articles 21 to 30 of 138
Hold That Password: The New Reality of Evaluating Job Applicants
Reports that some employers are asking job candidates to provide their Facebook logon information has generated intense outrage from some circles, along with a bevy of legal and privacy-related questions. But these recent events only highlight a new reality: The identity that individuals create in the world of social media is quickly becoming an important factor in hiring decisions and in people's broader professional lives.
From: April 11, 2012
'Restorative Niches': Author Susan Cain on the Need for 'Quiet'
Business leaders often look to social activities to generate ideas and innovation, from group collaboration and brainstorming to large meetings and open-format offices. Those who are highly verbal, bold and outgoing often thrive in these environments. In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, author Susan Cain challenges the "Extrovert Ideal" and many common business practices in which the ideas and leadership potential of introverts are often overlooked. Among the researchers she cites is Wharton management professor Adam Grant, who recently interviewed Cain for Knowledge@Wharton. (Podcast with transcript)
From: April 04, 2012
Why External Hires Get Paid More, and Perform Worse, than Internal Staff
Here is some research sure to rankle every employee who has applied for an internal promotion and been passed over in favor of someone brought in from the outside. According to Wharton management professor Matthew Bidwell, "external hires" get significantly lower performance evaluations for their first two years on the job than do internal workers who are promoted into similar jobs. They also have higher exit rates, and they are paid "substantially more." His research is presented in a paper titled, "Paying More to Get Less: The Effects of External Hiring versus Internal Mobility."
From: March 28, 2012
Want to Improve Customer Service? Treat Your Employees Better
Staffing levels and customer service training often fall victim to companies' efforts to cut costs and meet quarterly earnings targets. At the same time, however, consumers expect higher-quality treatment than ever before, and can easily let the world know if they don't get it. So how can firms ramp up their customer service efforts on the cheap? It's as simple as treating employees better -- so they will do the same for customers, experts say.
From: March 14, 2012
Why the Job Search Is Like 'Throwing Paper Airplanes into the Galaxy'
"Wanted: smart, creative, dedicated individual to design efficient system that matches companies' job listings with people looking for work. Contact the HR industry." It's a tough assignment: Job seekers often feel that sending out resumes is a mind-numbing exercise in futility, while companies are inundated with applications from too many unqualified candidates. Wharton faculty and other experts weigh in on today's challenging job market.
From: February 29, 2012
Flipping the Switch: Who Is Responsible for Getting Employees to Take a Break?
In the new world of work, 5:30 p.m. is far from the end of the day. Smartphones and laptop computers -- devices that ostensibly enable us to work faster, more efficiently and more flexibly -- have become 24/7 intravenous hookups to our jobs. Fearing employee burnout from being "always on," a number of firms have recently instituted initiatives requiring workers to take breaks and switch off their gadgets. But do such blanket policies really make a difference? Who is responsible for ensuring that employees maintain a healthy work/life balance?
From: February 15, 2012
Short-sighted Frugality? Employers Who Rein in Compensation Too Much Could Pay a Price Later
As economic malaise bleeds into another New Year, many employers are making hard-nosed decisions about benefits and compensation. That means salaries remain flat, health care premiums are up, the 401(k) match has disappeared and bonuses are smaller or nonexistent. The result, not surprisingly, is a dissatisfied workforce. Yet, as Wharton professors and other experts warn, excess frugality on employers' part could backfire in the long run.
From: January 18, 2012
'The Bloomberg Way': An Inside Look at How the News Organization Covers News
Every reporter, editor, anchor and producer hired at Bloomberg News gets a copy of The Bloomberg Way, a spiral-bound, 376-page tome that guides more than 2,700 news professionals to write about the world's stocks, bonds, commodities, companies, currencies and economies. Written by editor-in-chief Matthew Winkler, the book is a style guide and manifesto, detailing how Bloomberg employees should report and behave. Until November, when Bloomberg made the book's 12th edition public, The Bloomberg Way was available only to employees. Now readers can see for themselves how journalists in one of the world's largest news organizations work.
From: January 09, 2012
Will a Shortage of Qualified Labor Derail the Brazilian Economy?
Brazil is booming. In contrast to the economies of the U.S. and the Eurozone -- where a mix of debt woes, dysfunctional politics and consumer weakness has conspired to dampen economic growth -- Brazil is on track for yet another year of above-average GDP performance. However, while outsized economic growth brings the promise of greater national prosperity, it also poses a host of new challenges, some of which the country may not be fully prepared to address. Chief among them is a shortage of qualified labor.
From: January 03, 2012
Saving Vocational Education in a New Arab World
The Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions brought hope and optimism to youth frustrated with political and economic paralysis. While rampant unemployment was one of the primary catalysts of the Arab Spring, the unstable state of sweeping political reform has actually decreased employment opportunities for a forgotten middle class. Though many consider Vocational Education and Training (VET) to be the most realistic path towards employment for the region's youth, Arab governments have historically failed to establish an effective VET model. The recent revolutions created new challenges, but bring a momentous opportunity for new governments to prioritize the reform and facilitation of VET.
From: January 03, 2012
