Exact Staff News

Think your business is too small or unimportant to attract a hacker’s attention? Think again. As large employers improve data security with sophisticated (and yes, expensive) systems, cybercriminals are “moving down the proverbial food chain” and targeting small and mid-sized businesses more frequently. Even worse, these guys have effectively automated web hacking, using malicious bots…

You need to talk to your boss. Does the proposition excite you, or make you break out in a cold sweat? If you and your boss have vastly different communication styles, even the most mundane work conversations can be stressful. When you’re worried about how to phrase things properly, or how your boss will interpret…

Dead ends. Blank pages. Mental blocks. The struggle to solve problems is all too real. Sometimes, inspiration is in short supply. Other times, you may have plenty of great ideas – but no process for seeing them through. What’s a savvy business professional to do? Get creative! Creative problem solving is much more than brainstorming;…

Is bigger really better? When it comes to work teams…not so much. This Forbes.com article presents a wealth of research which suggests that smaller teams are better than larger ones when it comes to: Engagement. 42% of employees working at companies with 10 or fewer employees were engaged at work, compared with just 30% of…

Want to make your business stronger? More agile? More resilient? Stop hiring clones! Scientific research provides support for the very real (and troubling) tendency managers have to select candidates who are similar to themselves in terms of leisure activities, social markers and personal tastes. Even when companies have high levels of demographic diversity, they still…

Autonomous vehicles. Wearable pain-relief technology. Eye-tracking software that controls computers. They’re all real. And for the smart risk-takers who have driven their success, they’re extremely profitable. Why doesn’t every company develop game-changing products like these guys? Mostly because they don’t understand these keys to driving innovation: Challenge the status quo. Instead of shying away from…

Debbie Downers. Negative Nellys. Haters. Most organizations have them. But whatever you call them, one thing is certain: workplace negativity is like a disease. Let it creep into your corporate culture, and it will rapidly fuel disengagement, distrust, turnover, diminished productivity – and sheer misery (who wants to work in an environment like that?). Your…

Time for a quick reality check: when a co-worker walks into your office with a request, do you treat him as well as you would like to be treated? Or as well as new client you’re trying to land? Really? If so, no need to read this post – you’re already treating employees as well…

“Mentally Checked Out.” “Headed to an Interview with a Competitor.” “Just Got Off the Phone with a Recruiter.” “One Foot Out the Door.” Wouldn’t it be great if employees who are disengaged or actively seeking work elsewhere would walk around your office with signs around their necks? Oh, to dream… Most of the time, employees…

“The art of communication is the language of leadership.” –James Humes, author and former presidential speech-writer Clear communication – speaking, listening, writing, understanding and resolving conflict – is essential to building and maintaining a successful business. When you communicate with your staff effectively, you: Facilitate collaboration, teamwork and knowledge transfer Prevent unnecessary mistakes and misunderstandings…