The pandemic has taken remote working mainstream, giving workers the freedom and more incentives to switch to better jobs for companies that offer more opportunities, writes Josh Bersin, whose research reveals around 1 in 7 employers have reached the level of "Irresistible Organizations." Bersin outlines five steps companies must take to put people first as the Great Resignation marks "a permanent and long-lasting change in our workforce."

In this tight job market, some candidates might unexpectedly cut contact with employers. Here are some tips to keep would-be employees engaged, including speeding up the interview process to make an offer as soon as possible.

Most employees are waiting to see whether companies will truly change, or whether they'll revert to pre-pandemic attitudes on wages, mental wellness, in-office work and management, says Wharton professor Peter Cappelli. Employees want flexibility, child care, to be safe from COVID-19, and to be noticed by managers, and yet too many employers are waiting to see what everyone else does, Cappelli argues.

Former basketball player and coach David Nurse has learned personally that people should "figure out their why" to help their happiness, emotional state and performance, regardless of whether things are good or bad. "[W]hat many people don't realize -- or have trouble implementing -- is that truly knowing what you stand for and who you are as a person is only going to make you perform better," Nurse says.

Dogs have long been the bane of postal carriers, but some UPS drivers are using Instagram and Facebook to post pictures and videos of their friendly encounters with canines. Posts include drivers receiving friendly face licks and playing with packs of puppies.

There was 2:12 left on the clock. We were up by 10. The other team had been down by more than 20 at the start of the second half but had closed the gap in the fourth quarter.

Angel, a tall, lanky point-forward, was bringing the ball down the court. I remember thinking, “That baby going too fast. He needs to kill the clock.” Sure enough, Coach X yells from the sideline, “Slow down!” Coach Ray also motions him to slow down and shouts, “Push!” Angel crosses half-court at a walk, calls out the play to his teammates and passes the ball.

Play continues back and forth, but our boys are making sloppy errors, turning the ball over and moving too fast. One fouls out. X calls time out.

“What are you doing?” he yells in the huddle. He turns to Angel. “Why the hell are you bringing that ball down so fast? Slow down!” X turns to speak again to the team when Angel mumbles under his breath. “I wasn’t.”

X turns back to his point-forward. “What?” he asks. Angel looks at his feet, then his coach. “I wasn’t going too fast.”

Ray interjects, calm but firm. “Yes you were, Angel. You can’t see you. We see you. And you were going too fast.” Angel stays quiet but looks away, shaking his head. Angel’s defiance frustrates X.

“You’re done,” he says, pointing at the bench. He motions to Darrell. “Darrell, you’re up. Check in.”

Blinders. Blinders are dangerous. They keep us from seeing certain truths about ourselves and have a harmful impact on our outcomes. Former NBA player and coach David Nurse alludes to this in today’s HR Leader story. He says that many players he works with don’t know their “Why” -- who they are and what they stand for. But as they remove their personal blinders and figure this out, they are able to bolster their confidence and performance.

Angel is still learning this lesson about blinders. I’m hoping he gave it some thought on the bus ride home last night. If he didn’t, he’ll have more time to think about it as he watches games from the bench.

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