The share of American women in the workforce is at a record high, with the surge unexpectedly being led by mothers of young children, according to a recent analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Expansions of paid leave and child care subsidies that started during the pandemic, the tight labor market making jobs more attractive, and pandemic-induced cultural shifts that pushed women to invest more of their time into their careers have certainly played a role. However, the most influential driver of this change for parents, researchers say, has been remote work for office jobs, and the flexibility about when and where work gets done. Today, 77.7% of women 25 to 54 are employed, and larger shares of mothers of preschool and school-age children are working now than just before the pandemic.<\/p>\n
With a record number of Chinese graduates currently jobless, hostels have become refuges for young people trying to land jobs in major cities. Costing just a few dollars a night, these hostels have become a necessity for many applicants due to the hyper-competitive nature of China\u2019s white-collar job market and the fact that the most desirable opportunities are still concentrated in a few megacities like Shanghai or Shenzhen. With the number of university graduates across the country ballooning, candidates who are unwilling to travel for interviews and cover their own expenses are often immediately dismissed. And as the Chinese economy continues to slow, competition has grown even stiffer. Some young people who have landed jobs are paid so little that they cannot afford deposits on long-term leases or are afraid to sign for fear of suddenly being laid off.<\/p>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"The AI corner","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":"
Microsoft has started rolling out the next major update to its Windows 11 PC operating system, which contains a chatbot called Copilot. The ChatGPT-powered tool is a smart assistant intended to save time by automating tasks within the Microsoft 365 suite, like turning Word documents into PowerPoint presentations, drafting email responses, crafting meeting summaries, and more. Businesses interested in adding Copilot to their current Microsoft 365 subscriptions must buy a minimum of 300 user licenses, costing $30 each, on top of the existing subscription fees of $36 and $57 (respectively) per person per month. Microsoft is the first to integrate ChatGPT\u2019s technology into its popular business software product, and by the end of 2024, Forrest estimates that nearly 7 million U.S. knowledge workers could be using it.<\/p>\n
At the first global AI Safety Summit last week, hosted by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, 28 governments, including the U.S. and China, agreed on the need for international cooperation and signed a document called the Bletchley Declaration, which warns of the dangers posed by the most advanced AI systems. The document laid out the risks but apparently fell short in setting specific policy goals, which is why a second meeting is scheduled to be held in six months in South Korea and a third six months later in France. For now, many governments are moving forward with their own laws and regulations \u2013 the U.S. released an executive order requiring A.I. companies to assess national security risks before making their technology public; the EU\u2019s AI Act is being finalized to protect citizens from harm; and China is cracking down on AI usage and chatbot censorship.<\/p>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"Recognizing quiet contributors on your team - part 1","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":"
By monday.com<\/em><\/p>\n End-of-year performance reviews are just around the corner, which is why it\u2019s time to take a step back and consider what strong performance means within your team and organization. As a leader, it\u2019s often easy to assume that those on your team who are most assertive, outgoing, and confident are also the most collaborative and productive, but in reality, quieter employees can often be among the greatest assets to the team.<\/p>\n Whether they\u2019re more introverted in nature, new joiners, or simply more junior and thus less comfortable speaking up, some of your most essential contributors will not be the ones who actively voice their ideas in group brainstorming sessions or take credit for their direct impact. That\u2019s why, in order to make all of your employees feel recognized, effectively assess performance, and retain key talent, you need to know how to adapt your management style and evaluation methods to each employee.<\/p>\n How to effectively manage quiet performers:<\/strong><\/p>\n Do your best to understand the reasoning for why an employee is more quiet. As noted above, it could be because they\u2019re more introverted, but it could also very well be due to a lack of confidence to speak up \u2013 whether because they\u2019re new, more junior, or simply less secure. In these cases, it\u2019s important to make an active effort to connect with them one on one and emphasize how much you value their input. With 70% of the variance in team engagement determined solely by the manager, per Gallup research, you can significantly influence your team members\u2019 sense of comfort and self-assurance by making it clear that they are on the team for a reason and that you truly value their perspectives. Emphasize that their newness to the team or role can actually provide really useful insights that others with more experience under their belt may tend to overlook.<\/p>\n Your employees may have different needs in terms of how they like to receive feedback, recognition, and support, so do your best not to implement a one-size-fits-all approach. Most of the time, when you ask individual workers how you can help them feel heard and supported, they\u2019ll have valuable input to share. That being said, these kinds of conversations can be intimidating, especially for more quiet performers, which is why it\u2019s important to give your team members a heads up. Send a message letting your employee know that you\u2019re interested in hearing how they\u2019d like to receive your feedback and support, and allow them to share their thoughts in whatever way feels most comfortable \u2013 whether it\u2019s a one-on-one conversation or a private message. Doing so will ensure you get honest guidance from your team members and can adapt your management style to fit their personal needs.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re in group meetings or larger team settings, try to encourage more outspoken team members to share the mic. This could be simply by taking opportunities to ask if anyone else has something to share or by keeping an eye out for those who seem engaged but hesitant to speak up. Before calling on them, try to make eye contact and message them privately to check in. Additionally, for brainstorming sessions or team projects, try to break the group up a bit so that there are fewer voices and contributors working together at a given time. This way, quieter employees will have more space to speak up and can feel more comfortable sharing their ideas.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a lot easier to give credit and recognition when your employee is vocal about their contributions. However, quieter employees may be less prone to publicizing their own achievements and results, which means it\u2019s not always obvious how much value they\u2019re bringing. That\u2019s why, in one-on-one meetings, it\u2019s so important to directly ask your team members to walk you through projects they\u2019re working on and the parts of their work of which they feel most proud and excited. Then, after getting their permission to do so, try to spotlight their impact and personal successes in larger forums so that their work can be acknowledged and celebrated by others.<\/p>\n Once a quarter or so, try to schedule one-on-one meetings with each of your team members to get feedback on what\u2019s working and where you could offer additional support. In these conversations, be intentional about asking questions and not dominating the conversation, so that even your more quiet or introverted team members can feel they have the space to share. Taking the time to get their input and responding accordingly is the best way to make all of your team members, even your quiet contributors, feel heard.<\/p>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"Water cooler chatter","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" Mouse embryos grew in space, signaling that we may be closer to living and multiplying on other planets. For the first time, astronauts successfully developed the embryos while onboard the International Space Station, which scientists say is a hopeful indication that bigger mammals might be able to reproduce off-Earth.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"quote","quote_text":"\u201cGravity did not affect initial differentiation of mammalian embryos.\"","quote_author":"Scientists and Researchers, Japan Aerospace Space Agency and the University of Yamanashi","quote_author_avatar":false,"quote_author_position":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" Elon Musk has just unveiled Grok, an AI chatbot with a \u2018rebellious streak\u2019. Built by his AI company xAI, Musk says the new bot will bring a sense of humor and sarcasm that rivals like ChatGPT don\u2019t seem to offer. Grok is still in early testing and not available to the general public yet.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"quote","quote_text":"\u201cGrok is designed to answer questions with a bit of wit and has a rebellious streak, so please don\u2019t use it if you hate humor!\u201d","quote_author":"xAI team","quote_author_avatar":false,"quote_author_position":""}]},{"main_heading":"Question of the week","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" Last week\u2019s answer:<\/strong> India<\/p>\n This week\u2019s question:<\/strong> Which two companies have more than one million employees?<\/p>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"Just for laughs","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":147072,"image_link":null}]}]}],"lobby_image":false,"post_thumbnail_title":"","hide_post_info":false,"hide_bottom_cta":false,"hide_from_blog":false,"landing_page_layout":false,"sidebar_color_banner":"","custom_tags":false,"disclaimer":"","cluster":"","display_dates":"published","featured_image_link":"","faqs":false,"activate_cta_banner":true,"cta_banner_text":" Don\u2019t miss <\/strong> more quality content!<\/p>\n","use_customized_cta":false,"custom_schema_code":"","post_date":"20231107"},"yoast_head":"\nIdentify the driver<\/h3>\n
Ask for input<\/h3>\n
Share the mic<\/h3>\n
Spotlight contributions<\/h3>\n
Get feedback<\/h3>\n