WorkLife

Research by the The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) and Success found that only 1 in 4 of 3,000 Gen Zs surveyed believe they know how to network, while the same number don’t feel they are prepared to negotiate. Moss and other experts suggest that is a byproduct of spending too much time focusing on digital relationships and social media, causing their social and relational skills to be underdeveloped. That said, they possess strong adaptive skills, positioning them to adopt new technology and be more open to change, Jennifer Moss points out. “They rank high in emotional intelligence [and are] more likely to demonstrate vulnerability, empathy and tolerance,” she said. “They are also more altruistic than other cohorts.” A study by learning platform Kahoot! on Gen Z’s experience in the workplace revealed that young professionals face unique challenges but are also highly motivated to learn and grow.

Organizations are increasingly focusing on initiatives that foster employee growth, skill-building and fluency in emerging areas, such as AI. Workplace transparency and DEI commitments are also helping businesses create supportive environments. These priorities and more are reflected in this year’s WorkLife Awards shortlist.

Small and large employers alike are tapping into a long-overlooked talent pool that they say is full of dedicated, loyal, hardworking staff — people with criminal records. AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, J.P. Morgan, Mastercard and Microsoft have all created hiring programs for people with criminal records, via their membership with the Second Change Business Coalition (SCBC), which works with dozens of private-sector employers to create such programs. Nearly 10% of JP Morgan’s new hires — roughly 3,000 people in 2023 — have previous arrest or conviction records, as a result of its program, according to the company. JPM also works with community groups to hold expungement clinics at its branches, helping guide local residents on how to clear their records so they can get hired. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e_kzaWnR

Amid an ever-changing talent landscape, incorporating the most effective hiring practices is important for companies aiming to build strong teams of employees. And, with changes to salary transparency laws, health care benefits and DEI policies becoming a possibility following the U.S. presidential election, today’s employers have to have an understanding of what motivates candidates to apply and, eventually, accept a job offer. The recruitment process can be lengthy for both employers and potential candidates. For companies, having dependable candidate-sourcing tools and a thoughtful interview process in place can make it easier to find quality new hires. Likewise, candidates know that the recruitment process can often show how they can expect to be treated if they choose to accept a new role. “Yes, it’s important that you have the technological solutions, but companies need to actually look at how they interview and how they treat candidates through the process to get people through the door,” said Eric Mochnacz, director of operations at Red Clover, a human resources consulting firm. In this second installment of WorkLife Research’s annual report, we’ll look into HR professionals’ most effective hiring strategies to fill open roles within their organizations. This includes the top sources they turn to for recruiting candidates, how to make open roles appealing to applicants and whether higher compensation is required to fill vacated positions. In this piece by Dania Gutierrez-Flores, we also speak to Rebecca Trotsky of HR Acuity, Nebel Crowhurst of Reward Gateway, Ray Martinelli of Contentful, Jamie Kohn of Gartner, Adam Russo of The Phia Group, LLC, and Scott Dobroski of Indeed. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dBBn7kEr

The fires raging in LA have yet to relent with over 20 killed and another bout of dangerously high winds expected this week. People across the country are watching images of the destruction on social media and other news platforms, hearing sobering stories of homes and lives lost. It’s taking an emotional toll and distracting people from carrying on with their daily lives as usual — particularly when it comes to their jobs. “There’s vicarious trauma going on where they’re imagining what other people are losing,” said Kyra Bobinet, MD, MPH, author and expert on behavior change for executive leadership. With future natural disasters expected, heightened visibility of such events online, and workforces scattered across different regions, employers have a growing responsibility to support their staff through these times — especially staff who are directly impacted. But how exactly should they approach this? In this piece by Hailey Mensik, we also speak to Sujay Saha of Cortico-X, David Ko of Calm, and Emily Rose McRae of Gartner.

We commonly think of as burnout actually encompasses five distinct states: burned out, engaged, disengaged, ineffective and overextended. And while the burnout rate of companies is routinely estimated to be as high as 80% — with one recent study putting it at 88% — Brittany Schmaling, MAIO, ACC, data analyst principal at Dayforce, has determined that true burnout affects just 15% of organizations. The distinction isn’t just academic; it could be elemental to understanding and ensuring the employee’s well-being and their place in the organization. Why? Because different interventions are used for those who are literally burned out versus those who are merely taxed. While overextended employees might require better boundaries and workload management, those suffering from burnout typically require more drastic solutions, such as a change in job, company or boss.

Workers’ views of DEI programs have become slightly less supportive, according to a recent survey by Pew Research Center. Employees are now somewhat more likely, versus a February 2023 poll, to say their companies pay too much attention to DEI and that focusing on it is mainly a bad thing. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eyxQ4mDE

When it comes to the hottest jobs in 2025, AI dominates. But don’t discount the human touch altogether. In LinkedIn’s annual report Jobs on the Rise, spotlighting the roles most in demand this year, AI-centric jobs command the spotlight, with AI engineer and AI consultant nabbing the top spots. This, as opportunities in industries like travel, event planning and construction are also enjoying momentum. It’s little wonder the AI job market is booming considering the explosion in AI products and their adoption across industries. A recent forecast from IT consultancy Sopra Steria puts the growth of the AI market at three times greater than that of the entire IT sector over the next five years. In this piece by Tony Case, we speak to Eric Mochnacz of Red Clover, Bhadresh Patel of RGP, Kirill Bigai of Preply, and Sandra Moran of WorkForce Software.

The movement toward pay transparency is strengthening, albeit slowly. At least a dozen states in the U.S. are enacting the rules, which require employers to be more open about pay, including pay ranges and gaps, and some will go into effect in the coming weeks. A similar movement is underway across the European Union via the EU Pay Transparency Directive. However, many employers are still unprepared to comply with such rules. And many aren’t prepared to properly discuss what’s happening among their staff — especially when they bring concerns about their salaries to their managers, according to workplace experts. “It’s not something that I think organizations can avoid much longer,” said Lulu Seikaly, employment law advisor at Payscale. In this piece by Hailey Mensik, we also speak to Sabra Sciolaro of Firstup. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e_R3xwq9

Modern workplaces require staff to use a bunch of digital platforms and channels to communicate with one another. And they are constantly being barraged by notifications and people trying to get a hold of them. In order for Effi Mai Paul, founder of social media marketing agency Six20Two, to effectively do her job, she has to use Microsoft Teams, three different email accounts, Google Chat, LinkedIn direct messages, WhatsApp and her own phone for calls and texts to get in touch with clients. “I can’t remember the last time I could sit down and do a task without someone needing me,” Mai said. When workers constantly switch tasks, they deplete their cognitive resources, making it harder for them to re-enter focused work where they can think critically and complete their work. That’s led to what many now refer to as “ping fatigue.”