Address common challenges when working remotely to stay productive, such as making an effort to associate with others and avoid distractions. Find a quiet place to work that is void of distractions and use it only for work, writes Syed Balkhi.

Reduce fear and anxiety of an upcoming presentation by preparing an outline to help keep you on track, and focus the content on a clear message you're trying to convey, rather than a broad topic, writes Hallie Crawford. By putting all your focus on the message, it takes the pressure off you as the presenter, Crawford suggests.

Be a good listener when first getting acquainted with someone at a networking event to determine who the person is and what to reveal about yourself to him or her, suggests author Karen Wickre. "Being curious and observational are hallmarks of introverts and good networkers as well," says Wickre.

Former Facebook employee Mark Luckie alleged the company failed its black employees and excluded minority groups from communication. Luckie sent a memo earlier this month that stated Facebook had a "black people problem" before he left his job on Nov. 8.

A poor answer to "tell me what you know about the company" would include obvious details or sidestepping the answer altogether. Instead, talk briefly about the product or service the company is involved in and how the business model fits within your skills set, as well as other business-specific information that shows you've done your research.

More companies are turning to automated phone interviews to sift through an increasing number of job candidates and make the process more efficient, reports Chip Cutter. While the process is much more impersonal and a bit strange as some early users have discovered, companies like Waste Management have found that it helps to speed the hiring process by up to a week.

Focusing on time as well as the many micro decisions throughout the day is the wrong approach to managing work-life balance, writes Debbie Madden. Focus instead on scheduling only macro decisions, and as few of them as possible, to allow for more flexibility and less stress throughout the day and week.

Ibis hotels in Switzerland have launched "Relax We Post," a service that hires social media influencers to post photos on hotel guests' Instagram accounts using the hashtag #postedbysocialmediasitter. The trial program is seemingly an attempt to alleviate the pressure of travelers to maintain their online presence while on vacation, according to a promotional video.