Know the company culture before accepting a job Accepting a new job without fully researching the workplace culture can lead to a mismatch, which happens to about 30% of executives, according to executive recruiter Peter Crist. To get a better understanding of your new role, ask recruiters the right questions, request a temporary gig or talk to other ranking employees about how they feel about the company, writes Joann Lublin. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (1/15)Cut work to boost productivity
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Overworking and hyper-connectivity can lead to burnout, according to Twitter ex-VP Bruce Daisley, who says working less will help you get more done. He suggests working a maximum of 40 hours, getting enough sleep, going out for lunch and taking a step back. Forbes (1/14) Grow into a better leader To improve your leadership skills, develop discipline, try out new roles, learn from other leaders, read more and make an effort to inspire coworkers, writes Rick Goodman. "In order to grow yourself, it's important to venture outside of your comfort zone; to take on new projects or tasks that go above and beyond your basic job description," he writes. Business 2 Community (1/14)
Hire Smart
Why recruiters should avoid sending generic LinkedIn messages Recruiters who use LinkedIn's InMail should personalize the message, refer to the candidate by name and keep the correspondence short, writes Brad Wayland, chief strategy officer at BlueCotton. "Show them you've read their profile and you know who they are as a person," he writes. HR Dive (1/9)
The Landscape
Employers see less need for a college degree Employers are starting to drop the requirement for a bachelor or advanced degree for certain jobs in this low-employment environment. "We're definitely seeing employers back up from some of the credentials that they would require in the past and looking at workers in a different way," says Shope Kopel of Philadelphia Works. The Business Journals (tiered subscription model)/Philadelphia (1/14)Has the workplace evolved into a place of meaning and less of a place of work? Perhaps the mantra of finding meaning at work has tipped too far, leading to overwork as well as unrealistic expectations, suggests Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. "Today's expectation is that leaders will connect with their followers in almost religious ways in order to appeal to their core values and inspire them to give it all for a truly meaningful and relevant cause," he writes. Fast Company online (1/14)
In their never-ending quest to recruit and retain talent, companies have gone to great lengths to make the office a fun place to be. You can mock the companies that offer beer fridges, foosball, in-office concerts, nap pods and such, but research suggests those perks work when it comes to keeping employees happy. The Conversation (1/14)
Why should I deem myself to be a chisel, when I could be the artist?
J.C.F. von Schiller, poet, philosopher, physician, historian, playwright
