NEWSLETTER
EMPLOYEES FEEL UNDERPREPARED FOR THEIR JOB AND ARE LOOKING ONLINE FOR HELP
By Steve Bent
A third of the U.S. workforce doesn’t feel qualified for their job
Over half of U.S. employees have a colleague they feel isn’t qualified for their job
One in three employees turn to Google or YouTube for help, rather than ask a coworker
When it comes to job training, employees are feeling underqualified and unsupported. That’s according to the “Fake It Til You Make It” survey report released by Docebo, an online learning management provider. The company surveyed 2,400 employed adults in the U.S. and UK to understand how confident and qualified they feel in their current roles and how on-the-job training impacts the decisions they make at work.
Overall, employees across both countries don’t feel qualified for their jobs. One in three (32%) in the U.S and UK admit they’ve felt unqualified for their job, and another 33% fear that a boss or colleague thinks the same. Workers also have little faith in their colleagues’ performance with over half (52%) in both countries saying they have a colleague who isn’t qualified for their job. These fears impact workers’ well-being, with one in four (23%) fearing they may be let go from their job at least once a month because of a lack of skills.
This feeling of under-qualification is caused by poor on-the-job training. One in three (35%) consumers say their employer’s training is out-of-date with Brits (38%) even more likely than Americans (33%) to say that training doesn’t meet their expectations. Poor training is also pushing more employees to go to Google for help with 37% preferring to search on Google or YouTube for a solution, rather than ask a coworker.
Additional report findings show:
=> Training impacts workplace happiness and retention. The majority (59%) of the U.S. and UK workforces say learning opportunities impact their workplace happiness. This is especially the case in the U.S. where 32% find learning opportunities critical to workplace happiness, compared to 27% of Brits. Opportunities to learn and grow are so critical that 36% respondents in both countries – and half (48%) of all Millennials – say they would quit a job due to a lack of learning opportunities.
=> Americans are less likely to bluff a resume to get the job. On average, today’s workforce is open to asking for help. In fact, 65% have admitted to their boss that they didn’t understand an assignment or concept. However, employees admit that they still lie at times, especially when it comes to padding their resume to land a job. One in five (20%) admit they have lied about their experience to get a job, a trend that happens more in the UK (22%) than in the U.S. (18%). British Millennials are also more likely to lie (24%), than American Millennials (20%).
=> Video training is the preferred method in the U.S. When asked how they prefer to learn, only 13% opt to read training documents, while 17% look for training videos. Video is most widely preferred in the U.S. where one in five (20%) express interest in training videos, compared to one in seven (15%) in the UK.
Add Health to Your Life
Eat More Plants - You don’t have to go vegetarian, but
making small changes toward a plant-based diet (like “beans and greens”
twice a week) will add up to a healthier diet. Try a grain bowl full of
fresh veggies and healthy nonmeat protein.
Get Outside - Try biking or walking to work or to do errands - active commuters have much lower risk of early death, studies show.
Play Pickleball - Yes, the badminton/ping-pong-like game has become the rage all over the world, but Florida may just be the capital of pickleball. In fact, this year Naples will host the US Open Pickleball Championships for the fifth time. The games gets you moving. It’s often played in doubles, so it’s not too strenuous, and it’s a true community builder. More and more recreation centers have courts inside and out.
The Welcoming Workplace: LGBT Employee Discrimination (Updated)
By Brenda Smyth
While we see great strides being made for the LGBTQIA community on many fronts, there's still a long way to go to make workplaces everywhere more accepting and tolerant. Here is a re-post of a blog written in 2017 with some of the statistics updated.
A record number of American adults (4.5%) identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender today, according to a Gallup estimate. That’s about 11 million people, but the number is growing as the more LGBT-accepting Millennial generation is coming out at a higher rate than older generations. This is especially important for anti-LGBT discrimination behavior in the workplace because Millennials are moving into leadership roles as older, less tolerant generations reach retirement age.
It’s still terrifying for LGBT persons to be completely honest with employers
If you fall into the LGBT group, or you work with someone who does, you know that many LGBT workers are not “out” at work. And navigating a work relationship/friendship is tricky when large personal segments of a colleague’s life are off the table for discussion. Yet when you review the blurry legal landscape surrounding workplace discrimination and persistent antigay sentiments, you can better understand the fears and reasons why over half of LGBT workers hide who they are at work.
Workplace discrimination against LGBT people continues—from exclusionary or harassing behavior by co-workers such as verbal abuse and vandalized workspaces to discriminatory employment practices involving unequal pay, promotions or hiring. And there is currently no specific federal law offering protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation.
To date, this type of discrimination has fallen under the sex-based discrimination umbrella provided (but not specifically outlined) under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled it as such in 2015. And since the EEOC began tracking this data in 2013, there has been an increase in the number of LGBT-based sex discrimination charges—from 808 in 2013 to 1,811 in 2018.
Workplaces see the benefits of protecting all their workers
But there’s an ongoing debate on the scope of Title VII, with the Department of Justice now pulling back—taking the stance that these workplace protections should be established through Congress, not the courts. State protection is also sketchy. There are currently only 31 states, plus the District of Columbia, that have laws specifically banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Many companies are stepping up, however. A Human Rights Campaign article notes that 91% of Fortune 500 companies have non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation (grown from only 4% in 1996, as reported by outandequal.org). Furthermore, 83% have non-discrimination policies that include gender identity, compared to just three companies back in 2000.
Relying on this patchwork of legal protections from discrimination forces many LGBT employees to feel the need to keep their sexual orientation and gender identity hidden. There is ongoing fear that being themselves could result in lost connections with co-workers or worse—jeopardized opportunities for promotions and raises.
There is still a long way to go
Anti-LGBT bias is present in nearly every workplace. In fact, a study by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation finds that “70% of non-LGBT workers agree with the statement ‘it is unprofessional’ to talk about sexual orientation or gender identity in the workplace.” Talented LGBT employees leave jobs because they don’t feel welcomed, reports Karina Baksh for huffingtonpost.com.
Gay and lesbian people have experienced a long history of discrimination in the workplace and many remain closeted there. The crazy quilt of laws makes silence understandable. Creating an inclusive work environment, respecting that silence and adopting non-discrimination policies can help your talented LGBT employees thrive. Additionally, when your company gets the reputation as a diverse and inclusive place to work, you become a much more desirable landing spot for today’s top talent.
HOW TO TRIM THE FAT FROM YOUR WRITING
By Dan Rose
Reading is hard work. The typical businessperson has only so much
brainpower they are willing to give to deciphering an email, text, memo,
letter or report. Your job is to convey your message in the clearest and
simplest way possible so readers don’t have to struggle to read it, and are
able to understand it the first time through.
Construct crisp and clear sentences
If you think you need to impress people by stringing together a
bunch of fancy words in one long sentence, forget it. Brevity is truly a
virtue—especially when it comes to writing sentences. Writing long sentences
is a habit you can get into without even realizing it.
However, help is on the way. It’s a handy punctuation mark called the
period. Put a period at the end of your sentences. Stop when you’ve said
enough. Like this.
In business writing, try to keep sentences no longer than 12 words. And be
sure to mix in some short sentences to add emphasis. Your writing will be
clear and readable if you do.
Here are eight tips for trimming the fat from your writing:
1. Limit each sentence to one idea. Simple sentences are easy to
understand. Usually, a simple sentence contains one subject and one verb. If
you write a sentence that’s too complex, it’s going to be difficult to
understand without effort on the reader’s part.
2. Avoid long sentences. Break long sentences into shorter
ones. Beware of stringing thoughts together wi
th
“and.”
3. Vary the length of sentences. Don’t bore your readers by
structuring every sentence in the same way. Or writing sentences all the
same length. Spice it up.
4. Do not start with “There are.” Sometimes it’s effective
to begin a sentence with “there” or “there are.” However, use this approach
sparingly because it makes writing clumsy. Begin each sentence strong.
BEFORE: “There are many employees who donated to the fund.”
AFTER: “Many employees donated to the fund.”
5. Use the active, not passive, voice. In sentences written
in the active voice, the subject performs the action expressed in the verb.
Sometimes writing in the passive voice causes awkward sentences. Overuse of
the passive voice makes writing dull and uninteresting.
BEFORE: “The prize was won by Linda.”
AFTER: “Linda won the prize.”
6. Don’t back into the sentence. The end of the sentence is
where the most important information should appear.
BEFORE: “The lack of sales in the first quarter of the year and the
suggested remedies are the subject of this meeting.”
AFTER: “The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the lack of sales in the
first quarter of the year and suggested remedies.”
7. Use parallel construction. In parallel construction,
words and phrases are used in like ways within the same sentence.
BEFORE: “Tom enjoys supervising employees, training new hires and project
management.”
AFTER: “Tom enjoys supervising employees, training new hires and managing
projects.”
8. Make sure every sentence adds something new. In fact,
every phrase and clause should add something new. Unless you’re writing your
conclusion to a more formal memo or report, say your idea once and then move
on.
Business writing doesn’t have to be a stressful thing—even for those who
don’t believe they can write. If you know people who aren’t confident
writers, you know that with just a little work, some easy-to-remember tips
and tricks, and a little practice, they can become good writers. If you’re
the person that isn’t confident, relax. If all you do is use the eight tips
above, you’ll be a better writer than half the people you work with and your
co-workers, bosses, customers and more will appreciate how you always write
so clearly. And, that’s not a bad thing at all, is it?