Perspectives from the W|E team on hiring, careers, and the staffing landscape.
A portion of every dollar West End earns goes back to the communities we serve. Here is why, and who it reached in 2025.
In 2025, W|E Care supported 11 North American organizations. Two hold a special place in the story: the Arthritis Foundation and the Houston SPCA. Tracy Berglund, Kristin Mitchell Schaer and Misti Elder share what giving back means at West End, and the goal of growing W|E Care to $100,000 given back.
Read the articleA reflection on why taking real time off is not a negotiation - and what it took to stop apologizing for it.
Kristin traces her experience navigating workplace PTO culture across different companies - from environments where vacation felt like a negotiation to finding a team that values outcomes over optics. The piece explores the “unlimited PTO paradox,” the moment a family health situation reordered her priorities, and why rest is not the opposite of performance.
Read the articleThree mistakes hiring teams make on interview day that cost them the candidate they spent weeks recruiting.
Don’t be late. Know the role. Tell candidates where the company is going. Kristin draws on her experience coaching hiring managers - and on her years as a competitive basketball player - to make the case that game-day preparation is a team sport.
Read the articleThe two fastest ways to lose a top candidate before the interview even happens.
Canceling the interview - even in emergencies - sends a message about how your team operates under pressure. And scheduling too many interviewers for one candidate tells its own story about decision-making. Kristin offers a clear framework for how many interviewers is enough.
Read the articleTwo things that have to happen before any candidate walks through your door.
Call it the “Hiring Experience,” not the process. And get your recruiter in the room before a single resume arrives. Kristin makes the case that preparation starts with language and ends with alignment.
Read the articleThe W|E briefing goes to clients and candidates first. Fresh perspectives on hiring, careers, and the market - no filler.
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