By: Laura Scuderi

In the United States alone, around 55 million meetings are held each week. Yet, employees surveyed said they felt that half the meetings they attend each month are a waste of time. Here is a list of 5 helpful tips to ensure your next meeting is engaging and effective.

1. Create an Agenda

   Creating an agenda and distributing it ahead of time can greatly improve the productivity of your meeting. An agenda sets clear expectations for attendees on the topics that need to be discussed, the objectives of the meeting, who is presenting what information, and a schedule to follow to make sure time is not wasted. Make sure to prioritize the most important points.

2. Time Management

   When there is a lot of information to cover, it’s very easy to run out of time in your meeting before all topics can be addressed. Plan in advance how much time can be spent on each agenda item, and stick to it! You can assign an attendee the task of keeping time to make sure you stay on schedule. It’s also important to prioritize the most important agenda items to be discussed first, and with an appropriate amount of time allotted for them.

3. Encourage Participation

   Having a meeting facilitator or leader is fantastic, but remember that doesn’t mean that the entire meeting needs to be conducted by one person. In fact, having different employees present is a great way to keep everyone engaged and focused. Ensure you have extra time budgeted to allow discussion and collaboration among employees, and be sure to ask open-ended questions to get those conversations going.

4. Send Recap

   The conversation doesn’t end once the meeting has ended. Often times, there are action items or deadlines that were established. That’s why it’s critical to have a designated note-taker. This person can have the task of sending out a recap via email that highlights the important information that was discussed. This helps remind all the employees in attendance (as well as those who were invited but could not attend) a summary of the most important takeaways, any next steps that were discussed and any critical deadlines have been assigned.

5. Ask for Input

   Finally, one of the best ways to determine if your meeting was effective is to ask the participants for feedback. This can be done via email, in person, or even anonymously through a survey. The following are just a few questions you can ask to measure meeting effectiveness:

   • Was this meeting helpful?
   • Did you feel engaged during this meeting?
   • Do you feel this meeting was a good use of your time?
   • What would you do differently?

Effective meetings in the workplace can improve employee engagement, keep employees informed on important issues and promote company alignment. The tips discussed above are just a few ways to increase the productivity and success of your next meeting.

By: Samantha Zeoli

The average job interview lasts between 45 minutes and 1 hour. For the candidate, this can feel like an eternity, but for the employer, an hour is not a lot of time to decide whether or not someone is right for the role. It is possible to make this determination; you just have to pose the right questions. Here are 10 interview questions employers can ask to find the best candidate for them:

1. What attracted you to apply for this position?
   This question allows the employer to determine whether or not the candidate has a true interest in the company or has just applied blindly for the position. Look for passion and excitement in the candidates answer. This can also be a good segue into the employer providing the candidate with a more detailed background on the company and the position itself.
2. Tell me about your role at your previous job.
   Technically this is not a question, but it is important to find out the candidate’s previous work experience and the role they played in their previous position. Sure you can look at their resume, but you will most likely get a more detailed report from the candidate this way.
3. What type of work environment makes you happy?
   This question can help the employer understand how the candidate may adapt and fit in to their company culture and also be telling of their work ethic. This offers the opportunity for the employer to then touch on more information about the company’s work environment, team and management style so the candidate can also determine if they will be a right fit.
4. Tell me about a time when you were faced with a challenge at work. How did you overcome it?
   Finding out how the candidate copes with, handles and learns from challenging situations can provide the employer with a sense of what it may be like to work with them when times get tough. Be sure to hire someone who can work well under pressure and has the problem solving capability to address challenges efficiently.
5. If you have multiple projects and limited time, how do you go about prioritizing them?
   Posing this question permits the employer to get some insight into how the candidate will navigate through the challenging tasks of the role and how effectively they manage their time.
6. What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
   Asking this question allows the candidate to elaborate on their strengths rather than asking the standard “what are your strengths?”. It can also boost their interview confidence by talking about something they are proud of in their work history.
7. What one skill would you like to improve and what’s your plan for doing so?
   This is an alternative to another common interview question, “what’s your biggest weakness?”. Rather than asking the candidate to point out their flaws, it offers them an opportunity to discuss an area of improvement and see how much they are willing to put into continuously improving their skills.
8. What motivates you?
   This question allows the employer to
   1. make sure the factors that motivate the candidate align with your company’s goals as well as the position and job responsibilities in which they would be working and
   2. get a sense of the candidate’s self-awareness to know what drives them.
9. Do you have any questions for me?
   This is an important question to ask as some candidate’s nerves get the best of them and they forget to ask their own questions about the role/company. It could also provide insight on how the candidate values the position. Those that ask informative and thoughtful questions are likely to have the most interest.
10. If money wasn’t an object, what would your dream job be and why?
    Ending with this one last question can close the interview on a fun and relaxed note and also allow you to know your candidate on a more personal level.

Interviewing doesn’t have to be stressful as long as you are prepared. These 10 questions are compatible with almost any position, but feel free to include more precise questions that truly reflect your company’s culture and have a specific purpose. Keep it relevant and remember to be friendly. Your demeanor will set the tone for the interview, so be welcoming and put forth positive energy to help your candidates feel comfortable.