What makes a great workplace culture? I’ve been working in the “employer-of-choice” arena for several dozen years now. I’ve watched as what began as a focus on “work-family balance” morphed into the more inclusive “work-life integration.” I’ve seen the focus on inclusiveness continue to grow until the concept of diversity, equity and inclusion—DEI—had become central […]
Conquering the Mighty Text Limit
One of the most frustrating aspects of applying for almost anything these days—from awards to fellowships to grants—is answering open-ended questions that have tight word or character limits. I’m reminded of this once again because it’s the season to apply for Seramount “best place to work” lists. (These are the annual employer lists formerly sponsored […]
The Other Revolution in the Way We Work
As the media busies itself with story after story about who is returning to the office, who still working from home, and who leaving the workforce altogether, another story is quietly developing—a story that has the capacity to upend the way we think about work. I’m talking about the four-day workweek. An idea that seems […]
Employees Aren’t the Enemy. So Why Are We Spying on Them?
Here are the opening paragraphs from a September Washington Post article I read: “When Kerrie Krutchik, an attorney for 34 years, was hired this spring for one of the legal field’s fastest-growing jobs, she expected to review case files at a pandemic-safe distance from the comfort of her Ohio home. “Then she received a laptop […]
Just Want to Sit on the Porch? You’re Not Alone!
It took nearly my entire adult life, but I’ve finally become fashionable. Suddenly, it’s cool not to be career-focused. I’m proud to say I was ahead of the curve when it comes to non-ambition. Oh, sure, growing up I had the usual variety of career-oriented dreams: archeologist, psychologist, midwife, pilot. But I vividly remember my […]
So What Will It Be, Employers?
U.S. companies have entered that awkward stage. Like young teenagers with a crush, they look uncertainly across the room and wonder what their next move should be. Insist employees come back to the office? Tell them their office days are over? Mandate some days on, some days off? Leave it up to individuals or teams? […]
This Is What Got Companies onto 2021’s 100 Best Places to Work List
It’s out! The 2021 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For List has been released, giving the curious (like me) some fresh insights into what it might mean to be a great workplace during a year from hell. Though the 100 Best list has been around for decades, this year is different. Not the list […]
The Mammoth in the Room: What Made a Great Company in the Year That Wasn’t
2020 had to be a tough year for organizations that administer “best place to work” lists. After years of fine-tuning their application processes to uncover just the level of nuance that would separate the very best employers from the wannabes, suddenly they faced a pandemic-sized elephant in the room. More than that: a wooly mammoth. […]
It’s Back to Basics for Women–Maybe We Can Get It Right This Time?
Well, here we are again: Women’s History Month. A little more than a year ago, as March began, the topic of women and their progress and their many accomplish- ments was everywhere. Employers around the country, eager to showcase their own (often-genuine) diversity creds, were just starting to host panels and book groups, mount exhibitions, […]
Think Remote Work Implies Trust? Think Again
Not long ago, I sat down to write a blog post about facetime vs Facetime. The premise was that, in the course of the last year, the meaning of “facetime” has morphed from a demand by managers that employees work within their sight (i.e., onsite) into a symbol of the virtual worksites so many employers […]
