Get to know Hireforce! Meet Grace Barker, Senior Team Manager

Grace joined Hireforce in May 2017, so we’re just a few days short of her 3-year anniversary! Since her first day, Grace has demonstrated her hard work and quickly became a manager of the Contracts Team in just over a year of joining the Hireforce team! Grace is undeniably a wonderful manager to her team and always has a thirst for development and learning.  Grace has attended several events such as Dreamforce, WITness Success, and user groups and meetups in Denver with her fur-baby, Luna!

Let’s get to know Grace a little more –

Q: What’s the best part of your job/Hireforce?

A: The best part of my job is getting to interact on a daily basis with people who are passionate about what they do; whether that’s internally at Hireforce or with the candidates and clients we work with. The Salesforce Ecosystem is supportive, collaborative, and diverse – everyone wants to see everyone succeed and knows we’re stronger together.

Q: What’s the best way you start the day?

A: I take Luna on a quick walk and blast some music!

Q: What do you wish you knew more about?

A: Vlocity, specifically its Health vertical. Salesforce so recently acquired Vlocity, and I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of its power.

Q: Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?

A: Cinque Terre, five centuries-old villages on the Italian Riviera coastline. The history, the passion, the views – what’s not to love? There’s so much to learn, do and see (and eat).

Q: What have you been doing to keep yourself busy during this shelter-in-place?

A: Taking Luna on a LOT of walks and tons of puzzles! Aaaaand I binged Lincoln Rhymes: Hunt for the Bone Collector (Thank you, Tina Wilburn, for the AWESOME recommendation).

Q: What’s your favorite thing about Salesforce?

A: How amazing everyone in the ecosystem is! I’m never afraid to ask a question to expand my knowledge on a certain topic, reach out when I need help, or lend my support and resources when I know I can be of value – you don’t find that in every industry, ecosystem, focus, etc. 

Q: What’s your favorite cloud?

A: Einstein Analytics – this should come as no surprise to anyone internally at Hireforce, but I’m a huge numbers and data person. Einstein Analytics allows you to spot opportunities, predict outcomes, get recommendations, as well as create visualizations, predictions, insights, and so much more.

Q: Who is your favorite MVP?

A: Joy Shutters-Helbing, easy! Joy is always happy to discuss the trends she’s seeing in the ecosystem, a huge proponent of growing those around her while continuing to expand her knowledge in every capacity, and readily available to answer any questions I have. Joy’s drive and passion, as well as kindness in all that she does is inspiring on a personal and professional level. I’ve learned a lot from our conversations, as well as through her leadership in the ecosystem and involvement in WIT.

Q: Favorite trailhead character?

A: Hmm, it has to be a tie between Koa and Einstein. I’m a sucker for a dog, especially one that’s Chief Love Officer of a company. Einstein is quick on his feet, a problem solver and helps you learn more about your customer – all things I strive to be and do on a daily basis!

Mindfulness in the Workplace

Automation is the way of the future but bringing mindfulness into your work is a great way to stay engaged, reduce stress, and improve physical wellbeing.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is described as “the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something, without judgement, in the present moment. This can include, thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.”

Mindfulness has many far-reaching health benefits including reducing blood pressure, improving cognition, potentially improving your immune system, and improving your quality of sleep. All these health benefits should be reason enough to start looking into mindfulness but what are some ways to integrate mindfulness practices while at work?

Below are some great ways to introduce mindfulness to your workplace and to your routine daily:

• Be Present

o   Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of your surroundings, thoughts, and feelings, without judgement. If you have a project that needs to be done, being present and mindful means that project is receiving your undivided attention. Each time you feel yourself wanting to check a non-urgent email or scroll through social media, gently remind yourself to be present with what you have in front of you. This practice can extend to meetings, calls, and social interactions with your colleagues.

• One thing at a time

o   Multitasking is a falsehood. It’s defined as being able to do two or more tasks, at once, at the same time. This can lead to frustration as we feel as though we had a busy day but can’t clearly define the success we’ve had. Sort of like not realizing you’ve been running on a treadmill and wondering why the finish line is still the same distance away. By focusing on one task at a time, you not only can stay present, but you’ll notice an increase in overall productivity. Create actionable items, leverage a productivity software, or simply write out a to-do list.

• Express Gratitude

o   By reflecting with gratitude about things like our workplace, coworkers, and even challenging conversations or feedback sessions, we build our own emotional resiliency to stressful situations. To express gratitude to those around us requires us to stay tuned in to our surroundings. Studies have shown that expressing gratitude also has a positive impact on our health, creativity, relationships, and quality of work.

• Radical Acceptance

o   Part of mindfulness is acknowledging what is happening in the present moment, without judgement. Practice acceptance of things that are outside of your control. It’s an acceptance of the current situation without dictating it as “good” or “bad” rather, it just, is. Radical acceptance not only is an exercise in mindfulness but another way to practice emotional resiliency in the workplace. More and more employers are looking for people to join their organizations that have a high emotional intelligence.

• Mindfulness exercises

o   There are simple exercises you can practice throughout the day that help allow you mindful moments even while at work. Some examples being:

• Stretch for 10 seconds every hour

o  Observe how your body feels, without judgement, and accept before returning to work.

• Mindfully eat a snack or your lunch

o   Slow down and appreciate the food you have. Observe the taste, texture, scent, appearance

• Practice 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

o  Look at five things around you, feel four things, listen for three sounds, smell two things or imagine your favorite scent, taste one thing (such as a mint)

Looking to read more on mindfulness? Check out some helpful links below:

• Benefits of Mindfulness

• When Science Meets Mindfulness

• Mindfulness meditation may ease anxiety, mental stress

Highly Effective Habits When Working From Home

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 16% of the total workforce works remotely at least part of the time. With everything going on in the world today, working from home is becoming more and more prevalent for companies across the world. While many individuals are accustomed to working remotely, this is new to many workers. 

Advice for Remote Workers: 

• Routine/Habits

  • Start and end work at the same time every day

  • Don’t start working immediately: have a cup of coffee, read the news, take your dog for a walk, etc.

  • Schedule breaks: roughly 10-15 minutes at a time, clear your mind, and take a step back

  • Get ready like you would to go into the office: shower, brush your teeth, comb your hair, etc.

• Workspace Environment

  • Work from a desk or table, your couch or bed proves to be easier to lounge in than work

  • Dedicate a space to “work”, get in the mindset that when you’re sitting there, it’s time to work

  • Set goals for the quarter/year and display them somewhere in your workspace as a reminder to stay on track towards those. 

• Overall

  • Be Patient: If it's your first time working remotely, it might take some time to find a routine that works for you. Try different things like getting out of the house at lunch time, start / end work at different times, if you have the flexibility. Once you find what works for you, stick to it.

  • Communicate: Schedule check-in meetings and/or syncs with your team and/or manager on a weekly basis to connect on your goals, project status, and daily tasks. Advocate for yourself and highlight the progress you’ve made, which goals you’ve smashed, which projects you’ve completed, etc.

    • When you’re not in the office, it can be difficult for a manager to see the daily work and effort you’re putting in , don’t be afraid to bring up important accomplishments.

  • Utilize tools to limit distractions: Chrome plugins for social media, setting boundaries if you are not the only one working from your home

  • Stay Social: Plan lunch with a friend, an after work social activity, a workout class, etc. so you aren't home all day.

Considering allowing your employees to work remotely for the long haul and need a few reasons why it’s a good idea, in addition to increased health and safety given the current climate of the world? A few of the many benefits below:

• Increased Productivity and Quality 

  • A survey of remote employees by CoSo Cloud, a trusted private-cloud solutions provider for Adobe® Connect™, reported 23% of remote workers are willing to work for longer hours to get more done, 52% are less likely to take time off and 30% reported accomplishing more in less time. Overall, 77% confirmed improved productivity while working from home.

  • FlexJobs conducted a survey of 5,500 professionals with 66% agreeing their productivity improves when they are not in office, with 76% overall feeling there are fewer distractions outside of offices.

  • Increases the pool of candidates, with a higher chance of finding the ideal skill set. 

• Talent Retention

  • A study done by FlexJobs noted 85% of millennials prefer working from home all the time. 

  • Similarly, a survey by AfterCollege shares results that work-life balance (67%) and flexible work schedule (57%) are the two biggest demands of recent graduates.

  • Finally, a survey showed 79% of employees said they will be more loyal to a business if it offers more flexibility, with 32% stating they have left a job due to lack of flexibility from their employer.

Additional Resources

• “New to Working Remotely? These Resources Can Help” Includes a free learning path to navigate remote work.

• Microsoft Teams Free

• World Health Organization Coronavirus Resource

• CDC Coronavirus Resource

Overcoming Obstacles and Getting the Job You Want with Salesforce

Hireforce loves participating in ecosystem events and meet-ups, and last week was no different. We had the opportunity to speak to the Charlotte, NC User Group thanks to their awesome group leader, Jackie Travieso, who reached out to us to form a partnership. The user group attendees were looking to gain knowledge about job searching, resume tips, how to best use LinkedIn, and how to overcome barriers in the ecosystem. The major themes and key takeaways from our presentation included: 

• Overcoming Barriers to Entry 

  • Leverage your existing skill sets and past experiences to get hired.

    • Entry-level individuals should not solely rely on Trailhead and Certifications to get into the Salesforce ecosystem. 

  • Use Upwork.com, contract projects, build your own developer org to supplement your knowledge, etc. and use these as resume builders 

  • Learn Apex and Flow - they are not as scary as they seem! Even if you learn the basics for troubleshooting and/or gain a basic understanding of these, you will stand out in an interview. 

  • Work with your organization’s Salesforce team to take on projects they need help with.

• Overcoming Ageism 

  • Increase your skills and make your skillset irresistible (learn Lightning development, gain experience with niche products, etc.)

  • Be flexible to get new work - For ex. temporarily relocate, work in contract roles for a period of time to gain more experience, etc.

  • If you sense that culture fit might be a concern, bring that up in the interview. Say “I’m very excited about this opportunity and this company. How do you see me fitting into the culture here?” If you sense hesitation, you can explain how you fit well with the values and culture in the company to address any prior concerns. 

• Resume Tips 

  • ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS use spell check 

    • Do not make mistakes such as: Sales Force, Lightening

  • If you’re entry-level, make your resume as specific to Salesforce as you can.

  • Take out past industry jargon

    • For Example: Do not include 15 years of retail management experience and only 1 Salesforce certification. Cater your resume to the role! 

  • If ageism is a concern, limit the experience on your resume to the most recent 10 years and consider removing education dates.

  • Always aim for “fewest words, highest impact”

• LinkedIn Tips

  • Mark yourself as “Open to New Opportunities” and make sure your profile is set to receive InMails.

  • If you don’t check LinkedIn often, add your email to your profile to ensure you don’t miss a message. 

  • Include locations, industries, roles that you are interested in hearing about - this can be set up when you mark yourself as “Open to New Opportunities” 

  • Skills, job titles, and keyword searches are the main ways profiles are found so include relevant content. 

• Interview Tips 

  • ALWAYS prepare questions - without questions, it will appear as a lack of interest 

  • Do your research and be prepared to explain why you want to work for this company specifically. You can discuss their mission, their product and/or other aspects of the role. 

  • Practice answering interview questions before the interview. Go through each bullet point on the job description and make sure you know what parts of your background intertwine with the role. 

  • At the end of the interview, ask if the interviewer has any hesitations about your fit for their need at this current time. If they do, address them in a positive and constructive way to nip any hesitations in the bud.

Network 101: Tips and Tricks to Make the Most Out of Every Salesforce Event

Networking events and conferences can be a scary place for many people. The numbers of attendees, the seniority level of speakers, a potential new city you’ve never explored, etc. - there’s a lot of factors that can play into a feeling over being overwhelmed. As we attend more and more networking events, meetups and conferences throughout the years, we’ve put together some helpful tips and tricks to allow you to get the most out of every interaction.

• Business Cards

  • Nobody wants a card they didn't ask for, so don't feel the need to push your card on other people. By getting someone else’s card, it puts you in control of the follow up.

    • Write a small note on the back of the business card of the person you speak with so you can remember what your conversation was about and be able to follow up with a personal touch 

• Scheduling

  • Preview the session schedule ahead of time to know which sessions you absolutely want to attend.

    • Plan in walking time or time spent waiting in line for popular sessions to avoid missing out on something you’re truly excited for.

• Set Goals

  • Know what you want to get out of the event before you arrive - set a purpose and work toward that.

• Build a Relationship

  • Network with people in positions above you, as well as at your own level. It’s great to build a network with people at all levels for long term relationship building, you never know who will be where one day.

  • Remember, everyone is there to meet people so don't be scared to approach anyone and take something positive and/or constructive from every conversation.

  • It all starts with building a relationship as people will do business with people they know, like and trust.

• Following Up

  • As you interact with individuals, it is key to remember to follow up. Whether you write down in a notebook, in your phone, or set a reminder on your calendar to do so, this is where the long term relationships are built. Make this personal and concise, as well as gracious to have had the chance to meet said new connection.

  • LinkedIn: Adding individuals on LinkedIn with a quick note is a great way to follow up if you did not get their personal contact information. There’s even a QR code to allow for a quick add on LinkedIn, instructions on how to find that here.

  • Twitter: The Salesforce Ecosystem is a big proponent of continuing to build networks, relationships and the ohana and Twitter is an active site to continue to do so, find help and provide support to fellow members of the ecosystem. 

• Sample Questions

  • What brought you to X event?

  • Is this your first time at X event?

  • Which previous conferences, or events, have you attended that you found most valuable?

  • What sessions are you most excited about?

  • How did you get into the Salesforce Ecosystem?

    • How long have you been in the Salesforce Ecosystem?

  • What areas of Salesforce would you be most interested in gaining more (or some) experience on?

  • Which Salesforce skills do you think will be most in-demand in the coming few years?

  • What lesson(s) have you learned from a Salesforce mentor that’s always stuck with you?

Confidence is key in situations like these, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there - go in with the mindset that you can, and will, make meaningful connections. Which meet up or conference will you be attending next that you can put these tips and tricks to use? We’d love to hear where people are headed next and hope to meet you out there!