The term digital literacy has evolved into something much broader and now refers to being able to access information and work collaboratively using a range of devices and technologies. Employee training and other tactics can help workers develop their skills, which are especially important given that hybrid and remote work have become mainstream. Full Story: BBC (9/26)
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Recruiting & Retention
5 ways to tackle pandemic-related gender disparity Women were more likely than men to lose their jobs after the onset of the pandemic, and those with caregiving responsibilities were particularly vulnerable, according to a survey of INSEAD alumni between February and April. Managers can help rectify this blow to gender parity by using several strategies, including performing equity audits and questioning traditional norms. Full Story: INSEAD Knowledge (9/26)
Walmart has partnered with New York-based startup Kindbody to offer the retailer's employees fertility services including in vitro fertilization. Beginning Nov. 1, employees and family members covered under Walmart's insurance plan will be eligible for up to $20,000 in lifetime benefits for fertility services. Full Story: The Associated Press (9/27)
Technology
Apple CEO Cook on how to make tech more diverse The technology sector needs more diversity, says Apple CEO Tim Cook, who believes it's time "to fundamentally change the number of people that are taking computer science and programming" by requiring everyone to take a coding course in school. "Businesses can't cop out and say 'there's not enough women taking computer science -- therefore I can't hire enough,' " Cook says. Full Story: BBC (9/27)
The HR Leader
Look for these signs of disconnected team members You'll know your team members are no longer engaged in their work when they stop offering new ideas, miss meetings and deadlines and turn in subpar work, writes Jenny Han. "It often takes the effort of the whole team to resolve the issues that are causing poor work performance, so be sure to listen to your team members' perspectives and be open to their ideas," Han writes. Full Story: Center for Management & Organization Effectiveness (9/28)
About the Editor
Kanoe Namahoe
I was talking with one of my editors recently about some projects we're working on and how we wanted to distribute the tasks among the team. She looked over the list and took several of the tasks on herself. I gently pushed back. "You won't have time," I said. "Now that you're a senior editor, you'll be in more meetings and that's going to affect your workload." It's true, as we see in today's story from Fortune. The more a person advances in their organization, the more meetings they participate in. People managing four or more staffers spend about 22 hours every week in meetings, according to a survey by Otter.ai and University of North Carolina professor Steven Rogelberg. Then there's the financial impact of meetings. Rogelberg says organizations are spending about $25,000 per employee, annually, on "workers halfheartedly sitting in on meetings they felt were unnecessary." That's crazy. But we're not getting out of meetings anytime soon, so the challenge now is: How can we manage meetings better so they're not draining our time and productivity? Here are some things I do: Schedule meetings in 30- and 45-minute increments. I allocate 30 for check-ins and 45 for others that include several people or are discussing big projects. Push back on hour-long calls scheduled for me by others. If someone else schedules me for a 60-minute meeting, I review the topic and agenda first before I agree to the time. Many people just default to an hour when they're scheduling a call. If I think we can do it in 30-45 minutes I say so. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the scheduler is fine with the suggestion. Take a pulse from team members before we do our weekly check-ins. If there's something to discuss, we meet. If there's nothing, we skip that week's call. Avoid scheduling meetings back-to-back. I try to give myself 15 minutes between calls. So important! I got this from my manager Megan. That 15-minute buffer lets me stretch, grab a snack or check in with my team. This does require me to micromanage my calendar to make sure the buffers are in there. Limit the number of meetings in a day to four. I aim for this but it's not always possible Forget the formalities -- just pick up the phone and call. The pandemic got us into the habit of scheduling video calls for every conversation. Let that go. What works for you? How do you keep meetings from cutting into your day? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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