Support for unions is experiencing a resurgence, particularly among Generation Z, with 71% of Americans and 64.3% of Gen Z expressing support. Young workers see tangible benefits, such as higher wages, reinforcing the growing appeal of unions, while experts like Adam Cobb from the University of Texas attribute this trend to a desire for fairness and a counterbalance to corporate power.
Ensuring transparency, welcoming diverse voices and expressing gratitude are key to successful recruiting practices, writes Fred Ende, director of curriculum and instructional Services for Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. In this blog post, Ende writes that these steps help build trust and create a positive hiring experience for all candidates -- improving long-term relationships.
All professions include overachievers, but for approximately 15 percent of workers, their job is an addiction and consumes them, according to research conducted at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Workaholism involves behaviors, motivations, emotions and thoughts, says industrial-organizational psychologist Malissa Clark at the University of Georgia in Athens.
More workers are now contributing 6% of their salaries to 401(k) plans, thanks to automatic enrollment and immediate vesting in employer matches, Vanguard reports. Despite these positive trends, the median retirement savings for Americans aged 64 to 74 is only $200,000, underscoring the importance of higher contributions and financial planning for a secure retirement.
An analysis of data from the National Study of the Changing Workforce by behavioral scientists Stephanie Tepper and Neil Lewis Jr. reveals that workers who have flexible schedules and feel in control of their time are more satisfied with their jobs and have a greater sense of well-being than those who feel a sense of time scarcity. Employers can improve retention and employee engagement by offering flexible hours, remote or hybrid work and asynchronous work options, they write.
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SmartBreak: Question of the Day
Quite a few presidents before Donald Trump have tried to serve a nonconsecutive term. Who among the following actually won and served that second term?
Meet Kayla, a 24-year-old mechanical engineer for a large defense contractor. She’s bright, capable and ambitious. Her work output is exceptional and her manager considers her one of the most skilled engineers he knows. Unfortunately, her Type-A personality is offputting to her peers -- nearly all male -- in particular those who have been on the job more than 20 years. Communication and collaborative work can be a struggle.
Meet Ken. Ken is in his late 50s, also a mechanical engineer for the same defense contractor. Ken has been in the field nearly 30 years. He’s capable, but has lost much of his vigor for the work. His job is just that -- a job. He just wants to get to retirement. His output is okay, but nothing special. He and Kayla clash often, as she is prone to “helpfully criticize” his work.
Meet Matt. Matt manages Kayla, Ken and five others on his team of engineers. I met him this weekend at a family event. Over plates of tacos, rice and beans, we talked about the challenges of managing Kaylas and Kens.
“Ken’s over this work. He doesn’t want to hear about new ways of doing things. He just wants to be left alone and do things the way he’s been doing them for three decades,” Matt said. “And Kayla. She’s my headache and my star. She’s hands down one of the most skilled on my team, but emotionally she’s all over the place. One day she’s arguing with Ken, and the next, she’s in my office, breaking down in tears over the work.”
“Is she burned out?” I asked. Matt nodded and took a long sip of his water.
“I think she is,” he said. “But when I suggested that, she broke down. I sense she sees burn out as weakness, so she fights admitting it.”
We chatted a bit longer before turning to new topics. But the issue lingered in the back of my head. It surfaced today when I read the stories about workaholics and how to help team members perform at their best. Kayla seems very type-A to me -- aggressive, hard charging and determined. Ken might have mild traces of victim in his personality and possibly some procrastinator too.
So how do you bring these two together -- and help them be part of a larger team? How do you maximize their skills and talents, while tamping down the toxic traits? How do you manage situations and people like this? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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