Help employees achieve career mobility

Long story short: Help employees navigate their career with confidence

February 24, 2023 11:37 AM

Employees want guidance and support at work, but amid record layoffs and uncertainty, achieving those goals may feel futile.

Whether it's engaging in 'engineered attrition,' when employers make work life challenging to push employees out the door; or using cliched buzzwords in job postings that make employees cringe, employers may be inadvertently stunting employees' career growth. This week's top stories share some tips and tricks for making sure employers are behaving in an empathetic way — and fostering business growth in the process.

At Guild, a platform that provides education, coaching and other learning opportunities for employees seeking upward career and economic mobility, chief opportunity officer Terrance Cummings' entire purpose is to ensure employees are given the tools to succeed. In his new position, he's tapping into his own background with coaching and mentoring to empower and benefit both Guild's clients and their own employees.

"The main reason individuals join an organization is because they see that organization as a way for them to better their lives and their family's lives," Cummings says. "And the number one reason now that people leave an organization is because they see that promise not coming true."

Make sure you're helping — and not hurting — your employees. It'll benefit your organization from the top down.

The costly practice of pushing out employees to avoid layoffs

Engineered attrition is a term used to describe the strategies and methods employed by companies to urge employees to quit in hard economic times, so as to not resort to having to go through layoffs. And while it may sound like an appealing alternative for employers, it could have some potentially devastating long-term consequences.

"Organizations are creating an environment where they are aware it isn't conducive for people to work in or would want to work in," Amrit Sandhar, founder of employee engagement consultancy The Engagement Coach, tells associate editor Paola Peralta. He shared why this tactic doesn't work, and how employers can empathetically conduct layoffs instead.

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The costly practice of pushing out employees to avoid layoffs

Learning platform Guild is out to create upward mobility for frontline workers

Terrence Cummings was recently named the chief opportunity officer at Guild Education, where he will focus his efforts on creating opportunities for members that lead to economic growth. Guild partners with major employers including Walmart, Target, Chipotle and many others to give workers access to education, coaching and upskilling.

"This role is looking at driving economic mobility for both our members and learners, as well as our own employees, so that every single person has a clear path to the middle class," Cummings says. He shared his journey to joining Guild and his plans for shaping his new role at the company in a one-on-one interview with EBN.

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Learning platform Guild is out to create upward mobility for frontline workers

Work hard, play hard?' 10 buzzwords applicants hate to see in job postings

From "putting a pin in it" to "circling back," over a quarter of employees report hearing corporate buzzwords multiple times a day, according to e-learning platform Preply. The site recently surveyed 1,002 working professionals and asked them about their perceptions of office buzzwords, including whether these would impact their willingness to apply for a job.

The study found that 43% of Americans say it made no difference in how they perceived their prospective employer, but 55% viewed buzzwords in job postings negatively. Only 2% said it makes the job appealing, and not a single respondent said jargon makes them very eager to apply. Worried about how many may have been included in recent job postings? Associate editor Paola Peralta rounds up Preply's list.

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Work hard, play hard?' 10 buzzwords applicants hate to see in job postings

15 companies with 4-day workweeks hiring remote workers

Almost half of employees plan to look for a new job this year, and employers need to offer some alluring perks if they hope to recruit new workers. One tactic a growing number of employers are testing out is the four-day workweek: 97% of employees support this work arrangement, and 66% would rather have a compressed 9-5 than receive a pay raise, research from Flexjobs found.

But if employers want to use the four-day workweek as a recruiting tactic, they should be transparent about expectations for the days employees are expected to work, says Kathy Gardner, VP of communications at Flexjobs. "Four-day workweeks are just one way to support employees' mental health and well-being. It's just as important your company is rooted in a culture that encourages and fosters healthy work-life balance," she says.

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15 companies with 4-day workweeks hiring remote workers