Blogs & Webinars

Navigating Your Career: Take the Driver's Seat is a webinar focused on strategies to help black women actively manage and advance their careers.   You will hear directly from Megan Staczek, executive leadership coach and organizational development consultant, Melissa Norris and Beth Rustin, founding partners of Jamesbeck, and Angel Stewart, financial services diverse talent specialist, on these topics.     [embed]https://vimeo.com/472684435/00ba37e4ed[/embed]

Part 1: Improving Email Communications This is the first video in our four-part interview series about communication!   We've been working closely with Michael Hoeppner, communications expert and CEO of GK Training, to demonstrate ways we can improve our communication skills. In part one, we spend eight minutes talking with Michael about email. We all dedicate so much time and energy to writing emails, so how do we do better?     We ask Michael questions like: What is the appropriate length of an email? How much time should you take to write emails? What are rules of thumb for writing subject lines? How can you add value to prospecting emails? When is

By Melissa Norris and Megan Staczek   The coronavirus pandemic has shown the investment management industry that its people can successfully work from home (WFH), regardless of function. But everyone is wondering what’s next. People are asking questions such as: Will this change be permanent? Will firms be more open to people working remotely – either permanently or partially? What are the impacts of a workforce that is in some form working from home?   While there are many benefits and challenges to telework (see the addendum to this article below), we’re taking an even broader view of the current situation with the following

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to how to capture what I’m hearing in the market since the abrupt shift to WFH in mid-March. Our pre-coronavirus definitions of work life balance have clearly been disrupted and upended. It’s not that we all had the perfect work life balance before, but we had a semblance of structure that defined our days. We had boundaries that allowed us to carve-out a little personal time and space when we weren’t expected to be “on” and before parenting or care-giving roles kicked in.   Technology gave us the gift of 24/7 as we pursued

While both non-compete and non-solicitation clauses are fixtures in the asset management industry, we’ve noticed some new trends regarding these contractual agreements. In general, it seems to be getting harder for firms to enforce them. It’s also interesting to note that many firms don’t take action to hold former staff to agreements regarding the solicitation of their current employees. (See this article that explores this topic.)   Non-Compete Clauses   The application of non-compete (NC) clauses, also known as “non-competes” (NCs), varies widely across the industry although they’re more consistently found within the hedge fund community. NCs are not necessarily utilized more

Please check out Melissa Norris' recent interview with Michael Hoeppner, communications expert and CEO of GK Training, as he dives into what it takes to successfully navigate group video conferences.     In this video, Michael answers a variety of questions, including:   What are the best ways to approach the "Hollywood Squares" format of large-scale group VCs? How can someone become the “conductor” or point-person in a group VC format? How do you break down the virtual wall and be natural on screen? How can you successfully interject without being rude when someone else is talking? What is the best way to overcome the shortcomings of not being in a physical

We launched Jamesbeck on the heels of the tech bubble and 9/11 and subsequently endured the mutual fund timing scandal and then, of course, the Great Financial Crisis.  We survived all these unprecedented events and while each felt dire at the time, the recent coronavirus and the resulting economic fall-out feels like uncharted territory. As before, our clients are wrestling with how to manage through these significant headwinds.  In addition to the typical questions that are asked during any crisis - do you implement a hiring freeze in order to contain costs or do you selectively hire to take

As we announced earlier, the Jamesbeck team has partnered with communications expert Michael Hoeppner, Founder and CEO of GK Training and professor at Columbia Business School, in order to better serve our clients in these trying times. With virtual collaboration and communication becoming more and more essential, we feel a strong duty to our clients to help support them and equip them with the tools they need to succeed.   In case you missed joining us today for Michael's webinar on how to be the most effective when working remotely, here is a link to the video recording, hosted by Ellen Yin

Given the recent developments with the coronavirus globally, many organizations are either requiring or encouraging their employees to work from home.  Travel is being restricted and events are being cancelled, but business still needs to be conducted.  It is too early to determine how long this will play out, but we at Jamesbeck want our clients and their employees to be properly prepared for doing their jobs remotely and seamlessly.  We are excited to announce that we are teaming up with an exceptional communication firm, GK Training (www.gktraining.com), to offer you invaluable training and guidelines in the areas of

We’ve turned the corner to a new year and a new decade, yet the market continues to validate the adage that change remains a constant across the investment management industry. There’s been much written on the importance of leadership and the skillset required to guide organizations through these turbulent times. But what about the qualities that companies are seeking in talent they may not have prioritized even a short five years ago?   There’s no question that hiring today is a complex endeavor. There are so many factors at play -- whether it’s internal and external pressures of achieving a more