region. AITX helps foster those connections so that, as schools produce qualified graduates, there are jobs and more training opportunities available to help them take the next step in their careers.
A final key is to help employers understand what is required to take full advantage of the talent pool schools are producing.
“Many of them say they need more qualified candidates,” he says, “but we want to help set them up with strategic partners or in-house training programs so they can educate new hires on how to do their jobs properly.”
Webb says AITX has made considerable progress in its first two years, but there is much more to do.
“We don’t want young people to think that deciding to pursue a skilled trades career means you settled for second best,” he says. “Helping them decide on a career path early in life and get the training they’ll need to be successful will result in a winwin situation—for themselves and their future employers.”
“We’ve got to change the language we use, to help parents understand that a career in the skilled trades can be long, fulfilling and often lucrative.”
— Bill Webb FOUNDER AND CEO OF ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES OF TEXAS
Since our first campus opened in 1967, TCC has conferred more than 130,000 degrees and certificates upon people who, mostly, have established themselves in this same region. Creating everyday heroes who enhance our community…that’s what we do.
5 transferable associate degrees
68 Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees
132 Certificates of Completion
18 Occupational Skills Awards
Community Education & Engagement (CEE) programs at more than 10 locations in Tarrant County College for Kids
Early College High Schools
Senior Education
Adult Basic Education
Developmental Education
Corporate Workforce Training
Serving nearly 100,000 students annually
Ranked the top online college in Texas
348 instructors with doctoral degrees
Average pass rate of 90 percent for our 29 state licensure programs
- County resident tuition: $64 / credit hour = $960 for a 15-hour semester
Six campuses
350 courses offered online through TCC Connect
Weekend College
Eight-Week Courses
Monthly Starts
Maymester and Wintermester
Free public transportation
These former TCC students prove that community colleges help create bright futures. by heide brandes
Even today, misconceptions and myths exist that lead people to believe that community colleges are somehow less valuable than a four-year school. Nothing can be further from the truth, and more and more people and employers are discovering why this stigma is unfounded.
Community colleges like Tarrant County College can be beneficial to students who face serious barriers to traditional success like language issues, low-income backgrounds or significantly underrepresented populations. Or, oftentimes, life gets in the way of making college a full-time job. However, as these four former students of TCC prove, choosing community college can be the secret to your success and a way to strengthen both academic and nonacademic skills.
BRISA RENTERIA ALWAYS HAD TO figure things out on her own. As a first generation U.S. citizen, having moved to Euless, Texas, at age 12 from Mexico City, she had a sales and entrepreneurial spirit, but no family history of how to navigate the college experience.
TCC was her introduction not only to the world of academics, but to entrepreneurship and growth as well. Today, she is CEO of Improve Growth, a business she started in September 2020 in the middle of COVID, and after having a baby.
“My mom was a single mom, and I have a sister, but my mom always instilled in us that we had to go to school,” she says. “She always said, ‘I brought you here to the U.S. It’s the land of opportunity. You got to go to school. You got to get your degree and you got to become somebody.’ A big component of that for her was education.”
The desire for an education was in place, but funds were not. After graduating from Trinity High School in 2009, Renteria turned to TCC because of its affordability. She was the first member of her family to enroll in college, and that meant learning the ins and outs of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and enrollment.
“I was 17 years old when I started at TCC,” Renteria recalls. “I was kind of the baby of the group because a lot of older people go there. It was my first glimpse into really being an adult because there is a big difference between high school and college.
“TCC was very welcoming. It was an easier experience going to a community college than going to a full-on university, and of course, significantly more affordable than going to the university.”
Even when she was a child living in Mexico, Renteria had an entrepreneur’s spirit, selling ice cream and toys as an adolescent. Her mother encouraged her to pursue that business mindset, and Renteria earned an associate degree in Business at TCC before transferring to the University of Texas at Arlington.
After working for a sales training company for five years, Renteria realized she could offer something better. Using the skills and knowledge she gained at TCC, she started her own sales training company, Improve Growth, in September 2020, mere months after having a baby.
“Being 17 and going to school with 30-, 40- and 50-year-olds taught me what to have conversations about, how to conduct myself, how to carry myself and how to ask questions,” she says. “It definitely matures you a bit more for a work and educational environment. Starting a business in the middle of COVID with a newborn baby was challenging, but I was able to take the leap and do it and figure it out. I’ve always had to figure it out myself, and TCC was a great training ground for that.”
These days, Renteria says she still uses the skills and the critical thinking adeptness she learned at TCC in her successful venture. She also notices when potential employees have TCC listed on their resumes.
“I always have an emotional attachment to candidates from TCC because I identify with them,” she says proudly. “So when we do get a resume that lists TCC, I’m personally attached to them.”
“Being 17 and going to school with 30-, 40- and 50-year-olds taught me … how to carry myself and how to ask questions.”
ANTHONY RUSS’ ORIGINAL PLAN AFTER leaving high school was to play college basketball for four years. He struggled with that plan during his freshman year at another institution, so he withdrew from school. Although he spent the following summer working, his parents continued to encourage him to continue his education.
“My aunt, who lives in Arlington, inspired me to continue my education by pursuing my associate degree at TCC. My aunt and her husband opened their door to me, allowing me to move in with them and start my first semester at TCC,” he says.
TCC was a fresh start for Russ. “After accepting that I would not continue my athletic career, I knew that business and technology would be my ideal career path,” he says. The programs offered at TCC helped Russ earn his associate degree before pursuing a bachelor of business administration degree at The University of North Texas. Today, Russ says TCC was the foundation he needed to propel him into his career.
“TCC was an amazing institution for me. I regained my confidence in the classroom and became an honor roll student and was initiated into Phi Theta Kappa: International College Honor Society due to my outstanding grades,” he says. “I made
Anthony Russmany great friends on campus, and my professors helped me achieve my goals while also challenging me.“
More important, he says, TCC helped build the business foundation that he stands on today in his career. He developed the confidence needed to unlock his potential and create his own future. As his career aspirations continue to evolve, namely to become a senior level executive, he relies upon the skills he learned at TCC.
“This college showed me that it’s possible to achieve your goals when you apply yourself and work hard,” Russ says. “No matter where you come from or your situation, TCC will help you get to where you want to go.”
In addition to Russ’s position as business operations manager at Cisco Collaboration, he is also instrumental in the company’s diversity efforts. He is a member of the Connected Black Professional Group, where he serves on the Wellbeing Mental/ Emotional Track. “At TCC, I took an ‘intro to golf’ course,” he recalls. “That is a bit of the fun side, however, it became very valuable as I went into my first corporate job after college. I learned that a lot of business is completed on golf courses. Although I’m not very good at the game, I enjoy doing business on the golf course.”
“This college showed me that it’s possible to achieve your goals when you apply yourself and work hard.”
FLOR ALVARADO WAS 18 WHEN she moved from Chihuahua, Mexico, to Fort Worth to pursue a career and a new life. She promptly enrolled in English as a second language while working as a babysitter and a housekeeper to make ends meet. But she was determined to get her GED, regardless of the fact she was still undocumented.
“I knew that getting an education was the way forward,” Alvarado says. She and her husband, Jorge, had three children, and as a mother of U.S. citizens, Alvarado could then establish residency in the U.S. She also had a new top goal in mind to earn a college degree.
“I decided to go to TCC and began taking core college classes. It wasn’t easy. At 40 years old, I was much older than the typical college freshman,” she says. “TCC was the most wonderful experience that I could have in my life: It helped me to see my potential and also gave me the strength to get rid of my fears. I was very timid to speak since I did not know the language very well, but I got in the habit of taking notes of everything the professors were teaching in class, and that helped me so much to learn faster.”
Despite the language barrier, Alvarado says she did not feel any different from the other students. She loved her speech class and earned “the best speech of the class,” which further boosted her confidence.
“I remember multiple times that I would leave class and walk down the hallways with tears in my eyes thanking God for this amazing opportunity to be attending a college in the United States,” she says. “I also loved how professional all the professors were, so respectful and straight to the point. I recommend TCC to every person who doesn’t have a way to attend a university and who wants to save money. I also recommend it because they offer so much help and opportunities for everyone. I used to spend my days at the tutoring room and there was always someone there to help me.”
Alvarado originally majored in psychology, but the
time constraints of working while attending college meant she would be in classes for years. A friend suggested that she change gears and take classes to become a Realtor.
“So, I registered at the Champions Real Estate School,” Alvarado says. She quickly succeeded in passing all the requirements to become a real estate agent. She also became a U.S. citizen and started her own company, Flor Alvarado Realty Group, LLC, and Flor Alvarado Rentals, LLC, with Keller Williams Brokerage.
“I honestly loved the experience at TCC and I am very appreciative of everything that I learned, especially because it changed my life for the best and it helped me to lose my fears,” she says.
“I am now a business owner and an investor. One of the things that I have always enjoyed is helping others. Now I teach people how to invest and become business owners as well.”
“TCC was the most wonderful experience that I could have in my life: It helped me to see my potential.”
BORN IN CHICAGO BUT RAISED in Euless, Texas, Hussain Manjee was like a lot of other high school students: He lacked the financial means as a high school grad to consider college, but TCC offered a solution that he said started him on a path of education and success.
“I come from very humble beginnings,” he says. “The dual credit program with TCC was brilliant because it allowed me to earn college credits while I was still in high school without incurring a huge bill.” After graduating high school, he decided to continue with TCC and took more courses. While a college student, Manjee was also working. When he was ready, he was accepted into a different program that allowed him to finish up his bachelor’s degree.
Manjee’s education journey was only beginning with his bachelor’s degree from DeVry University. After majoring in computer science, he worked in a corporate environment for a few years before realizing he was looking for something more. He returned to school to enroll in a graduate marketing certification program at SMU and then earned his masters in business administration from Babson College in Boston.
“TCC was the starting point,” he recalls. “It gave me a lot
Hussain Manjee CHIEF SUCCESS OFFICER DHD FILMS
of the credits I needed, but it also gave me a really good understanding of the environment and the space to find out what I wanted to do.”
Today, Manjee is the Chief Success Officer of DHD Films, a full service video production agency that works with enterprises and brands like UT Southwestern, Parkland Hospital, the City of Dallas and D/FW Airport. DHD Films was founded by Manjee’s brother, and he started working at the company in 2010 to help scale and grow the company.
“For Parkland, we’re doing a series of videos that talk about helping women who are struggling with breast cancer and educating them on their journey and what to expect,” he says. “With D/FW Airport, we do a lot of the digital signage videos that you and I would see when we’re going through the airport.”
Without the dual credit program offered at TCC and his initial experience at the college, Manjee says he is unsure if he would have even attended college. “Honestly, where I was at that point in life, I didn’t even know if a college education was something that I was going to pursue,” he says. “I didn’t know if I could afford it. I don’t know if without dual credit programs I would have even started down the path of getting an education.
“At TCC, I started appreciating the diversity of backgrounds that were there and the different journeys that people were on. You have students right out of high school next to adult students, so I met these different people. I truly learned and immersed myself in fully engaging with these people.”
Learning about other people and their backgrounds at TCC inspires Manjee even today. “My company is powered by storytellers. For me, it’s all of these stories along my life that I’ve seen and learned from that has allowed me to become successful in this business today.”
“At TCC, I started appreciating the diversity of backgrounds that were there and the different journeys that people were on.”
by jennifer blalock, edd
business year behind us that introduced a deluge of new workplace challenges, including “quiet quitting” and “the great resignation,” corporate leaders are cautiously readying their teams and organizations to prepare for another uncertain year ahead.
As they anxiously anticipate more change in an already rapidly evolving world of work, it makes good business sense to prepare for such fluctuations, disruptions and advances through a combination of training, research and forecasting of what’s to come. The Lens is here to dig in and examine the key emerging trends and expected opportunities that 2023 has in store for executives and the organizations they lead.
In the popular TV show Project Runway, a reality competition program where aspiring fashion designers work through challenges to create compelling designs, celebrated fashion guru Tim Gunn utters the infamous line “make it work!” to the contestants. The burgeoning professional artists scurry about, frantic, as they are faced with limited time, supplies, resources and other obstacles that threaten their success.
The coming year in business management will be no different. Managers can expect continued increases in utility and office space costs, supply chain issues and elongated vacancy to hire times. Companies will have to work with what they have and
find ways to maximize efficiency, productivity and profitability in new and innovative ways. In short, leaders will be called to “make it work” despite less-than-ideal circumstances, without excuses and in anticipation of more significant external shifts.
Howard Guy, a corporate director with a Fortune 500 company in Evanston, Illinois, has been tapped to rejuvenate struggling teams and locations within his organization. As a new leader, Guy is committed to lead his team on a transformational journey by engaging both internal and external stakeholders to make the best of volatile and changing times.
“Whether we’ll be asked to cut our operational budget or identify departments and services to reimagine, I’m dedicated to approaching it with a growth mindset, a positive outlook and an eye toward the future,” Guys says. “Yes, we may have to make sacrifices, but ultimately, it’s my job as a leader to convince and convey that no matter what we’re faced with, we will make it work and support our mission. We’re going to come out on top and most importantly, provide excellent customer service.”
Guy’s work teams continue to maintain incredible customer service and satisfaction rates, with record growth and limited reductions to services and personnel. “No matter what, we’ll make it work,” he reiterates.
Companies will have to work with what they have and find ways to maximize efficiency, productivity and profitability in new and innovative ways.
The impact and longterm benefit of training and developing currently employed team members versus recruiting new talent is immense, even more than in prior years, as companies continue to compete for top talent.
With the power dynamic between employer and employee being redefined, the resulting lesson is for both parties to work with one another, collaboratively. In 2023, employers and leaders will be forced to work together more intentionally, and not just on projects and job duties, but in leadership, visioning and strategic planning. Employee benefits, work hours, remote work and other employee conditions will still be important considerations. But employees want more of a voice. This is their year to leverage that newly found self-advocacy and agency for greater good, including future organizational focus, expansion and innovation. Dante DelPozzo, an up-andcoming young professional who aspires to work for a major sports organization and is weighing several job offers, sums up this perspective.
“I want to know I’m part of the future at my organization,” DelPozzo says. “It really means a lot to be asked my opinion, thoughts and even share my ideas.” Even better, employers can celebrate those contributions, both large and small, with incentives, praise and recognition while integrating open and shared exchanges into the work culture.
How can employers demonstrate an authentic desire and willingness to work alongside, in partnership and collaboratively with employees to meet their needs? Future forward focus groups, inclusive surveys and even digital feedback forms measuring employee satisfaction and interests are all steps in the right direction, but 2023 will allow employees to set the direction of organizational effort and prioritization. Sure, they want to be invited to the table, but they are also eager to identify opportunities, guide conversation and architect their own career pathway.
Get ready for them to start helping to build the table and fully direct their organization and their own professional future. Consider feedback a gift.
This year, employers and employees will be encouraged to elevate the world of work by imploring one another to work with versus against one another. This means a shared sense of empathy and compassion between the company and the individual, embracing the work experience as a shared exchange with an ear, mind and heart that is truly prepared for collaboration as well as supporting each other’s success.
Employers must consider that the employee and their ideas and acumen extend beyond the workplace by encouraging and embracing their additional professional endeavors, including once they’re ready to move on.
Samantha Dean recently left her comfortable position as an executive administrator to launch her own marketing business. Despite the personal and professional risk, she was ready. “My previous positions all prepared me for this, and it’s a testament to the confidence I built over time with experience and education,” she says. “I was grateful to have the support of previous employers and organizations, and I see them as potential partners for the future.”
Deloitte recently identified employees living longer and having more opportunities as one of its top seven trends for the next decade. In 2023, employers would be wise to consider contracting outgoing employees for their organizational and historical knowledge and expertise. Dean credits the open market with opening the door to allow seasoned professionals like herself to transition into their own companies, on their own terms.
“Yes, we may have to make sacrifices, but ultimately, it’s my job as a leader to convince and convey that no matter what we’re faced with, we will make it work and support our mission.”
Howard Guy CORPORATE DIRECTOR
“I’d love to build and continue new relationships with prior employers that focus on my new company and professional services,” she says. Doing so affords companies a new avenue to procure proven talent while supporting their former employee’s next professional chapter.
Coach and author Amy Miller explains how companies can benefit from the resulting intangibles of the employee’s selfconfidence and self-awareness in the workplace. “The answers our employees are looking for are within them,” she says. “As a coach, I see that many people have gotten away from heeding their own intuition, and this has created anxiety, frustration and a lack of fulfillment.”
Miller cautions that without support, employee performance can suffer. “By working with a coach and investing in their development, individuals can identify the barriers to their success,” she says. “Together, they can uncover what drives them and take action, building self-esteem and confidence.”
Ultimately, such discovery creates a clear understanding of individual ownership of work performance. Happy, fulfilled employees are focused employees. “When we’re focused, we achieve more with less effort.”
Upskilling incumbent team members and onboarding new employees with focused support programs and coaching and mentoring will also continue to be wise investments for large and small businesses. The impact and long-term benefit of training and developing currently employed team members
versus recruiting new talent is immense, even more than in prior years, as companies continue to compete for top talent. Strengths based training, individual talent assessments and customized coaching are all valuable options for individual upskilling.
Get ready for employees to request greater transparency and communication from their leadership. What do you as an employer expect from them? How will you measure their performance? And what exactly is leadership focused on?
An open-door policy is being replaced by an open and shared experience of leading the organization to success. “It really means a lot to employee morale when executive leadership communicate regularly and clearly,” explains organizational culture consultant and motivational speaker Vincent Buggs.
Lifting the veil on organizational structure and decision making doesn’t have to be complicated. Open meetings, regular corporate communications and published corporate documents detailing current and future plans and achievements go a long way with establishing an inclusive spirit of transparency. Instead of simply focusing on how employees are performing, consider sharing leadership performance goals, achievements and areas for improvement. This will establish a company wide trust that defies organizational titles and hierarchies, bonding everyone together toward clearly defined outcomes and objectives.
Team Melita, an HR outsourcing agency, identified the importance of employees being inspired and motivated by the organization’s mission for the 2023 work year in their annual
“My previous positions all prepared me for [starting my own business], and it’s a testament to the confidence I built over time with experience and education.”
Samantha Dean BUSINESS OWNER
Amy Miller, renowned author and business coach, encourages business owners, corporate leaders and entrepreneurs to embrace the future and current challenges they are facing. By approaching change as an opportunity that can inspire us, she explains, we are inclined to step up our game and motivate others around us. Her top 2023 recommendations to help position companies for success:
Employee autonomy: Allow employees to self-select projects and teams. “We’re naturally more focused when we’re working on something that drives us.”
Individual development: Give employees and the supervisors and leaders who manage them time to selfreflect and develop individually to grow as a team. “When we get to know ourselves better, we can discern when to keep pushing forward with a task or reach out to a team member who may be stronger in that area. Leveraging team strengths as well as identifying areas for improvement can build team cohesiveness, momentum and individual confidence.”
recommendations for companies to consider. Affirms coach and author Miller, “I’m seeing more individuals beginning to pay attention to what it is they want out of their careers, whether it’s a better work/life balance or shifting career directions to something that feels more meaningful.”
Much like the corporate transparency we’ve identified as a 2023 expectation, the organizational purpose will be central to attracting and retaining top talent for any business. Shift that organizational mission from words on the page of the employee handbook into daily cultural norms and values by inviting employees and leaders to review, refine and even redefine what drives and guides the organization. Company retreats, mission engagement and activities and even corporate swag with the mission, values and purposes can help keep employees connected with the why and fuel their daily purpose and performance.
How we measure employee work performance is continuing to evolve. In 2023, employers will be challenged to consider and evaluate employee performance differently. Michael Mankins and Mark Gottfredson, partners in global consulting company Bain, offered the following advice in their 2022 Strategies for Turbulent Times article, published in the Harvard Business Review: “Leaders must approach performance monitoring with a new mindset. The central question should be not, ‘How did we perform?’ but ‘Should we alter course?’”
By expanding how we define the quality of work and organizational outcomes in 2023, employers will be creating more opportunities for talent development and career growth. More consistent engagement with employees through improved corporate communication technologies, including video conferencing, messaging and micro-meetings, will empower and
guide employee performance in real time instead of outdated annual reviews.
Creating work performance objectives and goals together, ditching the traditional evaluation forms and norms and replacing them with more creative, real measures of achievement that align with daily work duties and responsibilities will help the company excel and the employee feel more engaged and empowered to redefine what work really means in 2023.
It’s been said that those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Yes, more disruption is coming. To wit, these days, the expectation should be to expect the unexpected. But a comprehensive change management plan that supports the strategic priorities of the organization, including short-term and long-term goals, can make the difference between success and mediocrity.
Serial entrepreneur and author Brian Myers recommends that in 2023, employers should “have a plan and have a backup plan. Prepare to work a lot more if you have to downsize or have staffing challenges. Make your customer service game the best it’s ever been.”
An organization’s ability to pivot and refine processes while faced with adverse circumstances will benefit from thoughtful investment of the company’s resources in change management, innovation and new technologies.
Preparing for the unexpected may seem like a daunting and futile task, but organizational agility and planning make good business sense. A willingness to “make it work,” in spite of whatever challenges come into play, will strengthen organizational performance in 2023. Investing in the development of employees and inviting employees to help guide the organization not only this year but in years to come should be a staple of the long-term plan for business success.
“As a coach, I see that many people have gotten away from heeding their own intuition, and this has created anxiety, frustration and a lack of fulfillment.”
A dynamic economy requires a versatile talent pool. Fortunately, we have both.
Like many cities in Tarrant County, the northwestern city of Azle has experienced a rapid population growth as families and individuals prefer a rural lifestyle close to the metroplex. That means your potential employees already live here. Your business should be here, too.
For a labor force as unique as your business, Azle has you covered.
Making your business a shining example of responsibility will help attract the right employees.
by ian fitzpatrick, esq
ecruiting talented employees with newly minted college degrees or industry-related credentials has always had its challenges. As we emerge from a global pandemic, employers are faced with a new set of issues, forcing them to be flexible and creative in retaining and attracting talent. Employees have demanded greater flexibility from employers as they strive to strike a balance between their needs and the needs of their employers.
From a tightening labor market—where jobs are more plentiful than workers and where younger workers want and expect more from their personal and professional lives—the pandemic has, in all likelihood, permanently changed the world of work.
Although not a new idea but one that’s being pursued with a renewed emphasis in a post-pandemic world, recruiting prospective employees is a tried-and-true pathway to getting not only the best and brightest, but a way to instill a culture of continuous learning.
“We believe that this not only allows us to bring fresh perspective and new ideas into the company, but it also helps us to cultivate a culture of continuous learning and development,” says Shahnawaz Sadique, editor of Common Stupid Man, a web publication for video gamers. “To support this, we offer extensive training and professional development opportunities for all of our employees, regardless of their level of experience.”
This sentiment is echoed by Michal Suski, the chief product officer and co-founder of Surfer, a global content intelligence company based in Poland, Oregon. “Our approach begins with the recruitment process. We leverage technology to identify, assess and onboard college-educated workers who are a good fit for our organization. We believe that our employees should enjoy their work and that a successful team is one that is continuously learning. To that end, we provide ongoing training and mentorship opportunities that allow our team members to develop their skills and explore new areas of expertise.”
To be sure, front-end recruiting for educated talent is the first step in the attraction game. Step-two is keeping the talent once they’re hired. Organizations should strive to provide meaningful work experiences through continual learning and development initiatives that help employees reach their
goals, adds Greven Carl Manuel, a researcher and writer for Australia-based Emojisprout.com, a site devoted to decoding emojis. “Ultimately, organizations must create an environment where talented people want to stay—one where they can thrive professionally while feeling supported personally.”
Coming out of the pandemic, employees are demanding flexibility and want to work in organizations that not only understand the demands of families on their employees but appreciate and support their employees’ interests outside of work. This recognition that there is life outside of the office will lead to happier and better employees in the office. Employers that do not understand this change in thinking will be at a disadvantage in attracting and keeping talented workers.
“With the arrival of Generation Z into the job market, remote and hybrid work will be here to stay,” says Athina Zisi, chief operations officer of Energy Casino, a young iGaming company based in Malta. “If you want to hire recent graduates, you must think about how you will market to them. Gen Z expects to be able to balance their work and personal lives. You must implement an intelligent hybrid or remote work system that does not interfere with their work/life balance while still allowing schedule flexibility.”
Flexibility not only applies to employee scheduling but is an adaptation that corporate managers must have with changing work paradigms. According to financial professional Janet Patterson, the most essential part of attracting a new pool of talent is to break away from the shackles of old methods of work.
Here’s a quick guide for employers looking to make their company attractive to talent:
JennieMiller, co-founder of the Measurement Instrument Database for the Social Sciences (MIDSS), an online wellness publication, shares her recipe for successful hiring:
Determine the personality type you want to interview for the role and address that individual in the job description. If you want to attract exceptional talent, you must understand their interests and speak their language in a well-written job description.
Understand the traits you want the talent to have and drill down your behavioral interview questions to see how much of those traits are present. If you are looking for integrity, ask them about the most difficult professional decision they had to make or how costly a principled decision was for them.
Keep the right people because you know what they value now that you have hired them. Most people want to be treated with dignity and respect. For many organizations, compensation, recognition and opportunities for advancement are important. Determine what motivates them and provide it whenever possible.
Keep an eye out for opportunities for advancement for anyone who shows a desire for more responsibility. These individuals could be tomorrow’s leaders. Nurture these people and assist them in spreading their wings. Successful team members are more likely to refer quality talent to the organization.
“As new people with talent require a new environment that promotes new ideas, we are convinced that flexibility is the new currency,” says Patterson, who oversees newly hired talent at Los Angeles-based Highway Title Loans. “It is the ticket to acquiring talent, and it has helped us take our company higher.”
Hierarchical and autocratic leadership models have been falling out of favor in many organizations for quite some time. Nowadays, workers want to feel part of a team and desire leaders who value them rather than adhere to a top-down (and top-heavy) management structure. The quality of leaders in an organization can make or break an organization in getting and keeping talented people.
“We make it a priority to have capable individuals in leadership positions,” says Tyler Seeger, entrepreneur and managing director of Retirement Being, a company serving the senior living community. “A negative working relationship between an employee and their supervisor is a common reason for an employee to resign from their position.”
This unsatisfactory connection might make it much simpler to leave, especially if there are plenty of opportunities available. Seeger adds that managers can only be successful if they get feedback and training on performance management, communicating, enforcing workplace laws and regulations, and fostering employee growth.
What’s more, collaborative leadership gets leaders and staff members out of their respective silos and gets them working together. This style replaces the top-down leadership method, where the highest-level employees make most decisions. “Collaborative leaders leave their egos at the door to leverage every team member’s unique strengths,” says Josh Weiss, founder and CEO of Reggie, a New York-based wellness company for
dogs and their owners. “We foster this kind of culture through a pack leadership mindset, meaning that as a team, we win and lose as a pack. We ask for help, support one another and welcome feedback. And most importantly, it means taking ownership, which is vital in a hybrid workspace as it empowers employees to reach smarter decisions faster, wherever they may be working on a particular day. And the more we pass the reins, the whole team understands that we’re shaping the future of our business together.”
Smart organizations recognize that communication and respect are important for managers to lead effectively and for cultivating high-performance teams: Employees appreciate when they are treated as human beings; employees appreciate when their emotions are valued and feedback is considered.
“The first thing we are focusing on is providing workers a voice so they can express opinions without the fear of being shut down,” says Perry Zheng, founder and CEO of Cash Flow Marketplace, a Seattle-based company that facilitates direct investment in commercial real estate. “Elite talent has an undying urge of having autonomy and importance in the workplace. Our emphasis is on providing this environment. Bending leadership styles to mesh a single, viable way of leading the team is our solution in this war for talent. Those initiatives also include setting up different productivity metrics. It’s to promote the concept of flexible workers versus standards for in-office workers.”
Organizations that value diversity can benefit significantly in the recruiting game. Not only does diversity help to promote an organization’s culture and values to prospective employees, but it can be a beacon to those who might otherwise be overlooked.
One of the ways Awning.com has been able to attract top talent is by building a work environment that values diversity and
“While it's more important than ever to tell consumers why your business is socially beneficial for the long term, putting purpose first gives employees something to aspire to outside of making money.”
— Maria Shriver MEDIA PERSONALITY AND CO-FOUNDER OF MOSH
inclusivity. “We know that diversity of thought and background brings a richness to our organization and helps us to better serve our customers and clients,” states Shri Ganeshram, CEO and founder of this San Francisco-based real estate brokerage and property management company. “By creating a welcoming and inclusive culture, we’re able to attract a diverse pool of talented individuals. In today’s competitive job market, it’s important to stand out and offer something that other organizations can’t.”
Ganeshram believes that diversity is a key driver of growth and innovation, and the MIT-educated mathematician makes a concerted effort to build an inclusive and diverse workforce.
Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist, NBC News special anchor and seven-time New York Times bestselling author Maria Shriver has a different approach to winning the war for talent. Shriver, the co-founder and CEO of MOSH—a mission-driven company she founded with her son, Patrick Schwarzenegger—looks to educate consumers on what they eat and drink and how it impacts their mental and physical health. Shriver uses her company’s socially-conscious ethos not only to reach customers but to give her employees a purpose that matters to them.
“Our success in retaining talent is because our entire organization is mission-driven and committed to our cause rather than the bottom line,” says Shriver, who spoke exclusively
with The Lens . “While it’s more important than ever to tell consumers why your business is socially beneficial for the long term, putting purpose first gives employees something to aspire to outside of making money. And when they know they’re working for something bigger than themselves—not just the bottom line—they’re more willing to go the extra mile. But it’s essential to reinforce your mission and values daily to keep the momentum going strong.”
Shriver has reported on what happens as employees continue to leave their jobs to work for companies that effect positive change in society and the environment. “Building your purpose into your brand story helps to attract top talent motivated to work for the greater good,” she says.
What Shriver and others have come to understand is that an organization can get more from the people they already have. “By identifying top performers in every role, they’re able to narrow gaps in performance and profitability very economically,” argues Jamie Torchiana, president of Marylandbased Exemplary Performance, a management consulting firm focused on getting more out of an organization’s high performing employees rather than looking for new hires.
“Capturing what is the best in a role provides the model of excellence for hiring based upon the accomplishments of a role and not skills and competencies,” she says. “This allows for a learning-led organization, where everyone is supported and strives to achieve the benchmark.”
Recruiters, CEOs and career experts in Tarrant County sound off on the skills most crucial to regional success in the modern workforce.
by tyler hicks
very time Patrick Makarewich interviews a candidate for any kind of position, he has a specific goal in mind. He has a list of formal questions, of course (that’s a must in healthcare), but ultimately, he’s looking for something no resume can tell him.
“In healthcare, we’re so focused on the technical training, and if someone has been trained in a super-specific way, the customer service piece ends up taking a back seat sometimes,” says Makarewich, the director of the outpatient radiology clinic at UT Southwestern. “So when I do interviews, I just want to talk to them to find out what kind of person they are.”
The healthcare veteran thinks employers in many fields have a tendency to “lose sight of the intangibles,” particularly when they’re trying to fill positions quickly. However, he thinks the intangibles—skills like collaboration, teamwork, critical thinking and positivity—are often the most important part of an employee’s toolkit.
And in a fiercely competitive labor market like this one, when unemployment is at an all-time low, employers have little margin for error when it comes to hiring.
“Sometimes I wish I could go back to my earlier self during the first times I was interviewing people and tell them what I know now,” Makarewich says, with a slight chuckle. “Because some of the best hires have been people with mediocre resumes and interviews that didn’t pop off the page, and some of my worst hires have been people who had all the accomplishments in the world. But at the end of the day, they didn’t go the extra mile, and that’s what employers need.”
On the heels of several turbulent years for the U.S. economy, executives, recruiters and veteran career experts are evaluating the skills that are most crucial to success in the modern workplace. With thousands of job openings throughout Tarrant County, institutions of higher learning hope to give their students a competitive edge. Meanwhile, those businesses are trying to attract the best talent possible—and many companies are looking for the same thing.
“I’m always looking for people who know how to solve problems and think critically,” says Jeff Smith, an experienced consultant. Smith is now CEO of the electronics company Audio Junction Replacement Services, whose major partner is Allstate
Insurance. “I don’t care how old you are: Everyone has the capacity to learn, but do they have the willingness to learn?”
Learning, he notes, doesn’t always happen in the office. Like Makarewich, Smith wants his current and prospective employees to be self-starters.
“The society we live in today is so different than it was even 20 years ago,” Smith says. “And until fairly recently, an employee who was a self-starter really had to rely on what their company provided. Now, the world is their oyster. They just have to know where to focus their efforts.”
The eight skills colleges and employers agree are crucial to a successful career
Career & Self Development
Communication
Critical Thinking
Equity & Inclusion
Leadership
Professionalism
Teamwork
Technology
For those workers looking to become a manager or executive, experts agree there are additional skills worth having.
“Leaders have to be very flexible and agile, and that’s difficult for a lot of people when there’s constant change,” says Ed Archangel, the lead talent recruiter for Texas Health Resources. “People talk about embracing change, but a lot of times, they like change when it’s happening to someone else.”
And speaking of change, Archangel says anyone interested in a leadership position must possess an in-depth familiarity with their employees’ goals and needs. He calls this “active caring,” or going out of your way to listen to what your employees tell you when they talk about how they’re feeling and where they hope to take their careers.
“Nowadays, leaders and organizations have to be really, really sensitive to work-life balance and the personalities of their employees,” he says. “When you’re not sensitive to those things, your people aren’t going to want to work for you very long.”
Mike Berry, a real estate legend and president of Hillwood, recently shared with The Lens another key attribute all leaders must possess: an appetite for learning.
“You should never stop learning,” Berry says. “Constantly educating yourself is key in real estate, but I’d say it’s important in just about any business.”
Ed Archangel is perfect for his role as the director of talent acquisition for Texas Health Resources. He is witty, cheery and even over the phone, he can make you feel like your goals and interests are the most important things in the world to him and his employer. Yet even the preternaturally upbeat Archangel will admit recruiters like him are facing challenges they have never faced before.
“The game has changed dramatically,” he says. “Now every job offer has a counteroffer.”
At press time, Archangel and his team were recruiting and hiring for “a couple thousand roles,” or summed up, a significant chunk of their 28,000-person operation. Plus, he notes that there is “constant attrition:” As soon as he fills one role, another opening might pop up. All of which ups the importance of a critical skill: the ability to make an impact on day one in your job. Companies coping with high levels of attrition know their new hires will likely be elsewhere in 10 years—if not less.
So while employees were previously viewed as long-term investments, the most coveted hires are those who can master all aspects of their job with much less guidance and training.
“Innovative and creative thinking are in demand, because what got us to today might not be what gets us to tomorrow,” Archangel says. “We’re looking for lifelong learners: people who are serious about developing new skills even after they’ve landed their dream job.”
Mike Caldwell concurs. Caldwell, the executive director of career services at Texas Christian University, has spent two decades helping students choose and prepare for careers, and as such, he has seen drastic evolutions in how employers approach hiring.
“For employers 20 years ago—or even 10 years ago—a red flag would be someone who switched jobs often,” he says. “But the reality is, for employers and job-seekers, I don’t think
it’s about stability on either side of the equation. I think it’s about being able to grow fast and prove you can pick up new skills even without hours and hours of training.”
A common cliche is that the jobs students will have a decade from now might not exist yet, Caldwell notes. But nowadays, he believes it’s more apt to say that the companies students will be working for don’t yet exist.
“A lot of brand-name employers have cropped up in the last 20 years alone, and they came into being at a time when people’s relationships to work were changing rapidly,” he says. “So if you’re an employee, now it’s all about being that person who adapts and is informed about what’s happening in your industry and in the world of work.”
When discussing must-have skills, Caldwell, Archangel and several others interviewed by The Lens pointed to the “core competencies” published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). And despite all the changes and challenges mentioned above, these experts say NACE’s list is still relevant to employees in every field.
For instance, the first skill on the list—career/self development— is a direct reflection of what Archangel says he needs for the thousands of roles he is currently trying to fill. Whether you’re a nurse or an executive (see sidebar Core Competencies), you need the ability to identify your strengths and weaknesses and develop an actionable plan for improving both. Critical thinking also makes an appearance on the list.
“It may sound weird at first, but I truly believe that the ability to think is a skill,” Smith says. “It’s one thing to be able to communicate; it’s another thing to be able to think about what needs to be communicated—and why.”
When asked to pick just one skill he wants each of his employees to bring to the table, the CEO didn’t hesitate.
“Communication,” he says. Incidentally, that makes the list of NACE core competencies, too.
“I don’t care how old you are: Everyone has the capacity to learn, but do they have the willingness to learn?”
— Jeff Smith CEO OF AUDIO JUNCTION REPLACEMENT SERVICES
“Communication includes listening,” Smith adds. “I need someone who is skilled at conveying information, but is also able to listen and process what is being communicated in return.”
Makarewich agrees. He is currently hiring for several open positions, including a nurse and a medical assistant. But he is also on the hunt for far more than technical skills.
“When someone calls our hospital angry because they’ve been passed around from person to person and form to form without getting the info they need for their health or their family’s health, I don’t need someone saying, ‘That’s not my department,’” he says. “I need someone who is a skilled-enough communicator to manage that conflict, and if it’s not our department, that’s fine. But they need to be savvy enough and compassionate enough to say, ‘Hey, let me help you get where you need to be.’”
Phedra Redifer, the executive director of workforce solutions for North Central Texas, says that the desire to get employees “where they need to be” is the spirit of her organization’s collaboration with Hillwood. The workforce solutions group is working with Hillwood to help employers identify key traits and upskill employees. All of the aforementioned skills— communication, critical thinking and problem-solving—top the list of skills most desired by North Texas companies.
“If you’re hiring for a logistics manager or an engineering position, there’s of course a threshold of knowledge and skills you have to meet,” Redifer notes. “But the thing is, most job applicants are going to have those skills. What I’ve learned with Hillwood is that companies want people who come in with great communication and interpersonal skills but also want to get even better.”
Career experts know how stressful this conversation must be for people seeking a promotion, an industry change or, harder
still, their first job. The uncertain nature of the economy is hard enough; employees must also focus on building and refining skills—an activity that is arguably a job in and of itself.
“We’re seeing more competition for jobs, and a lot of students are competing for the same or similar jobs,” says Tracy Williams, a veteran career counselor with Tarrant County College. “You can’t just show up anymore; you need an edge. But that’s starting to change.”
Caldwell is seeing stiffer competition, too, and talk of a possible recession doesn’t help. So how do you manage to develop the skills employers covet and not succumb to the stress?
“I always tell people, ‘Focus on what you can control,’” Caldwell says. “You can’t control a whole job market, but you can control your ability to check in on a fellow alum of your school or an employer from across town. Send them a quick email and offer to go for coffee and pick their brain. It couldn’t hurt.”
Other execs and experts agree.
“We all say, ‘It’s not what you know; it’s who you know,’ but the only time we’re interested in networking is when we’re in it for ourselves,” Makarewich says. “You can’t develop a network if you’re only doing it to find your next job. If you’re networking, you need to act like you’re truly interested in connecting and learning. And hopefully you are.”
That’s another point of agreement for everyone interviewed by The Lens
Valuable employees are always interested in their work and in getting better. Each job may not be their passion project, but they find something they enjoy about it, and they chase that interest by asking questions and forging relationships with people doing similar work.
IIn other words, like those “best hires” Makarewich mentioned, they go the extra mile.
“That may be a cliche,” he says, “but it’s a cliche because it’s true, and it’ll never go out of style.”
“If you’re hiring for a logistics manager or an engineering position, there’s of course a threshold of knowledge and skills you have to meet”
— Phedra Redifer EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS FOR NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
Leaders who navigate the ever-evolving workplace through critical thinking have an edge on their competition.
by james ndone, phdArtificial intelligence. Big data. Nanotechnology. How often have we heard leaders pontificate on the future of work using these terms to the detriment of other fundamental skills, such as critical thinking?
In his book Thinking for a Change, author John C. Maxwell asserts that “one of the reasons people don’t achieve their dreams is that they desire to change their results without changing their thinking.”
These words reverberate with what Albert Einstein meant when he said, “Thinking is hard work; that’s why so few do it.”
Due to the numerous facets involved in critical thinking, defining the term is a tall order.
“The problem with defining critical thinking is that it incorporates so many things immediately relevant to our daily lives: decisionmaking, problem-solving, innovating, team management and leadership,” says Steve Pearlman, founder of the Critical Thinking Institute (CTI) and a critical thinking expert.
Put differently, critical thinking involves recognizing logical relationships between ideas, embracing multiple perspectives and displaying a healthy sense of skepticism to achieve organizational goals. It is a critical outer-core leadership competency.
The skill encompasses strategic thinking by embracing change, inspiring others, creating a vision, rallying the organization’s troops around the vision and understanding how different organs work together for your organization’s common goals.
Failure to think critically could have detrimental effects on an organization. How can leaders develop a critical thinker’s mindset and become problem solvers? What does it take for a leader to learn critical thinking as a fundamental leadership skill?
“Unfortunately, because most team leaders aren’t training in leading teams through critical thinking strategies, they don’t get as much from their teams as they could,” notes Pearlman, who is also the author of America’s Critical Thinking Crisis: The Failure and Promise of Education
“Usually, a team leader who begins a meeting by introducing an idea and asking the team for feedback has already diminished the team’s capacity to solve the challenge at hand.”
Leaders who pursue this line suffer from confirmation bias, or the brain’s desire to validate ideas it already holds—and for the team, introducing one thought in their brains diminishes the potential for better ideas to emerge.
“Thus, the lack of explicit training in team leadership through critical thinking undermines the function of teams for the organization,” adds Pearlman.
Although there are some traces of innateness in critical thinking, leaders can get better at it through appropriate training.
“Consider running as an analogy. Running is also innate to human beings, but to excel at running, one needs coaching and practice. Similarly, to excel at critical thinking requires specific training in critical thinking as a skill,” says Pearlman, who also hosts the Headagogy podcast for educators. “In fact, researchers found that when it comes to making the best decisions, critical thinking skills are more important than intelligence, which demonstrates that the two are not the same.”
For leaders to hone their critical thinking skills, exposure to resources that can stimulate their thinking is imperative. Also, focusing on the big picture, fusing employees’ input in the picture and drawing a road map of where the team is going are other skills that leaders who practice critical thinking tend to exude.
“As a leader, you need to practice strategic thinking by breaking the big picture into small, bite-size parts and focusing on one milestone at a time,” Pearlman says.
“A good place to start is by valuing the process of the product. Too many leaders judge the team’s effectiveness by the success of the outcomes they produce, but outcomes are only the endpoints of processes, and so teams should be judged more by the richness of their processes.”
Those who lead their teams through critical thinking must value critical thinking as a leadership skill. This requires training and acknowledging the importance of the skill. The ramifications of not practicing critical thinking are dire.
“Any organizational failures are consequences of the organization’s inability to think critically enough to foresee, prevent, or at least solve for those failures,” Pearlman says.
Critical thinking is perhaps the most lauded yet least trained and certainly least understood of all skills in business. And yet, it remains an important skill. Try to identify anything more critical to a business’s success than how well its people think individually as well as collectively. It’s extremely hard to do, which is why critical thinking should receive explicit attention proportionate to its importance.
But it never does.
As a leader, it is essential to instill critical thinking in your decision-making wiring. Critical thinking can have a trickle-down effect, as one leader can inspire other leaders to start thinking differently. Leaders must stop treating critical thinking as a luxury and start obsessing over the skill. That way, they can rise above the fray, overcome biases that sabotage decision-making and lead their organizations effectively.
It’s what Pearlman requests of leaders: “Learn the art of critical thinking, and you will lead your team to the promised land.”
“Unfortunately, because most team leaders aren’t training in leading teams through critical thinking strategies, they don’t get as much from their teams as they could.”
— Steve Pearlman
FOUNDER OF THE CRITICAL THINKING INSTITUTE
Tarrant Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides management and technical assistance to local small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs throughout Tarrant County. The consulting services provided are at no cost and training services are at a nominal fee.
Business consulting services are customized, one on one face-to-face or virtual at no cost Consulting services provided are business plan development, capital acquisition, marketing, regulatory compliance and more. The Tarrant SBDC provides services to a diverse population, including special emphasis groups; women, minorities and veterans who are seeking to start or grow their business
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The landscape in the job seekers market is very turbulent, and companies are finding it challenging to attract and retain top talent. The “great resignation” and “quiet quitting” movements saw employees move from job to job in search of more purposeful and socially conscious ways to make a living. Even in this remote work economy, job seekers are being very selective about their employment decisions.
The desire to find more meaning has created a labor shortage of sorts, and companies are now implementing new hiring and business strategies that help attract and retain top talent. One of those strategies is the creation and adoption of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy.
What is corporate social responsibility and why is it an imperative business strategy?
Percy Grunwald, co-founder of Hosting Data, says, “Corporate social responsibility refers to the ethical and responsible behavior of businesses in relation to their impact on society and the environment.” Translation: CSR encompasses a wide range of activities, including charitable giving, environmental sustainability initiatives and efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within the workplace.
CSR can also support a company’s triple bottom line, which refers to the three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental and financial. By focusing on all three pillars, companies can create long-term value for their stakeholders and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Sangeeta Waldron is a multi-award-winning PR expert and author of Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations. She asserts that the global pandemic is responsible for bringing attention to CSR because, “while we were at home, we had time to observe brands and companies—how they were behaving, what they were doing, and globally, citizens wanted better from companies.” Now, post-pandemic CSR has emerged as a strategic business management concept, which is not a trend. Data shows that CSR is driving investment,
supporting a business’s triple bottom line and retaining and attracting talent.
Indeed, there’s data that supports these assertions.
According to a millennial employee study conducted by Cone Communications, 76% of millennials consider a company’s social and environmental commitments when deciding where to work, while 75% say they would take a pay cut to work for a responsible company. Likewise, 83% of millennials said they would be more loyal to a company that helps them contribute to social and environmental issues.
This value extends beyond the younger workforce.
According to a study by Porter Novelli, 90% of employees who work at companies with a strong sense of purpose say they’re more inspired, motivated and loyal. Additionally, 92%
This is how you attract and retain talent. by tonya fitzpatrick, esq
Corporate social responsibility can also support a company’s triple bottom line, which refers to the three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental and financial.
By the Numbers
76% of millennials say they would take a pay cut to work for a responsible company.
75%
83%
90%
92%
of millennials consider a company’s social and environmental commitments when seeking a job.
of millennials say they would be more loyal to a company that helps them contribute to social and environmental issues.
of employees who work at companies with a strong sense of purpose say they’re more inspired, motivated and loyal.
of employees who work at a company with a strong sense of purpose say they are likely to recommend their employer to other job seekers.
of employees who work at a company with a strong sense of purpose say they are likely to recommend their employer to other job seekers.
These data points make it clear that employers must consider CSR to attract and retain skilled workers. “Now, more than ever, it is vital for all types of businesses to have authentic CSR initiatives that are not a publicity spin,” Waldron says. “There is no room for greenwashing anymore.”
The surge of resignations related to COVID and the fierce competition for top talent have prompted human resource departments to fundamentally shift how they recruit and manage personnel, and companies are also pivoting in order to stand out.
Melissa Terry, an HR executive for Vem Tooling, emphasizes this point. “Candidates now have a much wider range of options to consider when evaluating potential employers,” she said. “So they look beyond the usual set of benefits. Particularly the younger generations want to be a part of something ‘bigger.’” They seek motivation, fulfillment in their employment decision and affiliation
with a group that shares their values. This frequently entails looking for potential employers who support causes close to their hearts or, more broadly, who concur with their viewpoints regarding the value of giving back.”
Human resources executive and Culture Canopy founder Jay Barrett says consumers will demand more transparency on where their goods come from, and employees will gravitate to organizations that have clear and measurable corporate and social responsibilities. ”CSR has to be more than a trend,” he says, “and organizations who are getting away with greenwashing will likely be called out where their actions do not line up with their brand messaging.”
Employees and consumers want to feel good about where they spend their time and money, and part of the experience and emotional connection they want to have when buying into a brand or organization is that it is ultimately bringing about good in the world.
It is also vital for organizations to connect their CSR strategies to their workforce—to help employees understand how they and their work can contribute to positive outcomes for their communities, to lift up marginalized groups, to embed sustainable practices for the health of the planet and to contribute to a more compassionate and sustainable future.
Revé Fisher represents True Impact, a platform that measures a company’s social impact. She offers this advice to companies creating their CSR policy: “Well-designed CSR initiatives can spark deep engagement among employees, improving productivity and retention while also significantly improving society.”
Fisher suggests that when designing a broader CSR portfolio, employee engagement—and, specifically, skills-based volunteerism—should be part of that mix.
“Candidates now have a much wider range of options to consider when evaluating potential employers.”
— Percy Grunwald CO-FOUNDER OF HOSTING DATA
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Sponsorships and so much more…
To learn more, visit o ur website at: found a t i o n.tccd.edu/give
Gender equality has become a much more talked-about necessity in today’s workplaces, with women making significant strides in improving their representation and career opportunities. Despite much progress, there is still much work to be done.
Women earn less than men on average, receive less frequent promotions and are significantly underrepresented at the highest levels of business leadership. This is particularly jarring because, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, nearly 60% of all enrolled college students are women. Gender equality must remain a priority for organizations if real and lasting change is to be achieved. The potential for innovation and enrichment that can result from a workplace diverse in gender can no longer be ignored.
According to findings by the Boston Consulting Group and published in Forbes, incorporating greater levels of diversity
by shika hershel, phd
within an organization leads to higher levels of adaptability and creativity. Gender equality not only helps invigorate a company’s vision but also signifies progressive industry values that inspire meaningful change and foster group dynamics.
Tamika Dew, director of government proposal operations and contracts for the A.E. Perkins Holdings Group, believes that promoting diversity is the first step in leveling the scales with other equities in the workplace. “It starts with diversity,” she says. “Diverse teams perform better than homogeneous teams, but only if they are managed inclusively.”
Women make up half of the population, yet they are dramatically underrepresented in corporate America. The lack of representation is particularly pronounced among women of color—society has institutionalized their exclusion from career opportunities and a say in critical decisions. Gender equality reinforces a culture of parity that fosters progress.
In corporate America, women are significantly underrepresented in powerful positions and women of color are especially disadvantaged, Dew says. The most senior roles are held disproportionately by men, with women making up only a quarter of C-suite leaders and women of color fewer still. Despite this pattern, women have worked to advance themselves in recent years, but the pathway to parity still has some obstacles.
“Women in high-level positions are overworked and underrecognized as a result of dynamic culture shifts within organizations,” Dew says. “Companies have performed massive layoffs and restructuring that has left women in high-level positions having to do more with less. Women are just as ambitious as men, yet women have to perpetually work harder to prove their value for top positions.”
As women leaders continue to make their imprint on the workforce, they are increasingly looking to create a work environment that is more conducive to employee well-being and inclusivity. This has become even more meaningful to women in positions of power as they strive for a better culture, one that often necessitates increased job flexibility and greater commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. It is this quest for a better environment that often leads women leaders to leave corporations where these efforts are not being pursued or valued to seek out organizations with such initiatives.
The pandemic had a devastating and near-immediate effect on
women’s employment, with working mothers, women in senior management positions and black women being particularly hit hard. With employees facing huge challenges in caring for young children at home during lockdown periods, the International Labor Organization reported that female employee numbers declined by an alarming 4.2% in 2020 compared with the previous year.
“Companies need to wake up and thoroughly commit to real change,” Dew says. “Women in these top positions want to work for good companies that show and prove they are committed to driving positive change with what women value most.” This last point is particularly salient since there is now a template for aiding employees forced to stay home and work while taking care of children during a pandemic.
Companies are making significant strides to end gender bias in the workforce through dedicated hiring and benefit initiatives. Companies like Microsoft, IBM and Adobe have all taken actions to ensure their workplace is an equitable place for both genders. These trailblazing companies are leaders in embracing equality by offering onsite child care facilities and parental leave policies, providing job opportunities for women with engineering and technology backgrounds, and encouraging gender-balanced decision-making processes.
Gender equality has been on the table for a long time and its importance is becoming increasingly clear. It not only makes for a just society but significantly increases economic growth.
“Companies need to wake up and thoroughly commit to real change.”
— Tamika Dew DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL OPERATIONS AND CONTRACTS, A.E. PERKINS HOLDINGS GROUP
by rick gosselin | illustration by samantha ozeale tucker
Jon Gray was an All-America and college baseball’s Pitcher of the Year at the University of Oklahoma when the Colorado Rockies selected him with the third overall pick of the 2013 MLB draft.
Gray always knew what he had to do each spring to prepare himself to be the same high-caliber pitcher for the Rockies that he was for the Sooners. But in his eighth season, he learned a valuable lesson: You may win or lose as a pitcher, but it’s the team that succeeds.
And that lesson came courtesy of the Texas Rangers, who lured Gray away from the Rockies in free agency in 2022. Then-manager Chris Woodward invited eight veteran players into his office on the first day of spring training to discuss where the Rangers were headed that spring—and that season.
Gray was flattered. This was his first time being referred to as one of the “older” guys whose voice mattered.
“This is your team,” Woodward told the group. “You are going to be responsible for them. The attitude this year is going to be dictated by you guys. If you want to be a more relaxed group, that’s fine. But we want everybody to be together on the same page.”
A leadership role was new to Gray. But it suddenly made complete sense.
“My whole time with the Rockies, I held myself in a lot,” Gray says. “I was really kind of a loner. I don’t think it was the best thing for the team. We never had a leader on the pitching staff. I feel that was partly my fault. I felt so young and so out of place. I never took that on me. So I kind of wanted to kick that and be more outgoing and talk to everyone when I got to the Rangers. We can learn a lot from each other. Those relationships are valuable. That was something I overlooked early on.”
The Rangers gave him the opportunity to change. They were counting on Gray to do more than pitch. They were counting on him to lead.
“I didn’t feel valuable as a player when I left Colorado,” says Gray, a career 60-56 starter. “When I came here they were so excited to have me. In my mind I know how good I am. I’ve had trouble getting there. But they knew as well. It felt like they really believed in me and it sparked something in me. I felt rejuvenated.”
Gray became more than just a pitcher for the Rangers. He became a teammate. And he spoke up. He suggested that all the starting pitchers go to the bullpen to watch the starter warm up for the game each day.
“You might see one or two guys out there,” Gray says, “but this last year we all were out there, watching everyone’s routine over and over. That was the first time I’d ever done that. We were there for support. When you’re warming up, you know your guys are watching you, you feel more in place. That’s why some of the best rotations in baseball history were really tight-knit groups.”
The Rangers will build a roster this spring with their 29 exhibition games in Arizona. But they will build a team with the interactions off the field in the clubhouse, the bullpen and even on the golf course, in conversations and over dinners.
“Leaders are the guys who are really good at determining what our attitude is going to be this year,” Gray says. “I’m going to show that every day through my body language and my performance.”
Monthly conversations with DFW business leaders.
In “The Workforce Lens” podcast, moderated by TCC Executive Vice President for Corporate Solutions & Economic Development Shannon Bryant, MEd, CWDP, LSSGB, we connect with business leaders in Tarrant County and North Texas on the evolution of their workforce needs, focusing on how they will continue to grow and thrive today and beyond. Listen to the podcast at corporate.tccd.edu and check back regularly for new episodes.
North Texas has a new home for customized workforce solutions. The workforce of tomorrow will look different from today –are you ready? We can help, creating customized learning and development solutions to help you grow and thrive. Let us host your team at our new Corporate Center for Learning and Development, located in Alliance. We’re here to meet your business needs –today and tomorrow.
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