Work in Transition — January Edits

In this month’s edit, we look at different ways in which work culture is changing including ghost jobs that never hire, the race to upskill and sell learning and development at work, how the workforce remains adaptable, and interesting ideas, things, and people changing how we work today. I came across these four articles, which had interesting insights about work in transition.

Ghost Jobs

Have you applied to jobs without receiving responses, or felt that the feedback was impersonal? Worse yet, maybe you have completed all stages of the hiring process and received no follow-up. Well, that might have been a ghost job — job openings left active for months without being filled. Allegedly done to create an impression of company growth, boost existing employee motivation, or appease overworked employees.
Whether a business decision or a mere HR tactic, I feel it’s unfair to job seekers who build hopes only to remain unhired. In Kenya, I’ve seen people on Twitter calling out companies that consistently post the same job roles month after month, a commendable first step in addressing such exploitative practices.

Slack’s Ranger week

Last year, Slack made headlines with an announcement regarding their plans for learning and development at work. A one week for employees to upskill termed ranger week. This involved an urgent learning upgrade mandating employees to complete hours of learning on their sister company Salesforce’s platform, Trailhead. This received mixed reactions online. Some viewed it as HR or marketing stunt, while others saw it as a novel approach for companies to actively support and allocate time for employees to upskill. Claims of workarounds and automation around the learning process have been made, but the impact of the program remains unclear. What are your thoughts on supporting such an initiative?

Workforce adaptability

Many have said that an adaptable workforce is a competitive advantage for businesses now and in the future. But employee and employer perceptions of how this will be achieved differ. There is a need for businesses to create a learning culture integrated into everyday work, actively supporting continuous skill development in their hired labor pools. According to the research study, middle-skill and low-income workers are most vulnerable to change, and their adaptation speed will significantly impact outcomes. The study also highlights a perception gap between workers and employers, with workers holding more optimistic and adaptable mindsets than their leaders recognize.

Leaders are grappling with the dilemma of obsolete skills, with some even seeking counsel from priests on company decisions. The study maps the transition of work beyond the predominant tech changes to other critical areas such as changes in employee experience, transitioning work models, evolving business environments, and shifting skill demands. In essence, there’s a need for leaders and workers to collaborate in defining an adaptability framework that aligns with both worker and business needs. I wonder how many businesses are actively planning to upskill and build their talent rather than poaching those already trained.

Ideas, things, and people changing how we work today

• Portfolio career — Combining side hustles has become the new career ladder, particularly common in creative fields. This approach involves taking on several projects and is ideal for multi-hyphenate individuals.
• Adaptability quotient — Move over IQ, AQ is the new cool. How quickly and effectively people navigate change might be the new marker of success.
• Anti-distraction apps — I like this one because I have been trying to use them. Working online and falling into research rabbit holes is a distraction on its own, let’s not even add Zoom calls and social media platforms. Funny we need more apps to keep us from other apps.
• Happiness coach to change workplace culture — To fix workplace stress, some companies are hiring happiness coaches to transform workplace culture. I am equally seeing more independent career and lifestyle coaches on socials. It will be great to study the changes this has in the next 5 years.

What have you come across that shows work in transition, comment below.