Elite schools aren’t income boosters, what workers want most, and more top insights

What’s happening in the world of work: The Saturday edition of the Daily Rundown highlights the business trends, perspectives, and hot topics you need to know to work smarter. Read on and join the conversation.

Elite colleges aren’t income boosters: A recent college-admissions scandal involving allegations of bribery of coaches and test proctors highlights just how far some parents will go to secure their child’s admission to an elite school. Such efforts may not be worth it, writes WSJ’s Grep Ip. After comparing students’ application choices and post-graduation earnings, Mathematica Policy’s Stacy Dale and Princeton’s Alan Krueger found little difference in income among students from similar backgrounds who attended colleges with different degrees of selectivity. ? Here’s what people are saying.

The most coveted employee benefit of all? Time. In a tight labor market, companies have tried everything, from on-site hair salons to yoga classes, to attract and keep workers. But according to a new survey by MetLife, what workers want most is simply more free time. Unlimited paid vacation emerged as the most desired benefit, with 72% of workers surveyed saying they’d want it over things like rewards for healthy living, paid sabbaticals or on-site services like laundry or childcare. ? Here’s what people are saying.  

You Asked: “I work for a company that constantly transfers management, and other employees, between the stores in the hopes to find a better fit and/or fill vacancies without even the input, much less consent, of the people they are transferring. Is this normal and, if not, is this a fixable problem for middle management and below?” — Gregory Lang, general manager at Union Market in Brooklyn, N.Y.

• "Being moved to a new position is probably better for employees than losing their job. The firm, at the same time, reduces worker turnover costs.  Firms do this all the time. This story does have a couple red flags. Employees don't seem to know why they are being moved and don't have a choice. To keep morale up, the reason for the move should be transparent. Employees should also have some say in being moved." — Louis Hyman, director of the Institute for Workplace Studies at Cornell University and author of “Temp: How American Work, American Business, and the American Dream Became Temporary”
• “There may be good reasons employers need to move people around: Research shows that having the ability to reshape one’s actual work and take on opportunities to expand one’s own set of skills leads to improved performance and happiness. By giving employees the right to be themselves, even within the bounds set by the organisation, firms can better engage their workers. But this should not happen without an employee’s consent or input. It is important for employees to have a choice and a voice into changes that happen in their work.” — Francesca Gino, professor at Harvard Business School and author of “Rebel Talent”

Looking for career advice from the pros? Submit your questions in the comments with #YouAsked and we’ll take care of the rest.

The best kind of schedule may be an ‘unschedule’: Struggling with procrastination? Resist the urge to force yourself to get to work. Instead, psychologist Neil Fiore recommends that you use your calendar to plan activities that bring you joy and help you recharge, according to BBC Capital. Such “unscheduling” gives us a sense of control over our lives and creates moments that we can look forward to. It also leaves plenty of blank spaces in our calendar that can be devoted to work. Fiore recommends you approach these tasks in small doses, like 15-minute increments. ? Here’s what people are saying.

The perils of ‘conflict debt’: When you defer difficult conversations, avoid the people you are struggling with or cut off conflict at meetings by insisting on “discussing things offline,” you’re pushing your organisation deeper into conflict debt, argues organisational psychologist Liane Davey. And, like most debt, it will become more onerous as it grows over time: “When you’re unwilling to work through uncomfortable situations, you’re stretching your resources thin, stifling innovation and allowing risks to go unnoticed,” Davey writes. ? Here’s what people are saying.

One last idea:  For new and experienced job seekers alike, it’s all too easy to get caught up in a never ending quest for prestige and bragging rights. But Wharton’s Adam Grant argues that, instead of fixating on those elements, we should pay attention to where we have the best opportunities to grow.

“The strongest opportunities for development aren’t always in the most influential place. They’re in the place where you can be the most influential. You don’t have to choose between joining a big pond and being a big fish. You want to join a growing pond, because that’s where you’ll become the biggest fish.”

What's your take? Join the conversations on today's stories in the comments.

— Scott Olster