Quiet vacationing, Verizon's internship program, and culture fit interviews
Here are 5 things to know about work this week.
Hello, and welcome to WorkLife’s 5 things newsletter. In this weekly newsletter, we will spotlight five things to know about the latest issues affecting modern workplaces.
It’s a weekly compilation of highlights selected from WorkLife’s daily newsletter. Sign up here to get an in-depth look at how work, the workplace and workforces are changing to meet new needs and expectations, in your inbox every weekday morning.
1. Is quiet vacationing harmless, or toxic? HR leaders sound off
Quiet vacationing is a major workplace trend this summer for many workers in hybrid arrangements. It’s essentially when an employee takes a vacation without formally requesting time off or informing their supervisor. Instead, they’ll work a bit remotely from wherever they’ve traveled to, then log off and enjoy their vacation time.?
About half of workers have, or have considered, taking a quiet vacation this year, according to a survey conducted this July by Monster that included responses from over 2,000 US workers.?About 15% admitted they have lied to their boss about their whereabouts while on a quiet vacation, that survey found.
HR experts have some differing opinions on whether quiet vacationing is benign — so long as workers are still productive and accessible, OK. Or is it a more problematic trend emblematic of a dysfunctional company culture with underlying trust issues.?
2. Verizon’s internship program has a lower acceptance rate than the Ivy Leagues – here’s how its HR group runs it
This year, Verizon received a record 49,000 applications for its summer internship program.?
It’s a signal from interested undergraduate students who are hoping to position themselves as candidates for hire at the end of the 10-week program. At the same time, companies aren’t just looking to rising seniors and juniors anymore for internship opportunities, but instead recruiting folks as young as rising sophomores. That’s a part of a talent shortage impacting companies across the country.?
It’s also one of the reasons why Verizon has created a robust program that not only attracts young talent but encourages them to stay for either a full-time role or for an internship the following year if they haven’t graduated yet.
Of the 49,000 applications, only 1% was selected for the internship this summer – that’s a lower acceptance rate than the Ivy League Universities.?
3. Are culture fit interviews by HR helpful or harmful?
A major part of the hiring process is figuring out whether a candidate is a good culture fit. But assessing that is rarely easy.
Some employers in recent years have reworked their hiring processes to better evaluate personality, character and overall compatibility between a candidate and the company. And some say it’s necessary to find the best person for the role who will feel like they truly fit in and stay with the organization. But others say it could make getting a job feel more like trying to get into a sorority or fraternity by perpetuating existing biases and leading to hires who look and act like those who already work there.?
领英推荐
4. Why more workers want companies to keep quiet when it comes to current events and toxic social issues
Fewer people want their employers and businesses in general to speak publicly about current events — a reversal from just a few years ago. It comes amid heightened political tension in the U.S. with a looming presidential election and worsening polarization.
Some 38% of U.S. adults think businesses should speak publicly on current events, a drop from 48% in 2022, according to a survey from Gallup conducted this spring among nearly 6,000 respondents.?
“It’s not that we don’t want corporations to do the right thing or to take the right stance, but I think people are just getting a little fatigued from hearing about politics in every single aspect of their life,” said Sam Caplan , vp of social impact at Submittable , a social impact platform.?
5. Interim HR directors in high demand for industries in transition
The competition for talent isn’t just confined to the long-term, permanent workforce and C-suite — there is a surging market for interim executives, notably HR leaders.?
Heidrick & Struggles , a business management consultancy, revealed in its “Fortune 1000 CHRO Trends” report a 225% jump in interim CHRO positions this year vs. last, underscoring a marked shift in how companies are working to satisfy their leadership vacancies. (Elsewhere in organizations, interim CFO appointments are also up by triple digits, whereas the number of interim CIOs has declined.)
“We’re seeing strong demand for interim CHROs, particularly when companies are scaling their HR functions, undergoing major changes like cultural transformations, or dealing with mergers and acquisitions,” said Sunny Ackerman , global managing partner of on-demand talent at Heidrick & Struggles.
Color by names and numbers
9 in 10 middle managers believe that clear and timely communication is vital to their success. However, only 54% of managers say senior leadership is effective in meeting this need.
Elsewhere in Digiday Media
Check out some of Digiday Media’s other stories on the future of work over the past week:
This is a weekly compilation of highlights from WorkLife’s daily newsletter. Sign up here to get WorkLife’s comprehensive work coverage in your inbox each morning.
This newsletter was curated by Courtney Marabella, senior social media/audience manager for Digiday. Let us know what you think, or what you hope to see more of, by dropping us a note at [email protected].
Author, Life Coach,, Consultant, Work/Life Expert, Entrepreneur
1 周It is so interesting to see how work/life issues have evolved over the years. If you want a historical perspective on how the field started and changed from its inception in the early 80s, read my book "The Growth of the Work/Life Movement in Corporate America and the Professionals Who Made It Happen." ##worklife #humanresources #employee benefits www.amazon.com/dp/0988975777