Almost 60% of small businesses are struggling to fully operate due to shortages in workers, per Vistage Worldwide, and some are getting creative to handle the situation. Keith McDonald Plumbing owner Lindsay Goodson developed a camera system to supervise junior plumbers via livestreams, while others are raising wages, creating training schools or eliminating college degree requirements. Full Story: The Wall Street Journal (9/26)
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Recruiting & Retention
Many older workers not feeling the need to retire yet As the population of older Americans grows, more are likely to stay in the workforce longer due to wage stagnation and discontinuation of traditional retirement funding like pensions, as well as a desire to continue working. Marilyn Federow, who earned a master's degree in gerontology at age 58 and after working a dozen more years at the Council on Aging of Southern California, is only now considering retirement but says that "I don't see myself not working at all. I'm not close to ready for that." Full Story: Los Angeles Daily News (9/25)
The rise of the virtual-first health plan The dramatic increase in telemedicine use seen early in the pandemic also fueled the rise of virtual-first health plans, an emerging model that is testing flexible, consumer-centric care for the digital health era. Register for this industry roundtable.
4 ways to improve hybrid workplace culture Ark's Sharon Leung offers four recommendations to help employers create a positive culture in a hybrid workplace. Leung explains digital communication strategies to ensure better collaboration between in-person and remote workers, and steps for improved management of remote employees. Full Story: Training magazine (9/20)
Benefits & Compensation
Salary affects workers' mental well-being More than a third of salaried workers have not received a raise in the past year, according to a 1,000-person survey by Bamboo HR. Salary is not key just to employee retention but also to staff members' mental wellness, especially among younger workers, the survey found. Full Story: BenefitsPRO (free registration) (9/23)
The HR Leader
What it takes to drive real change Qualities that make a leader a true changemaker -- attributes such as "character, hustle, heart, passion, and persistence" -- are learned traits, writes Alex Budak, faculty member at the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley. Full Story: Inc. (tiered subscription model) (9/25)
About the Editor
Kanoe Namahoe
Katie could tell I was under water. She reached out to me over Slack. "Let me take that off your plate," she insisted, referencing a content project we were both working on. I balked at first but she became firm. "I've got time and you've got that other thing to handle. Let me do this," she coaxed. I finally relented, handed it over to her and thanked her for her help. Did I not trust my fellow editors to do the work properly? No. Did I want to work on the draft? I do enjoy the editing process but that wasn't the reason I was reluctant to hand over the project. Guilt. Everyone's workload was punishing. We were all editing more newsletters, covering for colleagues, writing stories, working with new partners, traveling and juggling multiple projects. Folks were overwhelmed. I dreaded going to them when I got a new assignment. I worried that my request would be the straw that broke the camel's back and sent them looking for greener pastures. So, thank God for that conversation with Katie. She knew. She knew I was drowning and she had the courage and confidence in our relationship to address the issue with me. (Every team needs a Katie!) That exchange jolted me back to reality. It's fine for me to care about the welfare of my team and to manage their workload but when unwarranted guilt keeps me from delegating, I create bigger problems, as Dina Smith writes in today's Leadership & Development story. I make assumptions I shouldn't. I neglect work that only I can do. I get stressed and cranky. The quality of work can suffer. And on and on. I am making a concerted effort these days to do a better job of delegating. My team members are wildly talented; some tasks are better in their hands than in mine. And I am just fine with that. What do you do to keep from hoarding work? How do you combat the guilt cycle and delegate tasks? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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