Leadership

Consumers shop from all different types of businesses and are naturally curious about their purchases. This curiosity is heightened among ethically conscious shoppers who want to know how a business supplied a product, where it came from, and the materials used in production. These factors showcase the hard work it took for the product to reach the consumer. Yet, some businesses still create a barrier between consumers and their operational processes. This can make the company appear secretive. Instead, businesses should exercise operational transparency. Operational transparency is when businesses purposefully allow customers to view and appreciate their operations. An example of operational transparency sparking customer satisfaction and appreciation is the difference between ATMs and bank tellers. According to the Harvard Business Review, customers’ satisfaction with their banks decreased as ATMs became popular. Since customers couldn’t see how the ATM identified them and accessed their account information, all while maintaining privacy, they took the work being done for granted. Customers prefer to interact with a bank teller as they can appreciate the labour involved in face-to-face interactions.   Even though some businesses use technology for its speed and efficiency, customers appreciate businesses that allow customers to see how hard they work. However, implementing operational transparency does not mean a business must sacrifice efficiency. On the contrary, operational transparency boosts efficiency. This is because when customers know more about the business, their feedback on customer surveys will be far more accurate. Customers are more likely to pay a higher price and return even if they have to wait in lines or online queues, as long as the business lets them see what it is working on. Moreover, another benefit of operational transparency is the loyalty and trust that both customers and employees experience. When employees clearly understand their tasks and how the business is expected to run, they feel more comfortable sharing information, asking for help and updating others about their work. Customers’ trust and loyalty grow from knowing the businesses they support have nothing to hide. For example, customers often want to return to restaurants when employees share extensive knowledge of the menu and ingredients. When customers know more about a business, they continue to return because they are comfortable. Therefore, operational transparency ethically and financially enhances any business and can be implemented in small ways. Here are some ways that businesses can exercise operational transparency. Clarify the suppliers of the business  When businesses are transparent about where their products are from, it tells customers that they set high standards regarding where they source products, which increases trust and brand reputation. Consumers expect the fashion and food industries, in particular, to share where they receive their products. One of the ways to do this is through origin labelling, which involves labelling products with the country manufacturer. In the food industry, origin labelling can be incorporated into restaurant menus or advertisements. Origin labels can also be placed on products like takeaway coffee cups or wine bottles. Consider an open-concept floor plan If you are still in the process of setting up a space for a coffee shop or restaurant, creating an open-concept floor plan will help customers see how employees work and how busy they are. A strong example of a successful open-concept floor plan is Starbucks. When customers can see everything a barista is doing and how busy they are, the barista is more likely to be thorough in their work. Additionally, the customers will be more forgiving about waiting if the workers are busy. Open concept spaces can be achieved by eliminating visual barricades between the customer and employee as long as it does not interfere with safety measures. Other furniture items, such as chairs and tables, can be organized to allow customers to interact with and see employees. Utilize technology on company websites Not only do employees work hard, but technology does too. When people shop through company websites, they may get impatient while waiting for a page to load or for product information to appear on the screen. Meanwhile, the computer is working hard to provide clear pictures, think of suggestions and memorize recently viewed items. To make it clear to customers that the website is working hard, business websites should have software indicating what’s happening as the page loads. For example, Harvard Business Review found that the Kayak website shows customers the airlines it searched for as the page loaded. This also works for tracking shipments. Businesses should have a page on their website where customers can enter their order number to see how long it will take for their package to arrive and the steps it goes through before getting to their front door. Ultimately, letting customers learn more about a business’s operations positively affects marketing, brand reputation, employee productivity and sales. It also builds trust and fosters connections while making shopping feel less like an emotionless transaction and more like a long-term relationship. It’s time businesses drop the veil and knock down any walls between them and their customers.

Interviews can cause a lot of stress for job seekers. The process is difficult for many people between articulating strengths and weaknesses, selling skills and adapting to unanticipated curveballs. Introverts or those who don’t do well in stressful situations may find interviewing particularly challenging. Interviews traditionally favour extroverted and outgoing individuals who make great first impressions. This could mean some qualified applicants are turned down because they are introverted and don’t interview well. Some HR managers have clued into this and are using new, innovative techniques and practices to seek out the best candidates. Read ahead to learn about some of these techniques and why HR managers are using them to transform the hiring process. Soft skills assessments Sometimes people will lie or exaggerate in an interview. According to an article published by CNBC, up to 78 per cent of candidates lie at some point during the hiring process. “This can certainly be a problem,” Jennifer Kowalska, a Toronto-based HR manager, said. According to Kowalska, soft skills assessments won’t eliminate liars from the interviewing process, but they help screen candidates and identify the right kind of person for the job. Kowalska explained that soft skill assessments can come in different forms, but ultimately, they are tools to understand a candidate’s personality more objectively. Whereas an applicant can say whatever they want about themselves during an interview, a soft skills assessment gives hiring managers an idea about who they really are rather than who they are in an interview. Kowalska said that she asks candidates to complete a 20-minute survey even before they get to the interview stage. The platform she uses administers behavioural assessment software, and after the candidate has taken the test, she can see the candidate’s personality type. This allows her to screen candidates rapidly and efficiently. In addition to being easier for HR managers, Kowalska said the process is better for diversity. She explained that everyone has biases, intentional or not, and using software like this helps get the right candidate for the job, no matter their background. One-way video interviews Remote work is a new reality in the workforce. Although many workers are back at the office, some companies have seen the benefits of remote employees and continue to hire for these roles. This has created a unique opportunity for HR managers to ask for one-way video interviews. Instead of scheduling many video interviews, which can be tricky to juggle with an HR manager’s busy schedule, a one-way video interview consists of a candidate submitting a short, introductory video explaining who they are. According to Kowalska, this is effective for certain roles, such as candidates applying for sales positions or other customer-facing roles. From an HR manager’s perspective, Kowalska said that the main advantage of one-way video interviews is that it streamlines the candidate screening process. Where a traditional video interview may take at least a half hour, one-way video interviews are typically five minutes long. As for the candidates, Kowalska explained that many of her hires have said they enjoyed having the time to think about what they want to say and like the flexibility to record the video in as many takes as they want, whenever they want. Kowalska said she asks for a one-way video interview only for candidates she is genuinely interested in learning more about. If a candidate has an impressive resume and a good one-way interview, she will move on to the formal interview process. Kowalska says she can usually narrow the candidate pool to a few people so everyone’s time is saved. Casual settings Although interviews in coffee shops are nothing new, Kowalska said s that her HR team moved in-person interviews to casual settings after her company adopted a hybrid-remote work model. She explained that traditionally, a candidate would be brought into her office both for her convenience and to offer the interviewee an opportunity to see their prospective workplace. Casual interviews, she said, can preserve HR managers’ convenience while giving candidates a sense of their potential workplace environments as hybrid-remote workers. In her workplace, many employees work out of coffee shops and at home and only go into the office occasionally. By hosting interviews at coffee shops and other casual meeting spots, candidates can see where they could work if hired. Kowalska said that she also feels candidates are more honest and relaxed in these environments, which benefits both the candidates and the HR team. It’s still about the overall candidate According to Kowalska, the most important thing about hiring is the candidate themselves. She explained that almost nobody does everything perfectly or is expected to. People will still get nervous or mess up during their interviews, but that doesn’t mean HR managers will hold that against them. “It’s about the role overall and who fits best in it,” she said. If she is screening candidates for the IT department, for example, Kowalska said she doesn’t care as much if they can’t sell themselves as it’s not a speaking or customer-facing role. Instead, she is more focused on whether or not they would be good employees and easy to work with. More than anything, these tools are just tools. Hiring, to Kowalska, is more of an art than a science. She explained that she is constantly looking for new ways to improve the hiring process for both HR and the candidates. The biggest takeaway, she said, is that HR managers should think about what the role is and how a candidate would fit into it rather than rely solely on classic hiring techniques. That way, they’ll get the right person for the job.

When you think of a typical employee, the image of someone glued to their computer for 12 hours at a time and constantly checking their work emails (even outside the office) may come to mind. But while this may have been the norm in the past, leadership styles have changed. New and emerging leadership styles signifying the emergence of Gen Z’ers in the workplace have replaced the traditional hierarchical structure that treated workers like assets. The cohort of young people born between 1997 and 2012 is often plagued by negative stereotypes, such as that they are lazy and not interested in developing careers. However, as they begin to enter the workforce, they have proven to be forward-thinking young leaders advocating for new management practices to reshape the workplace landscape. One leader adopting new workplace practices is Julia Hart, a Toronto-based restaurant general manager. According to Hart,  trust is fundamental in new leadership styles. Hart said older leadership styles did not trust workers to make decisions. Although no one enjoys being micromanaged, she finds that younger workers are especially resistant.  “Gen Z likes their autonomy,” Hart explained. “Instead of resisting that, I embrace that.” Hart added that since restaurants are traditionally a work environment with strict expectations, giving workers too much autonomy can be difficult. However, Hart said she believes there are plenty of opportunities for her employees to make their own choices. One example is lunch breaks. Hart explained that in many restaurants, employees don’t get breaks, despite it being illegal. She said she believes that a big reason for this is that workers feel pressured by their managers to work through their lunches. Hart, instead, allows her employees to take breaks whenever they choose. She asks that they get their work covered by their co-workers when they are on break. Aside from that, they can take as many breaks as they would like as long as it isn’t too busy. Beyond an understanding approach to breaks, Hart allows her employees to dress however they want. Additionally, she avoids putting pressure on them to work harder if they are short-staffed. Hart said the key to this is in the hiring process. She strongly prefers hiring kind-hearted people, whom she believes will work better with more freedom. Hart also said an important aspect of leading the new generation is asking for their opinions. When there are decisions to be made in the restaurant, Hart brings in as many staff members as possible to help make the choice. Although she oversees the front-of-house operations, she encourages the kitchen team to do the same when developing new recipes. By asking workers for their input, Hart feels that workers care more about their work environments. Not only that, but she finds her employees often have interesting, creative ideas that she wouldn’t have thought of herself. Sarah Zhang, a coffee shop manager in Toronto, emphasized that s respecting employees’ time off is the best way to increase employee morale. She accomplishes this by releasing schedules at least a month in advance. This allows the shop plenty of time to reorganize shifts to accommodate time off requests. Zhang finds that her employees favour regular schedules rather than traditional shift work. According to Zhang, there is no need to schedule shifts inconsistently. She finds that employees are more receptive to regular and consistent shifts so they can plan their lives outside of work. Of course, sometimes, the schedule needs adjusting. Zhang explains that in terms of switching around shifts with notice, it is easy enough for her store. In her experience, other coffee shops can make a big deal about switching shifts, but she allows her employees to swap shifts whenever they want. “Some managers don’t trust their employees to switch shifts,” Zhang said. “I just don’t understand that.”    According to her, most coffee shops will make their employees go through a long process to switch their shifts. Some practices involve submitting shift-switching request forms, which are sometimes denied. Zhang explained that she trusts everyone on her team to be good at their jobs, so there is no need to make them go through a long hassle to switch shifts. “I don’t care who is working with me because I like everyone. I just need enough staff,” she added. To Zhang, most workplaces don’t treat their workers like people. Instead, they view them too callously or treat them too much like friends, leading to employees being taken advantage of. She has found that treating her employees like people who are there to do a job is the best of both worlds. If a manager treats employees like a resource to exploit, understandably, they will not enjoy working there. Likewise, if a manager attempts to cross employee-employer boundaries, many workers will become resentful. Now workers expect a management style that allows for a respectful, professional work environment. They wish to be treated well without having any boundaries crossed and to be valued for their work. New leaders have become aware of these needs, and many have begun implementing them into their management practices. This can also improve workplace operations, as when employees are happy at work, they tend to be more productive and creative. These transformations are just the beginning as more workplaces are listening to the concerns of young employees. Working is no longer about hustling but rather respect and balance. As these leaders continue implementing new changes, they transform workplaces into inclusive, supportive and motivating environments.

Improving accessibility to meet employee needs has been a topic of growing importance in recent years. Ensuring that all employees are able to perform their jobs properly and safely should always be a priority for business owners. An article from the Social Science Open Access Repository (SSOAR) revealed that when applying for jobs, many people conceal disabilities or impairments when possible to avoid discrimination in the hiring process. Instead of placing this kind of pressure on others, businesses should focus on accommodating the specific needs of their employees. Here are some ways that employers can create accessible workplaces to meet the needs of their employees. Universal Design In her book HR Initiatives in Building Inclusive and Accessible Workplaces, Shalini Garg discusses the principle of Universal Design (UD). The term refers to products and environments designed to be used by all people without requiring adaptation. These products and environments are created with the largest possible audience in mind so that all needs can be anticipated and met. In theory, this is the ideal situation in a workplace. If all workspaces were created with UD in mind, then there would be no need for continuous adaptations as time goes on. However, Garg points out that one critique of the principle of UD is that it is seen as a “one-size-fits-all” solution in many scenarios. The main problem with UD is that it cannot account for the endless possible needs of employees. Even when implementing UD, businesses cannot expect to fully accommodate the needs of individual workers. In short, the concept of UD is too idealistic and oversimplifies the issue. While UD may not be the sole solution to workplace accessibility issues, it is still a good starting point for creating more accessible workspaces. UD cannot cover every need that arises, but it is still an important concept to keep in mind to help provide an accessible workplace for employees. Physical Changes Physical changes are adjustments to the workplace made based on an employee’s individual needs, so not every adaptation can be covered here. However, possible workspace changes may include the following:– Moving an employee’s workspace to a quieter environment– Installing wheelchair ramps– Implementing braille signage– Providing ergonomic equipment Schedule Changes SSOAR explains that one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to support employee needs is to be flexible with work hours. This could include changing or increasing break times, reducing work hours, changing employees to part-time work, and allowing employees to work from home. Allowing for schedule flexibility means that employees can work more effectively while on the clock, and these changes often do not require much work on the employer’s end. Communication Changes According to article from the ACM Digital Library, communication is critical when considering accessibility needs. How employers communicate tasks and information to their employees can also hinder an accessible workplace. The article recommends presenting instructions both verbally and in writing, not just over email. It also suggests scheduling time for check-in meetings between employees and supervisors. This allows employees to receive specific feedback on their work and helps prevent miscommunications. This also provides time for employees to clarify tasks and steps moving forward. Personal Support Garg states that the keys to proper accommodation are continual peer support and assistance. Creating accessible workspaces is not as simple as implementing new technology one time or having one meeting on accessibility. Accommodation is a continuous process that must always be considered when dealing with employees. SSOAR points out that many companies hire specific individuals who regularly assess the needs in the workplace and supervise employee development. Hiring these specialists is a worthwhile investment to ensure workers’ unique needs are accounted for. Many employees do not even realize that they have a right to request workplace accommodations. During onboarding and training, employers should include materials that ensure employees understand their right to seek accommodations. Overall, the best way to create accessible workplaces is to fully understand the changing needs of employees so that accommodations can be made according to specific needs. This work is not always easy, but ensuring all employees feel comfortable and secure in their workplace environments is essential to a successful business.

The Oxford dictionary defines leadership as the act of leading, which is a necessary skill in business. Yet, there’s a misconception about the ideal leader being authoritarian and extroverted.  In fact, good leaders can vary in terms of leadership style and personality. They can be transformational, delegative, transactional or participative leaders. They may also be ambiverts or even introverts who listen more than they talk.  These Ontario-based leaders prove just that through their unique leadership styles. Leadership roles Maya Vukov is a York University bachelor of fine arts in film production graduate and master’s student. She was Winters College Council’s (WCC) director of finance and of social and cultural affairs.  As a young film director, she said you’re doing something you created and, as a result, it’s very similar to “starting a small business.” Leanne Connor is pursuing a bachelor’s of fine arts in theatre and found a home in WCC. She worked in social and cultural affairs, as a speaker and is now president.  She’s accepted that sometimes leading means leaning on others. “I had to let go of all the prejudice that I had to handle everything and I couldn’t ask for help,” she said. As president, she said it’s crucial to acknowledge that “you’re not alone” while learning to delegate. She’s also learned to trust her instincts and resolve conflicts. As a 2022 Toronto Theatre Fringe Festival stage manager, she stood her ground, not implementing last minute directorial changes.  And as a Bath and Body Works key holder, she was the liaison between new employees and management. She relayed information and helped mediate problems. Amédé Fontaine is completing a University of Ottawa bachelor’s of accounting. He is planning to become a Chartered Professional Accountant, presently a BDO junior accountant. Since starting university, he’s been a social media lead for health services, guiding co-workers and helping to create content. As an intramural volleyball referee, Fontaine helped players and referees improve. Yearly, he’s shared his business case competition experience with students. Personality, values and leadership style Vukov described herself as a quiet introvert.  Having attended many leadership retreats, she’s still working to be a transformational leader. She said, “You want to inspire people with your mission, and then empower them to work with you and not feel like they’re constrained creatively speaking.” She added that film leans towards authoritarian leadership, which can be problematic.  However, she’s also struggled with others “trying to take over” instead of servicing her vision. Vukov’s leadership style reflects her personality. Valuing perseverance, she works with those “in it for the long run.” She values trust, communication and honesty, still working on trusting others. Connor sees herself as an ambivert who loves socializing while also enjoying time alone.  Growing up around introverts, Connor has introverted tendencies but has opened up more since going to university. She’s a participative and transformational leader, leaning towards “the collaborative and creative process.” Connor’s leadership style reflects her personality. She leads with honesty and clear communication. The latter, she said, is necessary to achieve any goal. She also uses punctuality as “a professional working standard.” Fontaine described himself as an introspective ambivert.  He likes his quiet time but also enjoys meeting new people and experiencing new things. He’s a delegative and transformational leader, delegating work and promoting the values he believes are “important” to those around him. He personally values empathy, kindness and positivity, seeing his work teams as family. His empathy and kindness translate into knowing others’ needs. Developing leadership skills Vukov’s leadership skills are a “work-in-progress.”  She’s working on navigating opposing viewpoints and on having more confidence in her vision, which she said “younger, first-time directors struggle with a lot.” She added the importance of setting an example. “If everyone sees how passionate you are, it’s easier for them to connect with the project,” she said. She added that it’s “really important for people to feel like the work they’re doing is valuable and acknowledged.” Connor said it’s important for leaders to recognize that, regardless of training, “there will always be room for improvement.” She added that fostering passion and trust is important. Something she’s trying to do through WCC training and team building activities.  For Fontaine, leadership skills have come naturally and with practice, having needed to practice his public speaking and conversational skills.  However, he’s “always been at ease” to step in as a leader, though he can still improve. Leadership advice  Vukov has found reading helpful.  “Reading fiction helps with empathizing with another person’s experience and the world,” she said.  According to her, a leader’s most important quality is “being a good listener.” She also said it is important to discover your values “and live as true as possible” to them. Connor shared that leaders should be patient with themselves. “There’s this sense of ‘It must go the way that I planned it in order for it to be successful,’” she said. But added that it’s alright for things not to go according to plan though she still strives to make a positive impact, namely through the events she hosts. Connor said that it is strong to realize you need help. She’s reached out to past WCC presidents for help herself. Fontaine emphasized the value in learning from other leaders and implementing what you liked about their leadership into your own. Having worked various jobs, he realized what he liked in leaders, which has allowed him to come up with his own leadership style. Good leadership can look different with every leader and evolve. In fact, Fontaine maintains that people can be various types of leaders throughout their lives as their personalities change. Developing your existing skills might be more beneficial than trying to fit into the stereotype of a ‘good leader.’