How are your Zoom meetings going? In the years (!!!) that have now passed since the pandemic shifted many people to Zoom business meetings, a sort of science has cropped up around Zoom performance and behavior. One company, BetterUp, which serves as an online coaching platform (and who would know better?), has conducted extensive research into what makes people "good at Zoom." The [...]
Where is your career headed? You’ve just had your annual review (or maybe haven’t had one in a while) and it’s become clear. No matter how many MBOs or goals you hit, your firm just isn’t going to move you to the next level or give you a raise. For whatever reason. Do you quit and storm out? Maybe. Or perhaps you decide [...]
Is your company ripe as an acquisition target? The M&A market was down significantly in 2022. According to Bloomberg, Q1 of 2023 saw the third lowest global quarterly deal volume in 10 years. Only Q1 of 2013 and Q2 of 2020 had lower quarterly deal volumes. That said, if you’re working for a PE backed company, you may not have had to worry [...]
Bare Minimum Mondays? When I heard this term, I thought it was a promotion being run at a local beach bar. Turns out, it’s a (relatively) new work phenomenon that started on social media. This idea seems to be on the same family tree as “quiet quitting”, resenteeism and “chaotic working”. Let’s look further. Bare Minimum Mondays involves employees adopting a minimalistic approach [...]
Happy Friday! Speaking of Friday, let’s dive into an interesting topic with some long-held beliefs and taboos. What days and times are best to interview? I’ve been doing this a long time and have heard many “nevers” and “always”. Here are some: • Some research suggests that the best time for an interview is between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. During this window, [...]
Five generations in the workplace in 2023? In today's dynamic work landscape, organizations witness the convergence of five distinct generations. • Generation Z: born between 2001 and 2020 • Millennials: born between 1981 and 2000 • Generation X: born between 1965 and 1980 • Baby Boomers: born between 1946 and 1964 • Traditionalists (Silent Generation): born between 1925 and 1945 From traditionalists to [...]
Let's talk about the state of WFH & flexible work arrangements using a particular example. Employees at BlackRock are preparing their commuting strategies. BlackRock will require its employees to work from the office four days a week starting in mid-September. In a memo to employees from the company's chief operating officer, Rob Goldstein, and human resources chief, Caroline Heller, the company said, "We [...]
Are your job descriptions and ad postings lacking in response? If you want to attract smart talent, you should consider eliminating the jargon in your job postings. No one is attracted to a company advertising for "unicorns, rock stars, jedis, ninjas, wizards or gurus" anymore. There are other phrases that are equally tired, although they may seem hard to replace… Consider the "dynamic [...]
#AI is hot and gaining steam. A recent survey by Statista showed that 28% of Gen X’ers, 27% of Millenials and 29% of Gen Z’ers will be using generative AI tools in the workplace this year. But how about when it comes to recruiting & hiring? Candidates – on balance - are still cold toward it when it comes to AI-enhanced hiring decisions. [...]
Another week. Another new workplace term. Here's one delivered to us courtesy of Chat GPT and AI: "Chatfishing". Now - here's the story behind it. Since AI became the greatest thing since, well, sliced bread, we hear nothing but buzz from peers, colleagues, and headlines. People are keen to shed their most drudgerous duties and assign them to a robot. That was the [...]