March 23, 2020

Hi Gang,

We keep hearing it’s going to get worse before it gets better; that seems to be the one constant at the moment. Here are a few things people are discussing today, as well as some content I found especially informative.

What happens when colleagues are exposed?

Many – probably most – of us will learn colleagues have been exposed, and some will get sick. Navigating privacy issues, how to notify others, and how to keep the team calm will be hard. Leaders are sharing their experiences and best practices on the direct/reply-all feed. Please let me know if you’d like to join. If you’d prefer not to discuss publicly, feel free to ping me directly. I can share what I’m learning and perhaps make direct connections to others who have navigated it.

How has recruiting been impacted?

Attached is a deeper dive from RRA on the topic. Key insights:

• Keeping candidates engaged is harder (some are pulling out of processes because they simply can’t focus and ‘show up’ the way they’d like)

• Changing jobs feels riskier

• “In-person” requirements will delay decision-making (unless the parties have already met in person—in those cases, the situations seem to be accelerating faster than usual to tie things up ASAP)

• Market volatility may derail offers

• Nailing down a start date may be complicated

How are you doing?

This used to be a throw-away greeting, but now people really mean it when they ask. Last week, the word I used was distracted. Today, I’d say depressed. Moods cycle by the hour, as people worry about all the things you’re worried about. I don’t have an insight to share here; I guess just a note to say that we’re all going through this, no matter where we live, where we work, and what role we play. I can only imagine the weight CEOs are carrying at this time. Please don’t be shy if you’d like to talk with others – our community is here to support you.

Articles of interest

McKinsey: Beyond Coronavirus: The Path to the Next Normal – Really insightful piece released today

I Tested Positive for COVID-19 – A former GLG colleague of mine, also a physician, tested positive last week. He has released a series of videos about his experience.

How COVID-19 is Affecting Dating Apps – Hardly a world crisis, but this topic did occur to me last week. It’s lonely for single people, and now being physically isolated has got to be really difficult.

Evidation Health Launches Longitudinal Digital Study of US Residents' COVID-19 Perceptions, Behaviors – AMAZING work, Deb and Christine!!!

Wishing all of you well,

-Jackie