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Google posted its first Winter Olympics Doodle, special logo, for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The first sport Google covered is curling. The Doodle is an animated GIF of an Olympian pushing the curling stone down the ice.View the full article

Pulte says a GSE stock offering remains likely in 2026, but other policy paths are in play. NMN survey data shows the industry expects broader changes first. View the full article

On a recent stroll by my local Allbirds store in Harvard Square, I had to do a double take. In the window, the brand was advertising its new Varsity collection: a ’70s-inspired sneaker line with a rubber sole and a feminine color palette that weaves together pink, olive green, mustard, and brick red. It’s an unmistakably fashionable shoe that wouldn’t look out of place at New Balance and Saucony, or even Valentino and Celine. Allbirds, which launched in 2014, isn’t known for chasing trends. It has always led with sustainability, starting with the “wool runner” that quickly became a cult sneaker in tech circles. Over the years, it hasn’t strayed far from this original aesthetic. It’s made high-tops, performance running shoes, and slip-ons with a quiet, minimal design so the focus would remain on the materials. Allbirds has never marketed itself to sneaker heads, but a decade later, the sneaker landscape looks very different. Sustainability is no longer a differentiator; it’s table stakes. Meanwhile, fashion has swung decisively toward vintage silhouettes, expressive color, and sneakers that feel as considered as the rest of one’s outfit. Against that backdrop, Allbirds began to feel static—and customers, it seems, noticed. Since going public in 2021, the company’s stock has fallen roughly 80%, leaving it with a market capitalization of approximately $32 million as of early 2026. In 2024, Allbirds reported $190 million in revenue, down from $254 million the year before. More recent financial reports show continued revenue declines and ongoing losses. In January, the company announced it would close all 20 of its full-price U.S. stores by the end of this month as part of a broader effort to cut costs. (Two outlet stores, in California and Massachusetts, will remain open.) The stakes are high. A brand that once felt like a category disruptor is now in reset mode. Inside Allbirds, the design team isn’t just chasing financial survival—it’s chasing relevance. The company’s comeback strategy hinges on a clear pivot: leaning harder into fashion, targeting women more intentionally, and expanding its aesthetic without abandoning its commitment to sustainability. Moving Beyond the Wool Runner The Varsity collection is the clearest expression yet of the brand’s attempt to broaden its visual language without losing its identity. “The question we’ve been wrestling with is how to stay true to what Allbirds is while pushing into new spaces and becoming more relevant to more people,” says Erin Sander, who joined Allbirds a year ago as VP of product and merchandising after a decade at Sorel. Over the past five years, vintage sneakers have dominated fashion, as heritage brands like New Balance, Adidas, and Saucony dug into their archives to revive styles from the ’70s and ’80s. Varsity draws from that same retro runner tradition—but filters it through the restraint, comfort obsession, and materials philosophy of Allbirds. Compared with competitors’ chunky soles, Varsity’s rubber outsole is slim and pared back. The silhouette is streamlined rather than bulky. Inside, the shoe is lined with wool, a familiar touch for longtime Allbirds customers. Where the shoe really distinguishes itself, though, is in its materiality. Most sneakers rely on conventional cotton, leather, and petroleum-based plastics. Varsity, by contrast, is built entirely from more sustainable alternatives. The upper is made from a blend of organic cotton and hemp, a carbon-negative crop. The leather accents come from recycled leather scraps. And the sole is made from a sugarcane-derived plastic. Developing Varsity has given Allbirds a new design playbook: Take popular, in-demand sneaker styles and retrofit them with lower-impact materials. That same approach is now extending into more elevated footwear. The company has identified demand for leather sneakers that can plausibly replace dress shoes—and has gone searching for a material that looks and feels like leather without carrying the same environmental cost. That search led Allbirds to Modern Meadow, whose suede-like material Innovera is made from plant proteins, biopolymers, and recycled rubber. It’s being used in footwear for the first time in the newly launched Allbirds Terralux collection, which includes skater, runner, and vintage-inspired silhouettes. Speaking to Women The Varsity collection also reflects a deeper strategic shift. Allbirds is now explicitly designing and marketing with women in mind. While the brand has always had female customers, it has often been perceived as male-coded, partly because it first took off among the male-dominated Silicon Valley set. Elaine Welteroth When CMO Kelly Olmstead joined Allbirds after two decades at Adidas, she found that this perception doesn’t align with the data. The customer base actually skews slightly female, and this discovery helped her crystalize a new direction. “Women control north of 80% of the purchase decisions in a household,” Olmstead says. “Women need to be top of mind when we’re thinking about what we make, how we make it, and what she wants.” Justine Lupe Color has become a key tool in that repositioning. After years of neutrals and subdued tones, the brand is embracing richer, more feminine palettes—dusty reds, earthy blues, warm yellows—that feel expressive without turning the shoe into a statement piece. “Footwear is an accessory, especially for her,” Sander says. The brand’s recent marketing reinforces that message by spotlighting women. Its spring campaign features actress Justine Lupe (of Nobody Wants This), editor and TV host Elaine Welteroth, celebrity makeup artist Nikki DeRoest, and entrepreneur Grace Cheng. Olmstead says they embody the Allbirds customer: women juggling careers, families, and social lives, who want footwear that looks polished but works all day long. Grace Cheng For Olmstead, this push to expand the brand’s aesthetic and audience feels like a natural next step. Coming from Adidas, a 75-year-old heritage brand, she sees Allbirds as just emerging from startup mode—and entering a more demanding phase of its life. “Ten years in, it kind of feels like we’re coming through our teenage years,” Olmstead. “Now it’s about growing up.” View the full article

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James quietly debuted a new logo for his signature shoe during last week’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers: a lowercase b (for Bronny) that features a 9 (for his jersey number) inside the letterform. The logo appeared on a bright pink pair of James’s father’s shoe, the LeBron Witness IX, but there was another logo on the shoe that was notable: a backwards Nike Swoosh. Since debuting in 1971, the Nike Swoosh has become one of the most iconic brand logos of all time. Still, Nike designers have occasionally had some fun with it by breaking brand guidelines and flipping the logo around. Though there’s no formal rule for who gets the backwards swoosh, throughout Nike history, the flipped logo has shown up on shoes worn by some of the strongest-willed players across sports and culture. The history of Nike’s backwards swoosh The backwards Swoosh appeared first in 1994 on the Nike Air Darwin, the big, chunky, boot-like sneaker worn by Dennis Rodman, and the mark later reappeared on Rodman’s Nike Air Ndestrukt. The backwards logo made sense for an eccentric player like Rodman, who was known for his hairstyles and tattoos as much as for his skills on the court. Dennis Rodman Rodman set the pattern for when Nike pulls out the backwards logo. It also appeared on the 1994 Nike Air Flare worn by tennis player Andre Agassi, another athlete at the top of his game who was recognized widely for his style and attitude. In the 2010s, the backwards logo appeared on the shoes of other superstars and made appearances in youth-oriented crossover collaborations. The backwards Swoosh appeared on James’s dad shoe, the 2012 Nike LeBron X, as well as on the Nike Kobe AD NXT in 2017, one year after Kobe Bryant retired. On Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 2019 Nike Freak shoes, the backwards Swoosh was iridescent and memorably set on the midsole to make them look like they’re from the future. The backwards logo on the PG 2, a 2018 collaboration with Playstation, was bright neon colors. Travis Scott has popularized the backwards Nike logo since 2019, when the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 became the first in a string of Nike shoes from the rapper to use the backwards mark. Though Rodman complained that Scott “copied” him, the pair made up in 2024 when Rodman appeared in an ad for a velvet brown color way of Scott’s Air Jordan 1 Low OG, which, yes, had a backwards logo. Other global brands with a simple, well-known logos like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola have found creative ways to deconstruct or reinvent their logos by crushing them or turning them upside down, and Nike turned its Swoosh on the side in 2024 on women’s soccer jerseys to celebrate the growing popularity of the game. For such a valuable brand asset like the Swoosh, tweaking it signals a break from conventions. By debuting his signature Nike logo alongside the backwards mark, James joins a storied design tradition. View the full article

ECB expected to hold interest rates on ThursdayView the full article

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy this week launched a new advisory council that could reshape American transportation in President Donald The President’s aesthetic preferences. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s newly created Beautifying Transportation Infrastructure Council held its inaugural meeting February 2, and quickly outlined plans to make a highly influential mark on the look and design of U.S. transportation infrastructure. The council could impact an array of initiatives including interstate highways, bridges, transit hubs, and airports, and has been established to provide recommendations on the policies, designs, and funding priorities of the DOT. Though the council was created to serve an advisory role with no decision-making or funding authority, it currently has two major agenda items that could form the basis of a widespread makeover of American transportation infrastructure. The first is the oversight of a national conceptual design competition that is seeking innovative thinking around transportation infrastructure design. The second is the creation of a design guidebook that would set new aesthetic recommendations for the design and renovation of federally controlled transportation projects. Its tentative title: “Beauty and Transportation.” On the surface, these efforts seem open to a variety of design approaches, however the October announcement of the council states that the advisory effort will “align” directly with the aesthetic preferences laid out in The President’s August 2025 executive order “Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again.” That order defines the traditional and classical architecture of ancient Athens and Rome as the basis of a preferred architectural style for federal buildings. This aesthetic preference is likely to influence whatever comes out of the Beautifying Transportation Infrastructure Council. Its chair is Justin Shubow, president of the National Civic Art Society, the Washington, D.C., nonprofit that champions classical architecture and which helped write The President’s executive order to make traditional architecture the preferred style for federal buildings. “That order called for new federal buildings to be beautiful, uplifting, and admired by the common person. It reoriented architecture away from modernism toward the classical and traditional design that is so appreciated and often preferred by ordinary people,” Shubow said during his opening remarks at the council meeting. “This council, I believe, should not recommend that any particular style be mandated, but it should make clear that classical and traditional design are legitimate options.” Council guidelines The council has set additional guidelines to govern its work. Shubow noted that the Transportation Department has drafted five preliminary principles to help shape the council’s advice and the creation of its design guidebook. These include ideals that “transportation infrastructure should be designed to uplift and inspire the human spirit and lend prestige to the nation,” and that it “should foster a sense of place and inspire national and community pride in a way that builds upon the past.” The council’s members include architects, landscape architects, state transportation officials, engineers, and construction specialists. None were overtly dogmatic about design preferences, at least during this initial meeting. Shubow has cited projects like San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and Cincinnati’s Union Terminal as exemplars of the kinds of designs the council might encourage. But council members also spent time talking about a wider range of aesthetic approaches to transportation design, including the importance of artistic lighting under bridges and the use of regionally appropriate wildflowers along highways. One member, Bryan Jones, mid-Atlantic division president of the engineering and construction firm HNTB, pointed to one of his firm’s recent projects, the swooping Sixth Street Viaduct in Los Angeles, a decidedly modern structure. Official and unofficial timelines Timelines for the design competition and guidebook have not been set. The council will have its next public meeting in the summer, and will meet in private subcommittees in the meantime. As The President engages in a range of rebuilding and construction efforts in Washington, D.C., the work of the council may already be starting, if unofficially. Duffy was on hand to kick off the council’s inaugural session, but had to leave early to go to the White House. He had another meeting with The President to discuss the potential redesign of Dulles International Airport, “a beautiful project that he wants to look at,” to “revamp in a great way,” Duffy said. View the full article

“As someone who has tried almost every workout class on the planet, there is nothing like SoulCycle,” said TikTok creator Matt Trav in a video posted in early January. “The average human being cannot understand what blowing out the candle during the soulful song can do to the human psyche.” Nearly 40,000 people who liked the video seem to agree. “Absolutely nothing can beat NYC SoulCycle circa 2016,” one commenter wrote. “Literally like going to church,” another added. Across social media platforms, that renaissance is already underway. Devotees have been sharing nostalgia-laced photos from years past, unearthing old merchandise, and swapping stories in comment sections. Some have been documenting their first-time experiences, while longtime riders welcome newcomers with open arms. “Come with me to soulcycle as someone who was severely addicted . . . after a 6 year hiatus,” one TikTok user wrote, adding, “Soul cycle is back btw.” Once at the center of the fitness zeitgeist in New York City, the 45-minute workout class was branded a cult during its 2010s heyday. Its clientele included a number of A-list celebrities, and its instructors became bona fide stars, building obsessive fan bases who followed them across the country for a chance to snag a front-row bike in one of their classes. “At SoulCycle, we very quickly became the club you can’t get into, and that has a lot of appeal to a lot of people,” cofounder Ruth Zukerman said on the Wharton Business Daily podcast in 2019. The same exclusive culture that fueled its rise also helped drive its fall. “How SoulCycle lost its soul,” a 2020 Vox headline read. The next year, a New York Times article reported allegations of sexual harassment, racism, and fat-shaming by members of SoulCycle’s elite ring of “master instructors.” In 2022, the chain shuttered about 25% of its locations, a ripple effect from the COVID-19 pandemic. A decade after its peak, SoulCycle is back, and its return reflects the cultural moment. The revival coincides with a broader 2016 nostalgia takeover on social media. Alongside a renewed fascination with so-called millennial optimism, hyper-filtered, grainy throwback images have flooded feeds as millennials and older Gen Zers reminisce about the music, fashion, and even workouts of a decade ago. It was the era of Snapchat filters, skinny jeans, and SoulCycle. High-intensity workouts have since fallen out of favor, replaced by reformer Pilates and hot girl walks. But as saunas and ice baths become the new social clubs, and wellness-focused Gen Zers trade alcohol-fueled nights out for early morning workouts, it’s no surprise that a candlelit class set to blasting music and bound by a cultlike sense of community is being embraced by a new generation. As one TikTok user suggested: “Out of all the things to bring back from 2016, I vote to bring back SoulCycle.” View the full article

Heat pumps can reduce carbon emissions associated with heating buildings, and many states have set aggressive targets to increase their use in the coming decades. But while heat pumps are often cheaper choices for new buildings, getting homeowners to install them in existing homes isn’t so easy. Current energy prices, including the rising cost of electricity, mean that homeowners may experience higher heating bills by replacing their current heating systems with heat pumps—at least in some regions of the country. Heat pumps, which use electricity to move heat from the outside in, are used in only 14% of U.S. households. They are common primarily in warm southern states such as Florida where winter heating needs are relatively low. In the Northeast, where winters are colder and longer, only about 5% of households use a heat pump. In our new study, my coauthor Dan Schrag and I examined how heat pump adoption would change annual heating bills for the average-size household in each county across the U.S. We wanted to understand where heat pumps may already be cost-effective and where other factors may be preventing households from making the switch. Wide variation in home heating Across the U.S., people heat their homes with a range of fuels, mainly because of differences in climate, pricing, and infrastructure. In colder regions—northern states and states across the Rocky Mountains—most people use natural gas or propane to provide reliable winter heating. In California, most households also use natural gas for heating. In warmer, southern states, including Florida and Texas, where electricity prices are cheaper, most households use electricity for heating—either in electric furnaces, baseboard resistance heating, or to run heat pumps. In the Pacific Northwest, where electricity prices are low due to abundant hydropower, electricity is also a dominant heating fuel. The type of community also affects homes’ fuel choices. Homes in cities are more likely to use natural gas relative to rural areas, where natural gas distribution networks are not as well developed. In rural areas, homes are more likely to use heating oil and propane, which can be stored on property in tanks. Oil is also more commonly used in the Northeast, where properties are older—particularly in New England, where a third of households still rely on oil for heating. Why heat pumps? Instead of generating heat by burning fuels such as natural gas that directly emit carbon, heat pumps use electricity to move heat from one place to another. Air-source heat pumps extract the heat of outside air, and ground-source heat pumps, sometimes called geothermal heat pumps, extract heat stored in the ground. Heat pump efficiency depends on the local climate: A heat pump operated in Florida will provide more heat per unit of electricity used than one in colder northern states such as Minnesota or Massachusetts. But they are highly efficient: An air-source heat pump can reduce household heating energy use by roughly 30% to 50% relative to existing fossil-based systems and up to 75% relative to inefficient electric systems such as baseboard heaters. Heat pumps can also reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, although that depends on how their electricity is generated—whether from fossil fuels or cleaner energy, such as wind and solar. Heat pumps can lower heating bills We found that for households currently using oil, propane, or non-heat pump forms of electric heating—such as electric furnaces or baseboard resistive heaters—installing a heat pump would reduce heating bills across all parts of the country. The amount a household can save on energy costs with a heat pump depends on region and heating type, averaging between $200 and $500 a year for the average-size household currently using propane or oil. However, savings can be significantly greater: We found the greatest opportunity for savings in households using inefficient forms of electric heating in northern regions. High electricity prices in the Northeast, for example, mean that heat pumps can save consumers up to $3,000 a year over what they would pay to heat with an electric furnace or to use baseboard heating. A challenge in converting homes using natural gas Unfortunately for the households that use natural gas in colder, northern regions—making up around half of the country’s annual heating needs—installing a heat pump could raise their annual heating bills. Our analysis shows that bills could increase by as much as $1,200 per year in northern regions, where electricity costs are as much as five times greater than natural gas per kilowatt-hour. Even households that install ground-source heat pumps, the most efficient type of heat pump, would still see bill increases in regions with the highest electricity prices relative to natural gas. Installation costs In parts of the country where households would see their energy costs drop after installing a heat pump, the savings would eventually offset the up-front costs. But those costs can be significant and discourage people from buying. On average, it costs $17,000 to install an air-source heat pump and typically at least $30,000 to install a ground-source heat pump. Some homes may also need upgrades to their electrical systems, which can increase the total installation price even more, by tens of thousands of dollars in some cases, if costly service upgrades are required. In places where air conditioning is typical, homes may be able to offset some costs by using heat pumps to replace their air conditioning units as well as their heating systems. For instance, a new program in California aims to encourage homeowners who are installing central air conditioning or replacing broken AC systems to get energy-efficient heat pumps that provide both heating and cooling. Rising costs of electricity A main finding of our analysis was that the cost of electricity is key to encouraging people to install heat pumps. Electricity prices have risen sharply across the U.S. in recent years, driven by factors such as extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and increasing demand for electric power. New data center demand has added further pressure and raised questions about who bears these costs. Heat pump installations will also increase electricity demand on the grid: The full electrification of home heating across the country would increase peak electricity demand by about 70%. But heat pumps—when used in concert with other technologies such as hot-water storage—can provide opportunities for grid balancing and be paired with discounted or time-of-use rate structures to reduce overall operating costs. In some states, regulators have ordered utilities to discount electricity costs for homes that use heat pumps. But ultimately, encouraging households to embrace heat pumps and broader economy-wide electrification, including electric vehicles, will require more than just technological fixes and a lot more electricity—it will require lower power prices. Roxana Shafiee is an environmental fellow at the Center for the Environment at Harvard University’s Harvard Kennedy School. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

AI isn’t eliminating human work. It’s redistributing human judgment, away from routine tasks and into the narrow zones where ambiguity is high, mistakes are costly, and trust actually matters. This shift helps explain a growing disconnect in the AI conversation. On one hand, models are improving at breathtaking speed. On the other, many ambitious AI deployments stall, scale more slowly than expected, or quietly revert to hybrid workflows. The issue isn’t capability. It’s trust. The trust gap most AI strategies overlook AI adoption doesn’t hinge on whether a system can do a task. It hinges on whether humans are willing to rely on its output without checking it. That gap between performance and reliance, the trust gap, is what ultimately determines where AI replaces work, where it augments it, and where humans remain indispensable. Two factors shape that gap more than anything else: ambiguity and stakes. Ambiguity refers to how much interpretation, context, or judgment a task requires. Stakes refer to what happens if the system gets it wrong: financially, legally, reputationally, or ethically. When ambiguity is low and stakes are low, automation thrives. When both are high, humans must stay firmly in the loop. Most real-world work lives somewhere in between and that’s where the future of labor is being renegotiated. A simple way to see where AI fits Think of work along two axes: how ambiguous it is, and how costly errors are. Low ambiguity, low stakes tasks, basic classification, simple tagging, routine routing, are rapidly becoming fully automated. This is where AI quietly replaces human labor, often without much controversy. Low ambiguity but high stakes tasks, such as compliance checks or identity verification, are typically automated but closely monitored. Humans verify, audit, and intervene when something looks off. High ambiguity, low stakes work: creative labeling, sentiment analysis, exploratory research, which tends to use AI as an assistant, with light human oversight. But the most important quadrant is high ambiguity and high stakes. These are the tasks where trust is hardest to earn: fraud edge cases, safety-critical moderation, medical or financial interpretation, and the data decisions that shape how AI models behave in the real world. Here, humans aren’t disappearing. They’re becoming more targeted, more specialized, and more on demand. When the human edge actually disappears Interactive voice response systems refine the rule. The stakes were not low, IVR is literally the company’s voice to its customers. But ambiguity was. Once synthetic voices became good enough, quality was easy to judge, variance was low, and the trust gap collapsed. That alone was sufficient for AI to take over. When trust keeps humans in the loop Translation followed a different trajectory. Translation is inherently ambiguous, as there are multiple ways to translate a sentence. As a result, machine translation rapidly absorbed casual, low-risk content such as TikTok videos. However, in high-stakes contexts, such as legal contracts, medical instructions, financial reporting, and global brand messaging, trust is never fully transferred to the machine. For these tasks, professional translators are still required to augment the AI’s initial output. Since AI now performs the bulk of the work, full-time translators have become rare. Instead, they increasingly operate within expert networks, deployed “just-in-time” to fine-tune and verify the process, thereby closing the trust gap. The same shift is now playing out in how data is prepared and validated for AI systems themselves. Early AI training relied on massive, full-time human labeling operations. Today, models increasingly handle routine evaluation. Human expertise is reserved for the most sensitive decisions, the ones that shape how AI behaves under pressure. What this means for the future of work The popular narrative frames AI as a replacement technology: machines versus humans. The reality inside organizations looks very different. AI is becoming the default for scale. Humans are becoming the exception handlers, the source of judgment when context is unclear, consequences are severe, or trust is on the line. This doesn’t mean fewer humans overall. It means different human roles: less repetitive labor, more judgment deployed just in time. More experts working across many systems, fewer people locked into single, narrowly defined tasks. The organizations that succeed with AI won’t be the ones that automate the most. They’ll be the ones that understand where not to automate, and that design workflows capable of pulling human judgment in at exactly the right moment, at exactly the right level. The future of work isn’t humans versus machines. It’s AI at scale, plus human judgment delivered through expert networks, not permanent roles. Translation and model validation show the pattern; white-collar work is next. And that, quietly, is what companies are discovering now. View the full article

The recruitment selection procedure is a structured method organizations use to hire the right candidates. It starts with identifying a job need and creating a job description, followed by sourcing candidates from various channels. Evaluating their suitability involves screening applications, conducting interviews, and performing background checks. This approach not just aligns candidates with company values but likewise streamlines the hiring process. Comprehending these steps can greatly impact your organization’s success in attracting talent. What comes next in this crucial procedure? Key Takeaways The recruitment selection procedure begins with identifying the need for a position and creating a detailed job description. Candidates are sourced through various channels, including job boards and social media, to attract a diverse applicant pool. A screening process is implemented to review applications and assess qualifications against job requirements. Structured interviews and assessments evaluate candidates’ skills and cultural fit before making a hiring decision. Reference and background checks confirm candidate qualifications and mitigate potential risks before extending a job offer. Understanding Recruitment and Selection When you think about recruitment and selection, it’s essential to understand that these processes are critical for finding the right candidates for your organization. The recruitment selection procedure involves sourcing, attracting, and identifying candidates for open positions. You start by recognizing the need for a position, which leads to creating a detailed job description. Then, you source candidates through various channels, guaranteeing a diverse pool. Once candidates apply, the selection of staff entails evaluating their qualities, expertise, and experience to determine the best fit for the role. Challenges like skill shortages and high competition can complicate this process. To streamline your efforts, utilizing a recruitment standard operating procedure template can help standardize your approach. This guarantees you maintain consistency and efficiency throughout recruitment and selection, ultimately aligning employee capabilities with your organization’s strategic objectives. Importance of the Recruitment Selection Procedure The recruitment selection procedure plays a crucial role in ensuring that organizations attract and hire candidates who not just possess the necessary skills but as well align with the company’s culture and values. Implementing a structured recruitment SOP template can considerably improve your talent acquisition efforts. By doing so, you can enhance employee performance and productivity, as the right fit leads to better job satisfaction. Companies with effective processes can reduce turnover rates by up to 50%, lowering the costs of hiring and training new employees. Moreover, prioritizing diversity within your recruitment selection procedures can increase your competitive edge, making you 39% more likely to outperform competitors. A solid recruitment experience cultivates employee engagement, resulting in 30% lower absenteeism rates. Finally, utilizing data-driven decision-making can improve your hiring quality by 20%, ensuring a more refined approach to evaluating candidates and their fit within your organization. Key Steps in the Recruitment Selection Procedure Five key steps form the backbone of an effective recruitment selection procedure, ensuring you find the right candidate for any position. Start by identifying the need for the position, which sets the recruitment process in motion. Next, create a meaningful job description that outlines responsibilities and qualifications, making it easier to attract suitable candidates. Move on to the screening process, where you review applications against job requirements, often using automated tools for efficiency and diversity. Conduct structured interviews to assess candidates’ skills and cultural fit, utilizing behavioral and situational questions to maintain consistency. Finally, perform thorough background and reference checks before extending a formal job offer, ensuring candidates’ qualifications and fit align with your organization. Job Analysis and Description Creation Job analysis is a fundamental process that helps you define the specific needs of a role, including its responsibilities, required skills, and qualifications. By conducting a thorough job analysis, you guarantee alignment with your organizational goals. A well-crafted job description includes detailed information about the position’s duties, necessary qualifications, and company culture, which is vital for attracting suitable candidates. When candidates clearly understand what’s expected, you improve the quality of applications received. Engaging stakeholders in the job analysis process captures diverse perspectives, confirming that the job description accurately reflects the role’s requirements and organizational needs. Additionally, regularly updating job descriptions based on evolving job functions and market trends is important to maintain relevance and effectiveness in the recruitment process. Sourcing Candidates Effectively When seeking to source candidates effectively, it’s vital to leverage a variety of channels that can attract a diverse array of applicants. By utilizing multiple methods, you can improve your chances of finding the right fit for your organization. Consider the following strategies: Post job openings on general job boards and industry-specific sites. Utilize social media platforms to reach a wider audience. Explore internal recruitment to promote existing employees and boost morale. Engage passive candidates through networking and direct outreach. Implement automated tools or Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) for streamlined management. A well-crafted job description is likewise significant, as it clearly outlines the responsibilities and qualifications needed, guiding potential candidates to self-select. Screening and Shortlisting Candidates After successfully sourcing a diverse pool of candidates, the next step involves screening and shortlisting them effectively. This process includes reviewing applications to create a shortlist based on qualifications and alignment with job requirements, ensuring a consistent evaluation. Automated tools can improve efficiency by filtering candidates who meet both skill and cultural fit criteria, thereby reducing bias and boosting engagement. Effective communication during this stage is essential; providing timely updates and clear instructions helps maintain candidates’ interest. Utilizing blind screening techniques can further minimize unconscious bias by focusing solely on qualifications and experiences, rather than demographic factors. Additionally, the screening process should aim to identify red flags, such as discrepancies in employment history or a lack of relevant skills, which may indicate potential mismatches. Conducting Interviews Conducting interviews is a critical step in the recruitment selection procedure, as it provides an opportunity to assess candidates’ qualifications and fit for the role more deeply. To guarantee effective interviews, consider the following strategies: Utilize structured interviews with standardized questions for consistency and reliability. Incorporate behavioral and situational questions to gauge competencies and predict future performance. Involve multiple interviewers to gather diverse perspectives on each candidate. Schedule interviews 2-3 business days in advance, providing candidates with detailed information about the process to improve their experience and reduce anxiety. Stick to a prepared set of questions for all candidates to minimize biases and facilitate easier comparisons. Assessment Methods for Candidate Evaluation When evaluating candidates, using a variety of assessment methods can provide you with a clearer picture of their skills and fit for the job. Pre-selection assessments are particularly important, as they help identify qualified candidates early in the hiring process and reduce the risk of mismatches. Types of Assessments Assessment methods for candidate evaluation play a crucial role in the recruitment selection procedure, as they allow employers to measure candidates’ skills and suitability for specific job roles. Various types of assessments can be used, including: Skills tests that assess technical competencies Work samples demonstrating real job tasks Simulations replicating job scenarios General Mental Ability (GMA) tests evaluating cognitive skills Personality assessments identifying traits like conscientiousness These methods help HR departments eliminate mismatches and pinpoint qualified candidates before interviews. Candidates usually have 3-5 business days to complete assessments, guaranteeing a fair evaluation process. Importance of Pre-selection Pre-selection plays an essential role in the recruitment process, as it sets the foundation for a successful hiring outcome. Utilizing assessments like tests and work samples helps HR departments filter candidates effectively, with about 35% employing these methods. General Mental Ability (GMA) tests and personality assessments, particularly those measuring conscientiousness, are common tools that predict job performance. Structured assessments reduce mismatches, ensuring candidates align with the role’s requirements and the organization’s culture. Various formats, such as online quizzes or practical tests, can evaluate competencies relevant to the job. Furthermore, clearly communicating the assessment’s scope and purpose improves candidates’ comprehension, improving their overall experience during the selection process, which finally leads to better hiring decisions. Evaluating Skills Effectively To effectively evaluate candidates’ skills, organizations must utilize various assessment methods customized to the specific job role. This guarantees that the evaluation process aligns with the competencies needed for success. Here are some effective assessment methods: General Mental Ability (GMA) tests to gauge cognitive capabilities Personality assessments to identify traits like conscientiousness, which predicts job performance Work samples and simulations to observe real-world skills in action Written tests to evaluate specific knowledge relevant to the position Interactive assessments to assess communication skills and receptiveness to feedback Making the Final Decision When you’re ready to make the final decision, it’s crucial to evaluate each candidate’s qualifications thoroughly. Reference checks play an important role in confirming their backgrounds, which can greatly impact your choice. Once you’ve made your selection, you’ll prepare a formal job offer that outlines the terms and expectations clearly, ensuring a smooth changeover for the new hire. Evaluating Candidate Qualifications Evaluating candidate qualifications is a critical step in the recruitment process, as it requires a thorough examination of each individual’s skills, experience, and alignment with your organization’s values. You should focus on various aspects to guarantee a well-rounded assessment: Review skills and competencies against job requirements Analyze past experiences relevant to the role Consider cultural fit within your organization Assess candidates’ growth potential for future roles Utilize structured evaluation methods to reduce biases The hiring manager typically makes the final decision, weighing interview performance and assessment results. It’s additionally essential to communicate your decision effectively, providing constructive feedback to both the selected candidate and others, which helps maintain a positive employer brand. Reference Checks Importance Reference checks play a crucial role in the hiring process, as they help verify a candidate’s qualifications and work ethic during the confirmation of the accuracy of the information provided in interviews. About 85% of employers conduct these checks, offering insights into past performance and revealing potential red flags. Effective reference checks involve specific questions regarding job responsibilities, skills, and interpersonal abilities, which can help determine a candidate’s fit within your company culture. Inconsistent feedback from different references may signal potential issues, making it important to gather multiple perspectives. Moreover, background checks complement reference checks by ensuring compliance with legal requirements and mitigating risks associated with undisclosed issues. Aspect Importance Key Questions Qualifications Verifies candidate’s skills What were their key responsibilities? Work Ethic Assesses reliability How did they handle challenges? Fit within Culture Evaluates compatibility How did they interact with the team? Job Offer Presentation The job offer presentation marks a significant juncture in the recruitment selection procedure, as it’s the stage where you formally communicate your decision to the chosen candidate. Collaborating with your hiring team is vital here to guarantee the selected individual aligns with your organization’s goals. A competitive job offer should include the following: Clear job responsibilities Thorough benefits package Insights into company culture Salary details Opportunities for growth Promptly communicating your decision is critical, as delays can cost you top talent. Moreover, offering constructive feedback to unsuccessful candidates during this stage helps maintain a positive employer brand and encourages their future applications. This structured approach guarantees a smooth shift for your new hire. Extending Job Offers and Onboarding When you’ve selected the right candidate for a position, extending a job offer marks a fundamental step in the recruitment process. This involves preparing a formal offer that clearly outlines salary, benefits, job responsibilities, and company culture. Timely communication is imperative; delays can lead to losing interest from top candidates. After extending the offer, make sure the candidate feels welcomed and informed. Onboarding is the next crucial phase, which helps integrate new employees into your organization. A structured onboarding process not solely clarifies their roles but also immerses them in the company culture. Research indicates that effective onboarding can improve employee retention by 82% and boost productivity by over 70%. As a result, investing in a thorough onboarding experience is vital, as it markedly reduces turnover rates and encourages long-term employee engagement. Furthermore, providing constructive feedback to unsuccessful candidates improves your employer brand, positively impacting your reputation in the job market. Continuous Improvement in Recruitment Processes Continuous improvement in recruitment processes is vital for organizations aiming to attract and retain top talent. By continuously monitoring and refining your strategies, you can improve your recruitment outcomes considerably. Here are some important practices to take into account: Track recruitment metrics like application completion rates and time to fill to evaluate effectiveness. Regularly review the technology used in resume screening to reduce bias and promote fairness in candidate evaluations. Implement candidate surveys post-application to gather feedback and improve the recruitment experience. Utilize predictive analytics to identify trends and forecast outcomes, enabling informed decision-making. Focus on continuous improvement initiatives to reduce turnover rates and boost employee performance. Frequently Asked Questions What Is a Selection Process of Recruitment? The selection process of recruitment involves several key stages that systematically evaluate candidates. You start with applications, followed by screening and pre-selection. Next, interviews assess both skills and cultural fit, utilizing structured formats for better reliability. Assessments like tests or simulations may additionally be included to gauge competencies. Finally, the hiring manager makes a decision based on thorough evaluations, and a job offer outlines responsibilities and benefits for the selected candidate. What Are the 7 Steps of the Recruitment Process? The recruitment process typically involves seven key steps. First, you identify the need for a new position. Next, you conduct a job analysis to define roles and responsibilities. Then, you source candidates through various channels. After that, you screen resumes and conduct interviews. Following this, you assess candidates’ skills and fit. Finally, you extend a job offer and facilitate onboarding to integrate the new hire into the organization effectively. What Are the 5 Steps of the Recruitment Process? The recruitment process typically involves five key steps. First, you identify the need for a position. Next, you conduct a job analysis to define roles and qualifications clearly. Then, you source candidates through job postings and networking. After gathering applicants, you screen resumes and shortlist suitable candidates. Finally, you onboard the selected individuals, integrating them into the organization and ensuring they understand their roles and the company culture. What Are the 5 C’s of Recruitment? The 5 C’s of recruitment are vital for effective hiring. First, Competence evaluates a candidate’s skills to guarantee they can fulfill job responsibilities. Next, Culture aligns candidates with your organization’s values, nurturing a harmonious workplace. Character assesses integrity and interpersonal skills, fundamental for team dynamics. Compensation involves offering competitive salaries and benefits to attract top talent. Finally, Communication guarantees clear and transparent interactions throughout the hiring process, enhancing candidate experience and organizational reputation. Conclusion In summary, the recruitment selection procedure is crucial for organizations to find the right talent. By following a systematic approach—starting from job analysis to onboarding—you can improve your hiring efficiency and guarantee candidates fit your company culture. Each step, from sourcing to assessment, plays a critical role in making informed decisions. Continuously refining these processes will not just improve outcomes but likewise help you attract and retain the best candidates for your organization. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "What Is the Recruitment Selection Procedure?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The recruitment selection procedure is a structured method organizations use to hire the right candidates. It starts with identifying a job need and creating a job description, followed by sourcing candidates from various channels. Evaluating their suitability involves screening applications, conducting interviews, and performing background checks. This approach not just aligns candidates with company values but likewise streamlines the hiring process. Comprehending these steps can greatly impact your organization’s success in attracting talent. What comes next in this crucial procedure? Key Takeaways The recruitment selection procedure begins with identifying the need for a position and creating a detailed job description. Candidates are sourced through various channels, including job boards and social media, to attract a diverse applicant pool. A screening process is implemented to review applications and assess qualifications against job requirements. Structured interviews and assessments evaluate candidates’ skills and cultural fit before making a hiring decision. Reference and background checks confirm candidate qualifications and mitigate potential risks before extending a job offer. Understanding Recruitment and Selection When you think about recruitment and selection, it’s essential to understand that these processes are critical for finding the right candidates for your organization. The recruitment selection procedure involves sourcing, attracting, and identifying candidates for open positions. You start by recognizing the need for a position, which leads to creating a detailed job description. Then, you source candidates through various channels, guaranteeing a diverse pool. Once candidates apply, the selection of staff entails evaluating their qualities, expertise, and experience to determine the best fit for the role. Challenges like skill shortages and high competition can complicate this process. To streamline your efforts, utilizing a recruitment standard operating procedure template can help standardize your approach. This guarantees you maintain consistency and efficiency throughout recruitment and selection, ultimately aligning employee capabilities with your organization’s strategic objectives. Importance of the Recruitment Selection Procedure The recruitment selection procedure plays a crucial role in ensuring that organizations attract and hire candidates who not just possess the necessary skills but as well align with the company’s culture and values. Implementing a structured recruitment SOP template can considerably improve your talent acquisition efforts. By doing so, you can enhance employee performance and productivity, as the right fit leads to better job satisfaction. Companies with effective processes can reduce turnover rates by up to 50%, lowering the costs of hiring and training new employees. Moreover, prioritizing diversity within your recruitment selection procedures can increase your competitive edge, making you 39% more likely to outperform competitors. A solid recruitment experience cultivates employee engagement, resulting in 30% lower absenteeism rates. Finally, utilizing data-driven decision-making can improve your hiring quality by 20%, ensuring a more refined approach to evaluating candidates and their fit within your organization. Key Steps in the Recruitment Selection Procedure Five key steps form the backbone of an effective recruitment selection procedure, ensuring you find the right candidate for any position. Start by identifying the need for the position, which sets the recruitment process in motion. Next, create a meaningful job description that outlines responsibilities and qualifications, making it easier to attract suitable candidates. Move on to the screening process, where you review applications against job requirements, often using automated tools for efficiency and diversity. Conduct structured interviews to assess candidates’ skills and cultural fit, utilizing behavioral and situational questions to maintain consistency. Finally, perform thorough background and reference checks before extending a formal job offer, ensuring candidates’ qualifications and fit align with your organization. Job Analysis and Description Creation Job analysis is a fundamental process that helps you define the specific needs of a role, including its responsibilities, required skills, and qualifications. By conducting a thorough job analysis, you guarantee alignment with your organizational goals. A well-crafted job description includes detailed information about the position’s duties, necessary qualifications, and company culture, which is vital for attracting suitable candidates. When candidates clearly understand what’s expected, you improve the quality of applications received. Engaging stakeholders in the job analysis process captures diverse perspectives, confirming that the job description accurately reflects the role’s requirements and organizational needs. Additionally, regularly updating job descriptions based on evolving job functions and market trends is important to maintain relevance and effectiveness in the recruitment process. Sourcing Candidates Effectively When seeking to source candidates effectively, it’s vital to leverage a variety of channels that can attract a diverse array of applicants. By utilizing multiple methods, you can improve your chances of finding the right fit for your organization. Consider the following strategies: Post job openings on general job boards and industry-specific sites. Utilize social media platforms to reach a wider audience. Explore internal recruitment to promote existing employees and boost morale. Engage passive candidates through networking and direct outreach. Implement automated tools or Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) for streamlined management. A well-crafted job description is likewise significant, as it clearly outlines the responsibilities and qualifications needed, guiding potential candidates to self-select. Screening and Shortlisting Candidates After successfully sourcing a diverse pool of candidates, the next step involves screening and shortlisting them effectively. This process includes reviewing applications to create a shortlist based on qualifications and alignment with job requirements, ensuring a consistent evaluation. Automated tools can improve efficiency by filtering candidates who meet both skill and cultural fit criteria, thereby reducing bias and boosting engagement. Effective communication during this stage is essential; providing timely updates and clear instructions helps maintain candidates’ interest. Utilizing blind screening techniques can further minimize unconscious bias by focusing solely on qualifications and experiences, rather than demographic factors. Additionally, the screening process should aim to identify red flags, such as discrepancies in employment history or a lack of relevant skills, which may indicate potential mismatches. Conducting Interviews Conducting interviews is a critical step in the recruitment selection procedure, as it provides an opportunity to assess candidates’ qualifications and fit for the role more deeply. To guarantee effective interviews, consider the following strategies: Utilize structured interviews with standardized questions for consistency and reliability. Incorporate behavioral and situational questions to gauge competencies and predict future performance. Involve multiple interviewers to gather diverse perspectives on each candidate. Schedule interviews 2-3 business days in advance, providing candidates with detailed information about the process to improve their experience and reduce anxiety. Stick to a prepared set of questions for all candidates to minimize biases and facilitate easier comparisons. Assessment Methods for Candidate Evaluation When evaluating candidates, using a variety of assessment methods can provide you with a clearer picture of their skills and fit for the job. Pre-selection assessments are particularly important, as they help identify qualified candidates early in the hiring process and reduce the risk of mismatches. Types of Assessments Assessment methods for candidate evaluation play a crucial role in the recruitment selection procedure, as they allow employers to measure candidates’ skills and suitability for specific job roles. Various types of assessments can be used, including: Skills tests that assess technical competencies Work samples demonstrating real job tasks Simulations replicating job scenarios General Mental Ability (GMA) tests evaluating cognitive skills Personality assessments identifying traits like conscientiousness These methods help HR departments eliminate mismatches and pinpoint qualified candidates before interviews. Candidates usually have 3-5 business days to complete assessments, guaranteeing a fair evaluation process. Importance of Pre-selection Pre-selection plays an essential role in the recruitment process, as it sets the foundation for a successful hiring outcome. Utilizing assessments like tests and work samples helps HR departments filter candidates effectively, with about 35% employing these methods. General Mental Ability (GMA) tests and personality assessments, particularly those measuring conscientiousness, are common tools that predict job performance. Structured assessments reduce mismatches, ensuring candidates align with the role’s requirements and the organization’s culture. Various formats, such as online quizzes or practical tests, can evaluate competencies relevant to the job. Furthermore, clearly communicating the assessment’s scope and purpose improves candidates’ comprehension, improving their overall experience during the selection process, which finally leads to better hiring decisions. Evaluating Skills Effectively To effectively evaluate candidates’ skills, organizations must utilize various assessment methods customized to the specific job role. This guarantees that the evaluation process aligns with the competencies needed for success. Here are some effective assessment methods: General Mental Ability (GMA) tests to gauge cognitive capabilities Personality assessments to identify traits like conscientiousness, which predicts job performance Work samples and simulations to observe real-world skills in action Written tests to evaluate specific knowledge relevant to the position Interactive assessments to assess communication skills and receptiveness to feedback Making the Final Decision When you’re ready to make the final decision, it’s crucial to evaluate each candidate’s qualifications thoroughly. Reference checks play an important role in confirming their backgrounds, which can greatly impact your choice. Once you’ve made your selection, you’ll prepare a formal job offer that outlines the terms and expectations clearly, ensuring a smooth changeover for the new hire. Evaluating Candidate Qualifications Evaluating candidate qualifications is a critical step in the recruitment process, as it requires a thorough examination of each individual’s skills, experience, and alignment with your organization’s values. You should focus on various aspects to guarantee a well-rounded assessment: Review skills and competencies against job requirements Analyze past experiences relevant to the role Consider cultural fit within your organization Assess candidates’ growth potential for future roles Utilize structured evaluation methods to reduce biases The hiring manager typically makes the final decision, weighing interview performance and assessment results. It’s additionally essential to communicate your decision effectively, providing constructive feedback to both the selected candidate and others, which helps maintain a positive employer brand. Reference Checks Importance Reference checks play a crucial role in the hiring process, as they help verify a candidate’s qualifications and work ethic during the confirmation of the accuracy of the information provided in interviews. About 85% of employers conduct these checks, offering insights into past performance and revealing potential red flags. Effective reference checks involve specific questions regarding job responsibilities, skills, and interpersonal abilities, which can help determine a candidate’s fit within your company culture. Inconsistent feedback from different references may signal potential issues, making it important to gather multiple perspectives. Moreover, background checks complement reference checks by ensuring compliance with legal requirements and mitigating risks associated with undisclosed issues. Aspect Importance Key Questions Qualifications Verifies candidate’s skills What were their key responsibilities? Work Ethic Assesses reliability How did they handle challenges? Fit within Culture Evaluates compatibility How did they interact with the team? Job Offer Presentation The job offer presentation marks a significant juncture in the recruitment selection procedure, as it’s the stage where you formally communicate your decision to the chosen candidate. Collaborating with your hiring team is vital here to guarantee the selected individual aligns with your organization’s goals. A competitive job offer should include the following: Clear job responsibilities Thorough benefits package Insights into company culture Salary details Opportunities for growth Promptly communicating your decision is critical, as delays can cost you top talent. Moreover, offering constructive feedback to unsuccessful candidates during this stage helps maintain a positive employer brand and encourages their future applications. This structured approach guarantees a smooth shift for your new hire. Extending Job Offers and Onboarding When you’ve selected the right candidate for a position, extending a job offer marks a fundamental step in the recruitment process. This involves preparing a formal offer that clearly outlines salary, benefits, job responsibilities, and company culture. Timely communication is imperative; delays can lead to losing interest from top candidates. After extending the offer, make sure the candidate feels welcomed and informed. Onboarding is the next crucial phase, which helps integrate new employees into your organization. A structured onboarding process not solely clarifies their roles but also immerses them in the company culture. Research indicates that effective onboarding can improve employee retention by 82% and boost productivity by over 70%. As a result, investing in a thorough onboarding experience is vital, as it markedly reduces turnover rates and encourages long-term employee engagement. Furthermore, providing constructive feedback to unsuccessful candidates improves your employer brand, positively impacting your reputation in the job market. Continuous Improvement in Recruitment Processes Continuous improvement in recruitment processes is vital for organizations aiming to attract and retain top talent. By continuously monitoring and refining your strategies, you can improve your recruitment outcomes considerably. Here are some important practices to take into account: Track recruitment metrics like application completion rates and time to fill to evaluate effectiveness. Regularly review the technology used in resume screening to reduce bias and promote fairness in candidate evaluations. Implement candidate surveys post-application to gather feedback and improve the recruitment experience. Utilize predictive analytics to identify trends and forecast outcomes, enabling informed decision-making. Focus on continuous improvement initiatives to reduce turnover rates and boost employee performance. Frequently Asked Questions What Is a Selection Process of Recruitment? The selection process of recruitment involves several key stages that systematically evaluate candidates. You start with applications, followed by screening and pre-selection. Next, interviews assess both skills and cultural fit, utilizing structured formats for better reliability. Assessments like tests or simulations may additionally be included to gauge competencies. Finally, the hiring manager makes a decision based on thorough evaluations, and a job offer outlines responsibilities and benefits for the selected candidate. What Are the 7 Steps of the Recruitment Process? The recruitment process typically involves seven key steps. First, you identify the need for a new position. Next, you conduct a job analysis to define roles and responsibilities. Then, you source candidates through various channels. After that, you screen resumes and conduct interviews. Following this, you assess candidates’ skills and fit. Finally, you extend a job offer and facilitate onboarding to integrate the new hire into the organization effectively. What Are the 5 Steps of the Recruitment Process? The recruitment process typically involves five key steps. First, you identify the need for a position. Next, you conduct a job analysis to define roles and qualifications clearly. Then, you source candidates through job postings and networking. After gathering applicants, you screen resumes and shortlist suitable candidates. Finally, you onboard the selected individuals, integrating them into the organization and ensuring they understand their roles and the company culture. What Are the 5 C’s of Recruitment? The 5 C’s of recruitment are vital for effective hiring. First, Competence evaluates a candidate’s skills to guarantee they can fulfill job responsibilities. Next, Culture aligns candidates with your organization’s values, nurturing a harmonious workplace. Character assesses integrity and interpersonal skills, fundamental for team dynamics. Compensation involves offering competitive salaries and benefits to attract top talent. Finally, Communication guarantees clear and transparent interactions throughout the hiring process, enhancing candidate experience and organizational reputation. Conclusion In summary, the recruitment selection procedure is crucial for organizations to find the right talent. By following a systematic approach—starting from job analysis to onboarding—you can improve your hiring efficiency and guarantee candidates fit your company culture. Each step, from sourcing to assessment, plays a critical role in making informed decisions. Continuously refining these processes will not just improve outcomes but likewise help you attract and retain the best candidates for your organization. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "What Is the Recruitment Selection Procedure?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

AI can do incredible things. So far, though, most of those things have been virtual. If you want a killer article for your bichon frise blog or an expertly crafted letter disputing a parking ticket you probably deserve, chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini can deliver that. All those things are locked into the nebulous world of information, though. They’re helpful, but the products of today’s large language models (LLMs) and neural networks aren’t actually doing much of anything. AI’s silicon-bound status, however, is beginning to change. The tech is increasingly invading the real world. 2026 is the year that AI gets physical. And that shift has huge implications for the future of the technology—and for the impact when it fails. Call Me a Robot The change started with cars. The idea of a self-driving car goes back to the 1950s. But the technology always felt like it was decades away. Now it’s here. Robotaxi companies like Waymo and Zoox give more than 450,000 rides per week to paying customers. I ride in Waymo vehicles all the time, and I love calling a robot from an app and having it drive me across town. Self-driving cars finally arrived because of a whole slew of things, including cheap lidar scanners and better batteries. But the rise of deep learning and AI played the most pivotal role. The AI models that power Waymo vehicles are much better at driving than humans. And they can learn and improve on the fly—here in San Francisco where I live, Waymos have gotten more assertive as they’ve learned the roads better. Self-driving AI is getting so good that it’s increasingly able to navigate roads without the need for the fancy (and expensive) sensors you see atop first-generation Waymos. Tesla uses simple cameras, and is getting closer to true self-driving. Fold My Laundry, Siri Self-driving cars are an incredible application of physical AI. But they’re hardly the only one. Driving is a great initial test case for the tech, because it has fairly clear rules and limits. Cars need to stay on the road, recognize red lights, and minimize cat fatalities. Other physical tasks are harder to automate with AI. But they have potentially even bigger upsides. Companies are increasingly pairing artificial intelligence with humanoid robots, teaching the robots’ artificial “brains” about the physical world so they can navigate it capably. The ultimate dream is to put these robots to work. They could perform a wide variety of jobs in factories or warehouses, for example. Generally speaking, current industrial robots need to be specifically built for a single task, but an AI powered one could learn multiple ones—assembling a product and then placing it on a shelf, for example. But AI-powered robots could also fill gaping holes in the human labor market. Caretaking for the elderly is incredibly important as the world gets older on average. Yet finding enough people for caretaking roles is nearly impossible. Especially in countries like Japan, robots are beginning to fill the gaps. Dexterous, AI-powered robots may soon work well enough for tasks like doing dishes, folding laundry, or even cooking to be automated. These robot companions could help elderly people live on their own more independently. With advanced LLMs, they could even form relationships with their real-world charges, helping with loneliness or reminding a person with memory challenges to take their meds on schedule. The Parable of the Raunchy Bear Of course, all of this comes with risks. When an LLM hallucinates in a virtual space, it’s annoying but rarely damaging. If your ChatGPT-generated recipe for meatballs sucks, you probably won’t die. And if the chatbot writing your blog post confuses a bichon for a poodle, your dog will be very angry with you, but otherwise the consequences are minor. Physical AI is different. Clearly, if Waymo’s technology goes awry, it could accidentally steer a 5,000-pound object into a building or a bystander. And you’ve read enough science fiction that I don’t need to remind you about robot uprisings. Many of these risks are well understood, though, and thus well controlled. Power outages aside, Waymos rarely run into serious challenges on the road, and industrial robots rarely injure people. The bigger risks start to creep in when AI is applied haphazardly to the physical world without a lot of oversight or planning. As physical AI expands and LLMs get cheaper, this will happen more often. Take the case of an AI teddy bear with a built-in LLM. It was supposed to chat with kids, and perhaps read them bedtime stories. Instead, it started instructing them on BDSM and other raunchy topics, as well as how to pop pills and where to find knives. The bear was quickly pulled from the market. But the lesson is clear: Unlike traditional computer code, LLMs are nondeterministic—you can’t predict their outputs from the inputs you feed them. In 2026 and beyond, this will mean cars that avoid accidents better than human drivers, robots that can easily learn work they’ve never done before, and AI embedded in physical systems (like power and utility grids) that can instantly respond to damage or outages. But it will also mean lots of failures—and perhaps a few catastrophic ones. LLMs’ unpredictability is their power. But as AI gets physical, that unpredictability will also lead to a faster, less tractable, more chaotic world. View the full article

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Roughly one out of three Americans has a side hustle—and that number is expected to increase in 2026, something that’s driving a shift in the modern working world. Many of those with a side business are just looking for a little extra income, but roughly one in five are hoping to make their side hustle into a full-time business. Those who are entrepreneurially minded will want to chose a side business that has the potential to scale. Here are some fields that are showing a lot of promise for 2026. Consulting and online courses No matter what field you’ve worked in, your wisdom could be lucrative via a consulting business. Firm up your résumé, highlighting achievements such as successful campaigns or large-scale product launches, to help as you pitch potential clients. Have some former co-workers you worked well with? Consider recruiting them and launching an agency. “Companies want seasoned counsel without the overhead, and senior talent wants more control over how they work,” Brooke Kruger, founder and CEO of top communications search firm KC Partners, told Inc. in December. You can also turn your expertise into online educational content. The e-learning market reached $314 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $615 billion by 2029. Skilled-trade business AI is threatening millions of white-collar jobs in the coming years—and some of those displaced people won’t be able to quickly find work. But AI can’t fix a sink. Nor can it build a deck or install an air-conditioning unit. Rates for this specialized work run as high as $300 per hour. Skilled-trade businesses are a hot field right now for entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA). ETA involves buying an established business (usually from baby boomers looking to retire), which gives the new owners existing revenue, customers, and infrastructure. New owners then streamline, scale, and modernize the business, boosting profits. Dropshipping E-commerce had one of the largest revenue growth rates of any industry in recent years, according to a study by McKinsey, jumping from $15 billion in 2005 to more than $1 trillion in 2023. Dropshipping is a side business that can act as an on-ramp into that field. You set up an online store, and find a third-party supplier to manufacture and ship the product to the customer, freeing you from having to worry about things like storage, fulfillment, or up-front production costs. Your focus will be on creative and marketing. In the past year, tariffs and the end of the de minimis exemption have made business more challenging for drop shippers who work with manufacturers and warehouses overseas, but there are many U.S.-based drop shippers. Mobile car washing The service industry has shown resilience amid the economic volatility of the past year—and a growing number of people are looking to have the car wash come to them. A forecast by Future Market Insights predicts the global market for mobile car wash service businesses will grow to just under $283 billion by 2035. That’s more than double the $126 billion the businesses are expected to bring in this year. It’s a low-barrier, high-demand opportunity with flexible hours and low overhead. The density of competition in your local market will help you decide the appropriate rate to charge customers, but national averages range from $40 for a basic wash to more than $350 for a full detail. Localize businesses The past several years have illustrated the fragility of global supply chains. Tariffs have disrupted some shipments and made many products much more expensive. That could be an opportunity for the right entrepreneur. If you’re dialed into local suppliers in your area, consider starting a side business as a facilitator. It’s a matchmaker-like role. You help connect suppliers with retailers and other businesses, localizing their inventory and lowering the risk they face from shipping or manufacturing hiccups, collecting a commission on each deal. You’ll need strong communication, listening, and networking skills. You’ll also have to have or quickly learn marketing skills to promote the benefits of your services. —Chris Morris This article originally appeared on Fast Company’s sister publication, Inc. Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy. View the full article

When New York-based Autumn Myers, 31, was interviewing for her current digital marketing job, she pushed back the interview date so it didn’t fall during Mercury retrograde. “Those jobs have always ended up in more grief for me,” she tells Fast Company. Myers also looks up her colleagues’ zodiac signs to guide her interactions with them. For example: People born under fire signs often thrive in leadership roles, but they can struggle with impulsiveness. Earth signs tend to be more dependable, but they can be risk-averse. “It’s very Scorpio of me to be that calculated,” she admits. “But it’s needed sometimes.” Myers isn’t alone. According to a 2024 Harris Poll of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, some 70% say they either “somewhat” or “strongly” believe in astrology, with 69% of millennials turning to it for comfort and confidence during challenging moments. It’s also a massive global business. According to industry reports, the astrology industry will top $22 billion by 2031. Whether it’s Dior’s zodiac-themed line, astrology influencers posting videos to huge audiences on TikTok, or audio streamers like Spotify curating playlists based on your zodiac sign, the millennia-old belief system has continued to become more and more mainstream over the past few years, especially among millennials and Gen Zers. The Co-Star app, which uses AI to combine NASA data with the predictions of professional astrologers, has over 30 million global users. There are work-focused astrology tools, too, like Bizmos, a “project management tool with the ability to forecast the optimal month, week, or day for completing certain tasks and achieving goals.” And more than 6 million videos can be found under TikTok’s astrology hashtag. “It’s kind of hard to ignore astrology when everyone’s talking about it,” Myers says. In times of economic uncertainty, political turmoil, and a tumultuous job market—layoffs hit record highs last year—it’s no surprise that people are seeking comfort and advice from farther afield. And since we’re talking about things that involve light-years . . . perhaps the farthest afield. Personalized goal-setting According to a 2025 survey of 2,000 Gen Zers by writing platform EduBirdie, 27% of Gen Z men and 16% of Gen Z women say they let the universe choose their career path. But folks have been consulting the heavens long before today’s zoomers at work. The practice of astrology originated in ancient Mesopotamia in the second millennium B.C. A widely accepted subject taught at universities during the Middle Ages, astrology was closely intertwined with sciences like astronomy, medicine, and philosophy. That all stopped around the 1700s during the Scientific Revolution, and despite a resurgence during the New Age movement in the 1970s, many dismiss astrology as magical thinking or frivolous woo-woo. At its core, astrology holds that celestial events in the cosmos reflect what happens on Earth. Some believe that the actual transits of planets and positioning of stars directly influence our lives; others simply use astrology as an invitation to spot archetypal patterns in their lives, and then apply those lessons in productive ways. For example, in need of inspiration? See where Aquarius shows up in your birth chart—the sign most associated with innovation. That’s the area of life where you can naturally think outside the box, astrology holds. Brand strategist Giselle La Pompe-Moore, 36, checks what astrological season we’re in every month to guide her work and how she interacts with customers. During Sagittarius season (November 22 to December 21), she’ll focus on broader strategies and larger frameworks to do with her business, since Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the planet tied to expansion and progress. Or she’ll consult her birth chart for hints about her personality and life themes. At the time of her birth, multiple planets were in Capricorn’s region of the sky; since Capricorn’s archetype is about structure and discipline, she takes this as a guide on the optimal way she should approach her long-term goals. “I think business advice often sticks to the business as this entity. It kind of forgets that the business is run by a person,” La Pompe-Moore says. “Astrology really speaks to that.” A way to work that feels “more natural” Many proponents will say that astrology is most useful as a spiritual framework, not a crystal ball that predicts the future. They say that astrology helps us to navigate emotional challenges and relationships, and to find greater balance in our lives. Jessica Maniatis, 44, consults the stars in her work as a coach to founders of small to scaling businesses. She creates reports that include clients’ birth charts, and also brings in other self-discovery tools, like the Enneagram, which attempts to outline people’s core fears and defense mechanisms. “The first half of the report is a breakdown of their charts, and the second half—and this is a 100-plus-page report—is really how they all overlay,” Maniatis explains. From there, she offers clients insights into the best ways to approach issues, from decision-making to self-regulation. “What I’ve seen with my clients is that none of this information is necessarily new—they’re seeing themselves reflected back to them,” she says. “It almost gives them permission to approach life and work in a way that feels much more natural to them.” For the corporate lawyer who posts anonymously on TikTok under the handle @astrologybro, astrology didn’t tell him to go into law. “But it can help you understand your individuality and your strengths and weaknesses,” he says, which “can give you a richer domain of reflection.” He explains that astrology’s use lies in prompting oneself to ask certain questions—in his case: “What would I like to do, and how does being a lawyer contribute or not contribute to that?” Rachel Ruth Tate, a full-time consulting astrologer, also finds astrology a neutral, shorthand language for patterns or behavior that may otherwise be trickier to identify and articulate on your own. For example, if you’re a hotheaded, blunt communicator, an astrologer might invite you to see where Mars (the planet of drive and anger) shows up in your chart. From there, you can spend time introspecting how that fiery energy shows up in your behavior and life—in good ways and bad. Those who get it, get it: “Me saying that you have a moon in Capricorn is easier than me telling you you’ll often work yourself into a corner because you’re a workaholic,” Tate tells Fast Company. Utilizing a “flexible language” for decisions For nonbelievers, astrology is written off as a pseudoscience or sometimes an outright moneymaking scam. But instead of debating whether or not it’s “real,” it’s perhaps more useful to consider what its widespread appeal says about modern life, says Shiri Noy, associate professor of sociology at Denison University in Ohio. Noy was a coauthor on a study about astrology’s contemporary uses, which was published last year in Social Currents, the official peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Sociological Society. “Astrology’s popularity reflects a broader moment of social, economic, and political uncertainty,” Noy tells Fast Company. Nowadays, “traditional sources of authority—religion, institutions, expertise—feel less stable or less trusted,” she says. Research has shown that people are more likely to be drawn to divinatory practices in times of uncertainty—something there’s no short order of in 2026. “For many users, astrology isn’t about believing the stars control their fate,” Noy says. “Instead, it operates as a flexible language for thinking about identity, relationships, timing, and choices—similar to personality tests or therapeutic frameworks.” Astrological charts are typically open to interpretation, and are highly individualized. As any astrologer will tell you, no two Geminis or Leos are the same. “People are obsessed with being one sign or another, because it’s easy to attach an identity to that,” says Scarlett Woodford, 37, founder of a PR agency for brands who wish to be guided by divine or cosmic timing. For example, Leos are often stereotyped as relishing in the spotlight—but depending on what else is in your chart, you might not instantly relate to being the center of attention and find that your Leo energy shows up in less obvious ways. “It’s definitely worth seeing the bigger picture,” Woodford says. Finding the perfect job “I think millennials as a generation [are] more open to seeking alternative ways of understanding their place in the universe,” says Chris Brennan, professional astrologer and host of The Astrology Podcast, which has more than 250,000 subscribers on YouTube. He says they’re also more likely to “take advantage of any available tools that might help them to navigate the world during these increasingly uncertain times.” In a time of shifting workplace norms—where remote work and portfolio careers are increasingly common, and the traditional career ladder shakier than ever—workers have never had more agency over how they choose to work. For some, especially younger folks like Gen Zers and millennials, consulting the stars is part of that path. Content creator Amelie Polk says, “To find your optimal career, you’ll want to look into your​ whole chart: mainly the Midheaven, North Node, Saturn sign, and second house.” That might sound like a foreign language to laypeople. But astrology fans say using the bevy of online astrology tools and apps out there to dive into your birth chart, and spot patterns or invite self-questioning, might trigger certain intuitive “aha” moments. For instance, depending on which planets were in which location at the time of your birth, that could help determine whether you’d benefit from a nurturing, slower-paced work environment or a faster, more competitive one. “This career is gonna be good for you. This career won’t work for you,” Polk says. “This will burn you out. This won’t.” Don’t just take an astrologer’s word for it: Famous businesspeople and politicians have been rumored to credit astrology with some of their success. As J.P. Morgan famously did—or didn’t—say: “Millionaires don’t use astrology. Billionaires do.” Or as one former aide told The New York Times, look to President Ronald Reagan reportedly timing the announcement of his reelection campaign after consulting astrological signs. For Myers, she’s also used astrology to guide her decision-making at work. After paying closer attention to her birth chart, she made the decision to step down from her role as director at her company to be a senior strategist. “I realized I don’t want to be climbing the corporate ladder,” she says. Understanding astrological patterns has, in many ways, regulated Myers’ nervous system at work, too: “New York is an intense city, and advertising can be an intense field,” she says. But, she adds, astrology provides perspective. “Astrology has actually made me feel more like—it’s not that deep.” View the full article

As AI takes on more analytical and operational decision-making, the leaders who will stand out are those who can do what machines can’t: read emotional cues, build trust, and inspire teams to act. In this new landscape, emotional intelligence is more than a soft skill. It’s becoming the core differentiator of effective leadership. I once advised a CEO whose metrics looked flawless. Revenue was rising, costs were under control, and the company was steadily gaining market share. Yet during their board review, the room was uncomfortably quiet. “The results are fine,” one board director finally admitted. “But people don’t trust him anymore.” Spreadsheets might tell you if targets are met, but not whether teams are aligned, engaged, or on the verge of burnout. Emotional intelligence—understanding your impact, reading others, and managing human dynamics—is no longer a soft skill. It’s the strategic edge that separates leaders who can sustain success from those whose results plateau. Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Edge That AI Can’t Imitate Artificial intelligence can process mountains of data and surface recommendations. But it can’t read a room, detect unspoken tension, or inspire the extra effort people give when they feel seen and understood. Leaders who master emotional intelligence can turn insight into action by aligning teams, building trust, and keeping people motivated when uncertainty hits. Emotional intelligence isn’t about being nice. It’s about mastering awareness and influence. It means recognizing how your words land, sensing team dynamics in real time, and regulating your own responses to lead with clarity. And boards are paying attention. Across industries, board directors are quietly redefining what effective leadership looks like. Beyond the numbers, they’re now asking whether a CEO can: Create psychological safety that fuels innovation Stay composed when the stakes are high Leads teams through ambiguity without losing alignment Leaders who demonstrate emotional intelligence make better decisions, communicate more effectively, and retain top talent, even during disruption. In other words, emotional intelligence is no longer a personality trait. It’s a strategic asset. Practical Ways to Cultivate Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence isn’t innate. It’s a skill developed through self-awareness, reflection, and consistent effort. The most effective leaders I advise understand this. And they work at it with intention. Audit your emotional impact. After meetings or key interactions, ask trusted peers: “How did my tone land?” or “What signals might I have sent unintentionally?” These quick debriefs help surface blind spots. Even small shifts in tone, body language, or word choice can significantly improve how your message is received and strengthen alignment across your team. Pause before interpreting emotion. When tensions rise or signals seem unclear, take a step back and ask yourself: “What is this person really trying to communicate?” Approaching emotions with curiosity rather than assumption helps you defuse potential conflict and uncover the needs or concerns beneath the surface. Separate intensity from clarity. High-stakes moments often come with heightened emotions. But urgency doesn’t require volume. Communicating calmly, even when the stakes are high, improves your ability to be heard and understood. It also sets the tone for more thoughtful, grounded responses from others. Practice dual awareness. Emotional intelligence means tuning into both the external dynamics of a situation and your own internal reactions. By observing what’s happening both in the room and within yourself, you can respond more intentionally. Build emotionally diverse teams. Surround yourself with people who are attuned to different emotional cues, i.e., those who pick up on what you might overlook. Their insight is a strategic advantage that deepens your perspective and strengthens team decision-making. Leading in the Age of AI AI is taking over many tasks once seen as markers of intelligence, including things like speed, recall, and analytical precision. What remains squarely in the hands of leaders are the uniquely human capabilities: judgment, empathy, and the skill to translate complexity into clarity. Leadership today means making sense of ambiguity, anchoring teams in shared purpose, and sustaining trust over time. Those who excel lead alongside AI, using emotional intelligence to turn insight into action. The most effective leaders of the next decade won’t be those who know the most, but those who see the most in themselves, their teams, and the emotional terrain they navigate daily. Because emotional intelligence isn’t a luxury. It is the infrastructure of effective leadership. View the full article

This post was sponsored by Ahrefs. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. If you’ve ever run into the limits of solo AI or manual SEO tools, this article is for you. AI on its own can write and suggest ideas, but without reliable data to anchor those suggestions, it can miss the mark. On the other hand, traditional SEO dashboards are powerful – yet slow and siloed. The emerging sweet spot? Connecting AI to real, live SEO data so you can ask natural language questions and get deep answers fast. Ahrefs Uses Its Own MCP Server […] The post Using AI For SEO Can Fail Without Real Data (& How Ahrefs Fixes It) appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Isaac, 33, has been a mid-level software development engineer at a Big Tech firm for four years, and noticed entry-level job postings dropping at his workplace at the start of 2025. The work, however, didn’t vanish with them. Tasks once handled by junior engineers—like writing and testing code, fixing bugs, and contributing to development projects—were absorbed by senior staff, often with the assumption that AI would make up the difference. And while AI has sped up the velocity of shipping code and features, there are fewer people to do tasks like designing, testing, and working with stakeholders, which AI has zero grasp on. The cracks have been hard to ignore. “Seniors are burning out, and when they leave, there’s no rush to replace them, because ‘the AI will do it’!” Isaac says. Worried that he’ll become the next strung-out senior, he’s looking for his exit, ideally at a smaller tech firm. (Isaac spoke to Fast Company under a pseudonym to avoid possible retaliation.) The shift is striking, given how recently corporate America was courting Gen Z with fanatic fervor. Organizations raced to prove they understood younger employees. They flooded LinkedIn with thought leadership on the multigenerational workplace of the future, and retooled benefits programs to include wellness stipends and mental health days. Reverse mentorship programs, through which younger employees share knowledge and perspectives with more senior colleagues—touted by companies like Target, Accenture, and PwC—promised to give junior employees a voice in shaping culture and strategy. Some firms even brought Gen Z voices into the boardroom. Yet now, in the case of firms like Isaac’s, entry-level workers, once heralded as essential to innovation and growth, are struggling to get a toe—let alone a foot—in the door. Internships, starter jobs, and junior roles, the indispensable on-ramps to white-collar careers, have been evaporating for several years due to cost pressures and post-pandemic belt-tightening. Since 2023, entry-level job postings in the U.S. have sunk 35%, according to labor research firm Revelio Labs. The advent of AI is accelerating the entry-level apocalypse. Two-fifths of global leaders revealed that entry-level roles have already been reduced or cut due to efficiencies made by AI conducting research, admin, and briefing tasks, and 43% expect this to happen in the next year. “While there’s steady hiring or even growth in the skilled trades, we’re seeing entry-level vacancies fall significantly in tech and customer service and sales roles,” says Mona Mourshed, founder of the workplace development nonprofit Generation. “Being in the business of training and placing people into entry-level roles, we find it deeply concerning.” Graduates are clearly not okay—but neither are the companies that decided they could do without them. AI at work: the supercar with no driver The logic was seductive in its simplicity. Cut costs, move faster, shrink training budgets, let AI and a leaner workforce handle the rest. In reality, it’s producing something else entirely: flattened teams with little agency, endless cycles of rework, and exhausted senior employees juggling all task levels at once. One redditor who posted about how their company has stopped hiring entry-level engineers, received hundreds of other responses as others chiming in with similar stories. One commenter noted: “Not sure what the plan will be after the knowledge transfer is over.” Isaac has watched this dynamic unfold firsthand. Leaders at his company see AI as a force multiplier, and are fixated on shipping features quickly. Isaac can see their point: “[AI] can straight up write better, faster, more legible code than most developers,” he admits. However, he points out, “any seasoned engineer knows the hard part isn’t writing the code, it’s the design and testing.” Yet, there’s far fewer people to delegate this work to, so senior developers are left to do this on their own. Compounding the problem is the fact that AI doesn’t understand the problem it’s meant to solve. Left unchecked, it can go rogue. Isaac recalls multiple instances of chatbots deleting production stacks—unprompted—because they couldn’t figure out how to solve an issue. “Without an expert who knows how to prompt and guide it, AI is just a supercar with no driver,” he says. The team has seen their workload steadily increase in line with automation, so the time savings it creates have had little impact. Many seniors have checked out, with several burned out engineers signed off for medical leave. Research from the project management platform Asana underscores this growing “efficiency illusion.” While 77% of workers are already using AI agents and expect to hand more off to them in the next year, nearly two-thirds say the tools are unreliable, and more than half say agents confidently produce incorrect or misleading information. The result is time down the drain: a U.S. study found that employees are spending an extra 4.5 hours a week fixing AI workslop. “AI can make work look faster on the surface, but it can also create a lot of cleanup work—double-checking outputs, correcting errors, and redoing steps that were based on faulty information,” Mark Hoffman, Asana’s Work Innovation Lead, tells Fast Company. When something goes wrong, accountability is murky, he adds, and the responsibility often falls back on the employee to catch errors, explain outcomes, and manage the risk. It’s driving up already record-high levels of burnout; 77% of knowledge workers say their workloads are unmanageable, and 84% are digitally exhausted. When errors slip through, the consequences are costly and embarrassing. Three-quarters of Americans report at least one negative consequence from poor AI outputs, including work rejected by stakeholders (28%), security incidents (27%), and customer complaints (25%). In October, Deloitte was forced to refund the Australian Department of Employment and Workplace Relations after a report was found to contain AI hallucinations and workslop. In the past, newbie consultants would have handled tasks such as this. However, notably, Deloitte cut its graduate cohort by 18% and slashed hundreds of early-career roles earlier that summer. The demographic time bomb Not only are workloads increasing, by hollowing out their junior ranks, businesses are putting themselves squarely in the path of a slow-burning demographic time bomb as seniors begin to retire in record numbers. From 2024 to 2032, 18.4 million experienced workers age 55 to 64 with postsecondary education are expected to retire, but only 13.8 million younger workers (currently age 16 to 24) are entering with equivalent qualifications. Even in an AI-powered economy, where certain jobs will be automated, companies still need humans with judgment-, context-, institutional-, and sector-specific insight. Yet plenty are making moves—at least for today—to wipe out the training ground that turns beginners into experts. “There won’t be an endless supply of experienced hires to fall back on, so everyone will be fighting for the limited, increasingly expensive talent with domain expertise,” says Cali Williams Yost, futurist and founder of flexible-work consulting firm Flex+Strategy Group. “Companies have maybe five years to train younger workers to take over and gain the niche knowledge, so AI has something to augment.” Moe Hutt, an entry-level recruitment marketing expert and director of consulting at recruitment marketing agency HireClix, has watched clients scale back or abandon entry-level hiring, citing AI-aided workflows and economic uncertainty. Hutt points to the less visible fallout within organizations beyond damaging the talent pipeline. “It’s human nature to want to help,” she says. “When there’s no release valve of training juniors, it creates friction everywhere.” For middle and senior management, delegating, teaching, and watching someone grow is a reward for the experience. Research consistently shows that sharing knowledge and mentoring improves motivation, boosts psychological well-being, and reduces burnout among experienced employees. With no one to train or teach, disengagement spreads, eroding a workforce where most people have already checked out. Being AI-savvy and being prepared for the demographic cliff aren’t mutually exclusive. Organizations can build pro-worker environments where employees are augmented with AI, without hollowing out their future talent pipelines. PwC—admittedly, another firm which has been open about its cuts to entry-level recruiting, at least in the U.K.—is experimenting with what that balance could look like by training junior accountants to become managers of AI. Entry-level employees gain early exposure to leadership and accountability, while the firm builds a cache of managers that are fluent in both human judgment and machine output. It’s proof that efficiency and succession planning can coexist. This matters because disappearing entry-level jobs aren’t just a problem for the corporate workforce—it will be a societal crisis, too. A functioning society depends on younger generations steadily taking over from older ones. AI might be able to write the code, but without people trained to guide it, question it, and eventually replace their elders, there will be no one left to keep the lights on. View the full article

To succeed in social media marketing, you need to implement key strategies that can improve your brand’s visibility and engagement. Start by clearly defining your goals using the SMART framework, as this sets a solid foundation. Next, comprehending your audience and selecting the right platforms guarantees your content reaches the right people. Each of these strategies plays a vital role in driving performance, but how do they interconnect and impact your overall approach? Key Takeaways Define clear social media goals using the SMART framework to track progress and increase brand awareness effectively. Understand your target audience by analyzing demographics and utilizing buyer personas for personalized content. Create engaging, authentic content through visual storytelling and user-generated content to build trust and connection. Implement a consistent posting schedule to maintain audience engagement and boost brand recall significantly. Adapt strategies based on analytics and audience feedback to stay relevant and enhance overall engagement. Define Your Social Media Goals When you define your social media goals, it’s essential to use the SMART framework, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This approach guarantees your social media marketing strategy is focused and effective. For instance, aiming for a 20% increase in brand awareness through targeted campaigns within six months gives you a clear benchmark. Furthermore, setting a goal of generating 100 new leads per month allows you to measure the effectiveness of your engagement strategies. Establishing a consistent posting schedule of 3-5 posts weekly on platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn can improve visibility. Regularly revisiting your goals based on performance metrics guarantees alignment with your evolving business objectives, keeping your strategy relevant and on track. Understand Your Target Audience Comprehending your target audience is crucial for crafting effective social media marketing strategies. To truly understand your target audience, start by identifying key demographics like age, gender, location, and income. This allows you to customize your messaging to resonate with specific groups. Utilize analytics tools from social media platforms to gain insights into audience behavior and preferences, informing your content strategy. Developing buyer personas based on these insights humanizes your audience and guarantees your content remains relevant. Moreover, implementing social listening tools helps monitor audience sentiment and feedback, enabling real-time adjustments to your strategies. Research shows that brands that accurately understand their target audience experience higher engagement rates, with personalized content generating up to six times more interactions. Choose the Right Social Media Platforms Selecting the appropriate social media platforms is crucial for reaching your target audience effectively. By comprehending audience demographics and analyzing engagement trends, you can choose platforms that align with your business goals and improve interaction. Concentrating on one or two platforms not just enhances content quality but furthermore maximizes your marketing team’s efforts. Understand Audience Demographics Comprehending audience demographics plays a crucial role in selecting the right social media platforms for your marketing strategy. To effectively reach your target audience, you must understand audience demographics, as each platform attracts distinct age groups. For instance, 60% of TikTok users are aged 16-24, making it ideal for brands targeting younger consumers. Conversely, LinkedIn caters primarily to professionals aged 25-54. Research indicates that 84% of adults aged 18-29 use Instagram, whereas Facebook remains popular among adults aged 30-49, with 77% actively engaging. Furthermore, 50% of users on X (formerly Twitter) are under 30, highlighting their preference for real-time updates. Analyze Platform Engagement Trends With a solid comprehension of your audience demographics, the next step involves analyzing platform engagement trends to select the most effective social media channels for your marketing efforts. Different social media platforms for marketing attract distinct demographics and behaviors. For instance, TikTok and Instagram mainly engage younger audiences, whereas LinkedIn is favored by professionals aged 30 and above. Consider these factors when analyzing platforms: Facebook remains the most widely used, with over 2.9 billion active users. Instagram is vital for visual content, with 60% of users discovering new products. Tweets have a short lifespan of 18 minutes, whereas Facebook posts can engage for days. Engaging where your audience actively participates is critical for brand recommendations. Align Goals With Platforms Aligning your marketing goals with the right social media platforms is essential for maximizing your brand’s impact. Each platform serves distinct demographics; for instance, TikTok and Instagram are preferred by younger users, whereas LinkedIn caters to professionals. Comprehending where your target audience spends their time online improves your marketing strategy using social media. Research shows that 75% of users like to connect with brands on familiar platforms. Furthermore, content preferences vary; Instagram and TikTok thrive on dynamic visuals, whereas LinkedIn focuses on informative content. By aligning your business goals with the strengths of each platform, you can effectively engage your audience. For example, using TikTok for brand awareness can yield better results than LinkedIn because of higher engagement rates. Create Engaging and Authentic Content Creating engaging and authentic content is vital for connecting with your audience. Utilizing visual storytelling techniques can help convey your brand message more effectively, whereas incorporating user-generated content adds credibility and promotes community. Visual Storytelling Techniques Visual storytelling techniques play a crucial role in crafting engaging and authentic content for social media marketing. By leveraging compelling images and videos, you can effectively convey your brand narrative. Studies show that content with visuals receives 94% more views than text-only posts. To maximize the impact of your visual storytelling, consider these strategies: Use short-form videos, like those on Instagram Reels and TikTok, to drive engagement. Maintain a consistent visual style across all platforms to improve brand recognition. Implement character-driven narratives or relatable scenarios to create emotional connections. Incorporate user-generated content to promote authenticity and trust with your audience. User-Generated Content Value Many brands are discovering the significant value of user-generated content (UGC) in their social media marketing efforts. UGC can elevate engagement by up to 28%, nurturing community and authenticity. With 79% of consumers influenced by UGC in their purchasing decisions, it’s an influential tool for driving conversions. Brands utilizing UGC see a 4.5% higher conversion rate compared to those that don’t. By featuring customer photos and testimonials, you strengthen trust and connection with your audience. Plus, leveraging audience creativity reduces content creation costs, making your marketing campaigns more cost-effective. Here’s a quick look at UGC benefits: Benefit Impact Increased Engagement Up to 28% Influence on Purchases 79% of consumers Higher Conversion Rates 4.5% increase Cost-Effective Marketing Reduced content costs Trend Integration Strategies Incorporating user-generated content improves your social media strategy, allowing you to tap into current trends effectively. By focusing on engaging and authentic content, you can use various social media marketing techniques to capture your audience’s attention. Here are some strategies to reflect on: Leverage short-form videos, as they dominate engagement on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Use storytelling techniques to convey brand messages and cultivate emotional connections. Integrate trending topics and hashtags to increase your content’s visibility and relevance. Prioritize high-quality visuals and concise messaging to boost clicks and interactions. Implementing these strategies will help you create content that resonates with your audience as you stay relevant in the continuously changing social media environment. Implement a Consistent Posting Schedule When you implement a consistent posting schedule, you’re not just filling your social media feeds; you’re actively engaging your audience and improving your brand’s visibility. Research shows that maintaining this schedule can increase audience engagement by up to 30%. Aim to post on Instagram 3-7 times a week and on Twitter 1-2 times daily to maximize interaction. A content calendar can streamline your efforts, ensuring even distribution of posts that align with your social media marketing plan. Consistency keeps your audience interested, enhancing brand recall by 70%. Brands that post regularly see a 50% increase in follower growth. By establishing a routine, you boost your overall reach and create a stronger connection with your audience. Analyze Performance Metrics Regularly Analyzing performance metrics regularly is essential for comprehending your social media impact, as it helps you identify which content resonates most with your audience. By utilizing built-in analytics tools, you can gather insights that refine your social media marketing approach. Focus on these key aspects: Engagement rates: Measure interactions to gauge interest. Reach: Assess how many people see your posts. Conversion rates: Track actions taken after engagement. A/B testing: Experiment with different content and posting times. Regularly tracking these performance metrics allows you to align your strategies with audience preferences, ensuring your efforts yield the best return on investment. Adapt and Evolve Your Strategy Adapting and evolving your social media strategy is crucial for maintaining relevance in a swiftly changing digital environment. To effectively adapt and evolve your strategy, continuously monitor social media trends, like the rise of short-form videos, to align your content with audience preferences. Utilize analytics tools to assess engagement and performance, allowing for real-time, data-driven adjustments. Regularly review competitor strategies and audience sentiment through social listening tools to identify improvement opportunities. Be flexible in experimenting with new platforms and features, such as TikTok trends or Instagram updates. Finally, guarantee your online marketing strategies align with changing consumer needs by soliciting direct feedback through polls and interactive content, enabling you to stay relevant and capture your target audience’s interest. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 7 P’s of Social Media Marketing? The 7 P’s of social media marketing are Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, and Physical Evidence. You need to focus on your product’s unique features, set competitive prices, and choose platforms where your audience interacts the most. Promotion strategies should highlight your product’s value through ads or influencers. Furthermore, consider the people involved, streamline processes for engagement, and provide physical evidence, like testimonials, to improve your brand’s credibility and presence. What Is the 5 5 5 Rule on Social Media? The 5 5 5 Rule on social media suggests you share five pieces of your own content, curate five pieces from others, and promote five items. This balanced approach guarantees you provide value while preventing your audience from feeling overwhelmed by constant promotions. What Is the Best Strategy for Social Media Marketing? The best strategy for social media marketing involves setting clear SMART goals, comprehending your target audience, and customizing content for each platform. You need to maintain consistent posting and messaging to build trust with your followers. Utilize analytics tools to track performance metrics like engagement and conversions, allowing for data-driven adjustments. Finally, engaging directly with your audience nurtures a community, enhancing loyalty and encouraging organic growth. Consistency and adaptability are key components of success. What Are the 4 Key Marketing Strategies? To effectively market, you should focus on four key strategies: first, identify your target audience to tailor your messaging; second, create high-quality content that captivates and aligns with platform norms; third, utilize analytics to track performance metrics and inform adjustments; and finally, guarantee consistent branding across all channels to build trust. These strategies collectively improve engagement, optimize outreach, and cultivate stronger relationships with your audience, leading to better overall results. Conclusion In summary, implementing these seven strategies can greatly improve your social media marketing efforts. By defining clear goals, comprehending your audience, and creating authentic content, you can effectively engage with your followers. Maintaining a consistent posting schedule and regularly analyzing performance metrics will keep your strategy aligned with audience preferences. As you adapt and evolve based on feedback, you’ll not just build brand awareness but additionally strengthen your connection with your audience, eventually driving better results. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "7 Key Strategies for Social Media Marketing Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

To succeed in social media marketing, you need to implement key strategies that can improve your brand’s visibility and engagement. Start by clearly defining your goals using the SMART framework, as this sets a solid foundation. Next, comprehending your audience and selecting the right platforms guarantees your content reaches the right people. Each of these strategies plays a vital role in driving performance, but how do they interconnect and impact your overall approach? Key Takeaways Define clear social media goals using the SMART framework to track progress and increase brand awareness effectively. Understand your target audience by analyzing demographics and utilizing buyer personas for personalized content. Create engaging, authentic content through visual storytelling and user-generated content to build trust and connection. Implement a consistent posting schedule to maintain audience engagement and boost brand recall significantly. Adapt strategies based on analytics and audience feedback to stay relevant and enhance overall engagement. Define Your Social Media Goals When you define your social media goals, it’s essential to use the SMART framework, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This approach guarantees your social media marketing strategy is focused and effective. For instance, aiming for a 20% increase in brand awareness through targeted campaigns within six months gives you a clear benchmark. Furthermore, setting a goal of generating 100 new leads per month allows you to measure the effectiveness of your engagement strategies. Establishing a consistent posting schedule of 3-5 posts weekly on platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn can improve visibility. Regularly revisiting your goals based on performance metrics guarantees alignment with your evolving business objectives, keeping your strategy relevant and on track. Understand Your Target Audience Comprehending your target audience is crucial for crafting effective social media marketing strategies. To truly understand your target audience, start by identifying key demographics like age, gender, location, and income. This allows you to customize your messaging to resonate with specific groups. Utilize analytics tools from social media platforms to gain insights into audience behavior and preferences, informing your content strategy. Developing buyer personas based on these insights humanizes your audience and guarantees your content remains relevant. Moreover, implementing social listening tools helps monitor audience sentiment and feedback, enabling real-time adjustments to your strategies. Research shows that brands that accurately understand their target audience experience higher engagement rates, with personalized content generating up to six times more interactions. Choose the Right Social Media Platforms Selecting the appropriate social media platforms is crucial for reaching your target audience effectively. By comprehending audience demographics and analyzing engagement trends, you can choose platforms that align with your business goals and improve interaction. Concentrating on one or two platforms not just enhances content quality but furthermore maximizes your marketing team’s efforts. Understand Audience Demographics Comprehending audience demographics plays a crucial role in selecting the right social media platforms for your marketing strategy. To effectively reach your target audience, you must understand audience demographics, as each platform attracts distinct age groups. For instance, 60% of TikTok users are aged 16-24, making it ideal for brands targeting younger consumers. Conversely, LinkedIn caters primarily to professionals aged 25-54. Research indicates that 84% of adults aged 18-29 use Instagram, whereas Facebook remains popular among adults aged 30-49, with 77% actively engaging. Furthermore, 50% of users on X (formerly Twitter) are under 30, highlighting their preference for real-time updates. Analyze Platform Engagement Trends With a solid comprehension of your audience demographics, the next step involves analyzing platform engagement trends to select the most effective social media channels for your marketing efforts. Different social media platforms for marketing attract distinct demographics and behaviors. For instance, TikTok and Instagram mainly engage younger audiences, whereas LinkedIn is favored by professionals aged 30 and above. Consider these factors when analyzing platforms: Facebook remains the most widely used, with over 2.9 billion active users. Instagram is vital for visual content, with 60% of users discovering new products. Tweets have a short lifespan of 18 minutes, whereas Facebook posts can engage for days. Engaging where your audience actively participates is critical for brand recommendations. Align Goals With Platforms Aligning your marketing goals with the right social media platforms is essential for maximizing your brand’s impact. Each platform serves distinct demographics; for instance, TikTok and Instagram are preferred by younger users, whereas LinkedIn caters to professionals. Comprehending where your target audience spends their time online improves your marketing strategy using social media. Research shows that 75% of users like to connect with brands on familiar platforms. Furthermore, content preferences vary; Instagram and TikTok thrive on dynamic visuals, whereas LinkedIn focuses on informative content. By aligning your business goals with the strengths of each platform, you can effectively engage your audience. For example, using TikTok for brand awareness can yield better results than LinkedIn because of higher engagement rates. Create Engaging and Authentic Content Creating engaging and authentic content is vital for connecting with your audience. Utilizing visual storytelling techniques can help convey your brand message more effectively, whereas incorporating user-generated content adds credibility and promotes community. Visual Storytelling Techniques Visual storytelling techniques play a crucial role in crafting engaging and authentic content for social media marketing. By leveraging compelling images and videos, you can effectively convey your brand narrative. Studies show that content with visuals receives 94% more views than text-only posts. To maximize the impact of your visual storytelling, consider these strategies: Use short-form videos, like those on Instagram Reels and TikTok, to drive engagement. Maintain a consistent visual style across all platforms to improve brand recognition. Implement character-driven narratives or relatable scenarios to create emotional connections. Incorporate user-generated content to promote authenticity and trust with your audience. User-Generated Content Value Many brands are discovering the significant value of user-generated content (UGC) in their social media marketing efforts. UGC can elevate engagement by up to 28%, nurturing community and authenticity. With 79% of consumers influenced by UGC in their purchasing decisions, it’s an influential tool for driving conversions. Brands utilizing UGC see a 4.5% higher conversion rate compared to those that don’t. By featuring customer photos and testimonials, you strengthen trust and connection with your audience. Plus, leveraging audience creativity reduces content creation costs, making your marketing campaigns more cost-effective. Here’s a quick look at UGC benefits: Benefit Impact Increased Engagement Up to 28% Influence on Purchases 79% of consumers Higher Conversion Rates 4.5% increase Cost-Effective Marketing Reduced content costs Trend Integration Strategies Incorporating user-generated content improves your social media strategy, allowing you to tap into current trends effectively. By focusing on engaging and authentic content, you can use various social media marketing techniques to capture your audience’s attention. Here are some strategies to reflect on: Leverage short-form videos, as they dominate engagement on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Use storytelling techniques to convey brand messages and cultivate emotional connections. Integrate trending topics and hashtags to increase your content’s visibility and relevance. Prioritize high-quality visuals and concise messaging to boost clicks and interactions. Implementing these strategies will help you create content that resonates with your audience as you stay relevant in the continuously changing social media environment. Implement a Consistent Posting Schedule When you implement a consistent posting schedule, you’re not just filling your social media feeds; you’re actively engaging your audience and improving your brand’s visibility. Research shows that maintaining this schedule can increase audience engagement by up to 30%. Aim to post on Instagram 3-7 times a week and on Twitter 1-2 times daily to maximize interaction. A content calendar can streamline your efforts, ensuring even distribution of posts that align with your social media marketing plan. Consistency keeps your audience interested, enhancing brand recall by 70%. Brands that post regularly see a 50% increase in follower growth. By establishing a routine, you boost your overall reach and create a stronger connection with your audience. Analyze Performance Metrics Regularly Analyzing performance metrics regularly is essential for comprehending your social media impact, as it helps you identify which content resonates most with your audience. By utilizing built-in analytics tools, you can gather insights that refine your social media marketing approach. Focus on these key aspects: Engagement rates: Measure interactions to gauge interest. Reach: Assess how many people see your posts. Conversion rates: Track actions taken after engagement. A/B testing: Experiment with different content and posting times. Regularly tracking these performance metrics allows you to align your strategies with audience preferences, ensuring your efforts yield the best return on investment. Adapt and Evolve Your Strategy Adapting and evolving your social media strategy is crucial for maintaining relevance in a swiftly changing digital environment. To effectively adapt and evolve your strategy, continuously monitor social media trends, like the rise of short-form videos, to align your content with audience preferences. Utilize analytics tools to assess engagement and performance, allowing for real-time, data-driven adjustments. Regularly review competitor strategies and audience sentiment through social listening tools to identify improvement opportunities. Be flexible in experimenting with new platforms and features, such as TikTok trends or Instagram updates. Finally, guarantee your online marketing strategies align with changing consumer needs by soliciting direct feedback through polls and interactive content, enabling you to stay relevant and capture your target audience’s interest. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 7 P’s of Social Media Marketing? The 7 P’s of social media marketing are Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, and Physical Evidence. You need to focus on your product’s unique features, set competitive prices, and choose platforms where your audience interacts the most. Promotion strategies should highlight your product’s value through ads or influencers. Furthermore, consider the people involved, streamline processes for engagement, and provide physical evidence, like testimonials, to improve your brand’s credibility and presence. What Is the 5 5 5 Rule on Social Media? The 5 5 5 Rule on social media suggests you share five pieces of your own content, curate five pieces from others, and promote five items. This balanced approach guarantees you provide value while preventing your audience from feeling overwhelmed by constant promotions. What Is the Best Strategy for Social Media Marketing? The best strategy for social media marketing involves setting clear SMART goals, comprehending your target audience, and customizing content for each platform. You need to maintain consistent posting and messaging to build trust with your followers. Utilize analytics tools to track performance metrics like engagement and conversions, allowing for data-driven adjustments. Finally, engaging directly with your audience nurtures a community, enhancing loyalty and encouraging organic growth. Consistency and adaptability are key components of success. What Are the 4 Key Marketing Strategies? To effectively market, you should focus on four key strategies: first, identify your target audience to tailor your messaging; second, create high-quality content that captivates and aligns with platform norms; third, utilize analytics to track performance metrics and inform adjustments; and finally, guarantee consistent branding across all channels to build trust. These strategies collectively improve engagement, optimize outreach, and cultivate stronger relationships with your audience, leading to better overall results. Conclusion In summary, implementing these seven strategies can greatly improve your social media marketing efforts. By defining clear goals, comprehending your audience, and creating authentic content, you can effectively engage with your followers. Maintaining a consistent posting schedule and regularly analyzing performance metrics will keep your strategy aligned with audience preferences. As you adapt and evolve based on feedback, you’ll not just build brand awareness but additionally strengthen your connection with your audience, eventually driving better results. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "7 Key Strategies for Social Media Marketing Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I inherited a team from a terrible manager Thanks to your help, I have a shiny new job. I’ve inherited a team where the last manager, Jane, was a true chaos agent. I’m getting stories of her ignoring staff, not communicating on projects or workload at all, putting the blame on staff to senior manager when projects didn’t happen, drinking too much at work events, inappropriate behavior. All her behavior went unchecked for some years until she was suddenly let go. The team are generally exhausted. There is some anger that they escalated complaints about Jane and nothing was done (until it was). At least one openly says she has PTSD. I am trying to support the team and be an aggressively good manager. I’m being transparent about what I’m working on and how it involves them, consulting with them on planning, giving them clear guidance and timelines and so on. They are being super receptive to everything, and bringing good attitudes to the table because they seem so relieved to have a normal manager. Every single day I’m getting multiple team members say, “Wow, it’s not like it was before” and “Wow, Jane would never have done that” or “Jane always did XYZ, it was awful.” When they say these things, I want to acknowledge what they’ve been through but also not have meetings turn into group therapy sessions. And when the flush of me being not Jane has worn off, I’m sure they fill discover some things they don’t like. They won’t get to do whatever they want all day anymore (like they were before) for a start. So how do I best support this traumatized team to get the most out of them and help them move on, and what do I say when they start in on the Jane stories? Visibly being an aggressively good manager (as you’re doing) and time. It’s going to take a while for them to viscerally feel and trust that they’re working in a different situation now and for the stability of that to feel solid. In response to the comments about how things used to be under Jane, try to keep things moving forward in a reasonably upbeat way: “This is what I’ve found to work well” … “I’m always open to feedback if you have it” … “I’m glad this sounds better to you” … “Let’s see how this goes!” … etc. I do think you can be open to some one-on-one venting about what happened in the past — and it might give you useful insights into some of the clean-up you’re going to have to do — but it shouldn’t be a group activity that takes over team meetings; that tends to go off the rails quickly and can keep people mired in the past longer. If you see that happening and redirection doesn’t resolve it pretty quickly, it might be worth addressing directly: “I know this team has had a rough time of it. I’m seeing our meetings start to derail on how things used to be, and while some of that is understandable to process the changes this team has been through, I also want to keep us focused on what we’re doing now.” (That said, if people are really struggling with it, there might be value in one discussion to process it together, for anyone who wants to participate, with the understanding that the team needs to move forward after that.) 2. Application asked about how anxiety affects your work I was filling out a teacher job application and it had a questionnaire that included this question: “In the last period of time, how much has anxiety interfered with your interaction with your team mates?” The answers you could choose from were: * None * Mild; some interactions have been strained, but no serious problems * Moderate, we have complained or accused each other of minor insults or work slip-ups * Severe, I am concerned that anxiety has made it difficult to work effectively as a team * Extreme, I am concerned that my anxiety makes it impossible to work with others on this team Is this question illegal? If you’re in the U.S., it’s illegal. Employers can’t legally ask questions that are designed to suss out the existence of a disability. They could certainly ask questions about your relationships with coworkers and how effectively you’ve worked on a team, but they can’t ask, as they’re effectively doing here, “Do you have anxiety and, if so, how does it show up at work?” 3. I did a huge amount of work to save my team’s butt — and no one has even thanked me My office was changing to a new system in a month after working toward it for over a year, and my manager called me into a meeting, near tears, and told me that the new system had not been set up to create important reports that we desperately need. Our work runs on these reports. We report to auditors and the government using these reports. We track our own data using these reports. Not having them wasn’t an option. She asked if I had any ideas as to what could be done because I’m good with Excel, and if I knew any formulas that could organize this data in the way we needed. I spent weeks designing a sprawling framework that automatically mapped all of our data into six wildly different reports, including some that were requested after the initial meeting as a “want” rather than a “need.” I learned new skills to make this happen and put aside my own work to get it done. I worked late. I analyzed and picked apart the old reports to correct the mapping, even identifying errors in the old reports that needed to be corrected moving forward. It was a ton of work and no one else in my department could have created this, including my manager. It felt like a miracle when I pulled it off. It is now being utilized by all levels of management in my division due to how useful it is. And I never even received a thank you. Now, six months on, it is invariably “my” file when there is an update or correction that needs to be made, but “our” file in every other context. That’s it. I’m not expecting a parade or a promotion, but there hasn’t even been a conversation highlighting that someone at least understands that I pulled our butts out of the fire in a major way. I’m wondering if I’m being too sensitive? I work here. It wasn’t volunteer work; they paid me to do it. But without me, they would have had to delay launch and pay the system designers a whole lot of money to get the result I basically handed to them. Is it wrong to expect a ‘thank you’ for working, even if the task was this far outside of my normal purview? No, you absolutely should have been recognized for going above and beyond and solving a massive problem! That would be true even if it were a normal part of your job; it’s extra true because it wasn’t. You should ask for a raise, and make this a centerpiece of your argument for why you deserve it — both the creation of the system itself, and your ongoing role in keeping it working. 4. My boss’ personality changed after brain surgery I’ve worked for the same boss at the same company for 16 years. During that time, my boss needed brain surgery. It’s been three years since his surgery, and his personality and management style have taken quite a turn for the worse. Instead of the demanding but fair boss I worked with for so many years, he is now harsh and downright mean — to the point that other colleagues will contact me privately after an undeserved public dressing down to ask if I’m okay. Executive leadership has been present for some of these meltdowns and have not intervened. After three very difficult years working with him, I’m looking for another job and it looks like I’m about to get a very welcome offer. But I’m wondering how honest I should be in my eventual exit interview. Should I highlight these personality shifts to HR as a reason for leaving? It doesn’t seem quite fair to my boss, because it is very possible and even likely that these personality changes are due to the brain surgery itself and therefore there is little that can be done to change for the better. All the same, I’ve been shielding the rest of the more junior team from his mercurial moods as best I can and feel guilty quietly leaving them to deal with him in this state. I want to approach this both honestly and compassionately, and any advice is appreciated! Yes, tell HR. Your boss is in a position of power over other people and being abusive to them; it’s not a question of whether or not he can help it, it’s a question of the fact that it’s happening. You can certainly present it through a compassionate lens — specifying that it’s a change since his surgery and you realize it might stem from that — but it would be a significant kindness to the people left behind if you make someone aware that it’s happening. (And while executive leadership has seen some of it, they don’t necessarily know the extent of it.) 5. Leaving after I successfully pass a performance improvement plan I’ve been on a performance improvement plan (PIP) for the past few months (it was paused for a long while) due to poor performance that ended up being caused by a sudden onset of a pretty serious disease. Now that I’m recovering and back at work, my PIP is active again and … well, I’m progressing fine. No major issues, hitting KPIs and not feeling terrible after the work day. Barring any major hiccups, it’s looking like I’ll pass it. I want to relax and get into the groove again but on the other hand, the way the middle levels of the company treated me while I was ill (grandboss and HR), up to and including open mockery in meetings. I still want out. I really love my team but I’ve lost trust in the company. I also have wider issues with the workplace that are more of “we need to all join the union” problems but those don’t really factor into my PIP, they just piss me off. I’m dealing with guilt from wanting to leave, anger from how I was treated, exhaustion from fighting an illness that impacted my life for the better part of two years and the longing to leave to see if I can get a better deal in a new workplace (likely outside of my current high-stress field). Obviously there’s a lot of parts at play here, but is it common to pass a PIP and leave anyway? Is it ethically questionable? It’s no way ethically questionable to leave after passing a PIP. It would be in no way ethically questionable to leave if the PIP had never happened, either. If you want to leave, you get to leave! Ethics don’t come into it, unless you’re, like, an airline pilot parachuting out of the plane mid-flight. People end up leaving shortly after PIPs all the time — sometimes because they feel poorly treated, but sometimes because the PIP made them realize the job wasn’t a great match (whether due to the work itself or their manager’s expectations, or because the PIP made them feel too much instability, or all sorts of other things). The post I inherited a team from a terrible manager, job application asked about how anxiety affects your work, and more appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

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