Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom

A New Era in Tech-Based Recruitment

Communicating with the passive candidates whose email addresses you’ve stored in your CRM isn’t a new idea. Taking a page from the marketing team’s playbook and segmenting those candidates into groups based on a common qualifier (location, career stage, etc.) isn’t necessarily new either.

What has changed in recruitment segmentation, however, is the power of technology to help talent professionals do it more effectively. First of all, since recruitment segmentation came onto the talent acquisition scene as a popular strategy, the ability to automate email campaigns and customize their cadence to the individual has grown far more sophisticated. This is done by creating intelligent workflows.

According to IBM in a recent white paper, intelligent workflows are processes created by combining artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to enable organizations to segment candidate pools and decide how to modify the experience based on the candidates’ expectations and needs.

Organizations can use segmentation and automation hand in hand to design the recruitment experience based on candidate availability, work effort and experience and to provide different levels of service at the right point in time in the hiring process.

“Automation is especially crucial in terms of speed of engaging candidates — and keeping them engaged throughout the entire process,” wrote the IBM authors. “Even with higher unemployment rates, top candidates are in high demand, and competition to hire is fiercely competitive. Organizations that do not automate the process to the degree that it both entices and meets the candidates where they are are likely to see top recruits accept offers with competitors.”

The IBM authors pointed out that by deploying intelligent workflows, HR leaders can access real-time information that gives them a complete picture of their labor and talent pools. The strategy also allows for a more conscious approach to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). “Instead of having to wait for historical data and react to changes that have already occurred, recruiters can create and change experiences to open doors for candidates in ways previously not possible,” they said.

They cited the example of one company that shifted from a center-based employment model to a co-location model, which meant that 40% of their employees would work virtually. But many employees in contact center positions preferred working on site, and attrition occurred.

The company then used segmentation to determine talent availability and virtually manage the recruiting process through texting, self-scheduling and video interviews. Because so many of the organization’s employees did not want to make the move to remote work, the organization added a personalized touchpoint to encourage top talent to remain in the pipeline. As the organization examined the data and was informed of the shift in preferences, recruiters adjusted their approach to improving hiring success.

Of course, the best use of software-driven intelligent workflows incorporates human recruiter creativity. My favorite example is from a Recruiting Daily blogger, Christine Hampton. She has used intelligent workflows to segment and automate communications to passive candidates by, among other things, the rejection reason and recruitment event.

“If a candidate tells me they are on a contract till December, then slamming them with jobs right now will just frustrate them,” she wrote. “I note if the candidate is interested, and I set up a multi-channel cadence to stay in touch till their contract is complete.”

Christine explained that you can have separate segments for a myriad of rejection reasons – “just started a new job,” “happy in current role,” “can’t meet salary requirements,” etc. Not only does this approach align with future recruitment marketing campaign messaging, but it also saves time and creates a platform for starting personal conversations with candidates.

She added that if you’ve been recruiting for a while, you have likely attended many events. “You meet a candidate at a job fair, and they pique your interest, but the timing isn’t right. Three months later, an opportunity arises, and you think, ugh, what’s the name of that lady I met three months ago? She had red hair, about five feet five inches, and had glasses,” she said. “I am sure I’ve had a few missed connections in the past before the CRM existed.  Now I keep a folder for the specific event and date, and the candidate is easier to find (and communicate with).”

The bottom line is an ironic one. In this new era of recruitment segmentation, the best TA professionals will leverage technology to become even better at developing strong human relationships with their top candidates.

To learn more about how to leverage technology to build a stronger talent pipeline, check out my recent webinar with SilkRoad and ERE Media!

2023 Business and Employment Trends for Small Business

While business is generally stabilizing and neighborhood institutions are finding innovative ways to stand their ground against larger competitors, concerns including inflation and stubborn supply chain disruptions continue to dog many owners.

According to the November 2022 Small Retailer Report from American Express Business Class, which surveyed 300 small business retail decision makers, most small retailers currently operate in both online and brick-and-mortar settings, and retailers view their brick-and-mortar stores as a place for customers to discover and try products, as well as for boosting brand awareness and recognition.

Creating an In-Store Experience

Small retailers are encouraging their customers to shop in-store and make their in-store shopping experience more social. According to the Small Retailer Report, 69% of small retailers have offered in-store shopping experiences or events in the last 12 months, and 74% hope to offer in-store shopping experiences or events within the next six months.

State of Kid is one of those retailers that values in-store shopping experiences. A hybrid concept that combines a boutique retail experience and enrichment classes for children ages 0-8, the store launched in late 2019 and now has three brick-and-mortar locations in South Florida. Founders Alana Oxfeld and Cheryl Gonzalez created State of Kid after moving to Miami from New York and Switzerland, respectively, and struggled to find modern parenting solutions that met their needs.

“State of Kid combines retail with experiential programming. Parents can shop while they bring their children in for art, music, science, cooking, and much more,” says Oxfeld. “We offer a highly curated selection of kids’ clothes and gifts that aren’t often found at major big box retailers or on Amazon. Additionally, we are known for our exceptional service and personal connection with our customers.”

The State of Kid owners have worked hard to make their stores appealing for kids and parents alike. “Our aesthetic is inviting and playful. Children generally leave our enrichment classes—from Tumbling Tots to Jam with Jamie—with huge smiles on their faces. That sense of fun extends into the retail space, and often families congregate long after the class has ended, continuing the party-like feel,” says Oxfeld.

Milk Room, a vintage, luxury streetwear and sneaker boutique with three locations in southern California, prides itself on its custom sneakers. Founder Greg Monterrosa provides a memorable in-store experience for customers by hosting fashion, art, and music shows at each location, and running a podcast.

“Milk Room is a true community,” Monterrosa says. “Our stores are run by local designers. When you walk in, you see local art and emerging brands, and you’ll catch a scent from a local candlemaker or essential oil maker.”

Standing Out From the Competition

The Small Retailer Report also found that small retailers plan to prioritize (46% versus 37%) the online shopping experience than the in-store shopping experience in the next six months. For small retailers that operate via online stores and e-commerce, 96% hope to enhance their online shopping experience within the next six months.

Although concern about competition from big box retailers and larger chains is high, ahead of Small Business Saturday small retailers are positioning themselves for competition through customer loyalty, their prices, and their specialty products.

The owner of Dallas-based Taco Ocho, Mani Bhushan, works hard to stand out from other local restaurants. When you walk in to Taco Ocho, you will probably notice the colorful walls painted by a local artist, Latin music playing in the background, and the smell of tortilla chips baking in the oven. Bhushan, who is in his seventies and still works shifts at his restaurants, opened Taco Ocho in 2011 and has been in the industry for over 40 years.

For the rest of the piece, check out AMEX Business.

Small Business Grows Amidst Inflation and Economic Uncertainty

 

Despite an uncertain economy and the toll of inflation, small businesses are growing their revenue, expanding their brand, and prioritizing their customers. 

Kabbage from American Express’ September 2022 installment of Small Business Recovery Report, which polls 550 small-business leaders and tracks the recovery trends and growth outlook of U.S. small businesses, presented some surprising and encouraging findings.

The report reveals that respondents nearly doubled revenue year-over-year between July 2021 and July 2022 while profits remained flat amidst economic hurdles such as inflation and supply chain disruptions.

In the previous version of the Small Business Recovery report, from June 2022, 80% of respondents said they were confident they could withstand a potential U.S. recession. The data from the latest report helps illustrate why small-business owners (SBOs) are so optimistic. Cross-analyzing the survey results between July 2021 and July 2022, the data shows U.S. small-businesses revenues have increased on average by 87%.

This trend is on point for Stefan Kalb, CEO of Shelf Engine, a grocery store forecasting business that results in more products on the shelves and less spoilage. “We’re one of the few fortunate businesses that prospers amidst economic challenges, as they create more demand for our solutions,” he says. “The grocery industry operates on razor-thin margins and needs every tool at its disposal to cut costs. That’s especially true now, as rising inflation means consumers are carefully watching every dollar they spend.” 

Managing Revenue When Costs Are High

Not every business is in as good a position as Shelf Engine, however. While overall profits among U.S. small businesses have slightly declined four percent, 75% of respondents report feeling impacted by inflationary pressures and 56% of respondents expect economic pressures to last through summer 2023. SBOs are doing their best to manage increasing costs.

Kristina Schlegel, CEO and founder of California-based food crafting company Make Bake, has noticed these trends in her own business. “We’ve definitely seen our revenue grow as we’ve expanded our wholesale business from 50 to nearly 200 retailers in the last 12 months,” she says. “But inflation in our supply chain has certainly cut into those profits. As a business, we’re also in that ‘messy middle’ – incurring more costs in product development, marketing, and trade shows to get to the next level as a brand. And it’s challenging to be in a growth phase of your business while your costs are rising so quickly.”

For the rest of the piece and the research report, check out the AMEX Business' website.

 

Using HCM Technology to Enhance the Middle Manager Experience

In the last post of my series about middle managers, I’d like to explore how human capital management (HCM) platforms can assist HR teams in supporting middle managers. These management tools are especially adept for learning and job efficiency, so let’s start there. 

Promoting learning  

A self-service learning portal can deliver customized content to middle managers, including communication and team building. Ideally, this learning portal is integrated with talent acquisition, onboarding, project management/workflow, performance, and career mobility systems. 

Learning content should be in a variety of lengths and formats, including bite-sized videos, supplementary reading, and simulations, to be consumed at the manager’s discretion. 

Learning is a corollary to job efficiency, of course, but middle managers can also benefit from systems that automate simple job tasks and synthesize data.  

Supporting organizational agility 

Ceridian’s 2022 Executive Survey found that respondents are using a variety of systems that support organizational agility. 

According to the survey, 60% of respondents are using technology to aid in workforce scheduling, and 61% have technology to measure employee performance. Furthermore, 56% are using technology to speed up recruitment processes, and 44% are using technology to identify flight-risk employees. 

Data accuracy and integration, however, continue to be major issues. The Executive Survey found that 85% of respondents have issues with their workforce data, including 39% who said their data was siloed in different systems and 34% who claimed data was outdated or not available in real time.  

Given these findings, it’s easy to imagine how data is a thorn in the side of the middle manager. How can they make rapid and informed decisions that are a staple of their everyday lives if they cannot trust their data?  

Middle managers will also be reluctant to automate job components if the technology fails to work seamlessly with their core management tools or breaks down unexpectedly. After all, the last thing they need is more stress. 

Using HCM technology to better support managers 

When it comes to creating a better middle-manager experience powered by HCM technology, there are several directions a leader could go. I recommend starting with internal focus groups with HR professionals, leaders, and middle managers in a variety of departments. 

In these sessions, inquire about the biggest pain points in the middle manager’s day, and how these are currently addressed (if at all). What training and support do middle managers receive, and what role does HCM technology play in this process? Is the organization satisfied with its retention of middle managers, or would improvement be welcome? 

These brainstorms may uncover one area of the employee lifecycle that’s especially troubling for middle managers. For example, perhaps the talent acquisition system is so cumbersome that middle managers’ open positions remain unfilled for months.  

In this case, consult IT and/or an HCM provider to devise a pilot technology program with the intention of easing one burden at a time. Starting small will help to build a case for more expansive implementations down the line. 

This post was originally published on the Ceridian blog.

Managing a Team You Never Meet: The Remote Small Business

Small-business owners who offer remote work as part of their hiring perks packages may find themselves a step ahead of competitors who don’t in the search for talent in a tight labor market. But how can small-business owners be sure they’re prepared to manage a part-time or fully remote workforce?

To make the most out of remote-work policies, consider what jobs are best suited for remote work, the differences between the types of remote work, and how you can apply key organizational principles to your workforce to ensure it is effective, responsive, and productive.

How Remote Work Has Changed

Although remote work isn't new, just two years ago, the landscape looked quite different. In late 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shared a report based on the responses of 10,000 salaried workers in 2017 and 2018. It found that that only 15 percent of "wage and salary workers had days they only worked at home" and "just over one-half of these workers worked one day or more per week at home, and about one-seventh worked at home five or more days per week."

Among salaried and non-salaried workers alike, these numbers were about to change drastically. According to a June 2020 policy brief from the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, 42 percent of U.S. workers were working from home full-time, accounting for more than two-thirds of economic activity. (The report surveyed 2,500 employees in May 2020.)

The report also found that nearly one-quarter of U.S. employees expected to continue working from home full-time post-pandemic, and an additional 28 percent expected to work from home part-time. And after COVID-19 dissipates, the report indicates that most organizations will facilitate a hybrid of in-person and remote working.

It can be tempting to think these WFH trends mainly apply to large corporations with thousands of highly compensated employees, but that isn't always the case. In June 2020, an occupational analysis done by the University of Chicago indicated that 37 percent of all U.S. jobs could be done at home.

Some small-business owners seem to intuitively understand this. Also in 2020 (April), more than half (57 percent) of the 250 small and midsize business owners surveyed by Intermedia planned to adopt remote working options for employees in the long term. After shifting to remote working, employee availability went up 19 percent and life satisfaction 7 percent. The surveyed owners also experienced falling overhead costs and improved worker attitudes and productivity.

The Different Types of Remote Work

If you're going to run your business using remote teams, understand that a variety of arrangements constitute remote work. Many successful business owners know that remote work isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition, and that choosing the mix that works best for you and each individual employee will ensure a more effective team down the line.

For simplicity's sake, the primary types of remote work are fully or hybrid virtual teams—that is 100 percent virtual versus some mix of in-person with remote work.

Fully virtual teams describes arrangements in which all team members are 100 percent remote with no office time, explains Lauren Bidwell, senior research scientist at HR technology firm SAP Success Factors.

"Hybrid teams encompass some team members working remotely but coming in occasionally, and others working from the office all or most of the time,” she adds.

A fully virtual team may be preferable if your team members work independently and don't require the resources of a physical office space to do their jobs efficiently. After all, going fully virtual means you can offer your employees the maximum flexibility while potentially saving a bundle on overhead and expenses.

On the other hand, if you have a business in which in person creativity and brainstorming are core components, you may consider requiring the regular physical proximity that hybrid work offers. 

Carlos Castelán, managing director of retail consulting firm The Navio Group, suggests some additional benefits of hybrid work.  “An in-person environment can be beneficial to build a company culture, to give younger employees more hands-on training and to foster innovation,” he says. 

The key for small-business owners? Don't just do what your neighbor or competitor is doing. Take the time to think through whether you really need people in the office, and if so, when, and how much. And there's no harm in asking others for their opinions as you strive to make sense of the issue.

“HR is often called in to decide on the most optimal arrangement, which is usually one that balances employee autonomy, cultural cohesion and productivity,” SAP's Bidwell says.

Jobs Suited to Remote Work

Many are familiar with traditionally remote jobs, including IT and programming, marketing and public relations, accounting and finance, professional services, and customer care. While these roles remain key remote-work candidates, other jobs are increasingly proving they’re remote-friendly. 

“There really are a variety of businesses that work well remotely," says Rachel Brenke of business coaching firm Real Biz Accelerator. Inspired by the location needs of her military spouse employees, Brenke has managed wholly virtual teams around the world for more than a decade and today leads an all-women remote team of 16.

As an example of a type of small business that is evolving with respect to remote work, Brenke cites law firms. "The mindset has always been that you must be in a suit and tie and in an office every day in order to provide value to your boss and or your clients," she says. "The pandemic has highlighted that this mentality is no longer needed in a world with the technology available at our fingertips, and the quality-of-life improvements that have resulted are very encouraging."

If you are a small-business owner embracing remote work, there are a variety of sources you can tap for ideas and potential employees. Specialized staffing firms, for example, can help you target appropriate remote employees in a variety of functions. You might also consider reaching out to former employees who left on a good note, who understand your business and whom you trust. Their circumstances may have changed, and they could be amenable to a remote work opportunity.

Keep in mind, though, that while remote job categories have certainly expanded this year, working in this way is still best suited to a specific personality: namely someone who can work and solve problems independently without a great deal of supervision. A hands-off, but supportive management style is may be best for these individuals provided they have demonstrated that they are reliable and trustworthy. 

There may well be times when you must manage employees who are not as well suited to virtual work but are doing their jobs to the best of their ability. Be prepared to offer more general assistance and helpful strategies, schedule frequent check-ins, and review their deliverables so excellent (or subpar) contributions don't slip under the radar.

Organizing Your Company in a Remote-First Era

Whether you're starting a new company that will operate fully or semi-remotely or are reconfiguring because of recent events, the way you manage and structure your workforce can be critically important to its success.

Bob Pozen is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management and the co-author of Remote, Inc., which explores how to think about management in a remote-first era. "Generally speaking, if you're a small business owner, I don't think it makes sense to run an all-remote team in most situations. Instead, consider how you might design a hybrid work structure," Pozen says.

To do this, Pozen suggests leaders consider five factors he calls FLOCS: function, location, organization, culture, and schedule.

Function

A team member function, for instance, plays into whether employees will be more productive collaborating in person or focusing quietly at home. Determine this by taking an inventory of what each of your employees does on an everyday basis, as well as their unique personality and preferences and customize work arrangements accordingly.

Location

Pozen says that location is critical because if team members are 100 percent geographically dispersed from each other already, there’s no point in making them come to a company location where they'd simply sit in an empty cubicle by themselves. On the other hand, if your employees are somewhat geographically proximal, a hybrid work structure could involve them traveling to an in-person get together a few times a month. 

Organization

In this context, organization refers to your degree of hierarchy, or how many levels of management, you establish for your company. 

“Some research has found that a flatter organizational hierarchy facilitates virtual work, and the more autonomy employees have to do their jobs without micromanagement, the higher their productivity outside the office will be,” Pozen says.

Culture

Be honest about whether your culture is conducive to remote work. The more traditional and bureaucratic your company is, the harder the adjustment may be. For example, Pozen says that companies with an individualistic culture make a smoother transition to virtual work as do companies with employees whose work doesn’t immediately depend on other team members’ actions.

"But, companies that stress collectivism, or have a "we" or "us" mentality, may struggle in a remote-first arrangement," he adds.

If your company isn't suited to remote work, all is not lost. You can still offer your employees other types of flexibility, such as self-scheduling and fluid hours.

Lisa Hudson, president of The Growth Coach, a firm that advises small-business owners on remote work. recommends that remote-first leaders set up clear expectations and timelines, as well as check-in points. 

“Launching a remote or hybrid team requires clear responsibilities, direct lines of leadership and a consistent communication tool,” she says.

“You have to be more strategic and stop relying on ‘drive-by conversations.’ Using virtual collaboration apps like Slack, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, leaders can touch base face-to-face, build rapport with employees they might not have met in person and improve their coaching effectiveness.”

For more, head over to the AMEX Business site.

 

How to Work Effectively on Project-Based Teams

Not long ago, employees would have ample time to build relationships with their colleagues while working together in the same office. But as organizations transition to more project-based work, workers need to understand the steps they need to take to foster trust and cooperation immediately.

That's where business owners and managers come in. Whether you have a full-time employee or gig worker working on a series of projects, you'll need to carefully consider the unique communication, inclusion, management and culture issues that arise with remote project work.

Communication

Even before the pandemic, the majority of project-based teams worked virtually. Organizations assembled teams from across locations and skill sets to solve specific business problems. Your team members most likely will be required to work closely with people they’ve never met before, and may in fact never encounter in person at all.

So much meaning is translated via body language, so working with someone entirely online adds a layer of communication complexity. When you don’t know someone, it's difficult to infer their tone, their motives or even whether or not they’re joking. Someone might perceive positive messages in email or instant message as neutral, and neutral ones as negative.

In the history of work, some of the most meaningful and rewarding one-to-one interactions have happened over chance meetings in the hallway or elevator. Many project-based teams don’t have such opportunities, so encourage team members to be direct and deliberate in communicating respect, collaboration and concern.

Inclusion

When most people worked in person for long time periods, the workplace could resemble high school. Some bosses would give the best assignments to their favorites, and it wasn’t unusual for some employees to feel left out when a clique of coworkers headed out to lunch together.

In other words, there were many ways to feel excluded and marginalized.

Virtual project-based teaming is a great equalizer. It provides flexibility for people, regardless of their situations. While webcams do offer a personal view into team members’ lives, people can purposely create the desired impression with dress, virtual backgrounds and decor—or simply choose to turn their camera off.

Project-based team members can still, however, be victims of microaggressions—statements, actions or incidents regarded as indirect, subtle or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized community.

New teams don't often have a reservoir of trust or comfort established at the beginning. Managers and leaders should be sensitive and mindful that microaggressions can occur and ensure that during online dialogue, all member's contributions are appropriately valued.

Make inclusion a value that's established through your hiring and onboarding process, and have systems in place that properly address any issue that does arise in a way that respects and affirms the harmed party.

Management

Many project-based teams are self-managed, meaning they have no formally assigned leader. About a decade ago, economist Elinor Ostrom received the Nobel Prize for her studies of self-governed communities in Africa and Asia.

Ostrom found that many human societies establish agreements among themselves for sharing and maximizing resources without the “help” of higher-order authorities. In other words, self-managed teams work. The best ones have several parameters:

• well-defined operational boundaries,
• access to resources to achieve their goals,
• a system for monitoring member behavior and performance,
• an internal process for dispute resolution and
• sanctions for rule-breakers.

According to SAP Success Factors (which refers to project-based, self-managed teams as "dynamic teams"), these groups are defined by the following:

• workflow that changes rapidly as new ideas are introduced and implemented,
• membership that is cross-functional and frequently in flux and
• the encouragement of failure in pursuit of innovation.

For the rest of the article, head over to the AMEX Business site.

 

Don't Be a Victim of the Great Resignation

By now, you’ve likely heard the term “the great resignation.” Anthony Klotz, a professor at Texas A&M University, coined the term in a May Bloomberg article to refer to the great numbers of workers expected to exit the workforce after the pandemic.

Klotz does his own research, but a recent Microsoft study, the 2021 Work Trend Index, mirrored his findings. Microsoft surveyed more than 30,000 people in 31 countries and analyzed trillions of productivity and labor signals across LinkedIn and Microsoft 365 to forecast the pending workforce departures.

According to Microsoft, over 40 percent of the global workforce are considering leaving their employer this year, 46 percent are planning to make a major pivot or transition, and only 38 percent of employees are thriving in their careers right now. The situation is worse for women. McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2020 study found that one in three working mothers have considered leaving the workforce or downshifting their careers because of COVID-19.

The Microsoft and McKinsey data suggest that the pandemic led employees to question their priorities and either transition to work they found more meaningful or decrease the focus on their job generally. But while this was certainly a factor, new data from Stanford University illustrated that how companies treated their employees also played a significant role.

According to Stanford, the pandemic had a cascading effect on organizations with unsupportive cultures. Companies that had historically laid people off, decreased compensation, held back promotions, or sacrificed psychological safety to preserve the bottom line engaged in more of these behaviors during COVID-19. Stressed-out employees who might have been disgruntled before were downright disgusted. And now they’re ready to quit.

Interestingly, food service, hospitality and retail – some of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic – are experiencing the most resignations. A “We Quit” sign left on the door of a Nebraska Burger King restaurant after the entire staff walked out really said it all.

As reported by the Washington Post in June, 649,000 retail workers put in their notice in April, the industry’s largest one-month exodus since the Labor Department began tracking this data more than 20 years ago.

The so-called “great resignation” will collide with other demographic factors impacting who is available to work and where – including baby boomer retirement, a small population of midlife employees, and a young worker population plagued by stalled education and career growth. If this doesn’t point to a coming labor shortage, I don’t know what does.

If you’re an HR professional or manager, is there anything you can do to avoid becoming a victim? The answer is yes, and it starts with self-awareness of common employer blind spots.

Want to learn more? Catch the replay of my webinar on HR blind spots with SilkRoad!

 

A Futurist's View of the Post-Pandemic Workforce

Given that I wrote a book about the rapid transformation of work as we knew it back in 2018, people often ask me what has surprised me about how human capital is evolving today. As a Workforce Institute Board Member, I’d like to share my topline thoughts, some of which have been derived as the result of quantitative research, and others which came about through engagement with organizations and futurist groups such as the Association of Professional Futurists (APF), the Future Today Institute, the Grey Swan Guild, and the foresight certification program I recently completed with the University of Houston.

The Acceleration of What We Saw Coming

Pandemic or no pandemic, several workforce-related trends were inevitable, including the rise of the gig economy, the contract workforce, internal talent marketplaces, and talent assembly – in which teams are constructed from different types of workers to solve specific problems in hot areas of the business.

We also surmised that organizations would begin to look closely at how human capital quantitatively drives businessvalue; the use of Big Data, analytics, and executive dashboards to determine what is and isn’t working in talent acquisition, learning, scheduling, and performance; the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to combat unconscious bias and measure productivity; and the focus on data quality, integration, and governance.

The shift in the flow of work due to new players like Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon entering the online collaboration market was expected, as was theincreasing popularity of curated learning content by in-house subject matter experts, personalized course recommendations, and targeted certifications and microcredentialing. Given the technology available today, there is no reason individuals shouldn’t upskill and reskill using all the resources at their disposal, and at their own pace and convenience.

What Has Surprised Me

There have been a few head scratchers along the way. The first involves digital transformation. It is a bit disappointing how, during the pandemic, some organizations have simply slapped in-office processes up online. That was fine for the first six months of the crisis, but now it’s time to move on. One size doesn’t fit all. We must permanently adapt certain processes to be antifragile and an effective mix of high tech, high touch.

Also, with respect to digital transformation, it surprises me that no one is talking about what we’ll do when we are entirely dependent on technology and it breaks, what happens when it gets seriously hacked, what happens when we have bandwidth challenges and access inequity, what happens when there are too many systems and usability and adoption falter, and what data and privacy concerns will arise with increased employee monitoring. In my opinion, these are issues that every company should be closely tracking.

While the labor shortages occurring as a result of demographic shifts like baby boomer retirement and smaller generational cohorts like X and Z were anticipated, organizational attitudes toward post-pandemic employee retention are not. Many companies are currently issuing decrees about exactly when people should return to the office and how and when they should work. After a successful 18-month trial of much greater flexibility, this is not going to fly with top (and increasingly rare) talent, and I fear a “great resignation” is about to take place.

Finally, I’m perplexed that more leaders aren’t acknowledging that they were caught completely off guard by the pandemic and are now engaging in strategic foresight to be adequately prepared for what’s certain to be future disruptions.

While we can’t predict the future, we have a responsibility to look around corners as best we can and plan for a variety of potential scenarios. I look forward to continuing to be part of this process!

This post was originally published on the Workforce Institute blog.

Career Durability: Ensure You Have a Job As Long As You Want One

You might remember that last fall, I helped DeVry University with a survey about workplace sentiment during the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when employees should be feeling recognized and celebrated, nearly one in four employed Americans said they believed that American workers are not valued. And, more than a third of survey respondents claimed that based on their employer’s actions since the start of the pandemic, they feel disposable.

Were these feelings valid? Could employers actually take or leave employees, not caring if they were successful or unsuccessful, contributing or not contributing, employed with the company or leaving to go somewhere else?

The workforce is changing in major ways. The pandemic sped up a movement from strict scheduling to flexible “work on your own time” engagements. Prior to COVID-19, we were already seeing smart machines and automation as part of daily work, and the tremendous growth of the gig economy.

Taken together, these trends show that the old ways of sustaining a career no longer work. In past decades, you could go to college or a trade school, get a degree, and use the skills associated with that degree to work for one – or maybe a few – organizations over the course of your working life.

That is no longer the case. Jobs – and the skills required for those jobs – are changing rapidly.

In these times, nothing is certain except change, and this is unnerving. In fact, Ceridian’s 2021 Pulse of Talent report, which surveyed more than 5,000 people across five regions, found that 66% of individuals are taking job security into account more now than before the pandemic.

Career durability is a ticket to long-term security

To avoid feeling – and indeed being – disposable, today’s employees need to be the leaders of their own careers. They must build what we call career durability.

Career durability involves acquiring the skills, mindset, and knowledge to be an engaged and productive member of the workforce – continuously. On LinkedIn, I explained career durability as including these five areas:

• Hard skills: skills that allow you to complete tasks in a specific job.
• Soft skills: skills for collaborating effectively with others.
• Applied technology skills: skills that allow you to leverage available technology to do your job better.
• Institutional knowledge: job or industry expertise gained through experience.
• Growth mindset: being willing to improve, learn, and reconsider existing ways of doing things.

For more where this came from, read the full article at the Ceridian Dayforce Wallet blog.

How You Get Paid is a Pretty Critical Job Consideration

When looking for work, we tend to think about certain key factors. Will the job be something I enjoy doing for many hours per day? Will I get along with my coworkers? What’s the salary or hourly rate?

But we might forget about a simple question that can make or break our financial livelihood: How easy or difficult will it be to get paid by my new employer?

Think about what happens when you aren’t paid accurately or on time. You might have to spend a lot of time going back and forth with your employer’s accounting department. You might not be able to make your rent, or you may need to eat into your savings. In other words, “how you get paid” is far more than an administrative detail, and treating the subject as an afterthought is a mistake.

Several years ago, I worked very hard as a birthday party hostess for a new children’s play center. I earned $11 per hour, but when my employer realized I was receiving up to $100 a day in customer tips, they cut my hourly pay by 50%. I wasn’t able to buy a car as planned that year due to the unexpected loss of income, and from that moment forward, I gave a great deal of attention to pay. What is it going to be, how will I get the money, and how can I ensure I fairly receive it?

The next time you apply to a new employer, here are three things to keep in mind.

What is the pay structure – and is it legal?

This is an especially relevant question if you are thinking of working for a small business or startup. Your new employer should have a plan in place for paying employees in accordance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Fair Labor Standards Act in the U.S. This means that it must:

• Procure an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• Ensure new employees file a W-4 form
• Schedule pay periods that correspond to IRS tax withholding
• Have a payroll administration system
• Report payroll taxes regularly
• Have policies in place for overtime, sick and vacation time, and other paid time off (PTO)
• Understand what constitutes an employee versus an independent contractor and is classifying workers correctly

To determine if your target company is a reputable business, check out online databases such as FEIN Search, Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, and Guidestar. For a fee, you can gain access to an organization’s EIN and current financial standing.

Note that if you are applying to a large company with many offices or locations, it’s probably safe to say it checks the right boxes. You should, however, confirm the details with the human resources professional managing your hire.

What are employees saying?

When deciding to take any new job, it’s worthwhile to ask how people in your role today feel about their experience. If at all possible, try to meet these workers during your interview process.

The conversation can be casual, but should include questions like: “What’s a normal day like working here?” “Do you feel your manager values and appreciates you?” And on the topic at hand: “Is getting paid simple and reliable?”

A Glassdoor search is useful in uncovering potential red flags because comments are often published by former employees, and therefore likely to be both honest and informative. Alternatively, take a look at your own network to see if you’re connected to someone who works there (or are connected by a degree of separation) to gather additional intel.

For the rest of the piece, check out the Ceridian Dayforce Wallet blog.