Economy gained 175K jobs last month, Labor Dept. says | Federal government plans to hire 500 AI experts by 2025 | The perils of peer reviews: Strategy, back-stabbing
The US economy added 175,000 jobs to nonfarm payrolls in April, below expectations and the smallest gain in six months, according to the Labor Department. The unemployment rate edged upward to 3.9%. Full Story: CNBC (5/3),USA Today (5/3),Bloomberg (5/3)
Why strength training and protein are good for women Women of every age should perform strength and resistance exercises regularly to support brain health, bone health and proprioception, particularly as women grow older, says Stacy Sims, an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist. High-intensity interval training raises women's metabolic rate, helps reduce visceral fat and supports gut microbiome diversity, and women also need to consume more protein than previously recommended -- about 1.1 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day, Sims says. Full Story: CNN (5/2)
Benefits & Compensation
Wage growth may be slowing Many small businesses increased employees' pay over the last two years to compete in a tight labor market, but pressure to raise wages may be easing, according to the Department of Labor. Some small-business owners who can't afford to raise wages find other ways to boost employee compensation or hire people who prefer to work part-time. Full Story: Marketplace (5/1)
The HR Leader
Nurturing culture is an ongoing process An organization that created an anonymous, online "Ask the Executive Leadership Team" tool was surprised when employee engagement rates increased but the quantity of concerns didn't decrease correspondingly. "[O]ne day, it struck me that [a]ddressing culture never ends ... [and] continually advancing the organization was my job," writes Suzanna de Baca, president of Business Publications, who noticed that the feedback kept getting more discerning -- and typically centered on belonging. Full Story: Business Record (Des Moines, Iowa) (tiered subscription model) (5/3)
In the Herman's Hermits song "I'm Henry VIII I Am," Henry VIII was the eighth husband of the widow next door (not true in real life). How many of those husbands were named William?
Many teachers today are doing daily “check-ins” with their students as a way to take a pulse on how they are doing. Some popular ways to do this are through student journals or daily surveys. At the beginning of the school day, teachers give students a short question to answer, such as “How are you feeling today?” Students record their answers in their journals or in the survey for their teacher to evaluate later. It looks like H&R Block President and CEO Jeff Jones is doing a version of this practice with his leadership team. At the start of their meetings, Jones has everyone check in with what they feel they are bringing to that discussion. Some folks report they are excited for the conversation, while others admit they are tired or dealing with personal issues. The group repeats the practice -- called a “check out” -- at the end of the meeting, by responding to prompts that call them to reflect back on the discussion. Good for Jones! I was pleasantly surprised to see him advocate for this type of transparent communication from his leadership team. It can certainly make folks vulnerable, but done right, it can curry a lot of respect from their peers. It can also foster trust and nurture relationship among others in the organization. Thoughts? Could you be this open with your colleagues? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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It's just something that's happening around us. It's a reminder of the pageantry of nature. It can be very beautiful if you allow for that in your heart.
Jonathan Larson, entomologist on the emergence of the double brood of periodical cicadas
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