nonprofit executive search firm boston, nonprofit recruiter boston, Regis College

Happy Birthday to Pillar Search & HR Consulting!

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It is hard to believe that it has been five years since I started Pillar Search & HR Consulting. It has been a labor of love, a source of joy and purpose. My nonprofit and mission-driven clients are awe-inspiring and do amazing work in education, workforce development, the arts, sustainability, women’s rights, economic empowerment, and so much more. I consider myself so fortunate to help them to advance their missions by hiring for their important roles and developing and empowering their teams.

I intentionally chose July 16, 2015 as my founding date because it was the birthday of one of my best friends, Sharon Mulcahy, who had died unexpectedly the year prior. Sharon and I met the day we moved into Regis College as freshman, and were friends for over 25 years. Sharon was an entrepreneur and cofounder of Jackrabbit Design. Watching her grow her business, which included many nonprofit clients, taught me so many wonderful lessons that have helped me in my own entrepreneurial journey. In the past few years, when I face a challenge, I often wonder “what would Sharon do?” and feel her somehow guiding me in the right direction. 

In honor of Pillar’s 5th anniversary and my dear friend who inspired its founding date, I have made a donation to Regis College’s Diverse Educator’s Scholarship, which honors the mission of Regis and its commitment to diversifying the education profession by offering a select group of undergraduate education students the opportunity to attend Regis through merit-based aid. Upon graduating, these students serve underrepresented populations in education.

Thanks to all who have helped me along this journey. Here’s to another exciting five years!

A woman-owned company based in Boston, Pillar Search & HR Consulting provides executive search and human resources consulting expertise to nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, working with senior leaders and boards of directors to hire and develop the very best talent across all functional areas of the organization. For more information, please contact Cindy Joyce at cindy@pillarsearch.com.

diversity equity inclusion, leadership advice, linkedin

LinkedIn’s Gender Insights Report: How Women Find Jobs Differently

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LinkedIn’s Gender Insights Report, How Women Find Jobs Differently has been published. 

Did you know women are:

  • 14% less likely to apply to a job after viewing it, and
  • 24% less likely to ask for a referral, yet…
  • 16% more likely to get hired to the jobs they apply to? 

This informative report is available at no charge and definitely worth reading as we all #BalanceForBetter!

Hire the best! A woman-owned consulting firm in Boston, Pillar Search & HR Consulting provides human resources and nonprofit executive search expertise, working with senior leaders and boards of directors to find the very best talent across all functional areas of the organization. For more information, please contact Pillar’s CEO, Cindy Joyce at cindy@pillarsearch.com.

career advice, company culture, hr consultant boston, human resources consultant boston, human resources consulting boston

10 Things Nobody Ever Tells You about Working from Home

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When I started Pillar Search & HR Consulting, I went from working in the office 5 days a week to working from home 3-4 days a week. I have loved every minute of working from home. It has been a total game changer. There have been some surprises, though. If you are considering a role that allows you to work from home almost exclusively, here were a few of my “aha” moments:

  • I miss coworkers. Sometimes. Granted, I no longer have to listen to Ned from Accounting complain about the quality of coffee or Mabel from Client Services go on and on about her cats, but I miss the comradery and the ability to bounce ideas off of people. I try to do client or candidate lunches once or twice a week. Some days I will sneak out to the gym just to see another person during the day, because once in a while it feels isolating.
  • Be prepared to redecorate. Believe me, this was on of my biggest surprises. Spending hours on end in your abode will make you realize that cannot stand the paint color in your immediate work area. It started to feel too dark, so I painted it. And then the bedroom looked too dark. And then the guestroom. If the dog stands still long enough, he may get a coat of paint.
  • My dry cleaner misses me. We used to be on a first-name basis. Now I am just some person who brings in her “fancy” clothes every few weeks since the days of suits and dresses are few and far between.  Now I work in yoga pants.  You know it’s bad when I justify that they are my “dressy” ones, though on the plus side I am saving a considerable amount of money.
  • I now regret the money spent on shoes (okay, not really…) It’s just a wee bit challenging to justify what I spent on my shoe obsession when I now spend most days in gym socks.  Same for the suits and dresses that now collect dust.  If you believe that working from home will be your reality for the foreseeable future, consider paying it forward by donating some of your former work wardrobe to an organization like Dress For Success. 
  • Maintain a Network:  If you work remotely, you can still have a relationship with colleagues, albeit virtually.  However, having people you see live and in person can be crucial to your sanity.  Join a networking or professional group to ensure that you maintain much-needed, real, live contact with others in your profession or industry.
  • Those appointments that I used to schedule way in advance are a breeze. Those annoying four hour windows from the cable company? No problem! I’ll be here!  Doctor has nothing in the evenings or Saturday for months?  I’ll take that random Tuesday afternoon time slot!
  • Toilet paper. Not to be indelicate, but you never think about that when in an office. Ditto for water, pens, post-its, and coffee/tea. In an office, those things somehow magically appear. You will be amazed at how quickly you run through them. Be sure to stock up.
  • Time Management. Without the normal office cues to indicate time, it is so easy to get sucked down the rabbit hole of a project, look up, and realize the day is gone. You do not see people coming and going, or have the same number of meetings to break up the day – it is great because it keeps me focused, but sometimes I need to set a timer so that I remind myself to take a breather.
  • Family and friends think I am free to play. Set boundaries if you start to work from home. People assume that it means that you can chat on the phone at any time or meet them for downtime when they have a day off. That is not the case. I am working from home, with a big emphasis on the w-o-r-k.
  • MOVE! Living in the city, I often walked a mile to and from the office, and clocked thousands of steps while there going to meetings or to grab lunch. Now I need to remind myself to move. One thing that helped my waistline is the lack of the office candy bowl and endless birthday cake and leftovers from catered lunches, and if I  ended a conference call in the office and started doing pushups, I would have been looked at funny. At home, it is a judgment-free zone.

There are a million perks to working from home, and if you can work around the very few challenges, you may just find your professional utopia.  Good luck with it!

career advice, hire the best, hr boston, hr consultant boston, human resources boston, human resources consultant boston, human resources consulting boston

Surf’s Up: What Surfing Can Teach You about Your Job Search

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I am a surfer, or at least aspiring to be one.  Recently, I was out on my board on a day with few good waves and plenty of downtime to ponder this addicting sport and life in general, and began to realize that there are many parallels between the job search and surfing.

 

Like the job search, surfing depends as much on one’s skill and experience as it does a host of conditions that we have zero control over.  Weather.  Crowded surfing areas and beaches.  Wave size and frequency.  Swell direction.  The list is endless, just as it is when you are seeking a new job in a competitive market or industry.

 

Once you have decided to get in the water (or start looking for your next career opportunity), you paddle out and try not to bump into others.  In the job search, this can be those baby steps that are really critical to overall success, such as writing your resume, crafting solid cover letters, beefing up your LinkedIn profile, and letting people in your network know that you are open to a new opportunity.

 

Experienced surfers will have multiple boards to choose from to suit their mood or the conditions. Savvy candidates will do the same. Perhaps your “board” will be resumes that highlight different skills and career objectives depending on the jobs you are interested in, or cover letters that will be the differentiator. Knowing yourself and the tools that are available to you is key to success.

 

Like choosing the right job to apply to, choosing the right wave is key.  It would be physically and emotionally exhausting to paddle out, attempt to get in the right spot at the right time, pop up, and stay balanced if surfers went after every wave that came along.  Be selective so that you are fresh and energized when the right one comes along.

 

Hang ten.  Surfs up.  Cut the curl.  These are not sayings that you will hear on a golf course, tennis court, or basketball court. They are specific to the sport of surfing. An industry will have its own language and catch phrases.  Do your research so that you can communicate better with the people you are interviewing with and gain their trust and confidence.

 

Enjoy the ride, even if it is not the perfect wave.  There are days that I get out on the board and I am just not feeling it, but I still enjoy being out there.  The same can happen in an interview when the job and company look great on paper, but in the light of day you just do not feel that spark.  Relax.  Every interview is good practice and experience as well as a chance to expand your network.   Surfers talk about catching the perfect wave, but in reality we try and try and keep getting back on the board, even after falling or not doing our best.

 

Having a good instructor helps.  Even the most experienced surfers sometimes need a fine tuning on their technique, someone who can help them to look at their style and approach and make suggestions.  In the job search, working with an Executive Recruiter can be invaluable, as we will take a fresh look at your resume and help you to identify the skills and experiences that you should highlight in the interview.

 

Ultimately, you may need to try a few waves before you find the ideal one, but in the end, there is no feeling as satisfying and euphoric as catching that perfect wave.  The same holds true for the job search.  Keep at it, and you will catch the right job and have the ride of your life.