US worker productivity surged by 4.7% in the third quarter, the fastest pace of productivity gains since 2020, according to the Labor Department. Second-quarter gains were also revised upward from the forecast 3.5% to 3.6%, marking two consecutive quarters of solid gains. Full Story: MarketWatch (tiered subscription model) (11/2),Reuters (11/2),Bloomberg (11/2)
Recruiting & Retention
Report: Job openings climbed in Sept. The number of job openings climbed to 9.55 million as of the end of September, an increase of 56,000, according to a report from the Labor Department. Meanwhile, August's tally of job openings was revised downward to almost 9.5 million. Full Story: Reuters (11/1)
What does the gold standard of leadership look like? Considering that transformation happens from the top down, your leaders are key to unlocking the benefits of a positive culture. Discover how to set the standard and build a winning culture with our 7-step blueprint for leaders outlined in this guide.
Low-cost benefits can help draw employees back to office Adding popular benefits can help companies recruit and retain staff and encourage existing employees to return to on-site work, and the perks do not have to cost a great deal. Assigned parking, matching charitable contributions, hybrid work arrangements, flex time, birthday holidays, gym memberships, conference attendance, professional development opportunities, career counseling and employee recognition programs are some of the added benefits that employees may find appealing. Full Story: BenefitsPRO (free registration) (10/31)
Increasing quality, production and revenue requires employee motivation, and the drive for that sometimes leads to gamification -- such as competitive leaderboards. Boosting employees' dopamine levels can, indeed, help with the goals, but gamification done incorrectly will sabotage the efforts and make the situation worse, asserts Gloria Folaron, founder of the Leantime platform, which blends neurodiversity and project management. Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (11/2)
Workplace Chatter
How to escape the trap of rigid thinking Many people see the world in absolute terms, failing to recognize the middle ground between fantastic and horrible, a cognitive distortion associated with depression, anxiety and eating disorders, licensed clinical social worker Joanna Grover writes. Grover recommends lowering respiration to four or five breaths per minute as an effective first step to expanding personal perspective, and also recommends trading automatic thoughts for rational thinking. Full Story: Psychology Today (11/1)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
Which US president signed the bill to recognize a holiday for Martin Luther King Jr.?
Yesterday’s column told the story of a high-school teacher caught sleeping on the job -- literally! -- by his principal. I wanted to tell you how that story ended. Apparently the teacher, Mr. Oliver, felt betrayed by Robert Smith, the campus supervisor. Oliver confronted Smith when he saw him the following day on campus. “Bro! Why didn’t you give me a warning Brown was coming? Why’d you let her roll up on me like that?” Oliver demanded of Smith. Smith stared back at the teacher, unmoved. “First, I’m not your bro,” Smith responded. “Second, I don’t have your number. And how did you expect me to call when she’s with me? It’s not my job to make sure you’re doing yours.” I thought of Oliver when I read today’s Leadership & Development story on employee engagement. To be clear, I do think employers and managers should implement engagement strategies. It’s good practice. Engagement strategies, done right, help employees enjoy and feel connected to their work and when that happens performance and culture improve. But my experience has also taught me that engagement initiatives fall flat with people like Oliver. Did you see how he blamed Smith for what happened with Principal Brown? He didn’t see that he was at fault for sleeping while he was supposed to be teaching students. Oliver lacks work ethic. Yes, employers should have engagement plans. Yes, managers should aim to motivate their teams. But employees need to do their part also. They need to participate and contribute. They need to be professionals and care. Am I generalizing this? Do employees have a responsibility in their own engagement? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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