“People First” Leadership Is Missing in Construction And It’s Costing You
The construction industry is grappling with rising costs and a talent shortage, prompting a shift toward People First leadership. Veteran electrician Jonathan Cinelli advocates a model that places trust, communication, and mental‑wellness at the core of site management. By treating crews as strategic assets, firms can improve safety, reduce rework, and retain skilled workers. The approach emphasizes practical coaching and structured support without adding procedural complexity.
New York and Maryland Become Latest States to Ban Public Workers From Using Prediction Markets
New York and Maryland issued executive orders this month barring state employees from using prediction‑market platforms or sharing insider information for bets. The orders add to existing ethics codes and direct violations to the attorney general for possible disciplinary action....
Measuring the Real Success of Modern Diversity Initiatives
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have succeeded at increasing entry‑level representation in education and the workforce, but evidence shows they often fall short on advancing under‑represented individuals to leadership and retention. The article highlights how perception biases, such as...
Stop These 3 Critical HR Mistakes that Are Undermining Your Leadership Credibility
The episode highlights three common HR mistakes that erode a leader’s credibility: avoiding direct performance conversations, delegating those talks to HR, and using HR as a threat. It explains how delayed involvement and poor documentation limit corrective options and increase...
Did Interviewers Say the Quiet Parts Out Loud? The EEO-1 Data May Have Confirmed the Rest.
The EEOC secured a $200,000 Title VII settlement with a waste‑management firm after evidence showed it systematically rejected qualified female truck‑driver applicants. During an interview, a manager told a female candidate to discuss the job with her husband and warned...
3 Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Worst Bosses
Former corporate employee Mita Mallick shares three leadership lessons drawn from her worst bosses. She warns against late‑night emails, highlights how silence enables workplace bullying, and urges leaders to intervene when disengagement spreads. Each lesson includes actionable steps such as...
Salzburg Festival Advertises Its Top Jobs
The Salzburg Festival is advertising its two highest‑level positions – president and artistic director – with openings slated for October 2027. The ads follow the controversial removal of artistic director Markus Hinterhäuser and aim to project a transparent hiring process. Interim...
Labor Watch: Loyola, UC Workers to Strike While Harvard Fights Continue
Higher‑education labor actions intensified in early May as Loyola University Chicago non‑tenure‑track faculty began a strike demanding 5% wage hikes, paid parental leave and course‑release provisions. The University of California system’s 42,000 service and patient‑care workers also voted to strike...
Aon Strengthens Asia Pacific Growth Leadership with Senior Appointments
Aon announced three senior appointments—Richard Tan, Maggie Hsieh and Michel Muganza—to its Asia Pacific Growth team, reinforcing the firm’s commercial leadership in the region. The hires are intended to improve collaboration across Aon’s APAC units, enhance client delivery, and help...
Employees Don’t Want to Participate in Our Community Outreach, Parking Issues, and More
The Ask a Manager column addressed four distinct workplace dilemmas: low employee participation in corporate community‑outreach programs, a receptionist’s hesitation to report a coworker’s call‑drop issue, a disabled staff member’s loss of accessible parking at a university, and the legal...
1 In 5 Americans Are Still Working From Home
A Statista survey shows that 20% of American employees still work from home on a regular basis in 2025, while 43% report attending a company office weekly. The pandemic‑driven shift to remote work introduced flexibility and reduced commutes, but many...
The Multifamily Operations Daily Huddle: The Discipline of the First Conversation
The article argues that the first conversation with a new hire is the cornerstone of effective onboarding in multifamily operations. Rather than treating orientation as paperwork, leaders should use that initial interaction to transmit culture, clarify performance expectations, and show...
The New Career System
The blog argues that the traditional job‑search formula—qualify, apply everywhere, wait—has become obsolete, especially in cybersecurity. BowTiedCyber proposes a new career system that emphasizes execution, visible proof of skills, and a clear learning path rather than endless information consumption. It...
The Missing Middle: Why Mid-Level Hiring Is Broken
The legal market’s “missing middle” – associates and senior associates – has become a critical hiring bottleneck, with 68% of firms naming it their top talent challenge. Supply has tightened due to post‑COVID graduate shortfalls, the “big stay” of incumbents,...
Curated Micro-Events Are Quietly Reshaping How Hospitality Hires
A co‑working space and executive search firm hosted a curated hiring micro‑event in New Jersey targeting restaurant and hospitality roles. The intimate format attracted a mix of entry‑level and senior talent, resulting in at least one critical hire for a...
Friday Forward - People First (#534)
Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel, a century‑old family business, demonstrates a genuine people‑first culture by tying health, safety, financial and mental‑wellness incentives directly to employee rewards. The company offers on‑site health screenings, free work‑boot fittings, a generous 401(k) match and...
The Jobs Apocalypse Playbook: What It Would Actually Take to End Human Work and Why It Won't Happen
The article outlines a speculative "Jobs Apocalypse Playbook" that lists eight preconditions required for a civilization‑scale collapse of human work due to AI. It contrasts the sensational narrative—AI wiping out half of entry‑level white‑collar jobs and pushing unemployment to double...
NoDesk: Issue #418
NoDesk’s Issue #418 delivers a curated list of more than 70 remote job openings, spanning senior engineering, AI, sales, and multilingual roles, plus a selection of thought‑leadership articles on remote‑work trends. The newsletter emphasizes its reader‑supported model, inviting sponsorship and...
Live Event: How a Real CHRO Uses Claude in HR
On May 7, Vidyard CHRO Sarika Lamont will host a private Insider live session demonstrating how she leverages Anthropic’s Claude AI across her HR function. The walkthrough will cover career frameworks, performance‑review calibration, manager coaching, and board‑level communication, highlighting prompt design,...
U.S. Labor Costs Rise As Benefit Growth Outpaces Wages In Cooling Job Market
The Labor Department reported that the Employment Cost Index rose 0.9% in the first quarter, slightly above the 0.8% consensus. Annual labor‑cost growth held steady at 3.4%, while benefits surged 1.2% quarter‑over‑quarter, outpacing wage growth which ticked up 0.8%. The...
Employers Should Expect Future Labor Headaches as US Birth Rate Falls Again
The U.S. recorded 3.6 million live births in 2025, a 1 percent decline that lowered the general fertility rate to 53.1 per 1,000 women aged 15‑44. The drop continues an 18‑year downward trend since the 2007 peak, meaning fewer workers will replace...
Workday Bets on Recognition Retaining Employees in an AI-Driven Market
Workday announced a partnership with Achievers to power a new employee‑recognition product, replacing traditional cash bonuses with a points‑based rewards system. The platform lets staff earn points for peer‑recognition and redeem them for travel, merchandise, or experiences. Workday’s SVP of...
Employees Are Engaged in 2026: HR, What Are You Doing to Keep the Momentum Going?
Employee engagement rose to 64.2% in 2025, the highest level in five years, according to McLean & Company’s survey of 250,000 workers. Intent to stay climbed to 79.7%, reflecting stronger retention amid peak economic uncertainty. The report highlights inclusion, culture,...
Elevance Health’s Affiliated Health Plans Deliver More Predictable, Lower Healthcare Costs for Small Businesses
Elevance Health’s affiliated plans are tackling rising small‑business health costs with two innovative models: Balanced Funding and Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs). Balanced Funding guarantees a fixed monthly payment while capping risk, rewarding employers when actual claims fall below expectations....
Your Job Application Is a Bar Kochba Game
Job seekers often assume hiring is a pure qualifications test, but the post argues the real decision hinges on an invisible “fit” picture the hiring manager already holds. Candidates must read subtle cues from the posting, reporting line, and interview...
Building On-Ramps to Union Apprenticeships
The data‑center boom is intensifying the shortage of skilled construction workers, prompting North America’s Building Trades Unions to partner with Microsoft and OpenAI on apprenticeship pipelines. TradesFutures, a union‑backed intermediary, enrolled 7,700 participants across more than 200 readiness programs in...
American Airlines Flight Attendants Are Now Raising Serious Concerns Over New Performance Tracking Measures… A New Dispute in the Making
American Airlines introduced a new performance‑tracking platform called “Me@Work,” which assigns each flight attendant an aggregate score based on metrics such as customer satisfaction, attendance, and safety reports. The rollout occurred without meaningful input from the Association of Professional Flight...
The Visibility Gap Holding You Back
A senior technical leader driving a high‑impact, IPO‑linked initiative struggled to secure a promotion because his influence was invisible to senior leadership. Despite expanding scope and cross‑team responsibilities, he lacked formal authority and feared upsetting other leaders. Coaching revealed that...
What L&D Leaders Get Wrong About The 70-20-10 Rule
The 70-20-10 learning model, created in the 1980s for seasoned executives, assumes learners already possess basic knowledge. Applying it to novices—career‑changers, new technical hires, or students—leads to gaps because the 10% of formal instruction becomes insufficient. The article also debunks...
Connecticut Republicans Liken State Workers to Livestock, Vote Against Raises for Nurses, COs, Plow Drivers
Connecticut Senate Democrats approved a contract that gives roughly 42,000 state employees a 2.5% wage increase and step raises over the next three years. All but one Senate Republican voted against the measure, despite the party’s public complaints about the...
Responsible AI Governance Starts With Ownership
The article asserts that responsibility for workplace AI systems rests with the organization that deploys them, not the vendors. It highlights the need for cross‑functional ownership—HR, legal, compliance, security, and business leaders must be involved before any AI goes live....
How Leaders Shrink People
The article argues that leaders who express gratitude build employee worth, power, and strength, while power‑hungry leaders shrink people through criticism and neglect. It outlines three pillars—building worth, expanding power, and increasing strength—showing how appreciation fuels confidence, initiative, and performance....
If Free Help Was Available and You Turned It Down, Can You Still Claim Undue Hardship?
A blind customer‑care advocate at a beverage company requested screen‑reading software, but the employer declined a free assessment from a state vocational counselor and later terminated him, citing incompatibility with its proprietary system. The EEOC sued under the ADA, and...
Why You’re Not Getting Job Interviews
The post argues that job seekers aren’t being rejected but silently skipped because their resumes fail to signal a clear, low‑risk hire. Recruiters scan each CV in seconds, so generic formats and vague duties blend into the background. Common pitfalls...
UK Business Immigration – Home Office Quietly Indicates Extension of Right to Work Checks to Take Effect From 1 October...
The UK Home Office’s latest consultation quietly sets a 1 October 2026 start date for an expanded right‑to‑work regime. A draft Code of Practice redefines “employer” to include individual sub‑contractors and online matching services, extending verification duties beyond traditional employees. Failure to...
Carter Sought to Hire Associate at Nebraska
Former University of Nebraska system president Ted Carter, who left the role in late 2023 to become Ohio State’s president, is accused of trying to secure a job for Krisanthe Vlachos, a woman with whom he had an inappropriate relationship....
US State Law Roundup
State and local legislatures were highly active in Q1 2026, passing a wave of employment‑focused statutes. Notable actions include Alabama’s per‑minor $50 child‑labor penalty, Colorado’s revised AI transparency framework, Florida’s ban on local DEI spending, Maine’s mandatory employee notification for all...
Join Us for Our Next Leadership Strategy Session on May 13, 2026, 11am PDT
Productive Flourishing announces a Leadership Strategy Session on May 13, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. PDT, a premium virtual meeting designed for managers confronting seasonal team dynamics. The session will focus on reading team energy, clarifying ownership, and setting realistic expectations before summer’s...
Southwest Fired Flight Attendant After Union Pushed For It — Now She Has Her Job Back And Nearly $1 Million
Southwest Airlines reinstated flight attendant Charlene Carter after a Fifth Circuit ruling found the Transport Workers Union (TWU) liable for religious discrimination. Carter, a non‑member objector who objected to the union’s political activities, was fired in 2017 after the union...
Still Learning: A Live Event with Elisabeth Swan on May 7
On May 7 at 1 PM ET, Mark Graban and author Elisabeth Swan will co‑host a live LinkedIn event titled “Still Learning: Mistakes and Leadership Lessons.” The session marks the third anniversary of Swan’s “Picture Yourself a Leader” and Graban’s “The Mistakes That...
Move Fast and Track Employees
Meta announced its Model Capability Initiative, a program that will install tracking software on U.S. employees’ computers to capture mouse movements, clicks, keystrokes and screenshots. The data is intended to train AI agents that can perform routine knowledge‑work tasks, and...
AI Now Sits on Both Sides of Hiring, Global Survey Finds
A new HireVue global survey shows AI now powers most stages of hiring, with 77% of HR teams using it regularly and 71% of candidates leveraging AI to craft resumes. While adoption has doubled and 85% of HR departments plan...
Four Mindset Shifts Every Sourcer Needs in the Age of AI
The article outlines four mindset shifts that sourcers must adopt as AI reshapes recruiting. First, they should start with broad candidate pools in tools like Clay and filter later, rather than building tight Boolean strings. Second, AI engines such as...
Your Manager Impacts Your Mental Health More Than Your Therapist—Here’s Why That Should Change How You Lead
Managers shape employee mental health more than any external support, as professionals spend roughly 90,000 work hours over a career. Gallup data shows managers account for 70% of engagement variance, and caring leaders make staff 3.2 times more engaged, driving...
How To Turn Disruption Into Your Greatest Leadership Advantage
Tanveer Naseer’s Leadership Biz Cafe podcast features FranklinCovey senior advisor and WSJ bestselling author Dr. Patrick Leddin discussing his New York Times bestseller “Disrupt Everything – and Win,” co‑written with James Patterson. The conversation reframes disruption from a threat to a catalyst...
Broad Workplace Bill Passes House: What Employers Need to Know Now
The Connecticut House approved HB 5003, a comprehensive workplace‑rights bill that now heads to the Senate. The legislation expands wage‑range transparency, mandates salary and benefits disclosures in job postings, introduces a multilingual pay‑code guide, and requires new ADA accommodation notices and...
Aon Identifies Gap Between AI Ambition and Workforce Investment in Human Capital Trends Study
Aon’s inaugural Human Capital Trends Study reveals a widening gap between AI ambition and workforce investment. While 88% of employers anticipate new skill requirements and 73% have deployed or piloted AI, only 18% report that most of their staff have...
The 3 Interview Questions Strong Candidates Still Get Wrong
The article dissects three common interview questions that strong candidates often botch: handling disagreements, discussing weaknesses, and showcasing a proud project. It explains why rehearsed, polished answers can miss the interviewer's intent and outlines the typical failure modes for each...
The Trillion Dollar Skilled Trades Trade-Off
The United States faces a looming skilled‑trades shortage that could leave 1.4‑2.1 million positions vacant by 2030, threatening critical infrastructure, manufacturing, and construction. Economists estimate the gap could erase $325.6 billion of GDP, cost $71.3 billion in tax revenue, and generate up to...
Unleash Potential
The article argues that talent development must evolve from teaching skills to guiding purpose, positioning employees as the moral compass for AI‑driven organizations. As algorithms automate routine "cognitive commodity" work, growth programs now emphasize character arcs, systemic empathy, and ethical...