Job openings tumble to lowest point in nearly 2 years | How to sell potential applicants on your company's value | What the 4-day workweek means for PTO policies
Job openings in the US totaled 9.59 million in March, the Labor Department reported Tuesday, down from 9.974 million the previous month and below analyst expectations of 9.775 million. This was the third consecutive month job openings declined.
If recruiting at your company isn't producing enough good candidates for jobs, perhaps your employer value proposition isn't being expressed properly, argues CEO Kermit Randa of Symphony Talent. That EVP must also be humanized, Randa writes, because "[w]hen people make such an important decision as changing jobs, they want to know that the company they're applying to cares about them."
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According to recent research, young-adult substance use disorders and related deaths have been on the rise, and habits developed at younger ages tend to continue into later adulthood, writes Dr. Yusuf Sherwani of Quit Genius. Employers can have a significant impact by educating employees, creating a culture of wellness, offering better physical and mental health coverage, widening care access via digital services and platforms and combating the stigma often attached to addiction, Sherwani says.
News of recent tech layoffs has discouraged fresh college grads from being interested in getting jobs in Big Tech, according to a Handshake report. Handshake's chief education strategy officer Christine Cruzvergara says that "they're [also] gravitating toward companies that offer solid benefits, career pathing and a level of stability they've been looking for," such as Raytheon, Nike, Toyota and Lockheed Martin.
Joanie Mahoney, the president of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, N.Y., says her parents modeled kindness for her, which is something that she continues to prize in leadership, along with long-term vision, clear communication, listening skills and a team focus. "I would encourage anybody who wants to be in a leadership role to every day value the people on their team, show them gratitude, and recognize that without them you're not able to do anything," Mahoney says.
Do you go to your high school class reunions? I went to my 10 year reunion. Many folks were married, some had kids. Nearly all of us were a few years out of college and into our careers. We spent the evening comparing notes on office politics, raising families and where Life was taking us. I was one of several people who worked outside of Ventura where we were raised.
I skipped my 20 year reunion. Kawai was playing soccer by then and my weekends were spent on fields. The morning after the reunion, I got together with one of my best friends from high school, a guy named Danny, to dish about the evening.
What I discovered was that by that time in our lives, Life had happened. Sadly, some marriages had dissolved. Some of our classmates had passed -- car accidents, illness and substance abuse. Children were growing; proud parents talked about their kids’ recitals, games and plays. Many careers had taken off and these folks had moved out of the area to follow that trajectory.
I made it to the 30 year reunion. It was a small-ish affair -- about 50-60 folks attended, including classmates and their spouses or partners -- but it was a wonderful evening. We hugged and laughed over old stories and memories. We spoke with fondness about those who didn’t make the event or who had passed. We spoke briefly and with regret about those who had hit major life challenges -- divorce, a child’s illness, a lost career -- and hoped they found healing. We talked about life in Ventura and life outside of it -- what we learned and how we had grown in both places. For sure the challenges of Life remained, but now we were all better at handling them.
I thought of these events when I read today’s HR Leader story, the interview with Joanie Mahoney, president of SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She talks about growing up in Syracuse, attending K-12 and college there, and conversations she had at her high school reunions. She talks about how many of her former classmates said that “they had to move away to be all they could be.” Mahoney said she was saddened by this, attributing it to the lack of opportunity available to them at that time in their lives. Those conversations and revelations helped shape her ambition to make Syracuse a place of possibility for all residents.
High school reunions are a good time to reflect on Life, I’ve discovered. It was at those reunions that I saw the milestones of Life play out, but I also saw the importance of leaving comfort zones to spark personal growth. My classmates who left the 805 -- either moved or worked outside of the area -- had experiences that changed their lives and helped mold their character. They were resilient, friendly, and understanding. They could face challenges and loss with humility and toughness. They weren’t jaded by failure. Rather, they had become good at recovering and starting over. All of them were successful.
Working outside of the 805 saved me. It taught me lessons and made me grow up in a way I couldn’t have done if I had worked locally. The comfort zone would have eventually choked me.
There are plans in the works to do a 35th high school reunion this year at a local pub. I'm a big fan of chicken wings and root beer. I'll be there.
What about you? Do you attend your high school reunions? What have those experiences taught you? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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