To Make Hybrid Work, Solicit Employees’ Input

Summary.   

As employers establish their hybrid-work plans, they need to get serious about adapting to employees’ needs by soliciting their input along the way. With workers having so many options in terms of workplaces, they’re unlikely to stay employed long at an organization that doesn’t value their opinions. The author offers specific questions to ask to get the input you need from your employees.

The hybrid workforce will introduce flexibility that millions of people never had before the pandemic. Already, we’re seeing new experiments in how people work with the increasingly popular three-days-in-the-office, two-days-remote workweek. This hybrid work model covers place, but companies need to start paying more attention to process and, most important, people. No matter the hybrid work configurations they end up favoring, employers must get serious about adapting to employees’ needs by soliciting their input along the way.

Complete Article at HBR

Recruitment: Tredence to hire over 1,000 professionals by 2022

Founded in 2013, Tredence claims to have maintained a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50 per cent.

Data science and AI engineering company Tredence has announced that it will hire over 1,000 technology and analytics professionals in the next 12 months, as per the company's statement.

Since its Series A funding of $30 million in December 2020, Tredence has recruited over 500 staff across various roles and skill sets. This extensive scale-up has resulted in the company reaching the milestone of 1,000 employees worldwide. The job opportunities offered by the company include data analysts, business analysts, data engineers, data scientists, data product owners, cloud platform developers and technical architects among others.

Founded in 2013, Tredence claims to have maintained a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50 per cent. “This enhanced focus on hiring is part of our strategy to invest in and build a strong talent pool of analytics and engineering professionals to drive value for our clients,” said Shub Bhowmick, CEO and co-founder of Tredence. The company had recently announced an employee stock buyback program of $3.5 million.

Complete Article at People matters

It’s a new world - Digitization and Engagement

 

In 2013, Gallup Organization did a study on over 1.4 million employees to determine that organizations experienced 22% higher productivity when the employees showed a high level of engagement. We often restrict consumption of digital medium to mainframe systems & software, employee training, communication, operational activities, etc. However, in this COVID hit world, one missing link to employee productivity is the usage of digitization for employee engagement. Traditionally digital employee engagement means celebrating festivals online virtually with few sessions on health and self-development or discussion forums with management teams. But the role of digitization in employee engagement is beyond that. Employee engagement through digitization can improve productivity from all directions. This article will look at how one can use digital platforms to engage employees differently in remote work conditions, leading to higher productivity.

Socialization: Irrespective of the generations and employee personalities we deal with, human beings like to interact with colleagues, although limited but regularly. Few studies have confirmed that informal relationships help employees feel better connected to organization and give them a sense of control over their work environment. With the current remote location work environment, the same is not possible. Working in silos reduces engagement and impacts productivity. Hence, organizations have to come out with informal forums of interaction for employees apart from doing digital engagement activities. The use of digital platforms will resolve the problem. Slowly, organizations have to create such platforms that must replicate features available in popular social media platforms, in a professional context. These innovative platforms would connect employees with each other, enabling sharing of thoughts and ideas and would facilitate discussion and sharing views with each other. This will not only increase team bonding in remote work conditions but will restore the interpersonal connection increasing trust and synergy.

Complete article at People matters

How to Pitch Yourself to an Employer and Secure an interview

Contrary to popular belief, pitching yourself directly to employers can give you an advantage over other applicants. Here’s how to do it:

1) Get your timing right.

You should plan to pitch yourself to the employers you want to work for as early as possible in your job search, regardless of whether there are current openings that align with your skillset. More specifically, if you’re applying to internship programs that require you to be in school, it’s important to start applying months in advance. Otherwise, you might miss out on your window of opportunity.

Pro tip

If you’re a college student who is looking to have a full-time job lined up, start reaching out to employers at least 12 months before graduation.

2) Identify key players at the company (or the hiring manager’s boss).

Once have chosen a place you want to pitch yourself to, don’t just shoot out an email. First, do your research. Narrow down a specific team within the company that you would like to be a part of. Key players have the power to connect you, and if they do, you’re much more likely to get a response than if you were to reach out cold.

Once you find a contact you want to reach out to, it’s time to request an informational interview. Message your key player, either on LinkedIn or through their work email. 

3) Nail your informational interview.

Now that you’ve landed an informational interview, make sure to do some research on the person you have reached out to. You’ll get the most out of these connections if you build relationships around shared values, and it will be much easier to carry a conversation if you and the other person are discussing topics you’re both passionate about.

Pro tip

Another option is to reach out to a junior member of the team on LinkedIn, express your interest in their work, and ask if they’d be willing to speak with you. After forming a relationship, you can then ask your new contact to connect you to their manager. This person can also give you tips around how to best communicate with the manager.

4) Connect with the hiring manager.

Hopefully, by this point, you’ve secured the hiring manager’s contact information or been introduced formally by a key player at their company.

Now it’s time to send your first email. In this message you have a few goals: Introduce yourself, express interest in their company, explain the value you can bring to their team, and request a meeting. While it should be clear that you are interested in a job at their company, don’t ask for a job offer in your initial email.

Pro tip

In general, the higher up the recipient is on the corporate ladder, the less time they’ll have to read your email, and the shorter your email, the better.

5) Follow up (if necessary).

Once you’ve sent your first email, be patient! It’s okay to follow up, but don’t overdo it, as you might risk annoying the manager. Wait at least a week before reaching out again, and when you do, keep it short

Pro tip

If you still haven’t heard back after multiple emails, try adding the hiring manager on LinkedIn. A LinkedIn notification might be the reminder that prompts someone to finally respond to your emails.

6) Sell yourself. 

If the manager accepts your invitation to meet, congratulations! You’ve basically landed an informal job interview, and you should treat it as such.

This first meeting, like any job interview, needs to be a two-way conversation, not just an opportunity for you to list your accomplishments, so show up prepared with questions to ask them. I recommend starting with questions about the company’s business needs, their priorities, and the direction their team is heading in.

7) Don’t be put off by a “no.” 

Rejection is unavoidable, but don’t mistake it for failure. Sometimes, “no” really means “not now.”

Pro tip 

If your ideal role doesn’t exist, pitch a new role. Don’t underestimate the power of having internal allies who can advocate for you.

Last piece of advice…

When you are on the job hunt, it doesn’t hurt to set up job alert emails or to apply for job openings you find online. However, proactively reaching out to hiring managers will give you more advantages over the other applicants. Once you’ve built these relationships with employers and people who can influence hiring decisions, you’ll be more likely to receive notice about upcoming openings before they are posted online, and you’ll have access to more insider information that can help you strengthen your candidacy.

Complete article at HBR

What the edX Acquisition Means for the Future of Higher Education

 

Summary.   

In a recently announced transaction, 2U will acquire all edX assets, including the brand, about 3,500 digital courses, and the website — with its 50 million learners. This development should serve as a wakeup call for other colleges and universities, which must start thinking about how to unbundle the value chain and outsource areas where others possess superior core competencies By partnering and controlling significant parts of value chain instead of resisting them, universities can gain a significant portion of revenues that would steadily migrate toward EdTech companies. Those additional revenues can provide seed capital to universities to drive their own EdTech initiatives. Right now, they’re mere spectators in the game.

Tech company 2U recently announced an agreement to buy edX’s assets from Harvard and MIT for $800 million. How will this transform the business of education, and how can traditional learning institutions adapt?

Three recent developments are noteworthy. First, digital technologies have matured to a point where they can cause disruptive changes to the age-old college education model. For centuries, the principal mode of college education — the classroom model — required students to come together at a predetermined time and location to be taught at an instructor-led pace.

Source: HBR

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Every second GenZ wants employers to make skill-based hiring

According to a new survey by LinkedIn & GfK, 90% of GEnZ is demotivated after all the job rejections and slow hiring, coupled with salary cuts.

On World Youth Skills Day 2021, LinkedIn in collaboration with research firm GfK, has launched the ‘Career Aspirations Gen Z India’ study that focuses on insights of 1,000 Gen Z students and professionals in the age group of 18 to 24 years, across June 2021.

The survey captures their current sentiment, changing perceptions, and future outlook towards jobs, skilling, and networking opportunities. The study dives deep to understand how the pandemic affected the careers and education plans of India’s youth, and what barriers they face when pursuing jobs and skilling opportunities today. Top findings from the survey reveal that 72% of students and 65% of Gen Z Indians were professionally impacted during the second wave of COVID-19.

90% of Gen Z job applicants are demotivated after job offer rejections

The study shows that nearly 70% of Gen Z job applicants didn’t get a positive response after waiting for long periods, while a similar proportion said their applications were either canceled or delayed indefinitely. Due to these setbacks, 90% of Gen Z job applicants are demotivated. When asked what they felt was the biggest barrier to get ahead in the pandemic, Gen Z Indians cited ‘fewer opportunities’, followed by ‘slower recruitment’ and ‘higher competition’ as the top 3 reasons affecting their job search today. Other barriers in pursuing job opportunities include lack of guidance for skilling and increased familial responsibilities due to COVID-19.

Source: People matters

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TCS crosses 500,000 employee mark, to hire over 40,000 people in FY22

For the first quarter of FY22, TCS added 20,409 more associates, taking its total headcount to 509,058.

In a media briefing, Milind Lakkad, CHRO, TCS said, “Last year, we hired 40,000 associates from campuses in India, this year the number may be even more. Similarly, in the US, we hired 2,000 employees from campuses in FY21 and the number is likely to be higher this year. The story will be the same for Latin America as well.

For the first quarter of FY22, TCS added 20,409 more associates, taking its total headcount to 509,058.

Lakkad said,“ The TCS family crossed a new milestone, with over 500,000 associates this quarter. We continue to attract the best talent across the globe with a net addition of 20,409 associates to the TCS family this quarter.”

He also added that over the past five years, the company has been beefing up its local workforce in major markets, hence despite travel restrictions during the pandemic, the IT major's business was not affected.

Source: People matters

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MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES ON CORSICA

 5 most beautiful places of Corsica

PALOMBAGGIA

The number 1 most beautiful – and famous – beach on Corsica is undoubtedly Palombaggia. Towering umbrella pines look down on a beach here strewn with large reddish granite boulders and small islets. Warm and shallow lagoon-like waters lap the shore. It’s one of the most exotic sights in Europe. But expect company in the summer – sometimes it can feel as though half of Corsica has decamped here for the day.

SPERONE

Sperone is on the south-east tip of Corsica,. It’s a short drive from Bonifacio although the nearest car park is at Piantarella, you’ll have to cover the final distance on foot. This means Sperone is not quite as busy as it would otherwise be.

There are actually two beaches here – Grand Sperone and Petit Sperone – and these two pretty coves are surrounded by the fragrant Corsican maquis. Beyond Sperone, the Lavezzi islands cascade into the distance.

CUPABIA

Cupabia is a spectacularly scenic beach, with colours that you might more readily expect from the Caribbean than from France. This large beach is on the west coast in the Chiavari area, where the landscape is hilly and unspoiled. The sand is pale and course-grained, which makes for excellent snorkelling. It can be a bit windier than the east coast though.

RONDINARA

Rondinara is second most famous beach on Corsica and is notable for its idyllic semicircular shape – just like a seashell. The enclosed shape means the water is very sheltered and calm, ideal for kids and snorkelling. It’s located between Bonifacio and Porto Vecchio and there’s a campsite and restaurant with parking.

ROCCAPINA

Roccapina has crystal clear waters and intriguing surrounding scenery of jagged granite rocks. The Corsicans say the rocks are shaped like a lion. It’s a lovely undeveloped area with wide sands and trees to provide shade, and is popular anchorage for passing yachts. Roccapina is about 1 hr west of Bonifacio by car.

Source: https://www.themediterraneantraveller.com/beautiful-beaches-corsica/

Malabar Gold & Diamonds plans to hire 5000 people

Malabar Gold & Diamonds has embarked on a massive hiring initiative to boost employment prospects for job seekers across the country amid a dip in recruitment sentiment owing to covid-19 induced recession. Malabar Gold & Diamonds, one among the largest gold and diamond retail chains in the country, with over 260 stores across 10 countries, has announced hiring for more than 5000 vacancies, both across its retail operations in India and enabling functions at the brand headquarters and regional offices. This is in line with the brand’s efforts to further boost its retail presence across the country in the current financial year.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds caters to a global audience using multiple retail formats - high streets, reputed malls, department stores and travel retail - supported by a team consisting of 14 nationalities, and are proficient in 50+ different languages. The current vacancies are in Retail Jewellery Sales, Store Operations and Accountants across India. Half of these openings are set aside for deserving female candidates. Additionally, Internships and Traineeships are also being offered for fresh B.Tech/MBA entrants to learn jewellery retail sales and operations. Recruitment is also underway for positions in Design & Development, Digital Marketing, Jewellery Manufacturing (Artisans), Supply Chain Management, Merchandising, Project Execution, Finance & Accounts, Business Analytics and IT. Most of these roles are based out of the company’s global headquarters in Kozhikode and regional offices in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kolkata.

Source: People matters

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What it takes to create a wellness-first culture at workplaces

 

Amid the increasing focus on employee wellness and belonging, how can companies establish a deeper connection with employees? How can companies create a culture of care at workplaces? What does it take to create a culture-driven, wellness-first organization?

A lot has been spoken of employee wellness, especially in the past months. Overnight, companies had to deal with the most rapid transformation of the workplace in modern history. While industry experts initially worried about productivity, we quickly came to realize that the transition to remote work did not hurt productivity and we adapted to the new normal. However, now companies need to think beyond productivity and look at wellness programs that foster engagement towards a more holistic people-first ethos - one that focuses on an employees’ quality of life within and outside of work.

With that context, how can companies establish a deeper connection with employees? How can companies enable people to make healthy changes and support them across that journey? What does it take to create a culture-driven, wellness-first organization? What are the primary concerns for employees today? How can companies create a culture of care at workplaces? 

Building a culture-driven workplace 

It is easy for HR teams to be prescriptive with their wellness initiatives - by telling employees to participate in programs, surveys and tests, but it is unclear how this approach has long-term gains for employees and organizations. Organizations need to move towards creating culture-driven wellness strategies to ensure work-life balance. 

Source: People matters

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