The Annual Review by Talentedly Magazine

TLY MAGAZINE

THE

REVIEW HOW TO SURVIVE THE ANNUAL REVIEW Questions to ask Preparation time Mastering the discussion

mazing advice for first time managers

ASK THE EXPERT

DECEMBER 2015 | ISSUE 02

REVIEWING YOUR COMPANY IS YOUR COMPANY INVESTING IN YOUR MIND, BODY AND SOUL? IT'S REVIEW TIME.

PROFILE

MEET BRANNON SKILLERN

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TLY Magazine Vol. 1 Issue 2 December 2015 Cover Image TBD Editorial Shannon Pesek Editor

Contributors Brannon Skillern Stephanie Mardell Jennifer Ouyang

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â&#x20AC;˘ I S S U E â&#x20AC;˘

I remember my worst review. Vividly. It was personal. It was horrible. It led me here. Thankfully, gratefully, amazingly.

We more often than not think that the power is in someone else's hands; it's not. Ever. The power to change is within each of us. Sometimes it's buried too deep to see at first, but it is there. You just have to dig a little. And believe.

With this issue, The Review, we bid farewell to 2015. It was [nice, fantastic, horrendous] and say hello to 2016. No apologies. No regrets. Lots of lessons learned.

Lydia

E D I T O R ' S

N O T E

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SHAMELESS PLUG

EVERYBODY NEEDS A COACH. "My advice to you is to have a coach. I initially resented the advice, because after all, I was a CEO. I was pretty experienced. Why would I need a coach? Am I doing something wrong? My argument was, How could a coach advise me if I'm the best person in the world at this? But that's not what a coach does. The coach doesn't have to play the sport as well as you do. They have to watch you and get you to be your best. In the business context a coach is not a repetitious coach. A coach is somebody who looks at something with another set of eyes, describes it to you in their words, and discusses how to approach the problem." -- Eric Schmidt, Chairman and former CEO, Google on the best career advice he ever got.

DECEMBER 2015 | ISSUE 02

EVERY FAMOUS ATHLETE, EVERY FAMOUS PERFORMER HAS SOMEBODY WHO IS THEIR COACH — SOMEBODY WHO CAN SAY ‘IS THAT WHAT YOU REALLY MEANT?’ AND GIVE THEM PERSPECTIVE. THE ONE THING PEOPLE ARE NOT REALLY GOOD AT IS SEEING THEMSELVES AS OTHERS SEE THEM.

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PERFORMANCE REVIEW

BETTER, FASTER AND STRONGER

By Shannon Pesek

Not anymore. We decided it was time to put you in charge of the performance review . How many times have you stopped to think about what your company is offering you? And, most importantly are you taking advantage of it? We spotlight six industry leading companies, the news makers, the earth shakers, who are making a difference in their employees’ health, education and general well-being. Then it’s your turn. Using our performance review guidelines, we encourage you to look at your own company, reflect honestly about how they stack-up and think about the next steps for the new year and your career.

DECEMBER 2015 | ISSUE 02

THE BENEFITS TO AN ANNUAL REVIEW CAN INCLUDE OPPORTUNITY FOR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH, ADVANCEMENT WITHIN THE COMPANY AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, A TIME FOR REFLECTION. THE NEGATIVE? THEY ARE ALMOST ALWAYS ONE-SIDED.

REVIEWING THE BODY

People who exercised during their workday were 23% more productive International Journal of Workplace Health Management

We often set our health aside for the hustle: less sleep, not eating right and who even has time to go to the gym? We think it’s important for companies to encourage healthy practices and work hard to make their employees feel great at work. Your company providing the tools and resources necessary for you to live stronger, will only help you work better. Kaiser Permanente It seems natural for a massive nationwide healthcare company to have a health-focused approach to their employees. Kaiser Permanente takes this mantra to the next level, where healthy practices are incorporated into the lifestyles and work days of every one of their over-100,000 employees. In particular, the company encourages employees to use their “Go KP” program, which tracks personal wellness, fitness, provides recipes and ideas for group fitness classes. Most of the KP offices have on-site fitness centers and cafeterias serving local and sustainable food. To round it off, the healthcare company offers competitive medical benefits and family leave. CVS Health The drugstore and pharmacy has been in the news this year after announcing they would stop selling cigarettes in their stores across the US. The company's health promotion extends to its employees. CVS also operates a public “Employee Relief Fund” where employees can donate and support other employees in need. Special Mention: A Silicon Valley startup, Asana, takes health focused benefits to the next level. In addition employing a full-time chef onsite, cooking two meals a day for the staff, employees are given $10,000 to design their office space. According to Mashable, most chose a motorized standing-desk option, for optimal mobility and preventative health.

REVIEWING THE MIND In a good job, we learn something new everyday. A new challenge. A new lesson. In a great job, those challenges and lessons are encouraged by the company, whether it be through training programs, conferences or grad school. You succeed with managers who understand their employees work better when they are smarter. J.M Smucker A name synonymous with your childhood peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Smuckers has consistently made a name for themselves as an employee-centered company. Growth, education and employee development initiatives are a few of the ways Smucker’s works for every employee every day. For the employees interested in going back to school, Smucker’s boasts a 100 percent tuition reimbursement program for both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Deloitte In addition to being one of the most competitive consulting firms in the world, the New York City headquartered firm, tops the lists as the best to its employees. Deloitte especially excels when it comes to the education of their employees. Furthering their employees’ education is a top priority for Deloitte. In addition to a 100 percent tuition reimbursement program, they also provide application assistance, GMAT preparation and discounts and job assurance when they complete the program. The catch: employees must stay with the company for two years after completing their graduate school program. Special Mention: In 2010, UPS launched theirofTuition US Department Labor Assistance Program, which benefits full-time and parttime hourly employees. The company will pay up to $20,000 to assist their employees in obtaining college degrees. Tuition reimbursement at UPS starts the first day an employee starts working for the company.

Lifetime value 0f education High school diploma $1.2m Bachelor's degree $2.1m Master's degree $2.5m

REVIEWING THE SOUL

Only 12% of employees believe their organization s are driving culture Gallup Workplace Study 2013

We throw around the phrases, “company culture” and “work-life balance” without understanding what each means to us. What we do know: we need it and we have to get it. A balance between work and play and family shouldn’t fall completely on your shoulders, your company should invest in making your life and your career better. Zappos The shoe emporium sets itself apart with the enrichment of its employees before they are even hired. A part of the hiring process with Zappos is a “culture fit” interview, which carries as much weight as any professional accolade or resume bullet point. All employees go through the same training program and are instilled with the same company core values, many of which are employee centric, such as building and establishing honest relationships. According to Fast Company, between 10-20 percent of each department’s resources must be allocated to team building activities, such as Easter egg hunts, cook outs and other family events. Discovery Communications With brands like the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, it should come as no surprise the employees of Discovery Communications are encouraged with a learning and creativity focused culture. Each department holds enrichment classes, such as African dance and improv for any employee to participate. Additionally, Discovery has an in-house wellness and child care center, ensuring the health of its employees and their families. Special Mention: The global law firm Quinn Emanuel, headquartered in Chicago, IL, gifts their employees with a $2,000 stipend to spend one week working from anywhere in the world. Though they have to work during normal business hours, they are paid extra to do it from a beach or exotic location.

DECEMBER 2015

REVIEW YOUR EMPLOYER ON MIND, BODY AND SOUL With the end of the year approaching, reflection and introspection become a part of our daily routine as we look to the coming year. How's your company doing for you? A top company will score between 50 - 70 on the scale, meaning the benefits being offered are meaningful to you and you are taking advantage of them. Anything below that, well, next steps are up to you.

TUITION REIMBURSEMENT Does my company offer this benefit? (1 point for yes, 0 points for no) The benefit is 1 (not important), 3 (somewhat important) or 5 (very important ) I am taking advantage of this benefit (1 for yes, 0 for no)

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING Does my company offer this benefit? (1 point for yes, 0 points for no) The benefit is 1 (not important), 3 (somewhat important) or 5 (very important ) I am taking advantage of this benefit (1 for yes, 0 for no)

MENTORING PROGRAMS

COMPETITIVE HEALTH

CHILD/FAMILY CARE

Does my company offer this benefit? (1 point for yes, 0 points for no) The benefit is 1 (not important), 3 (somewhat important) or 5 (very important ) I am taking advantage of this benefit (1 for yes, 0 for no)

VOLUNTEERISM Does my company offer this benefit? (1 point for yes, 0 points for no) The benefit is 1 (not important), 3 (somewhat important) or 5 (very important ) I am taking advantage of this benefit (1 for yes, 0 for no)

HEALTH PROGRAMS

REMOTE WORKING

401K MATCHING Does my company offer this benefit? (1 point for yes, 0 points for no) The benefit is 1 (not important), 3 (somewhat important) or 5 (very important ) I am taking advantage of this benefit (1 for yes, 0 for no)

SABBATICAL Does my company offer this benefit? (1 point for yes, 0 points for no) The benefit is 1 (not important), 3 (somewhat important) or 5 (very important ) I am taking advantage of this benefit (1 for yes, 0 for no)

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What We're Reading Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person

Fans of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How To Get Away with Murder have a reason to celebrate: the creative genius and showrunner extraordinaire Shonda Rhimes just published her first book Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person. This isn’t some celebrity selfhelp book intended to get the author on the interview circuit. This is an honest story about Shonda’s journey (a self-professed introvert) to realizing how getting our of your comfort zone and saying yes to the things that scared her most: losing 120 lbs, shedding toxic relationships and solidifying her position at the top of Hollywood.

What We're Listening To The Moth Radio Hour

True stories told live. It’s an amazingly simple concept and if you really listen, it’ll change your view of the world. These podcasts are the best stories taken from the open mic StorySlam series and at other Moth events. Sure, there are famous folks you could listen to like Malcolm Gladwell, Sam Shepard or Margaret Cho but it’s the ‘nobodies’ that are the real super-stars: Trisha Coburn’s story about Miss Macy, Mary Archbold’s Our Normal story about a new mother and a prosthetic arm, or Tim Manley’s story A Superhero Gets Sick.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING You don’t have to be a foodie to appreciate the mind of a chef. Chefs are an interesting bunch. The good ones aren’t simply preparing meals, they are creating experiences, breathing life into culture and, in some cases, acting as the caretakers of the environment. We’ve been watching Mind of a Chef for the stories of chefs who lay their passion on the table at every meal. The 4th season just started and enters the minds of chefs Gabrielle Hamilton and David Kinch, following them from their kitchens to global destinations searching for ingredients, inspiration and, obviously, the perfect meal. The Mind of a Chef shows us what it means to think, create and live your work. #TLYLove

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DECEMBER 2015

ASK THE EXPERT REAL WORK QUESTIONS. REAL EXPERT ADVICE.

"I am the manager of a small retail store and I

learn more about what they are interested in -

manage seven people. They are all about my

personally and professionally. Take note and try

age (I'm 25) and my manager told me that the

and help them reach those goals. You can also use

best way to get along with my team is by being

this time to provide coaching and feedback.

friends with them. I've tried that but it's really hard to reprimand or counsel them when I need

4. On that note, when you need to correct

to. How do I make the transition from friend-

behaviors or provide feedback them on issues

to-manager-to-friend and not be hated? Is this

make sure to cite the action (what they are doing

the right management style for this situation?"

well or poorly), the impact (its impact on the

-- Janey, San Francisco

team/business), and the desired behavior (ways

Management is really tough. There is no secret sauce to how this all works, but there are a few battle tested strategies you can use in order to build personal relationships while also being an effective leader and coach.

they can improve or do things more effectively). Overall, your role as a manager is to be a coach and empower your team to do great work. -Stephanie Mardell, Director Recruitment, Button

1. First, ask your team! If you're not sure which behaviors will have the biggest impact on your

I agree with Stephanie! The only other thing I'd

team, ask them - not your boss. This helps you

add, as part of Stephanie's first point in her list, is

understand what is most important to your team

the follwing: As part of that conversation, let them

and it shows that you care about what they think.

know that you value your personal relationship with them, and also at times, you may have to put

2. Be a role model. At the end of the day, you need

on your manager hat. Ask for their understanding

to be a role model for your team. If you set an

and patience as you navigate those waters

example for what is required, they will follow.

together, and emphasize that you hope to keep both a strong friendship as well as a strong

3. Spend one on one time with each person your

working relationship. -- Brannon Skillern, Head of

your team. Take them out for coffee or lunch to

Talent, IEX Group

SURVIVING THE ANNUAL REVIEW How to turn the tables on a process that most people dread by Shannon Pesek

he performance review has been a tradition in corporate offices for decades, often bringing with it conflicted feelings of trepidation and reflection, apprehension and anticipation. A 2014 Washington Post article cheekily titled, “Study finds that basically every single person hates performance reviews,” underscored the negative repercussions of the old-school annual review. In recent years, top companies like General Electric, Deloitte and Adobe, to name a few, have begun the long process of overhauling their review practices, pivoting away from the archaic annual review.

In place of a once-yearly, formal review (evoking an overwhelming sense of time wasted in both manager and employee alike), these companies are erring on the side of frequent, casual conversations. According to Cliff Stevenson, a senior research analyst for the Institute for Corporate Productivity, nearly 10 percent of the Fortune 500 companies have stopped their annual rating. For the 10 percent of you experiencing this revolutionized review process, congratulations. If you are stuck in the 90 percent, worrying about your upcoming review with the same energy as your holiday shopping list, have no fear. Though we

can’t help you with a gift for your cousin’s new girlfriend, here are some tips for surviving your annual performance review.

The most important thing to remember is that you are as much in the driver's seat as your manager or supervisor. Part of their job is to make you better at yours.

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IT ' S A CONVERSATION By coming to the table with questions prepared for your manager, you will have a little bit more control over the discussion, alleviating some of the trepidation you may be feeling. We suggest you start by asking specific questions, based on your specific career goals with the company: How I can develop skills to move forward with the company? What are your goals [your manager’s] for the upcoming quarter or year? Can we set up a regular meeting, perhaps monthly to make sure that I am on track?

“

KNOW YOUR GOALS Whether you want to grow old with your company, or it feels like a great stepping-stone to your dream career, performance reviews are a great time to reflect on your near-term and long-term career goals. Start by making a list of your one, five and 10-year career goals and ask yourself serious questions, like:

SQUELCH YOUR ANXIETY Easier said than done, right? Walking into your manager’s office, uncertain of the tone of your impending review (doom) try these three simple steps: 1. Prepare yourself ahead of time, eliminating the chance of any surprises.

What hard and soft skills do you need to develop in the next year or few years?

2. Remember all feedback is good feedback- even if it has a negative connotation. You can’t grow until you know what you need to improve on.

If you’re angling towards a promotion at your current company, what can you do to get there by the next review?

3. Remind yourself how great you are. Reflect on the projects you’ve been especially proud of and remember to talk about them.

What challenges do you need to experience to get to your goal? Such as, going back to school, taking on skill-building projects or taking on leadership roles.

Leveraging the performance review in your favor, by preparing questions and ideas, as well as establishing follow-up meetings and next steps, will propel your career in the right direction.

BE FOCUSED AND PURPOSEFUL If you want your manager or supervisor to take you seriously, then you'd better be prepared. Give yourself at least 2 weeks to prepare.

LISTEN PROACTIVELY While all news isn't good news, there is usually some truth in everything. 'Negative' doesn't mean 'unfixable'.

REFLECT BEFORE YOU REACT Do nothing for 24 - 48 hrs after your review. Simply sit with all the feedback and reflect. Once you've given yourself a moment to process it all, then you can go into action mode.

”

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DECEMBER 2015

A LESSON IN SCALING. MEET BRANNON SKILLERN. Everything happens for a reason. Brannon Skillern’s

TheLadders was planning to expand to the UK, France,

post-college job taught her two things: 1) fluency in

and Germany at the time – pre-credit crisis… little did

French and 2) teaching is not her calling. This

they know – and were looking for entry-level candidates

realization led Brannon to tackle what she once

who could speak French or German. After I got settled, I

thought to be the ‘scary’ corporate world and

realized that it turns out that business isn’t scary –

discover that solving business operations problems

especially when there are free snacks in the kitchen and

was — dare we say — fun? The rest is history as she

company sponsored bagel Fridays – and that solving

has spent her career scaling people, systems and

business and operational problems can be fun and

processes at ZocDoc (employee No. 7), Aviary (now

satisfying. I also learned that even though I had

Adobe), and IEX as Talent Management Head. We

focused in French literature, my liberal arts education

couldn’t be more proud of our Talentedly alum.

had prepared me for business far beyond what I had expected. The focus of job-matching was entirely

TLY: Right after school you traveled Europe to teach.

ancillary to my decision to join that company in that

Did you want to be a school teacher at one point?

capacity, but it turned out to be a great way to learn

Brannon Skillern: Yes, that was my thinking when I

about a ton of industries, best practices for job

graduated with a French Literature degree. Business

searching, and how to format a resume and cover

seemed scary, and I didn’t know what else one could

letter.

do with a degree in French literature, so I started by teaching English to high school students in a little

TLY: What was your biggest takeaway from your rapid-

town in Normandy. It was an amazing experience,

expansion experience at ZocDoc?

because I solidified my fluency, and traveled a ton. I also learned that I did not want to teach!

BS: Having started as the 7th employee, I got to be involved in shaping the business at an early stage,

TLY: What initially drew you to a job-matching role at

which was an incredible opportunity. However, I didn’t

TheLadders?

have a full appreciation for what happens to a company when it scales, particularly when it does so quickly. As

BS: When I returned to the US after my year teaching

the company grew, the complexity of the business

in France, I was just looking for a job that might send

increased, and the way the company reacted to that

me back to France.

complexity had to change. Ultimately, it stopped feeling

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DECEMBER 2015

like the company I had signed up for, and that

having someone with whom I worked with closely tell me

came as a surprise to me – “why can’t it just stay

“You have great ideas. Insist on being heard” was a timely

this way forever?” was running through my head.

wakeup call that I needed to hear.

TLY: Can you share an example?

TLY: Quote or mantra to live by?

BS: A concrete example of this phenomenon is

BS: Everything happens for a reason. For example, one of

internal communications. When you have 10

the secret real reasons that I didn’t stay another year in

employees sitting in one small office, everyone’s on

France to teach was that my French boyfriend had

the same page, knows what’s going on, and can

broken up with me and was being a jerk. So instead of

have input into everything. When the company

sticking around after the school year ended, even for the

grows to 20 employees, 50 employees, or beyond,

summer, I abruptly came back to the US and quickly

the company has to put in effort to ensuring that

found a job at TheLadders. I had no idea what I was

everyone is on the same page, not everyone can be

getting into but that one choice to leave France at that

involved in every decision, and thus the internal

moment in time has led me down an incredibly

communications strategy changes. Little by little,

interesting career path in the NYC tech startup world. I

the company evolves and starts to feel like a

guess I have Philippe to thank!

different company, and it doesn’t take long. I now have an appreciation for all of the growing pains that every growing company encounters, having now seen it a handful of times. Accepting that the growing pains are pretty standard can be a catalyst for proactively creating strategies to address the results of growth in an organization TLY: What’s the best career advice you’ve received? BS: I got an incredible piece of advice from a CEO I recently worked for, which was to insist on being heard. Despite the fact that I have read Lean In, and Women Don’t Ask, and encourage women around me to stick up for themselves and their ideas all the time, when I get pushback on an idea I am proposing, my first tendency is to wilt entirely. I have continued to find it challenging to have confidence in myself and my ideas at times, but

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