Workplace expert Tory Johnson is in Washington this week for the Spring Women For Hire Career Expo. We sat down yesterday to discuss what it takes for professional women to thrive in this challenging job market, whether as a manager or as a job seeker. Edited excerpts from our conversation are below.
Learn more about Tory’s work at WomenforHire.com, including the full list of career fair locations.
Mary Ellen: What is the biggest challenge women managers are facing right now?
Tory: Everyone feels pressured to do a whole lot more with less. Some people choke, but others recognize it as an opportunity. This is the time to speak up and offer new ideas. You need to have the strength to kill projects that are a drain on your resources. You need to say no. For the person who recognizes that, this is a time to shine.
With so many applicants to choose from, how do you sort through them all and know you’ve hired the best person? (read more…)
Last week’s SmartBrief on Workforce poll question was Who’s picking up the check these days?
- We’re all going Dutch – 37%
- We don’t even have time for business lunches anymore – 37%
- I am – 20%
- The other guy – 6%
The weak economy has most of us watching our expenses more closely, including business lunches. Still, breaking bread with clients and colleagues has such strong benefits that it could be penny-wise and pound-foolish to make your cuts there. Dining together creates opportunities for bonding and brainstorming that are hard to duplicate in a conference room or on LinkedIn.
Still, budgets are budgets. If you have to cut back on business meals, don’t drop the meetings completely. Instead, consider switching to breakfast, which is generally cheaper, or meet for afternoon coffee and snacks. And look beyond the usual power lunch spots for less-expensive — and likely tastier — local or ethnic eateries. (read more…)
I’ve been coming across a number of stories lately touting the use of interns as a cost-saving measure during the downturn. And they worry me. Recent grads, feeling pressure to make some sort of progress in their career — even if it doesn’t come with a paycheck — aren’t really in a position to protest demands that they work for free under the guise of “learning” — even after they’ve graduated. But I am. Internships should be about professional development, not about finding cheap ways to get your administrative or other work done. The Department of Labor has its own guidelines, and you should make yourself familiar with them before you bring in a single intern, paid or not. Aside from legal requirements, employers should keep in mind that there are good business reasons for offering good internships to young workers — reasons that trump any short-term cost savings derived from having the intern handle your filing or try to run your marketing department on his own. (read more…)
Many managers have long wished they could chuck the formal performance review, but until very recently, no alternatives to the replace that clunky, corporate institution seemed viable. However, a number of employers have begun dropping the annual sit-down in favor of more frequent, less-formal meetings. Fulfilling the needs of Gen Y workers for continuous feedback is what’s driving the change, according to one NPR report, but workers of all ages say they welcome the shift.
Does your organization still rely on annual reviews? Are you contemplating changes? Share your experiences here, and your comments could be featured in SmartBrief on Workforce.
Image credit, iStock (read more…)
The 5 most-clicked links in SmartBrief on Workforce this past week:
- 3 ways managers cause stress
- Using Twitter as a productivity tool
- 10 steps to setting appropriate goals
- How to say no
- Who’s getting raises this year?
Image credit, iStock (read more…)
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