A Resume Genius survey reveals that 80% of hiring managers have ghosted job candidates, citing reasons such as an overwhelming number of applications and uncertainty about the candidate's fit. Ed Huang from Resume Genius notes that AI-generated resumes and applicants airing grievances on social media contribute to this trend. Full Story: Euronews (France) (7/9)
Recruiting & Retention
Social media has staying power as a recruiting tool A strong brand and an impressive showing on social media are important HR tools, mainly because they can get the attention of passive candidates who might not be looking for a job at the moment, writes James Smythe. "As social media sites continue to add new tools that aid in recruitment, this trend doesn't seem to be slowing down," Smythe adds. Full Story: Mighty Gadget (UK) (7/3)
Salary transparency laws aimed at pay gaps New salary transparency laws in nearly a dozen states aim to close gender and racial wage gaps by requiring employers to disclose wages in job postings and banning salary history inquiries. States such as California, Colorado and New York are leading the charge despite resistance from some small businesses. Full Story: Yahoo (7/10)
Path to Workforce
New workforce training center planned in N.C. Maysville, N.C., in partnership with Lenoir Community College, is transforming an old train depot into the Lenoir Community College Maysville Workforce Training Center. Funded by a $749,000 grant, the center will offer training in essential trades to help residents secure better jobs. Full Story: Sun Journal (New Bern, N.C.) (7/5)
The HR Leader
Personal connections boost workplace engagement Executives at Hinge, a dating app, start their twice-monthly, two-hour meetings with a half-hour of conversation in a bid to create personal connections in the workplace. Many companies are redesigning physical spaces and creating social events to help cultivate relationships. Remote work has exacerbated feelings of isolation, and experts like Michael Bungay Stanier and Laurie Santos detail the importance of at-work friendships for employee happiness and engagement. Full Story: The Associated Press (7/8)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
At 39, Mark Cavendish will be one of the "most senior" competitors in this year's Tour de France if he crosses the finish in Nice. Who was the oldest Tour de France winner?
Confidence is a key element of success. People who are confident are generally resilient, competent in their field, have good instincts about their work and are willing to take risks to grow. But confidence is earned, not given, writes Frank Sonnenberg in today’s Leadership & Development story. The only way to earn it is by walking through the fires of bad days, failed projects, high pressure, missed deadlines, hard conversations, awkward moments and so forth. There are no short cuts. I thought of this as I mulled over the conversation I had yesterday with my son. (See yesterday’s column for context.) He is struggling a bit in his new job. As we picked through the issues he’s experiencing, I realized that his confidence was low and that this was creating anxiety and distraction. Low confidence was blurring his perspective. All he could see was that he wasn’t picking things up fast enough and he was worried about falling behind on his workload. He was feeling bad, stressed and frustrated. The sympathetic mother in me wanted to give him a solution that would make it all go away now. But the manager in me stepped back and took a long look at the whole situation. What should my response be, as his boss? I’ve got responsibilities too and people to whom I’m accountable. Part of my success rests in his ability to get his work done. When he comes to me for a conversation, how do I play this? If he says the workload is crushing, due in part to his unfamiliarity with the systems he’s working on, how do I respond? Do I apply the gas and say (basically), “This is the job -- keep up!”? Or, do I apply the brakes, slowly, and hear him out? Do I tell him that he’s not in danger of being fired and that we’re here to support his growth and success, in whatever form that takes? I went with a hybrid mother/manager approach. The mama in me said, “Duckling, this is part of the process, this is part of career growth. Endure. This is normal. Try to tamp down on the pressure you’re putting on you.” The manager in me gave him practical direction and insight. I told him that hiring people is an expensive, long process, especially for schools. Once someone is hired, employers want to keep them (the obvious exception being the the total loser who somehow escaped everyone’s radar during the interviews). I reminded him that he’s a skilled IT professional with 10 years of experience. He has the ability to learn new systems, but it will take time. He may have to put in some extra time, right now, to get familiar with them, but that’s fine. That’s not forever. And it's fair. I also encouraged him to have an honest conversation with his trainer. “Don’t bury your concerns,” I said, honestly. “That’s not fair to her. She’s not a mind reader; she’s trying to help you. Tell her where you’re stuck -- even if that means saying workload -- so she knows where to focus her training.” I'm curious about how you would handle this situation. What would you as managers and HR professionals, say to him? There's no wrong or right answer. I just want your candid feedback. Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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