Everything seems to be getting radically more expensive these days, and that includes talent. The competition for the brightest and most creative minds is so intense that, according to Inc. magazine, the past two years have driven up pay by 20%. For smaller companies that don’t have that kind of wiggle room in their hiring budgets, it can feel impossible to compete. But [...]
There’s a psychological concept called “foot-in-the-door technique” that says if you want to get someone to do something big, first ask them to do something small. For instance, if you want to shift an employee’s job description fairly dramatically, first take a toe-dip by asking them to take on a new type of project as just one aspect of their day to day. [...]
It used to be considered very tacky to talk about money. No one really knew what anyone else was getting paid. This worked to the advantage of HR departments, of course. But that’s changed. One study sponsored by Bankrate found that 40% of Millennials and 42% of Gen Z workers have shared their compensation with a coworker or a colleague. For Baby Boomers, [...]
Here’s one way to look at the upheaval of the last few years: as a giant, worldwide corporate experiment in changing how we work. The New York Times conducted a recent poll of 700 people to find out why they do or don’t prefer working from home. Some of the most popular answers: 🔹 COVID safety 🔹 More sunlight and fresh air on a daily [...]
Want to support your employees in being more creative and productive? Adjust the thermostat. One study showed that workplace productivity fluctuates wildly depending on office temperature. Being too hot makes you sleepy and sluggish. Too cold and, according to one Cornell study, people make more errors. The ideal temp? Just under 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Interestingly enough, the idea of “perfect office temperature” has [...]
“Tim, am I a good fit for that role and company?” When I’m having a conversation with a job seeker about an upcoming role, I love this question because it shows me that the candidate cares about getting not just any job but the RIGHT job. Likewise, when hiring managers interview you for a role, they want to sense that you’re invested in [...]
More businesses than ever are inclined to take back boomerang employees right now— employees who quit but later want back in. In fact, one study shows that of every five people who quit a job during the pandemic, one has already boomeranged back, and two more would consider it if it were an option. Perhaps you’re on the hunt for a new job, and [...]
If you’re looking for a job right now, your emotional state probably lies somewhere on a scale from overwhelmed to excited to hopeful to dejected. But here’s the good news: you WILL eventually get a job. Instead of obsessing over the whether and when, I suggest focusing more on the WHY: what’s your ultimate goal? It’s probably more than just to make money. [...]
Will a job seeker be a good fit? No better way to find out than to ask them to submit a sample of their work. For a creative, this might mean having them work on a fictional project to see what they deliver. For a writer, it might mean having them write on a certain topic to see how they perform. In the [...]
What are the younger members of today’s workforce thinking? The NY Times conducted a focus group of 12 millennial Americans — arguably not a fairly representative slice of the workforce, but a slice nonetheless. What they had to say was interesting for any HR leader hoping to hire bright young talent. A few takeaways: 👉 They’re not willing to work long hours with unsupportive managers [...]