Employers convert job skills into college credits | Tech giants compete for AI talent, pushing up salaries | How a great headshot can boost your corporate career
Walmart and McDonald's are among large employers that are working with colleges to convert job skills into college credits, aiming to make higher education more accessible for workers. This initiative allows employees to earn college credits for corporate training, reducing the time and cost of obtaining a degree, enhancing career prospects and reducing turnover.
Big tech firms like Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Meta are fiercely competing for top AI talent, resulting in significantly higher compensation packages for workers. Ram Srinivasan of JLL reports that AI experts are receiving offers exceeding $1 million, including substantial equity.
Millennials, known for their digital adaptability and work-life balance, and Gen Z, who value self-expression and question traditional authority, are driving a shift in workplace culture by prioritizing meaning and individuality. While integrating these new perspectives can be challenging, they can help develop innovative career and leadership models.
Pet bereavement leave is emerging as a compassionate policy that can greatly benefit organizations by enhancing employee well-being and productivity. With pet ownership in the US rising to 66% of households, the grief of losing a pet is significant and allowing employees time off to grieve can prevent productivity losses and improve morale and retention.
Have some employees use generative AI and some not, then compare productivity on similar tasks, write Babson College professor Thomas Davenport and GAI Insights co-founder John Sviokla, who suggest employers adopt several disciplines regarding the technology. "Among the skills and knowledge that employees need to master are the fundamentals of how gen AI works, prompt engineering, when and how to confirm facts, how to create the highest-quality content, and how to integrate the technology into their jobs," they write.
It's Wimbledon in 1957, and Darlene Hard is the finals runner-up on the ladies' singles draw. The person she lost to, Hard partnered with for ladies' doubles and won. Who was Hard's partner?
How are you nurturing the next-generation of professionals? Are you focused exclusively on hard skills? Or, do you also spend time talking about and practicing the more nuanced aspects of your field?
I just got off the line with my son. He changed jobs in April, moving from a company that is an IT outsourcer to working for a local school district as a school technologist. He was excited to make the change and I knew he would be excellent at the work. He is an experienced IT professional and one of the most patient people I know. Both qualities would serve him well in his new role.
Unfortunately, he’s not feeling that confidence today. He feels overwhelmed about the workload and deadlines; frustrated with himself about areas of training that he hasn’t mastered yet; and nervous about a professional development session that he has to do with a group of teachers.
“They’re teachers!” he said, his voice cracking. “They teach for a living! I feel like they’re going to be weighing every word, or rethinking my presentation, how they could have done it better.”
I smiled to myself. “Son,” I said calmly. “Teachers are among the most courteous audiences out there. Trust me when I say they won’t judge you. All they want is for you to be clear and patient as they attempt to learn whatever you are teaching. They’re going to love you, son.”
We kept talking. I laid out practical tips I acquired over my 26 years in publishing and 30 years in parenting.
Write out what’s overwhelming you. “Brain dump everything -- every task, every project -- that has you worried,” I told him. “Don’t worry about pretty language. What’s important is capturing what’s bothering you. You can organize the data afterward.”
Be honest with your trainer and maybe your manager. “Your trainer is your colleague. Talk with her about your list and what’s bothering you,” I counseled. “She’s also under pressure to ensure you succeed. Be honest and clear with her and get her insight on how to improve and how to approach things with your manager.”
Practice, practice, practice. “Go over what you did during the day. Or go over the presentation until you can recite it from memory,” I advised. “Studying has a way of quelling nervousness.”
Stop beating yourself up and get down to work. “Pressure makes us, son,” I said, gently. “When it squeezes, we see our fears and vulnerabilities. But that’s the moment when we can grab hold of the situation. We can choose how to respond. You can either take to your bed and drown yourself in pork rinds or you can acknowledge what’s worrying you and then take steps address it. That latter approach feels much better than hiding.”
Mentoring across the generations can help our workplaces get the most from our talent, as we see in our Leadership & Development story today. It’s in these relationships that we can teach the practical skills and nuances that you can only get in the real work world. We can help shape our colleagues' professional trajectory and position them for success and fulfillment.
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