July 2025

What kinds of skills do OpenAI leaders look for in new hires?

OpenAI’s head of ChatGPT, Nick Turley, and chief research officer, Mark Chen, tackled this question on an episode of the OpenAI podcast released last week. It turns out that the two OpenAI executives don’t seek out an Ivy League educational background or AI breakthroughs in new hires. Instead, they search for more intrinsic traits: curiosity, agency, and adaptability.

“Hiring is hard, especially if you want to have a small team that is very, very good and humble, and able to move fast,” Turley admitted on the podcast. “I think curiosity has been the number one thing that I’ve looked for, and it’s actually my advice to students when they ask me, ‘What do I do in this world where everything’s changing?'”

Related: Getting a Wharton MBA Was ‘a Waste of Time,’ According to a Global Bank CEO. Here’s the Degree He Recommends Instead.

There’s still so much that AI researchers have yet to learn about the technology that approaching its development requires “a certain amount of humility,” Turley said.

He explained that building AI is less about knowing the right answers and more about knowing how to ask the right questions with an innate curiosity.

Turley looks for new hires who are “deeply curious” about the world and what OpenAI does.

Related: Goldman Sachs CIO Says Coders Should Take Philosophy Classes — Here’s Why

Chen agreed with Turley and added that he looks for agency in new hires, or the ability to find problems and fix them with little oversight. He also searches for adaptability, or a willingness to adjust to a fast-changing environment.

“You need to be able to quickly figure out what’s important and pivot to what you need to do,” Chen stated.

Chen noted that agency and adaptability were more important than having a Ph.D in AI. He said that he himself joined OpenAI in 2018 as a resident without much formal AI training.

“I think this is a field that people can pick up fairly quickly,” Chen said.

Related: These Are the AI Skills You Should Learn Right Now, According to the World’s Youngest Self-Made Billionaire

There are other skills that other executives have pinpointed as essential in the age of AI. Alexandr Wang, the MIT dropout who co-founded data training startup Scale AI and now leads Meta’s AI efforts, noted in an interview with WaitWhat media CEO Jeff Berman last year that prompt engineering was an important skill to have. He recommended studying fields like math and physics that emphasized long-term thought.

Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs’ chief information officer, Marco Argenti, wrote in a post last year in the Harvard Business Review that he recommended studying philosophy in addition to engineering.

OpenAI was worth $300 billion as of March, following a record-breaking $40 billion fundraising round, the biggest tech funding round on record from a private company.

Twitter co-founder and CEO of Block Jack Dorsey launched the beta version of a new peer-to-peer messaging app on TestFlight. Unlike WhatsApp and others like it that rely on internet connectivity and central servers, Dorsey says that Bitchat operates entirely over Bluetooth mesh networks, promising true decentralization and privacy for its users. He made “an ugly whitepaper describing protocol” available on GitHub.

CNBC broke down the tech and its features. In essence, Bitchat allows users to communicate via Bluetooth-connected devices. But here’s where it gets interesting: “As users move through physical space, their phones form local Bluetooth clusters and pass messages from device to device, allowing them to reach peers beyond standard range — even without Wi-Fi or cell service.”

Related: Jack Dorsey Says Intellectual Property Law Shouldn’t Exist, and Elon Musk Agrees: ‘Delete All IP Law’

Messages that are sent via Bitchat are encrypted from end to end and do not live in the cloud — they are only stored on devices and are set to delete. The message “never touch centralized infrastructure,” reports CNBC, “echoing Dorsey’s long-running push for privacy-preserving, censorship-resistant communication.”

Dorsey’s post on X has received over 1.3 million views, with beta testers eager to jump in. The TestFlight page is no longer available after hitting its 10,000-user maximum.

my weekend project to learn about bluetooth mesh networks, relays and store and forward models, message encryption models, and a few other things.

bitchat: bluetooth mesh chat…IRC vibes.

TestFlight: https://t.co/P5zRRX0TB3
GitHub: https://t.co/Yphb3Izm0P pic.twitter.com/yxZxiMfMH2

— jack (@jack) July 6, 2025

For more than 14 years, Rachel Wommack worked in healthcare, primarily focusing on elder care as a registered nurse. She’d spent time in hospitals, long-term care and case management, seeing firsthand the strengths and shortcomings of the healthcare system. But as the years passed, the idea that she could do more began to grow. She didn’t just want to help patients; she wanted to provide a fix for a gap in the system.

“Not everybody has the little bit of help that they need after those skilled stays to safely go home and be successful in recovery,” she says.

Dustin Distefano (L), CEO and co-founder of A Place At Home and Jerod Evanich (R), president and co-founder APAH with Rachel Wommack, who won Margin Master of the Year

Image Credit: A Place At Home

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

Firsthand insight

The turning point came in 2021. Her son had just graduated from high school, and Wommack was finally in a place where starting a business felt possible. Encouraged by her fiancé, she began looking into ways to build something of her own. Rather than launching an independent business from scratch, she opted to explore franchising.

“I came to the realization that I needed to do this now, so I started researching,” she says. “I spoke with several brands before I found A Place At Home, which aligned with everything that I wanted — morals, ethics, all of that was in line. And so I went for it.”

Wommack’s decision to sign with A Place At Home (#464 on the 2025 Franchise 500) wasn’t rooted in ambition alone; it came from a deep understanding of how often the healthcare system fails people once they leave institutional care. During her time in case management, she saw elderly patients discharged from skilled nursing facilities, assuming they had help waiting at home. That wasn’t always the case.

“You’ve got a Medicare guideline that says they can go home, but maybe they can’t get themselves up off the toilet without help,” she says. “If that help is not available, they’re going to have to call an ambulance if they’ve even got the capability to reach their phone. They’re going right back to the hospital.”

It was a gap in the system that home care could fill — if families knew where to turn. Wommack didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. She’d helped build a home care agency for someone else early in her career and knew how time-consuming and expensive it could be to handle licensing, legal documents and compliance requirements on her own. A franchise offered structure, support and credibility — with the flexibility to run the business her way.

With their support and systems in place, she opened her first location in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2021 and a second in Santa Fe in 2023 and quickly built her own culture. “There’s a sense of belonging that resonates from her team,” says Shane Thompson, A Place At Home’s franchise business coach. “She has long-tenured employees who work for her, professionals who have been with her from the beginning and have helped build her business.”

Related: I Walked Away From a Corporate Career to Start My Own Small Business — Here’s Why You Should Do the Same

Learning curve

Although Wommack felt confident in her clinical background, the business side of franchising came with a learning curve. She had to figure out payroll, accounting, marketing and recruiting — skills you don’t learn in nursing school. The process was challenging, but she leaned on her education, common sense and support from the franchise system to make it work.

“I had contemplated opening a business from scratch, but I realized it’s much more expensive to do it on your own,” she says. “With all of the legalities that are around home care, it was a better option to franchise, because you have your template. It was much easier having everything available.”

Marketing in particular proved to be the toughest part. Although she had connections in elder care, reaching the broader community was more complicated. Most people didn’t know services like hers existed, or that they could be paid for through long-term care insurance, VA benefits or Medicaid. Her target audience turned out to be not the elderly themselves, but their adult children, many of whom were juggling careers, families and caregiving responsibilities all at once. That realization shaped her approach: educate, inform and make care accessible.

Though launching the business was difficult, Wommack says it felt like a personal renewal. Nursing burnout had taken its toll, but business ownership gave her a fresh perspective and a renewed sense of purpose. She still faces tough days, but they’re different. Now, she’s working for her clients, not for a corporate hospital system.

That difference shows up in the feedback she receives. Her team regularly gets calls from grateful families, and caregivers often go above and beyond to ensure clients are safe. Each of those moments, she says, reaffirms her decision to take the leap into franchising. “Every day, I get reassurance from our clients and caregivers [that] this was the right choice.”

Wommack has managed to do something most businesses cannot: She’s built a company that remains caring and empathetic while growing it to more than $1.3 million in annual revenue. Earlier this year, she won the franchise’s Margin Master of the Year, which is awarded to the location with the highest gross profit after caregiver payroll.

Related: Fried, Fast And Franchised — These Are The Top 10 Chicken Franchises in 2025

Advice for nurses

To other nurses feeling stuck or underappreciated, Wommack offers a message of encouragement. Franchising, she says, gave her a way to continue helping people while taking control of her career and life, and they can, too.

“Do your research and don’t hold yourself back,” she says. “This is an important job, whether it’s skilled or personal care. Going into business to help people is never a bad decision.”

For now, Wommack is focused on growing her two locations, supporting her team and continuing to educate families about the care options available to them. She’s not looking to scale rapidly. Instead, she’s building something that lasts — one caregiver, family and success story at a time.

Related: ‘Send a Man Next Time’: How an Entrepreneur and Her Daughters Built a $2.5 Million Franchise in a Male-Dominated Field

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Five generations of employees are currently engaged in the global workforce, likely due to longer life expectancy, delays in retirement and technological advancements. This dynamic is expected to continue; as older workers are winding down, the youngest generation, current babies to teens, are in line to offset those retirements.

While an age-diverse workforce is remarkable, leading a multigenerational team can pose notable challenges due to each group’s inherent talents, communication styles and workplace preferences.

Successfully managing a mixed-age team requires an understanding of generational differences and a flexible leadership style that recognizes and leverages the natural strengths and styles of each group.

The Silent Generation (Born 1925-1945)

The Silent Generation grew up during the Great Depression and World War II. The economic conditions and societal norms of the day heavily influenced this group’s long-term communication style and workplace preferences.

The Silent Generation respects authority and leadership. They possess strong employer loyalty. They aimed for a gold watch at the end of their career. They mostly missed the technology boom. They prefer straight talk and defined roles.

Related: How to Connect With Younger People to Build Better Audiences

The Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)

Baby Boomers were raised in the post-war era, which was far more economically stable than two decades earlier. Boomers benefited from an increased focus on higher education. While not second nature, Boomers mostly adapted to new technologies.

The group possesses a strong work ethic. They more readily express their opinions and prefer in-person communication in the workplace. They often have an aversion to rapid change unless clearly mapped out.

Generation X (Born 1965-1980)

Gen X were the latchkey kids and far more likely than earlier generations to be raised by single or divorced parents. They were introduced to computers in elementary school and were generally welcoming of the digital revolution. Gen X were the dotcom guys in the 1990s and among the first social media users in the early aughts.

Xers tend to be autonomous and hate being micromanaged. They are self-sufficient, independent thinkers who prefer respectful but informal communication.

Related: Gen Z Expects Employers to Treat Them Differently. Here’s How to Bridge the Generational Gap.

The Millennials (Born 1981-1996)

Millennials are devoted to personal health and wellness, and have really moved the work-life balance needle forward for the entire labor force. They were the first generation with exceptional and highly sought-after technology skills, and thus, they strongly influenced workplace norms, culture and hiring dynamics. They were the pioneers of remote work. They expect reasonable autonomy on how and where they perform their jobs.

Millennials value collaboration. They prefer working with transparent and communicative leadership.

Generation Z (Born 1997-2012)

Gen Z is the most educationally competitive generation in history. They are driven by purpose and activism and were molded by social consciousness and global sustainability. Their aptitude for technology is breathtaking, as they grew up on smartphones, iPads and laptops. Generation Z prioritizes mental health, workplace wellness and inclusivity.

Gen Z appreciates constructive communication styles, but also expects recognition and may struggle without positive feedback. They want to work for forward-thinking, values-driven employers.

Challenges of managing a multigenerational team

From a broad-brush perspective, each generation is energized by different motivators and possesses differing predilections for workplace norms and culture.

Due to these conflicting preferences, a multigenerational team often comes with its share of managerial hurdles. Your Gen Zees are likely quick to ask questions or drop comments in a shared document, while your Gen Xers prefer more autonomy. Turnover might be greater among younger talent who tend to job hop, while older workers are more likely to stay put. Younger generations might feel your company isn’t involved enough in community causes, while older team members may balk at participation, particularly if it feels performative.

The point is that each generation approaches their roles and engagement with your business differently, making your job as a business leader more difficult. This is not to suggest you refrain from hiring a multigenerational workforce, but rather underscores the importance of embracing and leveraging age differences to create a culture in which employees of all ages want to work and thrive.

Successfully leading a generationally diverse team

Now that you better understand the characteristics, styles, and norms of a multigenerational workforce, the following are important considerations as you manage an age-diverse team:

1. Generational Insights Aren’t Absolute. It is important to acknowledge employees as individuals with their own unique talents and inclinations. You might employ an 80-year-old technology wunderkind or a fiercely loyal Gen Z employee. Generational differences matter, but embracing individual contribution matters more.
2. Leverage Generational Strengths. Need a new employee handbook focused on process and compliance? Maybe turn to your Silent Generation to lead the project. Have software adoption issues? Why not select a Gen Z to oversee technology training? Your Millennials can probably run a fantastic social media campaign without even blinking. Celebrate your team’s natural talents.
3. Foster Diversity Among the Ages. It is relatively common for workers to bond based on generation. This is fine socially, but might kneecap innovation and collaboration. Role assignments based on generational fortes might still make sense, but also remember to push preconceived boundaries and urge higher thinking when possible.
4. Avoid Generational Silos. Fragmentation based on age is a danger to your business. Silos of any type create inefficiency and are often a wrecking ball to employee wellbeing and company culture. Create opportunities for collaboration and connection among everyone on your team, including mentorship programs and workshops that foster intergenerational teamwork and togetherness.
5. Adapt Your Leadership Style. While it is not your job to accommodate every individual need or preference, the onus is on you to create a workspace in which every team member feels connected, respected and valued. Recognize that an age-diverse team requires fairness, flexibility, and sometimes a little finesse on your part to ultimately succeed together as a team.

While it might come with its share of challenges, leading a multigenerational team can be exceptionally rewarding for you, your people and your entire organization.

Imagine this. Jean and John, who met at a startup incubator, founded a company together. But as they grew, Jean realized that she and John weren’t aligned on many things, including what the company’s future should look like. Neither John’s goals nor his behavior reflected the company’s mission, so Jean ousts John from the business.

Reasons for a co-founder’s departure

There are a number of reasons that a co-founder may want to part ways with another co-founder.

1. Lack of dedication

A startup that wants to scale for a big exit typically requires founders who dedicate long hours for little pay (at least at the beginning). While some founders, like Jean, are willing to do that, some, like John, are not. Jean was willing to put in as many hours as it took to meet her responsibilities. John, on the other hand, arrived late and left early, demonstrating that he wasn’t dedicated to his role — or the company.

2. Difficult to work with

Some founders are simply difficult to work with. They’re not collaborative, they’re closed off to others’ input or they belittle or micromanage their employees. While in the office, John’s attitude was one of superiority. He felt that certain tasks were below him and that others should do the “heavy lifting.” He criticized his employees at every opportunity, lowering morale and eventually pushing a very dedicated, key employee out of the company.

3. Lack of alignment with vision

While a dream team of co-founders might be committed and great as colleagues, they might have different visions about the company’s future. For example, they may disagree on a pivot other founders believe is necessary. Jean wanted to focus on R&D to ensure ongoing innovation, but John was focused on expanding the company. In addition to his behavior, this lack of alignment caused so much tension that Jean started the process of terminating her co-founder.

Related: So Your Co-Founder is Threatening to Quit Unless You Give Them More Equity. What Should You Do?

Legal considerations

In addition to mistakes that can be made during the termination process, there are several legal considerations to keep in mind when co-founders separate.

1. Complying with employment law

Founders are almost always employees by law. When terminating an employee, keep in mind — and meet — the legalities of termination, including filing certain paperwork and notices, and meeting deadlines for paying the final paycheck, for example. When the tension between Jean and John began, Jean documented each instance so she had relevant backup at the time of John’s termination.

2. Is your relationship buttoned up?

Make sure you are not giving an ousted co-founder leverage. Breaking promises or not protecting the company legally in its founding documents on IP assignments or confidentiality obligations means that they now have valuable IP the company needs.

3. Do you have the legal right?

It’s critical to ensure that a co-founder has the legal right to terminate another co-founder. If they do not, they should take the necessary steps to secure those rights; it might not be as simple as telling them they are fired. For example, the company’s bylaws might allow a co-founder to be terminated only if the board votes to do so. The ousting founders need to make sure they can — and do — get board support.

When John’s performance began to decline, Jean consulted with the company’s board to ensure the board was informed from the outset.

More legal considerations: What NOT to do

While there are considerations to make so as not to run into legal issues, there are also considerations for what NOT to do.

1. Don’t think about a separation agreement

A legally binding separation agreement can get you a release of claims, potentially non-disparagement terms and other benefits for the company, including agreements to not sue. Investors will want to see this if at all possible in diligence. It’s worth some money to get this.

As soon as John’s performance started suffering and other employees began complaining about his behavior, Jean consulted an employment attorney to prepare the paperwork necessary for a separation agreement, enabling the process to be completed without worrying about a potential lawsuit.

2. Forget to cut off access to systems

To prevent an ousted co-founder from accessing company information post-termination, ensure that they can no longer access the company’s systems. Disgruntled employees with access to company data can cause major problems.

Once John was officially “out,” all access to company information was cut off; Jean knew that, if given the opportunity, John would have tried to access certain data once he exited the company.

3. Bash the ousted founder to employees, investors and other stakeholders

Sometimes in trying to explain the ousted founder’s departure, founders will resort to speaking negatively about them; this opens the company to defamation liability. It can also reflect badly on the company and the founding terms. Finally, it can lead to the ousted founder becoming more hostile toward the company.

Despite their differences, Jean maintained reasonable levels of professionalism. Although the process was stressful for her, her team and ultimately the company, John’s ouster and the reasons behind it remained within the executive leadership team.

Related: 4 Sane Strategies for Maintaining Healthy Co-Founder Relationships

Ramifications of skirting the law

All of this advice hinges on the remaining founders meeting the requirements to legally terminate a co-founder. When they don’t, there are ramifications.

1. Incurring penalties and legal claims

First, by not complying with employment laws, penalties can be incurred, and legal claims are given to the ousted founder; these can add up. For example, in California, if all wages aren’t paid on the final day of employment, the ousted founder is entitled to a penalty equal to one full day of wages for every day until they are fully paid (up to 30 days).

Jean’s diligence in consulting a startup attorney prepared her for the separation. In addition to the separation agreement, Jean presented John with his final paycheck at the termination meeting.

2. Post-termination negotiations

If you don’t button up your relationship with the founder prior to termination, you will be stuck post-termination negotiating for what you need. At this point, you are unlikely to have much leverage.

3. No separation agreement

If you fail to get a separation agreement, investors may push on you in diligence to get one later; this is often difficult. Also, you may subject the company to claims that would have been released if money was offered as severance at the outset. Note that a founder may sign a separation agreement quickly if it’s offered with a positive message and incentives. The absence of an up-front offer can result in litigation, and demands may increase.

The bottom line

While there are myriad factors that contribute to the ousting of a company founder, it behooves those on the company side to make appropriate preparations to avoid legal troubles.

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Most business leaders have a story about a great opportunity that slipped away. Maybe it was an acquisition that fell through or a major client that signed with a competitor instead. Or a promising market expansion that had to be postponed due to “poor timing.”

During the post-mortem, it’s easy to blame sales, marketing or a lack of resources. But often, the core issue isn’t execution — it’s liquidity. Not a lack of capital but a lack of access to it when it matters most.

In today’s environment, timing is everything. The difference between winning and waiting can be measured in hours, not months. And the companies that come out ahead are often the ones whose capital stack can move at the speed of business.

Related: The Hidden Risk That Crashes Startups — Even the Profitable Ones

Liquidity, not just capital, drives growth

Imagine a competitor stumbles, and one of their top clients is suddenly up for grabs. You’re the right fit, and the client is ready to move, but only if you can scale quickly. That could mean hiring new staff, securing inventory or ramping production before the first payment clears.

This is when your capital stack either works for you or gets in your way. Many mid-sized businesses don’t lack capital — they just can’t access it quickly enough to take action.

And while they wait for accounts receivable to clear or a loan approval to be processed, the deal goes to a competitor who’s ready to act now.

Why “cash on hand” is the wrong metric

It’s easy to feel prepared if your cash reserves look healthy. But in fast-moving markets, the real question is this: How quickly can you turn your company’s assets, receivables or credit into usable funds? True financial flexibility isn’t about stockpiling cash — it’s about building a system that keeps money flowing. That includes:

• Reliable credit lines

• Faster payment collection

• Smarter inventory management

• Vendor terms that free up working capital

These are the building blocks of a capital stack that can support growth during good times and periods of uncertainty. Companies with these systems don’t just survive challenging business environments — they thrive in them. They grow their market share, attract new talent and invest in opportunities while competitors struggle to meet payroll.

Related: 4 Ways an Entrepreneur Can Increase Liquidity

When timing beats planning

Even strong companies miss growth opportunities, and it’s not always because their strategy is wrong. Instead, it’s usually because their timing is off. Picture a key customer doubling their order with little warning. The vendor that wins that business might not be the cheapest or the most well-known, but the one that can say “yes” right away and follow through.

The same principle applies during economic downturns. While some companies pull back, others are buying distressed assets, hiring top talent and preparing for the rebound. The edge isn’t in their forecasts but in their ability to move. Speed is often more valuable than size, and the companies that win are often the ones with financial systems built for action.

Inflexible capital doesn’t just slow you down, it also chips away at your growth over time. You may pass on projects with high returns because the cash isn’t available when needed. You may consider taking out a short-term loan with unfavorable terms to meet payroll. Or you may delay hiring because receivables are stuck in limbo.

Individually, these decisions seem small, but collectively, they slow your progress and put unnecessary stress on your team. And while these missed chances don’t show up on a balance sheet, they’re often the reason promising companies fall behind.

How to build a capital stack that can move

Smart operators don’t see capital as something to sit idle — they build systems that allow it to move with the needs of the business. A key piece of that is understanding your cash conversion cycle, which is the time it takes for a dollar spent to return to your account. The shorter and smoother the cycle is, the more responsive your business becomes.

Here are some practical ways to improve it:

• Send invoices quickly and enforce payment terms

• Keep inventory lean without hurting service levels

• Renegotiate supplier terms to match your cash flow

• Secure credit facilities before you need them

Related: 5 Top Financial Tips for Entrepreneurs

It’s not about preparing for a worst-case scenario but being able to act when the best-case scenario shows up unexpectedly.

When your capital system is built for flexibility, your decision-making process changes. You don’t put off action because of delayed payments, and you don’t lose sleep over a tight cash balance. You don’t say “no” to a great opportunity just because your funds are temporarily tied up.

Instead, you move with confidence and negotiate from a place of strength. And your team has the clarity and support to focus on execution, not firefighting. Companies with flexible capital move faster, stay focused and seize opportunities others miss.

Building a strong brand means recognizing potential reputation crises and knowing how to handle online articles that misrepresent you or your business. Negative press on Google can erode customer trustand disrupt your operations.

Burying negative search results can be complex, time-consuming and cost a fortune that in the long run will negatively affect the financials of your company or your career. Fortunately, there are branding experts who specialize in removing or burying unfavorable articles from the Google search engine. Whether you’re an individual or a business, it’s important to have a good reputation by removing any negative content as soon as possible.

Related: 5 Tactics to Bury Bad Press and Reclaim Your Brand Reputation

Benefits of deleting negative online articles

The public perception of your brand greatly depends on your ability to know how to remove bad search results. False reviews and misleading articles damage your credibility in many ways. Harmful content can even lower your search rankings when it increases your bounce rates and decreases click-through rates.

This means you’ll have fewer people visiting your site, which can significantly affect purchases and revenue. A lot of customers who may have wanted to do business with you may no longer want to after they read a bad article about your company. And the longer the bad information stays up on the internet, the worse the reputation damage will be.

Reach out to the website to report a breach of its content policies

Many websites enforce strict rules for the content they publish. If you discover an article about your brand that contains false or incorrect information, first review the site’s content policy. If the article appears to violate its rules, you may request its removal by providing proof that the article breaches a specific policy that they have.

Contact the site by providing clear facts why this article breaches the policy, and ask that they update it or remove it completely from the site.

Related: How to Remove Negative Reviews Online and Protect Your Online Reputation

Ask Google to take down the content from the search results

If you reach out to the website administrator and have no luck getting the content taken down, you can always ask Google to remove it for you. Google does a great job of helping users delete negative links that contain false information, fake content, or serious defamation, if the content qualifies for removal. You’ll have to explain your case and provide proof to support it.

Get in touch with the writer directly to discuss the issue

In many cases, contacting the author who wrote a specific piece directly is the most effective approach. Look up the email on the website, craft a nice email and explain what part of the article you believe is unfair or untrue. Make sure to include lots of facts and screenshots to back up your request. The writer might agree to edit or remove the article to maintain accuracy and credibility.

Related: The 5 ‘Cs’ Approach to Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

What does it mean to remove negative online articles?

Suppressing negative online content is much different than having it deleted, but it can still help your brand’s credibility in lots of ways. The search engine suppression process involves a mixture of unique approaches, like adding more positive content to the internet about your company, publishing press releases and optimizing SEO across multiple platforms.

When done strategically, the good content about your brand will take the place of the bad articles in search results.

Search engines often display social media profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter on the first page of results. You should definitely sign up for these services now if you haven’t already. Be sure to utilize your company name consistently across all of your profiles and to fill them out to the fullest.

Related: How to Better Manage Your Brand’s Reputation in the Digital Age

Build new websites focused on branded search terms

Building a new website is another way to suppress negative articles about your brand. The new site should be full of information that praises your company and all of its offerings. Highlighting the strengths in the webpages you publish will boost your credibility and search visibility.

It’s also a good idea to include a page that clearly outlines positive reviews provided by current and former customers. Over time, these pages will rise in their search rankings, suppressing the harmful articles that damage your brand image.

Publish articles on trusted external platforms

Next, you’ll want to create high-quality material on popular websites that have high search rankings. You can do this through contributions, insightful analyses and thought leadership articles. Pick subjects that are relevant to your field, and be sure to mention your company name subtly throughout. Upon publication, these pieces will bolster your brand’s credibility and redirect focus from previous negative mentions.

Build a presence with links

Having a strong brand presence on authoritative websites that have relevant articles to your industry is essential for suppressing negative information about your individual brand or your company. We live in a world where people use Google on a daily basis, and they always research the company before they want to work with it. That’s why links not only help build trust with potential customers but also push down unwanted or harmful search results on Google.

Research keywords that trigger a negative result

Find out what keywords bring up the bad article by Googling your name or company. Once you know which terms lead to the bad content, you can make new pages that employ the same keywords positively. Doing this will result in the new, positive content coming up first in search results by causing the unfavorable information to fall in the rankings.

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