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With the end of the year approaching, you're thinking about wrapping things up or budgets for next year. What if instead, you started thinking innovation? If you've struggled this year making a name for your company in the talent market, it's time to determine what you can do differently next year t

We talk culture all day long, but there's a beginning, a place it all started. And you might be in the place. Considering the role culture plays or even trying to convince your founder or leadership team it matters. This week we've compiled some varying insights on ways to learn about culture and ge

When we started exaqueo at the end of 2011, the goal was to rethink the way we value employees. When companies wait until they get too big to create a culture and hire to that culture, disengagement ensues. We're passionate about helping startup and high-growth companies and pleased to grow our team

When it comes to "employer brand," most people either don't know the term or completely misunderstand it. Employer brand is not social recruiting or posting jobs online. And it's not slapping the consumer brand on a careers site and calling it a day.  It's what the employment experience is known for

I saw another post today touting the great culture of a company and showcasing the office space. That's great, but a cool office does not make a culture alone. A culture is a set of values and norms that define the behavior of an organization. Sure. perks and cool chairs can be an extension of that,

This week is all about gratitude for sure. Thanksgiving isn’t just a food-coma-inducing holiday. It’s a chance to think carefully about what you’re thankful for and to share that thanks. Being grateful isn’t as easy as sounds. Especially when it comes to thanking employees. Team members receive and

During my first human resources job for Arthur Andersen, I was introduced to the beauty of self-awareness. Even in the early 1990s the firm was HR-progressive, introducing a mandatory 360-degree feedback program. Back then, upward feedback was thrilling. A chance to honestly share what my boss coul

As companies scale, culture and growth go hand-in-hand. This means founders and leaders have to be more and more creative about how to ensure they continue to sustain culture so it doesn't get lost in the forest of growth. This week we share multiple examples of ways you can think about scaling the

At exaqueo, we’ve always believed that the earlier you define your culture, promote that culture –the good and the bad – and hire to it, the more effective the role talent can play in your growth. Today we’re continuing our series on companies not only passionate about culture but making the effor

I remember when I told my father I wasn't interested in becoming a corporate vice president. He was taken aback--climbing the corporate ladder and succeeding was one of his biggest successes. And it was big--for him. Success was measured in responsibility, power and titles. And there is nothing wron

Let's face it, no one sails through their work life with grace and ease. We stumble, we fail, we struggle and we learn some pretty great lessons along the way.  For me, those lessons have come from 32 different, paying jobs in 21 years. You heard that right. 32. From orientation leader to cold calle

Every week we gather HR and Talent news for you -- the best of what we've read. This week, we're turning the tables and sharing some of the best of what we've written both for exaqueo's blog and in other channels where we share our insights. The common theme? Rethinking what we often hold true: proc

There’s no shortage of college graduates searching for jobs–some have internship and project experience, but they’re still new, and entry-level talent has to be trained. Programs like Nashville’s Software School, App Academy, and Hackbright Academy are helping to fill the gap. But that doesn’t help

It started as early as eighth grade. Field hockey tryouts came and went, and we gathered around the team lists like crazed Madonna fans (the Bieber of my day). I was a decent athlete, and I made the A team. The season passed, and everyone wanted to know whether I was going to try to make the high sc

Another day, another viral video of a frustrated, tired employee quitting a job in a dramatic fashion.  First there was the chute-sliding JetBlue flight attendant and then the brash marching band incident followed by the forthright op-ed from the ex-Goldman Sachs employee. And now there’s the dancin

Startups and growing businesses talk about scale, sure. But when we think of scale, we often forget the trials and tribulations that scale brings, especially when it comes to talent. A few of us here at exaqueo had the opportunity to hear from LivingSocial CEO Tim O'Shaughnessy earlier this week tal

Timely. Detailed. Manager. Feedback. When you read that, you have one of two likely reactions. They are probably either "I'm sorry, what did you say? Was that English?" or "Oh, you mean when a manager says 'hmmm, Not a fit'". Let's face it, regardless of whether you are an internal or external recru

Regardless of the business you're in, learning has to be a regular part of your routine. Otherwise you miss technology, innovation and quite simply, what's happening all around you. It's one thing to engage in online content, but another to hear it live, engage, ask questions and hear what others th

There's a great scene in Sex and the City where Charlotte proclaims she's exhausted with dating. Constantly trying to find "the one" is tiring. And while there's no real limit on the time we can take to find the right spouse or partner, if you're a recruiter, you don't have the luxury of taking your

Las Vegas has a specific reputation: gambling, bars, partying, up-all-night-antics. We've all been there (or not). I won't tell if you won't. Either way, unless you're in the business of showing guests a good time, it's hard to think about business in Vegas. Until now.  Over at Forbes I just wrote a

Think about the people data your organization has: employee satisfaction, hiring metrics, performance reviews. What do all the data have in common? Work. All we know about the people we work with is about how, why and when they work. But to build better employee relationships, we need to get to know

Every startup knows that culture is important, but it often takes a pivotal moment, challenge or obstacle for founders and leadership teams to realize it's time to focus.  We're so busy shipping code, getting product out the door or sourcing new customers we forget that it's people building the busi

Last week was a busy week here at exaqueo...we are bringing on new clients, putting the finishing touches on our Q3 newsletter (sign-up here) and working on some big plans for 2014.  But we didn't want to end the week without our weekly roundup--so we're starting the new week with it instead! This w

Almost every founder has the same mentality: talent can make or break your business. From finding the best talent to maintaining a strong culture, founders regularly wax poetic about how much they care about their people and their culture. We all know that people and culture matter. The real questio