Hawaiian Airlines employees recently lined up to toss Genki balls made of microorganism-rich mud into Honolulu's Ala Wai Canal as part of an ongoing effort to remove pollutants from the waterway. "Restoring the Ala Wai has long been a challenge for our community, but over the past few years, there has been this collective understanding that returning those waters to a healthy state is a critical step in creating a more resilient and sustainable Hawaiʻi," said Debbie Nakanelua-Richards, director of community and cultural relations at Hawaiian. Full Story: Hawaiian Airlines blog (1/11)
An Intelligent.com survey found 38% of executives and managers in the US prefer to hire older job applicants over recent college graduates, with some survey respondents saying they'd hire overqualified older employees to avoid dealing with Gen Z. Some respondents complained young people ask for unreasonable pay, struggle with eye contact, dress inappropriately, are late to work, miss deadlines and act like they're entitled, according to the survey. Full Story: Human Resources Director (1/9)
What if you could offer flexible scheduling? Give managers the freedom to offer shifts in their locations or source employees from nearby locations. Allow employees to pick up, swap, & release shifts without penalties. Learn how to boost retention by giving employees the flexibility they need. Book a meeting with WorkJam at NRF Booth #5647.
Delta to pay employees $1.4B in profit sharing Delta Air Lines will pay out $1.4 billion to eligible employees in February under its profit sharing program, based on the airline's 2023 profits. "No one deserves to share in our success more than the 100,000 Delta people who make it happen every single day," said CEO Ed Bastian. Full Story: Delta News Hub (1/12)
The HR Leader
Bolster workforce pipeline with "pre-skilling" Businesses in 2024 should prioritize "pre-skilling," which means helping the potential labor force learn soft skills such as communication, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and emotional intelligence. These foundational skills will help employees perform better, writes Mark Perna, founder of Education With Purpose & Employment With Passion. Perna explains ways to approach training and recruiting with this in mind. Full Story: Forbes (tiered subscription model) (1/9)
Moose crave the nutrients in salt, but many are getting their hit from passing cars, licking the salty residue that accumulates from road de-icing, which has prompted Parks Canada to ask drivers to help the moose break that habit by not letting the animals lick their cars. Officials worry that moose will consider cars a convenient salt source, causing more moose-car collisions. Full Story: CBC News (Canada) (1/7)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
Which of these authors wrote the "Rabbit" series, which included "Rabbit, Run," "Rabbit Redux" and "Rabbit Is Rich"?
A terrific issue today. Let’s start with our top story about the Ala Wai Canal on Oahu in Hawaii. I know the Ala Wai Canal well. I drive past it every time I am in Honolulu. My dad used to tell me stories of how he and my uncles and their friends would cruise down to the canal to hang out when they were kids living in Papakolea. But the canal is filthy. It’s one of the most polluted waterways in Hawaii. So I am thrilled to see Hawaiian Airlines employees joining community members to volunteer their time with the Genki Alawai Project, the program designed to clean up the canal. The airline has used the tossing events to nurture team bonding. Workers have made and tossed more than 10,000 Genki balls into the canal. Right on! Bringing employees together for efforts like these helps nurture camaraderie and community advocacy. Win win! Next, our Leadership & Development story about managing up. My former therapist suggested I get an assistant to help with my workload. I balked at the idea, saying that I struggled to manage myself, let alone have to manage another person and delegate tasks to him or her. And then along came Dillon, my project manager. Dillon does a superb job managing me. He keeps me on track with projects, letting me know when I have a call coming up, when a draft has come in that needs my eyes and when I need to step in to resolve a conflict with a client. He has infinite patience and maintains professionalism no matter the circumstance. He has the respect of every team he supports. Dillon has mastered the art of managing up. He knows how I (and other managers) think and work and tailors his communication accordingly. He knows how to package information for me so that it is quick and easy for me to digest and respond to. He knows when to email me, Slack me or pick up the phone and call me. His skills in this area have not just kept projects on track, but have also helped sustain business and grow new opportunities. The Dillons of the world are worth their weight in gold. I would be lost without mine. Who’s your Dillon? Have you told them what their work means to you? And finally, I cannot end today’s note without mentioning our Workplace Chatter story about moose licking cars driving through areas of Canada. It’s a big problem, apparently. The moose want the salt from the cars. Certain areas have seen up to four moose per year killed as a result of their licking activity. So officials are now calling on drivers to discourage moose from licking their cars. How does one shoo a 7-foot, 800-plus pound animal away from their car? It’s not a mosquito. Do you roll down your window and flutter your hand at it? It has antlers. And what if it chases your car? Moose are fast. They can run up to 35 miles per hour. It also seems unwise to peel out from a moose if you’re on slick or snowy ground. Times like this make me glad I live in moose-free southern California. But I am curious about others handle this issue. Anyone out there in Workforce land have moose experience? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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