If you work in tech, or your office has adopted a remote or hybrid way of working, there’s a good chance you’ve used Slack before and understand the benefits as well as the pitfalls, such as Slack holes and ‘always-on’ communication. Slack was originally sold to millions of users as the email killer—the solution to our in-office communication woes (remember the days of 80% less email with Slack?) But with more and more offices transitioning to a hybrid structure, Slack has now positioned itself as the solution to the wealth of problems that come with not sharing the same physical space as our ..read more

While it can be difficult to acknowledge, we all carry biases based on our past experiences and how and where we were raised. These biases can affect both our personal and professional lives—and we may not even be aware it’s happening. Perception bias influences how we perceive people based on their race, gender, age, and much more, and if left unchecked, it can lead us to make poor decisions based on stereotypes and assumptions.  Continue reading to learn more about perception bias, including the many different types of bias out there with examples and how you and your team can recognize ..read more

You’ve probably heard the term “human energy crisis” by now. It’s out there, circulating in corporate circles and LinkedIn feeds, raising eyebrows and antennae among executives and employees alike. And with good reason. As the phrase implies, we’ve got a real issue on our hands. Solving it is essential to helping our employees recharge. But what, exactly, does a human energy crisis entail?  It’s a labor crisis. The people who do the work are bearing the brunt of the remote and hybrid work fallout—sunk commercial real estate costs notwithstanding—and as a result, they’re feeling uncertain ..read more

I’ve enjoyed watching my Gen Z kids transition into young adulthood. The other night, the three of them were sitting around the dining room table with some friends. Their group was swapping notes about their respective job searches. Being the Godfather of Talent Optimization, I’m in the business of making our world of work work better. So I decided to eavesdrop just a bit.  My curiosity quickly turned to disappointment as the group shared a series of painful experiences. One had been duped during the interview process and was now looking for a new opportunity after only six months. Anothe ..read more

With 30 years in engineering, I’m well aware of the stereotypes most people associate with the field.  Male-dominated. Sprint-driven. Video games during downtime. These generalized notions of engineering work aren’t without merit. They exist, in part, because they’re rooted in truth. Coding is a craft that conjures clichés.  And while neither I nor many of my colleagues fit the above stereotypes, we’re all familiar with them. For decades, many of these clichés have self-perpetuated, as most engineering teams have been built in a familiar and time-tested manner.  We stick to the ..read more

If you’ve ever tried to restructure your teams, introduce new workflows, or otherwise shaken up longstanding procedures at your company, you know how difficult change can be. At least a few employees will grumble – some may even speak up. But at worst, they may actively try to resist, or even thwart, your efforts at change. It’s a psychological phenomenon common across industries. But why is resistance to change so persistent? The simple answer may just be that people want stability. They want to be able to predict what will happen to them instead of being confronted with the unknown. While th ..read more

The post-COVID labor landscape is constantly shifting. Every day, roughly 10,000 people are reaching retirement age, helping to usher in a generational shift in the workforce. Meanwhile, remote and hybrid work have become the norms in many industries, transforming the role of the long-sacred office. And then there’s the question of how technology like AI will shake up different industries — both for better and for worse. Despite all this change, one constant is the importance of effective leadership. In fact, with so many aspects of work now in flux, the difference a good leader can make may b ..read more

As the old saying goes, change is hard. However, change is an essential element of growth and the driving force behind innovation. Changing existing systems or processes is challenging when multiple people are involved and organizational productivity is at stake. Creating and implementing a change management plan to manage the process organizes the transition, improves buy-in, and builds trust among team members. What is a change management plan? A change management plan is a structured process that organizations use when implementing change. It outlines the strategic approach that will be fol ..read more

We’re in the thick of the second quarter, nearing the halfway mark of an already grueling 2023. Recession stink lingers in the air. The financial industry . And return-to-office mandates are too often falling flat. Given that backdrop, it might not seem like the best time to focus on team building.  But that’s never been PI’s approach. In my three-plus years here, our People Ops and leadership teams have always put employees first. Morale never takes a backseat. And no company event better embodies that mentality than the Office Olympics.  A couple years ago, as the pandemic raged on ..read more

Let’s start with the elephant in the room: Your employees are using artificial intelligence—in fact, they probably have been for a while.  ChatGPT may be seizing hearts and headlines with an unprecedented adoption rate. But it’s hardly the first tool of its kind. Simplifying labor through human-engineered automation is nothing new. But adoption almost always outpaces awareness. Companies are playing perpetual catch-up when it comes to understanding not only who’s using AI tools, but the ramifications of how they’re using them. As an HR or People Operations professional, it can make for a ..read more