Report: Employees take steps to prove they're working | Why Waze has a 30-day trial for new hires | Do your inclusion efforts address invisible illnesses?
Remote and in-office employees in the US are making an effort to be noticed at work amid the push for people to get back to the office, according to a BambooHR report, which found 64% of remote employees keep work messaging apps open to prove they're present. Remote employees also participate in social conversations on work apps and schedule the sending of emails in an attempt to be visible, while in-office employees walk around the workplace so colleagues can see them, according to the report, which surveyed 1,504 full-time employees. Full Story: Human Resources Director (6/10)
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New employees at Waze must spend the first 30 days proving they're a good fit for the job or they're fired, says co-founder Uri Levine. "Every time that you hire someone new, what I really want you to do is mark your calendars for 30 days down the road and ask yourself one question: Knowing what I know today, would I hire this person," Levine says. Full Story: Fortune (tiered subscription model) (6/11)
9th Circuit backs Calif. independent contractor law The US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has held that Uber and Postmates did not show that app-based transportation companies are improperly singled out by a California law specifying when workers must be treated as employees rather than independent contractors. The decision comes amid litigation in state court over California's Proposition 22, a ballot initiative exempting companies such as Uber and Lyft from the law. Full Story: FreightWaves (6/11),Reuters (6/10)
Path to Workforce
Training programs target Ohio manufacturing skills gap For roughly the past two decades, Northeast Ohio manufacturers have been at the forefront of the push to tackle manufacturing's skills gap, which consultants Deloitte estimate will leave 1.9 million manufacturing jobs unfilled by 2033. One such initiative, the AWT Foundation, was set up to tackle the issue through apprenticeships and targeted training for individuals with limited manufacturing experience. Full Story: Crain's Cleveland Business (tiered subscription model) (6/10)
The HR Leader
How your personal narrative can inspire others Storytelling nonprofit the Moth worked with five nonprofit leaders via the Ford Foundation's BUILD program, helping them to use moments in their personal lives to build connections and inspire audiences from employees to donors. "The more specific the story is, the more universal it becomes," says BUILD's Victoria Dunning, adding, "I think what this does is really connects hearts, minds and missions together." Full Story: The Chronicle of Philanthropy (tiered subscription model) (6/11)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
Apple's iPod Touch had a good run with the last ones built in 2022; they had enough storage to play thousands of songs. The predecessor to it, the IXI, had the capacity to play how many songs?
It was about 3:30 p.m. and the kids and I had just arrived home from a long day of work and school. We trudged up the stairs to our apartment and I unlocked the door. The kids trooped by me, quiet and tired. Kiaha stopped suddenly just inside the door. “It smells so good in here, Mom! What is that?” he asked, whirling around. I stepped through the door and closed it behind me. Now all three of us were crowded into our tiny foyer. I nudged them forward. “Um, dinner,” I said, a bit surprised. “A chicken and rice Crock Pot thing. Anna gave it to me.” The kids were absolutely delighted. Their moods instantly changed. No longer tired, they dropped their bags in their rooms and beelined it back to the kitchen to investigate. Kiaha lifted the lid of the Crock Pot. He and Kawai peered into the pot. “Oh wow…this smells amazing. Can we eat?” “I’m starving. I didn’t eat all my lunch because Diego was bothering me.” I laughed and consented to an early dinner. We filled our plates with the chicken and rice and salad (topped with strawberries and blueberries and drizzled with strawberry dressing) and sat down to eat. Kiaha turned on “Frasier” and we all relaxed and ate. That was one of the most powerful moments in my parenting life and I have shared the story often with other mothers, especially if they work outside of the home. “It was the smell," I tell them. "It changed everything. It changed their moods, it made them feel loved. It made them happy. I'll never forget it. And the Crock Pot makes it so easy. Dinner cooks while you're gone. Everyone gets home, the place smells amazing and boom -- you're a hero." Personal narratives are powerful, as we see in our HR Leader story today. They convey important information in a way that sticks with people. “Personal stories will make you feel in a way that facts and figures just can’t,” said Sarah Austin Jenness, executive producer of the Moth, a storytelling nonprofit. She’s right. Personal stories form personal connections. People see themselves in the stories and latch on to the lessons. That’s what makes them so effective. What’s your story? How do you share your personal narrative with others? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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