Exit Interview By Patrick Donegan #109
For some time, I’ve been looking for one “source” that curates modern takes on HR Tech, perspectives from the people who build it, and its impact on enterprise — something that’s tailor-made by professionals for decision-makers.
I never found it — so I decided to build it.
Every week, I’ll be sharing fresh insights on tech platforms, design, data, and the future of work — straight to your inbox.
My Thoughts
We know that advancement opportunities are among the most sought-after aspects of career searches among younger generations of the workforce. Yet many businesses fail to recognize that professional development looks very different than it did just ten years ago. 🤔 With the rise of gig work, decrease in average job tenure, and ever-growing career opportunities in the new world of work, business leaders need to learn how to retain and foster talent looking for more than a stable career.
Enter a new way of framing employee development: the career portfolio. 🗂️ In contrast to the dogmatic corporate ladder, 🪜 career portfolios embrace lateral movement and the employee experience over direct upward advancement. They cater to employees’ desires for challenging and fulfilling work, help businesses retain talent, and create a more engaged culture across organizations. What could be better?
Eager to learn more? I recently wrote an article for Forbes about the career portfolio, what it looks like in practice, and how it benefits organizations. Check it out here. 👈
Tech Innovation at Work
Continuing our 🤖 ChatGPT chronicles: new research from Resume Builder found that nearly half of the workers applying to jobs are using ChatGPT to write or assist with writing cover letters and resumes. 🤫 The survey, which included some 1,000 current and recent job seekers, found that applicants who used the AI chatbot in their applications had higher response rates from companies, were significantly more likely to get an interview, and 2 in 3 were ultimately hired for the role. With the recent market downturn and layoff trends, applicants are willing to risk the potential repercussions of using AI to “cheat” if it saves time on an application. ⏳ But it seems that recruiters aren’t very concerned either way. Personally, I wouldn’t be, either. The majority of your hiring decisions should be based on the person — not the resume.
The Changing Workplace
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) 🧑 ⚖️ has found a Michigan hospital in violation of the National Labor Relations Act for their decision to include nondisclosure stipulations in severance agreements to union-member employees during March 2020. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic 🦠 , it’s not a far jump to conclude that the organization may have had concerns about employees speaking publicly about what they experienced. Regardless, the clause was deemed an unlawful restriction of the union-member employees’ rights. The ruling has reignited the argument over whether nondisclosure agreements, confidentiality agreements, and non-disparagement provisions violate the rights of employees regardless of union status. And some legal experts wonder if the decision is just the tip of the iceberg in a new wave of workplace policy reviews from the NLRB. ✊
From wondering when it's acceptable to send an email to what's the right way to offer feedback, communication is one of — if not THE — biggest challenges in remote workplaces. And, as you’re probably aware, it’s stressing people out. 😰 New research from writing assistant software company Grammarly demonstrates that poor communication has a domino effect of consequences. According to survey respondents, poor communication leads to lower confidence, decreases job satisfaction, and, in the most extreme cases, pushes them to search for a new job. It makes sense when you consider how important facial expressions 🥸 and intonation have been in communication since, well, forever. Leaders need to compensate for the absence of face-to-face interaction by prioritizing ways to help employees communicate more effectively. 📧 ▶️ 📨 Check out this month’s All About Data section below for some of the stats uncovered in the Grammarly report.
All About Data
As promised, here are some of the key stats from Grammarly and Harris Poll’s State of Business Communication 📨 report:
- 71% of respondents identified choosing the right words to avoid offending others as the biggest difficulty in communicating with teammates (tied with striking a balance between formal and casual tones).
- 68% of leaders estimated that miscommunication cost them at least $10,000 in lost business.
- Knowledge workers spent 28.8 hours communicating each week, up 9% from last year. Here’s a bonus breakdown of where that time is going:
Get more key insights and download the full Grammarly report here.
Gartner surveyed 138 HR leaders on their top priorities for HR technology 💻 in 2023 and what barriers are keeping organizations from achieving their goals. Here’s what they found:
- The top priority for HR leaders is driving better business outcomes through digital transformation (57%), followed by increasing headcount and skills (26%), and optimizing costs (17%).
- 46% said that justifying HR tech investments is one of their biggest hurdles.
- 51% agreed that skills management technology is the most important area of HR tech this year.
Read more about the study in Gartner’s press release here.
LinkedIn 🤝 released their 2023 Workplace Learning Report, “Building the Agile Future,” which covers the state of L&D and how business leaders can drive successful employee development. Here are some of their key findings:
- Employees who have been with a company for two years are 20% more likely to stay if they’ve made an internal move than employees who haven’t.
- 77% of L&D pros say they have become more cross-functional in the past year.
- The top L&D program area for 2023 is mentorship programs.
Download the full report from LinkedIn Learning here.