Professionalism in the workplace is a topic that continues to evolve as we head into a new year and a new decade. Gone are the days of the completely formal office environment stuffed with cubicles and suits. Today those are being rapidly replaced with open floor layouts and casual dress codes. Business owners are shifting […]. Modern Office Trends for 2020 Undercover Recruiter -. Workplace 2020 Matt Zajechowski Modern Office Office layout Olivet Nazarene University trends MORE

It’s the last week of “where are you now?” time at Ask a Manager, where I run updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer who couldn’t stand her coworker and had stopped speaking to her? Here’s the update. I wish I could say that I performed some soul-searching, identified the old wound that led to my intense irritation over Karen’s behavior, and that we are now best friends and enjoy the occasional happy hour together. MORE

It’s the last week of “where are you now?” time at Ask a Manager, where I run updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer who had a well-paid job with lots of flexibility but hardly anything to do because her boss was hoarding all the work? Here’s the update. I have a really good update, and I wanted to answer a couple of questions that came up in the comments. But before I get started, you were very right! MORE

No matter how much you enjoy your job, the workplace is entirely intended to elicit the maximum productivity from its employees. Managers and supervisors should, of course, genuinely care about the wellbeing of their staff, but for the majority of companies, the priority is to operate a thriving business. Intelligent entrepreneurs will know that the former often gives rise to the latter. The environment you work in has a significant impact on this. Decor choices have the power to inspire. MORE

53% of employers in the engineering and technology sector say the shortage of engineers in the UK is a threat to their business. And as demand for engineers across the country continues to rise, 6 in 10 employers report recruitment of engineering and technical staff with the right skills the biggest anticipated barrier to achieving their […]. The Recruitment Crisis on the Horizon Undercover Recruiter -. Talent Acquisition engineering IET Recruitment skills gap MORE

It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything work-related that you want to talk about. If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to talk to other readers. * If you submitted a question to me recently, please do not repost it here, as it may be in my queue to answer. MORE

If you’re someone who likes to start their day with coffee, you may be surprised to find that it could be counterintuitive to your productivity. While there are some fantastic benefits to consuming coffee, there are also some downsides that could be sabotaging your productivity rather than boosting it. . Below, you can learn about how to use caffeine to enhance your productivity and ways to avoid using it that lead to poorer cognitive function. How To Use Caffeine To Improve Productivity. MORE

It’s the last week of “where are you now?” time at Ask a Manager, where I run updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are five updates from past letter-writers. My employee constantly apologizes and calls herself stupid. I’m happy to say things are going much better with the employee I wrote in about. I raised the issue of her apologizing and negative self-talk at her performance review, as Alison suggested. MORE

Twenty-one states had minimum wage increases go into effect yesterday –and Delaware had one go into effect in October. Overall, an estimated 6.8 million people will see their paychecks increase anywhere from $0.10 an hour (Florida) to $1.50 an hour (New Mexico and Washington). The federal minimum wage stays put at $7.25, but states are free to create their own minimum wage–whichever is higher (federal or state) is the legal lower limit for salaries. MORE

In case you missed it, David Stern, past and longtime commission of the National Basketball Association (NBA), passed away over the weekend. . But this post isn't about sports. It's about leadership, and the at times, ugly side of leadership. Stern was arguably the best leader/commissioner in the history of sports. But to put it bluntly, Stern wasn't nice to those around him. He had laser focus on what needed to be done. And yes, at times, Stern played very rough. MORE

Feminism celebrates women who choose paths typical to men over women who choose paths typical to women. The problem with this approach is that in the last ten years researchers have found that women who think like men are not neurotypical women; these women have Aspergers. . Normal girls are not great at math. We have known since the 1980s that boys who have very strong math skills usually have Aspergers. Today we know that very strong math skills are also a predictor of Aspergers in girls. MORE

The sheer selection of equipment available to the military in this day and age is mind blowing. Soldiers and other military personnel have gear to aid them in all areas of their profession. From dealing with difficult terrain, to ensuring effective communication, and enhancing an individual’s vision – the tools at the disposal of the defence industry are wide-ranged and pioneering. Dealing with vision in particular is extremely interesting. MORE