A growing number of Gen Z women are ditching the workforce to become stay-at-home girlfriends (SAHGs). Many of these young women across the globe have gone viral on social media from videos depicting their daily routines supporting their boyfriends with tasks like cooking and housework, in addition to their rigorous self-care regimens. This new phenomenon reflects a Gen Z move away from the girlboss hustle culture, and toward simpler lives. Apparently, the boyfriends are often the ones proposing these arrangements, per the Wall Street Journal \u2013 either because they work a lot or travel often and want extra support at home, or because they simply enjoy taking care of everything. While you may be thinking 1950s housewives, SAHGs don\u2019t associate themselves with those women because despite their slow days that somewhat revolve around men, with no kids in the picture, they feel empowered to focus on their own self-care.<\/p>\n
2023 was one of the heaviest years for cuts since the global financial crisis. Between little stability, fewer investments, scarce dealmaking, and limited growth, investment banks suffered a second consecutive year of plummeting fees, leading to significantly reduced headcount in order to try and protect profit margins. Twenty of the world\u2019s largest banks alone cut more than 60,000 jobs this past year, according to the Financial Times. Experts note that while previous years of extensive job cuts by banks most directly affected European lenders, at least half of 2023\u2019s reductions came from Wall Street lenders, whose investment banking businesses have struggled to navigate the speed of interest rate hikes in the US and Europe. Analysts are saying that barring a major swing back in investment banking activity, the outlook for global banking jobs is unlikely to see much improvement in 2024.<\/p>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"The AI corner","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":"
As demand for mental health resources grows and the supply of needed specialists gets smaller, employers are increasingly turning to AI-powered chatbots that can hold therapist-like conversations or make diagnoses. In fact, according to a recent study by professional services company WTW, around a third of U.S. employers are now offering a \u201cdigital therapeutic\u201d for mental-health support, and an additional 15% are considering adding these kinds of benefits by 2025. Advocates say the apps effectively alleviate negative mental health symptoms and that given that they are available any time of day, they can also reach people who might not be able to fit traditional therapy into their schedules or can\u2019t find a therapist with any openings. That said, some researchers say there isn\u2019t sufficient evidence that the programs actually work, and the varied security practices trigger a risk that private information could be leaked or sold.<\/p>\n
OpenAI is expanding its internal security processes to reduce the threat of harmful AI. How so? The company is launching a dedicated safety advisory group to oversee the technical teams and make recommendations to leadership, with the board also getting vetoing power. So, while the leadership team members are still the decision-makers, the board of directors will have the ability to reverse certain decisions. Usually these kinds of internal policy changes wouldn\u2019t be newsworthy, but after all of the internal drama that took place at the company in November, insiders say these updates are intended to show a clear path for identifying, analyzing, and determining what to do about potentially catastrophic risks inherent in the models they\u2019re developing.<\/p>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"Kicking off a strong 2024","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":"
By monday.com<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s officially a new year, which means it\u2019s time to set 2024 goals, identify new business opportunities, and get your team members feeling motivated and energized!<\/p>\n Here are some tips to kick off a successful new year:<\/strong><\/p>\n Schedule time for the whole team to come together to celebrate your 2023 achievements. Try to use real data to make the wins feel more tangible, and do your best to give personal shoutouts to each individual. A great way to effectively do this is by openly addressing some of the obstacles the team faced over the past year and how you all managed to navigate them. This not only makes the accomplishments feel more meaningful, it also conveys that a critical component of success at work is resiliency. By making time to honor your team\u2019s wins, you promote a sense of positivity and empowerment, demonstrate how much you recognize your employees\u2019 contributions, emphasize the types of behaviors you want them to continue, and make further achievements feel more attainable in 2024.<\/p>\n Recent research by McKinsey found that 70% of employees say their personal sense of purpose is defined by their work, and when their work feels meaningful, they perform better, are significantly more committed, and are about half as likely to go looking for a new job. With that, a great way to make work feel meaningful is by helping team members understand how their work matters. When setting team KPIs and establishing priorities for the new year, help your team understand the ways in which their work will contribute to the company\u2019s 2024 goals and areas of focus. Give them context about certain strategies and business shifts, and help your team members recognize the broader impact of their work.<\/p>\n Schedule time with each individual member of your team to find out how they\u2019re feeling and provide some personal recognition as you kick off the new year. Come prepared with areas where you think they really excelled to help them enter 2024 feeling seen and empowered. Then, be sure to ask them how they hope to grow this year, the kinds of opportunities they\u2019d like to explore, and if there\u2019s anything you can do to be a more helpful leader. If they can\u2019t think of anything in the moment, let them know they can always follow up with you when new ideas or thoughts come to mind.<\/p>\n Additionally, try to use these conversations as a way to gauge overall morale on your team. For example, if you come to understand that a lot of your team members ended 2023 feeling burned out and drained, it may be a sign that this year you should focus on helping them prioritize their workloads more effectively and openly encourage them to take time off when they need it.<\/p>\n Recent research by the Workforce Institute revealed that making employees feel seen and heard can profoundly impact their productivity, engagement, and turnover, with 74% of employees reporting that they are more effective at their jobs when they feel heard. So, as you build out goals and strategies for 2024, give your employees the chance to weigh in and share their ideas as well. A great way to do this is by organizing a team kick-off and giving each team member an opportunity to present relevant data and insights from 2023 to the rest of the group. Then use this time to brainstorm plans and approaches together as a team, making space for everyone, regardless of seniority, to share their voice and give their input.<\/p>\n According to a recent study by BetterUp Labs, 43% of workers think their company should be doing more to promote workplace connections and 53% would actually trade some compensation for more meaningful relationships with colleagues. With this in mind, it\u2019s always great to start a new year with a team outing \u2013 whether it\u2019s a group dinner or a fun activity, try to organize some time away from the office to get to know one another and build a more supportive, connected team. And if your team is remote, try to organize a fun virtual meeting to simply catch up and get to know each other better (funny icebreakers are always a great start!)<\/p>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"Water cooler chatter","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" Migration from the world\u2019s poorer countries to more affluent ones has reached its highest level in decades. Millions of people are taking both legal and illegal routes in order to secure work or refuge. While many countries hope foreign migrants can help alleviate labor shortages, many voters are blaming these waves of immigration for increases in crime and rising housing costs.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"quote","quote_text":"\u201cMore than 7.7 million Venezuelans have left their country, making them the biggest refugee group, ahead of Ukranians and Syrians who fled their war-torn homelands.\u201d","quote_author":" Rosie Ettenheim, Peter Champelli, and Tom Fairless, WSJ reporters","quote_author_avatar":false,"quote_author_position":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" Tennis legend Rafael Nadal is planning to return from injury for one last go at the pro circuit next month before he says goodbye to the game. Despite 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles, including a record 14 French Open titles, after 12 months away and a painstaking process to rehabilitate nearly every part of his body, Nadal isn\u2019t quite sure what to expect.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"quote","quote_text":"\u201cI have been afraid to announce things, because in the end it\u2019s a year without competing\u2014and it\u2019s a hip operation. But what worried me most isn\u2019t the hip, it\u2019s everything else.\u201d","quote_author":"Rafael Nadal, Spanish Professional Tennis Player","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> More than 70%<\/p>\n This week\u2019s question:<\/strong> What\u2019s the most expensive U.S. state to comfortably retire in?<\/p>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"Just for laughs","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":148772,"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","post_date":"20240102","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":""},"yoast_head":"\nCelebrate team wins<\/h3>\n
Discuss the big picture<\/h3>\n
Check in on each team member<\/h3>\n
Schedule a kick off<\/h3>\n
Schedule something fun together<\/h3>\n