Virtual Hiring Challenges

🎢 Onboarding UX Playbook (+ Decision Trees). Practical techniques for better onboarding UX, design patterns, kits and Figma templates — on mobile and desktop. 🚫 Users often skip tutorials/walkthroughs entirely. 🚫 Never block the UI with full-page onboarding modals. 🚫 Avoid long multi-step tutorials with 5+ steps. ✅ Ask customers what goals they are trying to achieve. ✅ Allow users to hide walkthroughs and restore them later. ✅ Focus on bringing users to first success moments fast. ✅ Structure your onboarding suggestions in bite-sized chunks. ✅ Explain features when users slow down or make mistakes. ✅ Show features when users lose time with repetitive tasks. ✅ Prevent failure with an early warning system for new users. ✅ Collapsible checklists work well for onboarding. ✅ Personalized onboarding works even better. ✅ Design sets of filters, templates and empty states. ✅ Show starter kits based on user’s profile and interests. ✅ Consider short video guides and email drip campaigns. Good onboarding can’t be generic. It has to be relevant and valuable. Define your user segments first. Design a set of presets to help them get to success moments faster. Think of the questions you need to ask to customize their experience. Think about filters and presets they might need. Onboarding tutorials often appear once and get instantly dismissed, nowhere to be found again. Allow users to find them when they need it. Bring them up when users slow down or make mistakes. And test the discoverability of your features continuously. If a feature is obvious, you might not need to explain it at all. And if it isn’t, perhaps onboarding won’t solve this problem either. Useful resources: How to Choose Onboarding Methods and Components, by NewsKit 👍 Methods: https://lnkd.in/eWn5FPWA Decision Tree: https://lnkd.in/e8TmMDFf Design Patterns: https://lnkd.in/ed7HjzkW Onboarding UX Playbook, by Eleana Gkogka https://lnkd.in/edcDfMFG Complete Onboarding UX Guide (free eBook), by Intercom https://lnkd.in/eAxT6ZM4 User Onboarding Best Practices, by Taras Bakusevych https://lnkd.in/eRwr2tEc Guide to Onboarding, by Phil Byrne https://lnkd.in/esEavgw7 How Spotify Organizes Onboarding in Figma, by Barton Smith, Cliona O'Sullivan https://lnkd.in/ei434tqq Mobile Onboarding Wireframe Flows (Figma template) https://lnkd.in/ekhzWFJz UX Onboarding Patterns, by Eve Weinberg https://lnkd.in/e7_M4kDv #ux #design

🇩🇪 Job hunting in Germany right now is tough — especially if you’re an international. Even highly qualified professionals are sending out 50, 100, sometimes 150+ applications with no callbacks. You’re not alone. And you’re not doing anything wrong, but the rules of the game here are different. Based on 15+ years of recruitment experience in Germany, here are the most common roadblocks international candidates face: 🔹 German Language Expectations Even if a role is posted in English, many employers still expect at least B1–B2 German — especially in mid-sized firms or client-facing roles. 🔹 Non-German Style CVs and Cover Letters What works in the US, India, or Brazil may get filtered out here. In Germany, it’s common to include a photo, longer CVs, and attachments like certificates (Zeugnisse). 🔹 Missing the Hidden Job Market Only about 20% of jobs are filled through public postings. Most roles are filled through networking, referrals, or internal candidates — and this is rarely visible from the outside. 🔹 Application Missteps Generic Anschreiben, missing Zeugnisse, or unclear job titles often lead to rejections before a human even sees your application. 🔹 Recognition of Degrees and Experience Your foreign qualifications may not be understood — or recognized — without formal Anerkennung or explanation. 🔹 Visa and Work Permit Hurdles Blue Card, job-seeker visa, probation periods, salary thresholds — it’s a lot to navigate alone. 🔹 “Lack of German Experience” Even seasoned professionals are often told they need a local internship or German work experience to be considered. 🔥 Yes, the market is competitive. Yes, rejections are frustrating. But no — you don’t have to go through it alone. 📬 Every week, I share honest, actionable advice on navigating the German job market as an international on my Substack: https://lnkd.in/dCYzKdSV 👉 📄 And here’s a free resource to help you target more realistic roles: 👉 100 English-speaking startups hiring in Germany: https://lnkd.in/eaFF6QvK You’re not behind. You’re adapting. Let’s get you one step closer to the right opportunity. 🎓 Are you an international professional working in Germany? As part of my PhD research, I’m surveying cultural adaptation in the German workplace, with a focus on IT and tech professionals. 📝 Please take 20-25 minutes to support this academic study: 👉 https://lnkd.in/dgiKSZFa Your answers are anonymous and help us better understand the challenges and successes of integrating into the German work culture. Your input is very important to me!! Please support my research! #jobsearch #Germany #expats #internationaltalent #bewerbung #careercoaching #cvtips #bluecard #hiddenjobmarket #workingingermany #immigration #substack

The same 200 people keep getting hired in pharma. And it's killing the industry's ability to innovate. I've watched this pattern for 30 years. I've watched this pattern for 30 years. A VP leaves one company and joins another. Three years later, they moved to yet another. Meanwhile, a brilliant scientist at a company down the road, who's never been VP, gets passed over for the role. Again and again. Hiring committees love "proven" candidates. Someone who's already done the job, at a competitor, with a track record you can point to. It feels safe. It looks defensible. And yet, it's slowly strangling your talent pipeline. I think there's something no one in Pharma wants to admit: When you only hire people who've already done the role, you're just reshuffling the same deck of cards between the same players. The candidate pool shrinks, and salaries inflate because everyone's competing for the same faces. And the people who could bring fresh thinking never get the chance to prove themselves. I placed someone last year who'd spent her entire career in CROs. She's a brilliant operator, with deep regulatory knowledge, but she's never held a pharma title. Three companies passed on her before one took what they called "a risk." She's now running their entire clinical operations function. Outperforming every "proven" candidate they'd previously considered. The irony is that every senior leader I know started somewhere without experience in that exact role. Someone gave them a shot. But now that they're on hiring committees, they've forgotten. If pharma wants to solve its innovation problem, it might want to start by looking at who it refuses to hire. The next breakthrough won't come from recycling the same 200 people. It'll come from someone you haven't met yet.

In a world where attention is fleeting and virtual fatigue is real, how can you successfully host online events? Here are 9 essentials to keep in mind: 1. Start with a Compelling Opening Your opening should grab attention, set the tone, build anticipation and give people a reason to stay. 2. Make Eye Contact Look directly into the camera to create a sense of connection. If you're using a teleprompter or script, keep it at eye level to maintain that engagement. 3. Mind Your Facial Expression People are paying close attention to your face. They can see when you’re smiling, or when you appear bored, upset, or frustrated. Be conscious of your expression. 4. Manage Your Energy Your energy drives the entire experience. If you seem disengaged or flat, your audience will tune out. 5. Build Emotional Connections Use personal stories, relatable examples, and analogies. These human elements help your message resonate on a deeper level. 6. Engage the Audience Make your audience part of the experience. Use polls, Q&A, or chat prompts to keep them actively involved. 7. Be Clear and Concise Attention spans online are shorter. Get to the point quickly, and use clear language. 8. Use Visual Aids and Multimedia Use images, short videos, graphics, and animations that support your message. However, don’t overload your slides with text. 9. Check Your Tech Setup Poor lighting, audio, camera quality, or an unstable internet connection can lead to frustration and reduced participation. Test in advance. Hope this helps. I’m Temi Badru, a professional event MC for physical, virtual, and hybrid events. I also train individuals and teams in public speaking and effective communication. #temibadru #voicesandfaces #eventhost #mc #moderator #speaker #events

I can look at your LinkedIn profile and tell within a second, why you’re not getting job, opportunities or clients. And no, it has nothing to do with your skills. It has everything to do with your ‘positioning.’ I’ve audited thousands of professional profiles. A few years ago, I was frustrated too. I knew I had skills. I knew I could deliver. But my profile said: “Open to work.” Not “This is why you need me.” When you’re not positioned with clarity + proof + presence, people scroll past you—even if you’re brilliant. The brutal truth no one tells you: People don’t hire the most talented. They hire: The most visible. The most credible. The most memorable. So if you’re wondering why the DMs are dry, here’s it: 7 Reasons You’re Not Getting Job or Client Calls (even if you’re qualified): 1. Your headline is your job title. That’s not branding. That’s search noise. Use it to communicate value and niche. 2. Your About section reads like a cover letter. No one reads paragraphs. Make it skim-friendly. First 3 lines = gold. 3. No proof. No trust. No testimonials. No featured work. No results = no credibility. 4. You’re not creating any content. If I can’t hear your thinking, I won’t trust your skillset. Period. 5. Your DMs are “Hi sir/ma’am, please give me work.” You’re not a beggar. You’re a builder. Position yourself like one. 6. Your profile photo looks like it was taken in 2016. Invest in how you show up. People see before they read. 7. You’re too generic. If your skills apply to everyone, your offers apply to no one. Clarity converts. Data doesn’t lie. Profiles with a clear headline + featured proof + consistent posting get 5x more visibility and 3x more responses. (Source: LinkedIn) If you’re serious about attracting the right work— don’t just optimize your profile. Own your positioning. Build proof of work. Show up everyday. LinkedIn Guide to Creating #LinkedInTips #PersonalBranding #JobSearch #LinkedInExpert

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking—but the right prep can help you stand out. The best candidates don’t just answer questions—they tell compelling stories, showcase impact, and align their skills with the role. Here’s how: ✅ 1. Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” Clearly This answer should be concise (90-120 sec) but detailed enough to showcase your career journey. 📌 Present: What you do now & key skills 📌 Past: Relevant experience & accomplishments 📌 Future: Why this role excites you 💡 Example (~2 min): "I’m a Digital Marketing Manager at [Company], leading paid media & SEO. I helped increase conversions by 40% and improve engagement by 25%. Before that, I developed a segmentation strategy at [Previous Company] that boosted email engagement by 30%. I’m excited about this role because I see [Company] scaling its digital strategy, and I’d love to contribute my expertise." 🚀 Tip: Practice out loud to ensure a smooth, confident delivery. ✅ 2. Use STAR for Behavioral Questions For “Tell me about a time when…”, structure answers with STAR: ✔ Situation – Context of the challenge ✔ Task – What you needed to accomplish ✔ Action – Steps you took ✔ Result – Impact & measurable outcomes 💡 Example: "At [Company], our email engagement was dropping. I redesigned the email strategy (A), ran A/B tests (A), and increased open rates by 25% (R)." ✅ 3. “Why Should We Hire You?” → Sell Your Value 📌 Formula: What they need → How you fit → A past success 💬 Example: "You’re looking for someone to optimize ad performance. At [Company], I boosted ROI by 40% in six months. I’d love to bring that expertise to your team." ✅ 4. Be Ready for Salary Discussions ❌ Mistake: Giving a number too early. ✅ Better: Deflect until you know more. 📌 Example Response: "I’d love to learn more about the role before discussing numbers. What’s the budgeted range for this position?" 🔥 Final Thoughts: Preparation = Confidence ✔ Use Present-Past-Future for introductions ✔ Answer behavioral questions with STAR ✔ Align your skills with the company’s needs ✔ Handle salary talks strategically 👉 Found this helpful? Reshare to help others ace their interviews! 🔥

Regardless of how great your ideas are in your virtual sales pitch, webinar, or team meeting… People are most likely checking their email, browsing social media, or working on other things while you present. How can you prevent that and actually get your audience to pay attention? Here are 4 of the most powerful techniques we use for our own virtual training courses: 1. Win the first five seconds According to research from the University of Toronto, people need only five seconds to gauge your charisma and leadership as a speaker. In virtual environments, this first impression is even more critical. To establish instant rapport: - Keep your posture open and inviting (avoid fidgeting, crossed arms, and closed-off postures) - Use open gestures that welcome the audience into your space - Gesture with your palms showing at a 45-degree angle - Speak with clear articulation and energy from the very first word The quickest way to lose your audience? Starting with tentative body language that signals you’re unsure or unprepared. 2. Design your presentation for virtual viewing When designing slides, assume varied viewing conditions. Design for the smallest likely device and the slowest likely Internet speed. Make your slides accessible by: - Using larger fonts (24-32pt) - Applying higher contrast colors - Limiting each slide to ONE clear idea - Adding more space between lines when using smaller text - Stripping excess content (you can provide additional information in a separate document) 3. Vary your delivery Our research shows the optimal length for linear presentations is just 16-30 minutes, while interactive ones can maintain engagement for 30-45 minutes. People’s attention will go through peaks and valleys during that time, so try these techniques to keep their attention: - Vary your speaking pace (faster to convey urgency, slower to express gravity) - Use intentional pauses to let key points land - Adjust your vocal tone (lower pitch for authority, higher for approachability) - Shift between slides, stories, and data at regular intervals Each change helps reset your audience’s attention and signals importance. 4. Build in structured interaction Don’t make your audience wait until the end of your presentation to interact. According to our research, presentations that incorporate audience engagement through polls, chat responses, or breakout discussions maintain attention longer. For the highest engagement: - Use a variety of interaction types throughout your presentation - Incorporate breakout rooms for small-group discussions - Switch modalities regularly to keep it interesting Remember: In virtual environments, you need to recreate the natural engagement that happens in person. Your virtual presentation success isn’t measured by perfection…it’s measured by action. Master these techniques and your audience won’t just pay attention, they’ll respond. #VirtualPresentations #CorporateTraining #WorkplaceLearning

I will admit that one of the most omitted aspects of creating a new feature (or product) is making sure the user knows how to use it. At the same time, you can only make one first impression. How to make it great? Let's face it: It's very hard to onboard users. People have very little time right now and are used to instant gratification. Thus, if the product requires some effort to use, you may see a very upset user on the other end. At the same time, not all products can be reduced to a single button called "solve my problem". So, how to onboard a new user in a way they actually engage? 1) Start with a great text copy There is nothing worse than a technical copy that is not written with your client in mind. Separate it into easy-to-complete steps so the user can learn and move to the next step easily. Remember, the user is not an expert yet like you are. Also, invest into professional translations, so the copy is great for everyone! 2) Set the production value of onboarding materials very high If your onboarding videos look and feel professional, you will build your brand image and user confidence. While creating such videos used to be expensive, nowadays tools exist that will help you automate and speed up the process, such as this post's partner: Guidde! Guidde allows you to create how-to videos quickly based on the screen recording of the process you wish to document. Using AI, Guidde will automatically generate the storyline with highlights, and add text to voice and multiple CTAs, saving you many hours of work. 3) Make it easy to repeat training People forget or skip onboarding steps accidentally. If it is difficult to access the training materials again, you might avoid a lot of user frustration. Not to mention support calls or tickets that could have been avoided. 4) Add micro onboardings While onboarding is associated with getting the user started using a product, that can also apply on a feature level. Take this into account when planning a new release, so it's stellar and accessible from day one! 5) Make it easy to speak to human support While your onboarding will surely be great, a lot of your users will prefer to talk/write to a human being. Make it easy to find contact info. Bonus: monitor the issues that come with this. Rather than hide support contact, eliminate the causes that led to those calls in the 1st place. Thus: 6) Care for onboarding funnel as a product Monitor onboarding usage and later client engagement. Look for steps/materials in dire need of improvement and monitor the metrics once those are introduced. As I said earlier, you can only make one first impression! Make it count :) So, did you find this useful? How do you build your product so that it's welcoming to new users? Sound off in the comments! #productmanagement #productmanager #onboarding

SmartRecruiters : the features that matter (and why teams adopt it fast) If you’re evaluating or implementing SmartRecruiters, here’s the feature map I use to align recruiters + hiring managers: ✅ ATS (end-to-end hiring workflow) Track applicants, standardize stages, keep everyone in one place (no “where is the latest resume?”). ✅ CRM (talent pools + nurture) Build pipelines for future roles and run outreach campaigns with measurable engagement. ✅ AI support (matching + assistant capabilities) Matching helps prioritize screening; AI-assistant concepts focus on removing repetitive work (screening/scheduling/engagement). ✅ Job Distribution Publish jobs broadly from one place (key for volume hiring and consistency). ✅ Dynamic Scheduling Reduce the back-and-forth for interviews (often one of the biggest time sinks). ✅ Messaging (SMS) Faster response loops with candidates—especially for high-volume roles. ✅ Integrations & Marketplace ecosystem Pre-built ecosystem to connect tools across sourcing, assessments, HRIS, etc. ✅ LinkedIn integrations (RSC + reporting) Sync candidate/app data with LinkedIn Recruiter and get ATS-enabled reporting (depending on your setup/contracts). My practical takeaway: SmartRecruiters is strongest when you design it as a hiring operating system (process + adoption), not just “an ATS implementation.” #SmartRecruiters #SAPSuccessFactors #ATS #Recruitment #TalentAcquisition #HRTech

I succeeded as an executive in part because I knew how to command a room. Today, it��s not enough to show up strong in person. Here are 3 ways to build a strong video presence: Note: video presence isn’t just for people aiming for leadership roles. Video interviews are the default, so presence on video matters to anyone looking for a new job. Here are three direct actions I recommend to increase your online hireability: 1) Image and Location Don’t take video calls from the car or train, and turn your camera on. Make sure you are in a quiet, peaceful location with a neutral backdrop. You don’t need to be in a professional studio, but your environment should say “I am taking this seriously.” Practical truths: --If it is a small call and you already have credibility with everyone on it, you can get away with the occasional call from bad locations. Make this choice intentionally and sparingly. --You can go off camera only when you are truly a lurker, with no expectation of being asked anything or needing to say anything. You cannot have presence as a black screen. 2) Be animated Make eye contact, use gestures and facial expressions, and don’t speak in a monotone. If you want people to be engaged with what you are saying, you also need to be engaged. 3) Enjoy the conversation and be present If it seems like you would rather be somewhere else, your team (or the interviewers) will notice. They will be less compelled to support you, work for you, or hire you. Your energy and excitement is a lever- use it. In today’s newsletter, startup founder Simran Dua has packed in pages of specific tips for how she projected presence as the new CEO of a team just as COVID forced everyone onto Zoom. She explains how to inject your virtual meetings with more energy for you and the team, how to get engagement from the group (and avoid the dreaded Zoom silence), and how to structure each piece of the meeting (including your background) for maximum impact. The piece is filled with tactical advice that you can begin using in your meetings today. Find the article here: https://lnkd.in/gZfS9HB9 Readers- What is the biggest virtual meeting mistake you regularly see?