André Blackman

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Even just taking a few routine tasks off of a leader's plate can have a huge impact on their efficiency. As a business grows larger, the amount of work a leader handles increases as well. Between attracting potential customers, nurturing customer relationships and managing all aspects of the customer journey, this leaves leaders with little time to work on the business rather than in the business.  Hiring a virtual assistant can be a great way for leaders to offload administrative and routine tasks while also positively impacting efficiency across the organization. Here, 12 Newsweek Expert Forum members share how retaining a virtual assistant has helped them streamline their tasks and become more productive.

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To prevent a crisis from becoming even more of a problem, it's essential that leaders have communication plans in place. A crisis can showcase what a business is truly made of. In business, challenges can arise at any moment, and each and every step leaders take to tackle obstacles has a direct impact on brand perception. Communication in these situations is crucial to keeping stakeholders at all levels informed and maintaining calm in the midst of a storm. The right communication can result in increased brand loyalty from both internal and external stakeholders, but even just one communication misstep can cause irreparable damage to a business's reputation. To help leaders share information with care, eight Newsweek Expert Forum members each share one word or phrase businesses should avoid using when communicating during a crisis and what to say and do instead to drive forward movement.

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To create an effective leadership team, it's important to consider everything each candidate can offer the business. Across industries, leadership plays an essential role in the success of a business. These leaders set the tone of the organization as a whole, impacting not only operations and decision making, but employees and customers as well.  To build the right leadership team, companies have to be willing to take their time with the process as every misstep could potentially negatively impact the business long term. Below, 14 Newsweek Expert Forum members explore common mistakes organizations make when assembling a leadership team and share advice on how those errors can be corrected.

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Offering additional benefits can increase the chances of not only drawing in attractive candidates, but also retaining your current workforce. In today’s job market, a high salary alone is no longer enough to entice high-quality candidates. Companies instead will need to consider offering additional benefits that appeal to job seekers looking for flexibility in their work lives and more meaning from the work they do.  From the ability to work from home and more PTO to programs dedicated to developing employees professionally, adopting these benefits may allow employers to draw in more prospects and retain their current workforce. Below, 10 members of Newsweek Expert Forum each share one perk companies should consider offering to attract top candidates in today’s competitive work environment.