Powell signals willingness to act to stop unemployment | Strategies to combat loneliness at work | Embrace human values to inspire processes and methods
The Federal Reserve is still waiting for signs that inflation is easing enough to begin cutting interest rates, but Chair Jerome Powell has also indicated the central bank might be willing to act if it detects a surprising uptick in unemployment. This approach is "about not wanting the unemployment rate to get momentum," says Wendy Edelberg, a former Fed economist at the Brookings Institution. Full Story: Bloomberg (3/24)
Industry-Leading Sustainability Measures Whatever your sustainability goals are, we can create a breakroom solution that helps meet them. Learn how we can partner on a collective journey to net neutral and net zero. Read on to create a better break for your employees and the environment.
A recent survey indicates that 69% of employees are unhappy with their social connections at work, contributing to the loneliness epidemic and making individuals feel isolated and disconnected from the bigger picture, writes sociologist Tracy Brower. Strategies for reducing loneliness include reflecting on your needs, investing in connections with colleagues, filling your time with interesting activities and giving back to the community, Brower advises. Full Story: Forbes (tiered subscription model) (3/21)
Career pathing can give employees direction Career pathing is a means of helping employees determine their goals, develop their skills and map their career through an organization, which can improve retention rates and employee satisfaction. An organization can integrate career pathing by assessing its own and employees' needs, developing each individual's plans and tracking their progress. Full Story: Training magazine (3/25)
Despite stagnant average teacher pay since 1990, some states are enacting new laws to increase minimum teacher salaries, with South Dakota and Arkansas leading the way. Lawmakers are responding to elevated turnover rates and a decline in teacher recruitment by championing pay mandates, but states face challenges sustaining these increases due to competing budget priorities and rising costs. Full Story: The Wall Street Journal (3/25)
The HR Leader
Weigh the consequences of speaking up at work Short-term discomfort may keep us silent in the workplace, but it must be weighed with the long-term consequences, especially if silence means a situation will get worse, says Elaine Lin Hering, author of "Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully," who recommends asking yourself if either your silence or your voice aligns with your values. "Until we solve for silence, we're not actually going to reap the benefits of all that other work and investments around our skills," Hering notes. Full Story: Fast Company (tiered subscription model) (3/21)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
Suffragist Susan B. Anthony was arrested Nov. 18, 1872, for voting. How much was her fine at the time?
Aloha dear readers! It’s good to be back in the Workforce saddle. I was covering an education conference all weekend and it wrapped up yesterday. I love conferences, even those that are not journalism specific. The one I attended is ASCD. It’s aimed at teachers, principals, district leaders and others serving schools in K12. What an event! It seemed like everyone was excited to be there. The atmosphere was electric. Keynote speakers had attendees laughing, cheering, even singing and dancing to old school tunes. Session presenters tackled hard questions and led thoughtful, practical discussions. And exhibitors chatted up visitors to their booths, offering solutions to their challenges and walking them through demos. It was exhilarating. I cover a half dozen events every years and they all leave me energized and refreshed to tackle this work. So why do we hold back on sending our folks to industry events to learn and network with their peers? Why do we say hesitate when our team members ask to attend a conference that will help them grow? “It costs money to send them to events." Spend it. Someone who works for you expressed desire to get better at their work. Do you have dozens of folks coming to you asking for this opportunity? I’m guessing no. Set a budget for professional development and say yes when you get the request. Honor that individual. "They can attend those things online.” I find this response interesting. Many employers are demanding that their people return to the office full time because it’s easier for workers to “collaborate and invent together in person.” If that’s the case, wouldn’t the same hold true for conferences? Idea generation doesn’t just happen in the four walls of an office. It happens at conferences too. People in the same field come together to collaborate, exchange ideas and best practices, and learn from each other. They solve problems together. They draw from each other’s strengths and experiences. They come up with new plans and strategies for their work. It’s powerful! Folks leave changed. I did. I felt refreshed from the conversations I had and the session knowledge I received. All of this will affect the work I do, for the better. And it happened because we were all together, in person. Do you encourage your staffers -- at any level -- to attend conferences? Or do you just send managers? Do you allocate dollars for professional development? What’s your strategy? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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