Flexibility key for workforce management in 2023 | Microsoft looks to the neurodiverse pool for talent | Commentary: Why "industrial-era management" is dead
Workplace trends in 2023 will be a mix of the pandemic's fundamental changes and an employee preference for flexibility as younger generations enter leadership, writes Bernard Marr, a strategic business and technology advisor to governments and companies. "Far from just being a hangover from the times of lockdowns and the pandemic, research and statistics are showing that home, remote and hybrid working arrangements are set to become standard -- at least for knowledge workers," Marr says. Full Story: Forbes (tiered subscription model) (11/28)
5 Key HR Metrics That Make A Difference Cut through the noise. Now more than ever, easy-to-understand HR "People" metrics are vital for evaluating business processes and driving strategy. Learn how to leverage 5 key HR metrics to drive successful business outcomes across your organization.
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Recruiting & Retention
Microsoft looks to the neurodiverse pool for talent Microsoft says it will increase its hiring efforts geared toward neurodiverse people, which includes those with Tourette's syndrome, ADHD, autism, dyspraxia and dyslexia. Microsoft executive Neil Barnett says "no two minds are alike" and that by "being more inclusive in your interview process, you will find incredible talent you may have been otherwise screening out." Full Story: Employee Benefit News (free registration) (11/28)
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Cigna boosts caregiver leave, free counseling Cigna is expanding its fully paid annual employee caregiver leave from four weeks to eight weeks next year and is giving workers 10 free Employee Assistance Program counseling sessions each year. "[W]e know that employees who took Caregiver Leave in 2020 or 2021 to care for a family member reported much lower stress levels when returning to work after their leave," Jill Vaslow, vice president of talent strategy and employee well-being, wrote in a blog post. Full Story: HR Dive (11/22)
Path to Workforce
Survey: Grads wary about college, career decisions About 75% of high-school graduates say they are not prepared to make decisions about college and career, results of a survey by YouScience show. The survey also finds that 62% say that college and career readiness is among the responsibilities of schools. Full Story: District Administration (11/28)
The HR Leader
Ways to use mindfulness to transform company culture Mindfulness can be a powerful tool for leaders if they use it as a way to monitor and support the mental health of employees and create a culture of healthy feedback, writes Manoj Gupta, managing director for UK and Europe at Qualitest. "Whatever we can do to ease the mental burden of the people in our care will pay back tenfold in their contributions to the company," Gupta writes. Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (11/29)
About the Editor
Kanoe Namahoe
When Kawai played travel ball, we spent our weekends at tournaments. Those were long days of game after game after game. By the time we were done, she was a sweaty, dirty, smelly (but still very cute) mess. We always went back to our hotel to get cleaned up before meeting the team for dinner. Every now and again, though, Kawai would try to cut corners by wanting to just spritz herself with body spray and put on clean clothes. “Nope, nope, nope,” I told her, pointing to the bathroom. “Shower. Go get that funk off. You’re not gonna make it worse by putting cucumber-melon spray over it. Gross.” Manoj Guptam talks about masking “smells” in our HR Leader story today on employee burnout and wellness. Employers cannot simply “‘spray lots of perfume’” -- in the form of pool tables, nap pods or meditation apps -- to cover the “odors” left by organizational and operational failures. They must get to the source of the issues, he says. “Address issues that contribute to and cause endemic burnouts, such as gaps where not enough employees have been hired to fit the workload,” Guptam writes. He also recommends offering training programs that skill up workers and talking with team members to assess their workloads. None of this is easy. I’m in the process of doing some of this now with my team. I’m learning firsthand how useless (even insulting) some “perfume” remedies are. Our teams need real solutions that uproot the stench at the source. Getting there might take some time -- and creative thinking. I’m also learning that transparency, communication and honest effort go a long way. How can I serve you better with this brief? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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