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Headed Back To The Office? How to Adjust!

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Our working situations have changed dramatically since early 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic caused many people to lose their jobs, and companies around the world made the move to remote work. For example, by June 2020, 42% of the US labor force were working from home. Over the past year, we’ve nailed the bed-to-Zoom commute: We can be up, presentably dressed (our top half at least), hydrated, caffeinated and in front of the screen in minutes.

Despite the challenges of making our living space into our working space, we’ve gotten used to the comforts of working from home. Surveys show that employees are feeling anxious about returning to the office. As COVID cases drop, more of us are being asked to go back to in-person workplaces. So how can we make this transition easier? Here are 6 tips for returning back to the office:

1. Be Considerate

The shift to home working was sudden, and that kind of change was psychologically jarring and therefore negative for most people, according to Meag-gan O’Reilly PhD, a psychologist at Stanford, cofounder of Inherent Value Psychology Inc. What’s more, this shift was combined with uncertainty about the future; the loss of autonomy, freedom, and connection that came with lockdown.

Being at home all the time and losing familiar structures and routines led some of us to overwork — which might have included taking up new hobbies with overly high expectations — while others struggled to focus.

Consider the things that have changed for you this year and decide what elements you want to keep. Besides these huge societal issues were the minutiae — the cancelled holidays, birthdays over Zoom instead of in person, not being able to hug loved ones or even stop by a coworker’s desk to say “hello” in the morning. We lost or had to adjust the little daily routines that make up our lives, and as many of us are exiting crisis mode, it’s time to take stock of both what your life is like now and what it used to be like.

2. Be Intentional

If a commute is part of your return to the office, your time is likely to be squeezed during this transition.

To help motivate you as you go back to the office, think about what projects, teams, activities and individuals you want to be more connected with. How can you show up where you want to be? How are you going to distribute your finite energy and time intentionally? Are there certain things you’ve invested time or energy in that you want to continue? Or leave behind?

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Inflation And The Workplace

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As we continue the new year with the expectation of slowing economic growth and continued high inflation, we want to take a closer look at the relationship of inflation and the workplace — and how commercial property trends will change as a result.

Inflation and Expending

As we know from our own personal finances, people tend to change their spending habits when inflation drives prices higher. We may buy fewer name-brand products, eat out less frequently, and cut back on luxuries like vacations. To manage our expenses long-term, homeowners may even choose to downsize to a smaller house.

Businesses are no different. Inflation and the workplace relationship forces businesses to also make more prudent buying decisions, spend less opulently and manage costs aggressively.

For businesses, however, there is an additional complicating factor. Inflation and the resulting increase in the cost of living often necessitates higher pay for workers. As companies attempt to manage costs, this presents a significant challenge in any inflationary year. Further confounding the matter in 2022 is the nation’s tight labor market, in which competitive pay will be vital to attracting new employees and retaining existing ones.

Can Workplaces Navigate Inflation?

With pay cuts presumably off the table, how will employers contain costs while remaining competitive in the marketplace? One of the most obvious cost-cutting measures is to reduce operating costs like rent and utilities. This can be done in one of two ways: either by moving to a less costly facility or reducing the amount of space they own or lease.

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How Do Recruiters Work?

Leave a Comment / Ask An Expert, Blog, Industry Insights, Job Search

ou know that the economy is crazy right now, that the CRE talent war is escalating, and that it can be challenging to find the right hire or open position. You know that recruiters are said to be the best way to cut through the white noise and identify the ideal opportunity. But what you may not know is how recruiters work.

There is a lot of mystery surrounding the art and science of headhunting. But really, the average, effective recruiting firm follows a basic process to match the best talent with the best positions. So, if you’ve ever wondered just how a recruiter goes about making these matches, keep reading. Let’s look at key elements that make up just how recruiters work.

What Do Recruiters Do?

Of course, recruiters match talent with open positions. But just what is the process of effective recruiting?

As a rule, recruiters maintain a database of professionals, whether on the bench or currently employed. They routinely make contact with the people in this network to discuss opportunities, industry needs, compensation norms, and other strategic insights.

In other words, they stay in the know. They are on the front lines of hiring for their industry, and when a position comes open, they can leverage their database to yield a slate of qualified candidates. These databases can be sorted by a myriad of filters and parameters, based on the specifications provided by the clients.

By analyzing resumes and advising both employers and candidates, the recruiter acts as a go-between and matchmaker. They are both a strategic advisor and your inside scoop.

How Recruiters Work for Candidates

If you are a professional interested in working with a recruiter, you need to understand how recruiters work for you and just what it means to work with a recruiter as a candidate.

First off, it’s important to note that recruiters technically work for the company doing the hiring. In other words, they are paid by the employer, not the candidate. This means they are free for you. And though you don’t cut them a check, you can avail yourself of numerous services through the process.

When you submit your resume or CV to a recruiter, be accurate about your skills, compensation expectations, etc. When a recruiter learns of an opening, the first thing they will likely do is search their database. If the position is offering $100,000 annual salary, but you’ve said your minimum is $110,000, your resume likely won’t come up.

When a recruiter surfaces your resume as a potential match, they will reach out to you, typically via phone, but often via email, too. Talk freely with them about your expectations and goals, work/life balance needs and company culture requirements. Recruiters guard the confidentiality of everyone they speak to, and they can be a great sounding board for what you would like from your next career move.

If they choose to present you to the client, they may not reach back out immediately. They are likely discussing your qualifications with the client and waiting for definite feedback. Don’t bug them, but do reach out after a few days to get a status update if you hear nothing back. When you are selected for an interview, a recruiter will likely help you prepare. Listen, ask questions, and take advantage of this free resource.

How Recruiters Work for Employers

If you represent a company in need of rockstar talent, developing a relationship with a recruiter could be your smartest move. But how recruiters work for you may not be clear just yet.

To start with, there are two types of recruiters: contingent and retained. Retained recruiters are typically reserved for high-level, C-suite positions. Retained recruiters are paid up front or on a schedule. For entry-level to middle-senior positions, contingent recruiters are more common. Rather than being paid for their effort, they are only paid for results.

A contingent recruiter in the CRE industry will closely study your candidate requirements and put forward only the best candidates. Because they only get paid if their candidate is hired (typically 30-90 days after to ensure a long-term fit), and because hiring companies sometimes field candidates from multiple recruiters, contingency firms are highly incentivized to surface the best match possible. And they are highly efficient at doing so.

And because they are paid only after their candidate is hired, there is no risk for a company to work with them. It’s exciting to realize that you can maximize your recruitment reach by working with multiple contingency recruiters and source the best match, risk free. While you consider the most qualified candidates, the recruiter will reach out to them on your behalf for clarifying info and to align expectations.

Recruiters are trusted partners in the hiring or job search process. By better understanding how recruiters work and what they can do for you, you’ll be able to get the maximum results and ensure long-term success in your career or company.

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Making A Good First Impression

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During the interview process, you have the opportunity to make a good first impression by the way you speak, act and how well you listen. Making the most of this opportunity is important to landing a job and winning over your new colleagues. In this article, you’ll learn what a first impression is, why a good first impression is important, how to make a good first impression during a job interview and how first impressions can affect you in the workplace.

Define A First Impression?

A first impression is the initial consideration or judgment someone makes about who you are after their first interaction with you. Several factors may influence someone’s first impression of you, such as how you look, what you wear, how you speak and your overall emotional state. When you are looking for a new position, how you present yourself on your application, in your resume and during an interview can all impact the recruiter and hiring manager’s first impression of who you are.

Why You Need A Good First Impression

First impressions are important because human nature compels us to hold on to our initial impression of someone and we can find it difficult to change this opinion even when the other person presents us with evidence contrary to that belief. This makes it very important for us to know the impression we portray of ourselves when we first meet someone in an interview or the workplace.

How To Make Good First Impression

Follow these steps to ensure you make a good first impression during your interview:

Prepare Beforehand
Arrive on Time
Dress Professionally
Use Good Posture
Use a Friendly Greeting

1. Prepare Beforehand

The best thing you can do to make a good first impression during an interview is to be well-prepared for the interview when you arrive. Before your interview, research the company and know what they do, what your responsibility would be in the position you are applying for, what the company’s core values are and how you can add value to the company. Showing you have done your research can leave the interviewer with the impression that you are serious about the position you have applied to.

You can also role-play with a friend or family member to practice interview questions you expect the interviewer to ask. Prepare answers to both technical interview questions related to the responsibilities of the job and behavioral interview questions. Practicing answers to interview questions will show your confidence during the interview.

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What Is “Growth Mindset”?

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A growth mindset is the belief that you can learn, change and improve with time and effort.

People who have a growth mindset build up the strength to overcome challenges instead of giving up because they think they just don’t have what it takes to succeed. They aren’t scared of failure because they know failure helps them get one step closer to where they want to be.

Now, the opposite of a growth mindset is something called a fixed mindset. People who have a fixed mindset believe that success (or failure) is a result of permanent qualities, circumstances and character traits that they don’t have the power to change. It’s possible that Eeyore is their spirit animal.

Whether they realize it or not, they believe they were born with certain characteristics—like intelligence, shyness, talent or a hot temper—with no way to improve or adjust. They live their life making decisions based on those beliefs, which can really hold them back in the long run. With a fixed mindset, pessimism always wins.

Here are some examples of a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset:

Fixed: “I’ll never learn how to do this. I’m not smart.”
Growth: “I might not know how to do this now, but I’m going to read up on it and figure it out.”
Fixed: “I don’t have to prep for this job interview. I’m good at marketing, so they’ll give me the job.”
Growth: “I’m going to spend time preparing and give it my all, so even if I don’t get hired, I’ll know I did my best.”

See the difference? This mindset thing is something we all have to work on. No one’s going to get it right all the time. But now that we know what it means, let’s break down some practical steps you can take to start developing a growth mindset.

How To Develop A Growth Mindset

Readdress Harmful Thoughts

If you notice yourself getting stuck in a fixed mindset about something, pause and take a second to reword that thought or statement. The word yet can really help with this. You could say, “I’m not married yet,” or “I’m not debt-free yet.”

There are a lot of brainy, science-y facts that go along with this, like how taking control of your thoughts changes the cells in your brain and stuff like that. Ain’t nobody got time to go into all that, but the studies are out there if you want to read them. Basically, the most important thing to know is that you really can train your brain to think differently if you put in the effort, and it’ll get easier and easier as time goes on.

Failing Is Okay

Yeah, I know. It sounds weird. Why the heck would you want to fail more?

For this simple reason: If you fail 10 times, you’ll get 10 times better. That’s the game. Because the ones who quit after they’ve failed aren’t around anymore to compete! Seth Godin sums it up perfectly: “The person who fails the most wins.”

It takes a whole lot of suck to get good at playing the guitar, designing, writing, cooking. And over time, you suck less and less and less . . . until one day you’re an overnight success. Try. Fail. Repeat.

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Key Highlights from the NAIOP Annual Report for 2022

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Each year, NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, releases a report on the state of the commercial real estate industry with thoughts on the previous year and forecasts for the current year. The NAIOP annual report contains strategic insights from the nation’s foremost commercial real estate, economic, and public policy experts through their Research Foundation’s Distinguished Fellows Program.

This year’s report focused on the challenges of 2021, from the ongoing COVID crisis to supply shortages to stalled back-to-office plans. The 2022 report further examined key hot-button issue and trends unfolding in the current year. Here are the key takeaways from the NAIOP annual report.

Economic Impact of CRE

Commercial real estate generates significant economic activity, and 2021 was no different. In the NAIOP annual report, the Research Foundation examined the wages, salaries, and other financial factors stemming from the commercial real estate industry in the US for the previous year. They found the following were generated from commercial, residential, institutional, and infrastructure development of existing commercial buildings:

$4.8 trillion USD or 21% of total GDP
32.7 million US jobs, including new job creation and support of existing jobs
Substantial personal earnings and state revenues

New Development Approvals Index

NAIOP announced the creation of a new resource to help developers better evaluate local approval processes. This New Development Approvals Index compares the process of obtaining entitlements and permits across various local jurisdictions. This index will help new developers overcome the inconsistency and costliness inherent in a fragmented approvals system to make investment decisions clearer.

Future Trends for Industrial and Office Space Demand

The NAIOP annual report announced two studies that provided a strategic outlook on current and future trends relating to commercial real estate market in the US.

On the office space side, their study showed that office net absorption was negative throughout 2021. Yet heading into 2022, absorption is gradually digging out of this whole and steadily improving. In the final quarter of 2021, the net absorption is forecasted to reach 8.3 million square.

Some of the factors contributing to this positive revision include declining unemployment rates, more workers returning to the office, and an improving economy.

On the industrial space side, according to the forecast from Q# of 2021, demand is strong. Industrial real estate is expected to remain strong in the long term in spite of rising interest in ecommerce.

According to the study’s forecast, total net absorption for the last half of 2021 is expected to be 162.6 million square feet. This represents a quarterly average of 81.3 million square feet. The forecast for 2022 is even more positive, with projected net absorption at nearly 335 million square feet, reflecting an 83.6 million square feet average per quarter.

New Talent Entering CRE

Commenting on prospects for new professionals beginning a career in CRE – with its pros and cons – F.E. “Skip” Kalb, the 2022 NAIOP Research Foundation Chair, commented:

I’m enthusiastic about the young professionals coming into commercial real estate…This generation grew up in a technology-driven world, and they offer unique perspectives into the data and trends shaping commercial real estate.

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Work-Life Balance is More of An Ebb and Flow: Here’s Why

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Despite the resounding evidence that working long hours can be harmful to both employees and employers, many professionals still struggle to overcome their assumptions — and their deeply-ingrained habits — around work hours. What does it take to free yourself from these unhealthy patterns and reach a more sustainable, rewarding work-life balance?

To explore this question, the Harvard Business Review conducted almost 200 in-depth interviews with 78 professionals from the London offices of a global law firm and an accounting firm. They spoke with an equal number of men and women, and most of the interviewees were between 30 and 50 years old, with at least one dependent child, and in either middle or senior management roles.

According to their study, the majority of the interviewees described their jobs as highly demanding, exhausting, and chaotic, and they seemed to take for granted that working long hours was necessary for their professional success. However, about 30% of the men and 50% of women in our sample appeared to consciously resist working long hours, describing a variety of strategies they developed for maintaining a healthier work-life balance. While the details of every individual case differed, their study suggested a common mental process that consistently helped this group of professionals to change the way they worked — and lived — for the better.

At a high level, their research showed that achieving better balance between professional and personal priorities boils down to a combination of reflexivity — or questioning assumptions to increase self-awareness — and intentional role redefinition. Importantly, their research suggests that this is not a one-time fix, but rather, a cycle that we must engage in continuously as circumstances and priorities evolve. This work-life balance ebb and flow is made up of five distinct steps:

1. Focus On Your Emotions

Once you’ve increased your awareness of your current situation, examine how that situation makes you feel. Ask yourself, do I feel energized, fulfilled, satisfied? Or do I feel angry, resentful, sad? For example, one respondent described his realization that his current work-life balance (or lack thereof) was engendering some pretty negative emotions.

A rational understanding of the decisions and priorities driving your life is important, but equally important is emotional reflexivity — that is, the capacity to recognize how a situation is making you feel. Awareness of your emotional state is essential in order to determine the changes you want to make in your work and in your life.

2. Do You Have Alternatives?

Before jumping into solutions, first reflect on the aspects of your work and life that could be different in order to better align with your priorities. Are there components of your job that you would like to see changed? How much time would you like to spend with your family, or on hobbies?

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Answering The “What Is Your Desired Salary?” Question

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What’s your desired salary? It’s a question that can make any job candidate’s stomach drop, whether they’re reading it on an application or hearing it from an interviewer. And I completely understand the stress around this—you don’t want to give a lowball answer and have to settle for less money than you’re worth, but you also don’t want to seem like you have crazy-high, unrealistic expectations.

Here’s what you need to know about answering the desired salary question in the way that will benefit you most in the long run.

Define Desired Salary

Desired salary is simply the amount of money you’d like to make at your new job. It’s also the realistic amount of money you expect to make at your new job based on your level of skill and experience. (Otherwise, we’d probably all have a desired salary of $10 million.)

When a potential employer asks you this question, they’re expecting an honest, realistic answer—but giving your answer too soon could actually end up hurting your chances of making the amount of money you’re worth. More on that in a minute. First, let’s talk about how to figure out your true desired salary.

Ways To Determine Your Desired Salary

Before you can even think about giving a concrete answer to this question on an application or in an interview, you should have an actual number in mind—even if you don’t reveal that number right away (or at all). You should know what you’re aiming for so you can be confident about the salary offers you will and won’t accept. But I get that it can be difficult to land on a number or range, so here are a few factors that will help you figure it out:

1. Research Is KEY

A quick Google search can usually tell you the industry standards for salary in your desired position, and most job search websites will let you search for the standards in your geographical location as well. Sometimes pay ranges vary depending on state or region. The size of the company you’re looking at and its level of success will also affect the pay scale.

Another way to research is by asking other employees in similar roles what their pay is like, but keep in mind that it’s personal information that not everyone might be comfortable sharing. You could also ask any recruiters in the field (who don’t work at the company you’re applying to) if they can share the average salaries they see for the type of position you want.

2. Determine Your Skill Level And Experience

If you know me, you know I’m a big believer that you don’t have to get a four-year degree to get a great-paying job—and I stand by that! But education and training will still be taken into consideration at many companies, depending on the role. Having more years of experience working in a given industry will usually mean higher pay too. So, even if you don’t have a ton of education but you’ve spent years getting hands-on experience in jobs that are related to the one you want now, your pay should reflect that.

Another thing to consider is skill level. Of course, you can expect to be paid less for entry-level skill than for high skill. But skill level isn’t necessarily equivalent to the amount of time you’ve spent working in an industry—some people graduate from college with a higher level of skill than somebody who’s already been working in the field for a while. Be honest with yourself about your skill level, and if you know you’ve got a competitive edge, factor that into the amount you think you should be paid.

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Top 10 Career Success Secrets

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Interested in learning some of the top career success secrets? Once you graduate from college and land a job, your next immediate concern is how to succeed in your career. Because the world has become so competitive, doing well in your job and moving forward with your career is more important now than ever. Career advancement and recognition are on every professional’s list of goals. But what sets the exceptional professionals apart? The answer is simply willingness and a strong desire to perform well. Once you have the willingness and the right mindset, you can begin climbing the ladder.

Here are the top 10 career success secrets on how to excel at work:

Take charge
Evaluate yourself
Continuously be learning
Anticipate needs
Communicate well
Set goals to achieve
Show, don’t tell
Gain trust
Create solutions
Be compassionate

Take Charge

Today’s career requirements are highly developed and require much more than someone who won’t take risks. In today’s competitive career landscape, employers are looking for individuals who can bring fresh ideas to the table and take initiative, start new projects, pitch new solutions and create new opportunities for the business.

Evaluate Yourself

One of the best ways to achieve career success is to keep assessing your performance. Don’t wait for your annual appraisal – do it yourself. An ideal way to do this would be to identify quantifiable goals and set a timeline for achieving them. Start with setting short-term goals when you’re new to a job. Create a detailed plan to achieve these goals. Break the tasks down into weekly or even daily tasks and fill out a small form at the end of the week to assess where you’re headed and whether you need to change your strategy. You can even show your own performance report to your managers at some point to show how you’ve progressed. This will show that you understand the importance of constant self-evaluation and improvement.

Continuously Be Learning

To excel in your career, you have to be willing to learn to become a leader and accept constructive feedback. No matter what university you graduated from or what grades you had, professional life will be very different from college. Be prepared to have a million questions pop up every day regarding what you’re doing. It might take you days to get a hang of your duties at your new job, so show management that you are coachable, paying attention and always willing to learn new things.

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Business Etiquette 101

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Having a basic understanding of business etiquette rules is crucial. In The Essentials of Business Etiquette, Barbara Pachter writes about the things people need to know in order to conduct and present themselves appropriately in professional social settings. Here are some of her most important business etiquette points:

1. Standing Is Crucial When You’re Being Introduced To Someone

“Standing helps establish your presence. You make it easy for others to ignore you if you don’t stand. If you are caught off guard and cannot rise, you should lean forward to indicate that you would stand, if you could,” Pachter writes.

2. Say Your Full Name…Always!

In a business situation, you should use your full name, but you should also pay attention to how others want to be introduced.

3. The Host Or The Higher-Ranking Person Initiates The Handshake

In today’s workplace, the host or the higher-ranking person, regardless of gender, should extend their hand first, she writes. “If the higher-ranking person fails to do so immediately — often because of gender confusion — the lower-ranking person should extend his or her hand without missing more than a beat.”

Either way, the handshake must happen. “In the United States, the handshake is the business greeting. If you want to be taken seriously, you must shake hands and shake hands correctly.”

4. Wear Proper Attire

“Clothing, an important form of nonverbal communication, can enhance a person’s professional reputation or detract from his or her credibility. You want to send a professional message through your clothing choices,” Pachter writes.

Always find out what the dress code is at an event, meeting, or restaurant and make sure your attire falls within the guidelines.

5. When To Say “Thank You”

“You need to say it only once or twice within a conversation,” Pachter writes. “Otherwise, you may dilute its impact and possibly make yourself seem somewhat helpless and needy.”

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