A late January batch of links
Since the most recent batch of links went out, paying subscribers received a meditation on talking to teenagers, then an argument in favor of caring about customers care. This coming weekend, they will enjoy the sermon I intend to deliver this Saturday. If you’d like to have the sermon sent to you as well, you can reply and let me know - and I’ll get that to you on Saturday evening as well.
Below, you’ll find a batch of links that cover the themes of this newsletter, which are career development, community building, and self care.
More Workers Want to Change Jobs but Now Face Tougher Odds. “The pendulum has swung back, and the power is in the hands of the hiring managers,” says Catherine Fisher, a LinkedIn vice president who tracks job trends.” I really hate this framing. This isn’t the right way to think about a job or a job search.
Forget Fitness Tracking: Wardrobe Tracking Is All The Rage In 2024.
What to Do When You Find Out Your Employee Is Working More Than 1 Full-Time Job. I kind of agree with the final quote in this piece, that if you give people a reason to pursue more jobs than the one they’ve got you haven’t properly compensated them for the work they do for you.
Why AI Can’t Replace a Lot of Jobs That Require Eyeballs — At Least Not Yet.
Proceeding carefully, and creatively, to get workers back to the office. “Remote hiring, which was responsible for more than half of the company’s growth during the pandemic, has also come to an end, and some positions are now taking longer to fill, said Klaviyo chief people officer Lisa Maronski.” I’ve been somewhat surprised that the on-site jobs are not able to be renegotiated for select candidates as remote-first jobs.
Scents Can Secretly Boost Your Productivity. Here's How It Works.
The Introverts Have Taken Over the US Economy.
More seriously, and more long-term, if the younger generation continues to drink less, they will be physically healthier. But if they continue to socialize less, they may end up less connected. The result could be a decline in mental health and social cohesion. That could be the best argument against today’s introvert economy: If you don’t have fun now, you’ll pay for it later.
Humans Still Cheaper Than AI in Vast Majority of Jobs, MIT Finds.
Does working from home boost productivity? We're starting to get answers. I think with some of these surveys we can default to common sense to explain things. In 2020-21, people sent home were working with their colleagues, whom they knew. By the years that followed, they’d changed companies, and adjusting to working with new people while remote-first was more challenging than expected.
A lack of employee engagement at work could cost the economy nearly $2 trillion.
‘Accidental entrepreneurs’: Gen Zers don’t want to be side hustlers – but there are no jobs. Yes, I am not convinced that most people working for themselves intended for it to go that way so soon into. their careers, across all ages and stages. Many people who’ve been independent for some time have reached out to me over past months that they’re ready to go back in-house, if anyone is hiring.
Why your promotion might come with more pressure to return to the office. “At the same time, Weishaupt concedes that employers may require higher paid staff in leadership roles to be physically present more often for mentorship, oversight, and training purposes.” Yes, and it should be that way, in my opinion.
Soft Skills Beat Experience on UK Employer Wish Lists.
The absurdity of the return-to-office movement. The op-ed was fine until the final sentence when he revealed that he doesn’t understand why some companies want people in the office some of the time. That’s the gravest mistake that remote-only advocates have made, tuning out anyone who speaks differently than they do. If you’re going to tell others they don’t have a leg to stand on, what gives you the right to command their attention to spark something new?