ADP: US adds 324K private sector jobs in July | Wells Fargo weighs $60M to support reentry to workforce | Survey: Average US workday shrank 37 minutes in past year
The US added 324,000 private sector jobs in July, fueled by a 201,000 job jump in leisure and hospitality jobs, according to data from payroll firm ADP. The July job gains were fewer than the 455,000 in June but marked another month of higher-than-expected job creation. Full Story: CNBC (8/2)
Recruiting & Retention
Wells Fargo weighs $60M to support reentry to workforce Wells Fargo says it might make a $60 million pledge to the nonprofit Concordance, which assists people with criminal records who are looking to rejoin the workforce. The bank also might consider hiring people who have criminal records in the future, but its focus right now is supporting Concordance financially, Wells Fargo's William Daley says. Full Story: Reuters (8/2)
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Employer-sponsored health coverage stays consistent A report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that the percentage of workplaces providing health coverage and the proportion of employees qualifying for it have held steady, despite earlier concerns that the 2010 Affordable Care Act would influence some workplaces to stop offering it. From 2013 to 2021, the percentage of people with employer-sponsored insurance stayed between 71% and 73%, the percentage of children with such coverage remained between 54% and 56%, and the proportion of nonworking adults with the coverage stayed between 35% and 39%. Full Story: BenefitsPRO (free registration) (8/1)
Technology
Universities developing ChatGPT courses The excitement and anxiety around generative AI programs like ChatGPT prompted Andrew Maynard, a professor at Arizona State University, to develop a course, Basic Prompt Engineering With ChatGPT. Vanderbilt University also has developed a course aimed at professionals that is available on Coursera and a new cross-discipline class for students this fall. Full Story: Inside Higher Ed (7/31),TechRadar (7/31)
The HR Leader
Don't be afraid to deflate your own ego as a leader Allowing your ego to be taken down a few notches by soliciting honest feedback from clients, direct reports and trusted advisors can help you inoculate yourself against what Todd Ordal calls "big-shot-itis." "You don't want so much that you lose confidence, but you want enough that you lose certainty," Ordal writes. Full Story: Applied Strategy (Todd Ordal) (8/1)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
In a Life magazine article from 1965, who was Frank Sinatra referring to when he said this person was "the best singer in the business"?
When a blown knee ended Cory’s* college football career, he knew he would need a new plan for earning a living. “I started dealing,” he told me, shrugging. He explained that many of the students -- and football players -- at the junior college he attended were from affluent families. “Those kids always had money and always wanted to get high. I was the only dealer at the school. I was killin’ it.” He sure was. Cory was soon making more money than he’d ever seen in his life. He was able to start helping his grandparents and other relatives. So why did he stop, I wondered. “Handcuffs,” he said when I asked the question. Eventually, Cory’s luck ran out, and he got busted during a sale. The experience jolted him. He wasn’t afraid of jail or prison. He had many friends and family members (including his father) who had served time. “But I didn’t want that to be my norm,” Cory said. “I didn’t want my grandmother getting used to me being in and out of jail. I didn’t want that to be my life.” So Cory went back to school. He didn’t return to the junior college. He enrolled in a program that trained him to be an echocardiographer. Cory knew what this was because his grandfather had a heart issue. Cory saw the program as a way to get a skill, earn a living, and better understand his grandfather’s condition. That was more than 15 years ago. Today, Cory is a husband, a father, a youth football coach and lead singer for a local reggae band. He’s also one of the best echocardiographers in the area. Much of his work is with children. Hospital staff say he’s a favorite among young patients. Those who are nervous and scared about being in the hospital calm down quickly when the big muscled Samoan -- known to them as ‘Unko Cory’ -- visits during his shift. Cory’s life changed when he made a decision about his future and then entered a program to get a job skill. Our Recruitment & Retention story today talks about another program, called Concordances, that helps people who were formerly incarcerated reenter the workforce. Kudos to Concordances for its important work and to Wells Fargo for its $60 million dollar investment of support. And kudos to the Corys of the world who do the hard work to live better and live right. #Imua Do you know of other programs doing similar work with people who have criminal records? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also. *Name changed to preserve subject’s privacy.
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