When a business is struggling to make ends meet, tough decisions are made that often lead to furloughs, layoffs and budget cuts. In many cases, business owners try to save money by slashing the marketing budget first. It’s an understandable move to make, but it’s the wrong move.

To inspire you to look beyond a candidate’s résumé or LinkedIn profile, 16 members of Business Journals Leadership Trust, including our own Kedran Whitten, share insightful questions they’ve asked in interviews and what they learned about applicants in the process.

In good and bad times alike, a business should always make its customers feel valued. If you show your customers that you appreciate not just their business but also their well-being and needs, they will be more likely to continue using your products or services.