DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ A Boss’s Guide to Leading Through Layoff Fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Christopher Lee for The Wall Street JournalReuben Carranza, who restructured his businesses this year, pledged at a staff meeting to be upfront about the reasons for every move. It’s a feeling many bosses can relate to right now: Your team is looking for assurance that jobs are safe. If only you had a clue. Inspiring confidence is a key part of managing people and—many business leaders say—a tricky feat at the moment. A growing drumbeat of layoff announcements have made many employees fearful of a contagion effect.

☆ A Boss’s Guide to Leading Through Uncertain Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Reuben Carranza, who restructured his businesses this year, pledged at a staff meeting to be upfront about the reasons for every move. Photo: Christopher Lee for The Wall Street JournalIt’s a feeling many bosses can relate to right now: Your team is looking for assurance that jobs are safe. If only you had a clue. Inspiring confidence is a key part of managing people and—many business leaders say—a tricky feat at the moment. A growing drumbeat of layoff announcements have made many employees fearful of a contagion effect.

☆ Leadership Advice and Management Regrets From WSJ’s Women in the Workplace Forum
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

One of the problems with being a boss is it can be a lonely and sometimes uncomfortable place, despite the pay and the perks. Four women in leadership spanning business, politics and entertainment—and ranging in age from their 20s to their 80s—offered their best leadership advice to guests gathered for The Wall Street Journal’s Women in the Workplace Forum this week in New York City. They used terms such as “idea volcanoes” and spoke about their own impostor syndrome, hoping examples of their successes and regrets would help others.

☆ One of the Hottest New Jobs Aims to Tackle Employee Burnout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

One of the fastest-growing roles at U.S. companies aims to address a rise in worker burnout and disengagement. The job of employee-experience manager barely existed several years ago. Now the position ranks fifth in LinkedIn’s 2023 list of the 25 fastest-growing jobs. It is the first time the role appears on the networking site’s annual ranking, which tabulates the job titles that grew the most and have reached a critical mass among LinkedIn users over the previous five years.

☆ How to Be a Good Friend When a Co-Worker Is Laid Off
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Though the job market remains largely healthy, a spin through LinkedIn feeds shows that layoffs are having an effect in some sectors. More than 250,000 tech workers have lost jobs in recent months, according to Layoffs.fyi, and some staff reductions have spread to other parts of the economy, with companies including Dow Inc., Walt Disney Co. and 3M Co. announcing cuts. For the colleagues and friends of those workers, the question of how to help can have several answers.

☆ How Hybrid Work Is Changing Offices of the Future
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Workplaces that look like your living room; flexible, multiuse spaces; outdoor terraces. Today’s new hybrid work styles are reshaping the office buildings of tomorrow. Leading architects and real-estate developers are pioneering concepts aimed at workers who are splitting their time between home and office, and they predict these innovations will become mainstream in the years to come.

When people think of great places to work remotely, what usually comes to mind is some resort-worthy locale like a beach in Hawaii or North Carolina, or a cabin in the Rockies. But what about Springfield, Mo.

☆ Mass Layoffs or Hiring Boom? What’s Actually Happening in the Jobs Market
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sarah Chaney Cambon | Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Interest rates are rising, inflation is elevated and recession fears linger. Despite all that, employers keep hiring. The U.S. added 1.1 million jobs over the past three months and ramped up hiring in January. That appears puzzling, given last year’s economic cool down, signs that consumers are pulling back on spending as their savings dwindle, and a stream of corporate layoff announcements, particularly in technology.

☆ The Job Market for Remote Workers Is Shrinking
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Many prospective workers who were determined to get a remote job just a few months ago are hitting a wall as remote listings rapidly dwindle. After remote work surged during the pandemic, fewer employers now feel the need to lure talent with the promise of working from home. Remote jobs made up 13.2% of postings advertised on LinkedIn last month—down from 20.6% in March. Other job sites such as Indeed.com and ZipRecruiter also report declines in remote listings.

☆ Employee-Experience Manager Is the Hot New Job. What Does It Entail?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Land a New Job, With Help From the Inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Many workers who have been laid off in tech and elsewhere are landing jobs at new employers with an effective tactic—getting a company insider to vouch for them. In the age of automated hiring systems, having the endorsement of someone on the inside can help candidates stand out from the dozens, if not hundreds, of applicants for the same job.

☆ Your Coworkers Are Less Ambitious; Bosses Adjust to the New Order
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Lindsay Ellis | Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Where have all the go-getters gone? At law firm Nixon Peabody LLP, associates have started saying no to working weekends, prompting partners to ask more people to help complete time-sensitive work. TGS Insurance in Texas has struggled to fill promotions, and bosses often have to coax staffers to apply. And Maine-based marketing company Pulp+Wire plans to shut down for two weeks next year now that staffers are taking more vacation than they used to.

☆ The Five Emails You Need to Send Before New Year’s to Boost Your Career
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Ray A. Smith | Rachel Feintzeig | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Yes, you’re busy checking off your year-end, to-do list. But here’s an easy item to add that could pay dividends down the road: connect with five people who, in different ways, could boost your career in 2023. There’s no better time of year than right now to power up that roster of professional allies. So many people have changed jobs, and entire careers, recently that even the strongest networks need some tending. And while the job market remains strong, the number of companies embarking on layoffs is climbing, and many business leaders predict more job cuts are coming.

☆ You’re at the Office and So Are The Unwanted Holiday Treats
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Matthew Price, a corporate security guard in Danbury, Conn., has lately gotten a taste of what he doesn’t miss about the office during the holidays. Employees drop unsolicited cookies, cupcakes and other treats at his desk. Last year, the pastry pile was much smaller, when fewer people were coming in due to Covid-19, says Mr. Price, who is typically stationed at the office building entrance. But as more commuters return this season, so have the sugary treats that Mr. Price sometimes dreads.

☆ Some Twitter Power Users Try Business Casual on LinkedIn
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Cordilia James | Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/some-twitter-power-users-try-business-casual-on-linkedin-11670711899

☆ Who Is—and Isn’t—Getting a Holiday Bonus This Year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This year’s Christmas bonuses are complicated by economic jitters and rounds of layoffs in technology, media and beyond. Many big businesses have said they would pay year-end bonuses to workers after a strong year. Lowe’s Cos., the home-improvement chain, is spending $200 million on bonus pay for its hourly workers, while the Venetian Resort Las Vegas will give $1,500 to every employee. Others, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., are slashing their coming round of bonus payments.

☆ Some Companies Are Ditching the Holiday Party. Others Are Busting Out the Lobster.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Time to break out your ugly Christmas sweater and do some vocal warm-ups for karaoke. More in-person office holiday parties are back after two years of being canceled, downsized or moved onto Zoom. From formal banquets in fancy hotels to team talent shows at the office, this year 57% of U.S. companies surveyed said they are holding holiday parties this season—more than double last year and up from 5% in 2020, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., an outplacement and executive-coaching firm that conducted the research.

☆ Your Boss Is Over Hybrid Work. Here’s How to Keep Your Flexibility.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Employees are finding it takes extra work to hold on to the flexible habits companies allowed in the thick of the pandemic. More companies are stepping up in-office work requirements or backtracking on earlier pledges to soften the rigid 9-to-5 schedule. General Motors Co. is requiring salaried employees to be in the office three days a week starting at the end of January, after holding off on a similar plan this fall. Last week, Elon Musk told Twitter Inc. staff he expected most of them to show up at least 40 hours a week, ending the remote-work option that the company’s previous leaders said would continue.

☆ More Workers Get Side Hustles to Keep Up With Rising Costs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As the holidays approach and America’s full-time workers feel pinched by inflation, some are turning to second jobs to supplement their incomes. The October jobs report shows the number of Americans working part-time jobs in addition to their full-time jobs has increased 6%, year-over-year, to 4.5 million people, according to statistics from the Labor Department. With unemployment at 3.7%, the job market is still strong but is showing more signs of cooling. Inflation is still eclipsing wage gains, driving some full-time workers to consider getting additional part-time jobs for the first time in their working lives.

☆ The Office Gym Is Finally Back, and So Is Your Sweaty Boss
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Ray A. Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Office gyms are reopening, bringing with them the benefits and weirdness of working out with your colleagues and bosses. Craig Kerbrat, 37 years old, popped into his company’s gym to work out on a recent Sunday night assuming he wouldn’t run into colleagues. He was wrong.

☆ Who’s Hogging All the Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Ice Cream?
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Ray A. Smith | Jaewon Kang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

After loading up on several boxes of Trader Joe’s ube-flavored mochi ice cream, Natasha Fischer brought them home, recorded a video for her Instagram account and put them straight into her freezer. Online, Ms. Fischer’s ice cream stockpiling drew backlash on her Trader Joe’s List account, where she has nearly two million followers, with people grumbling that hoarders are the reason they can’t find the products they want. Ms. Fischer, who lives in Los Angeles and runs a cookware business, wasn’t deterred, saying she was certain the ice cream with the trendy purple yam flavor would vanish by the end of the summer.

Search resuls for: "Ray A. Smith"

21 mentions found