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Productivity tips and hacks, inspiring stories of success and failures, career advice, and a look inside the future of work.
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Fast Company
In June 2023, financial communications agency Water & Wall sent its millionth Slack message. Then for the week afterward, it stopped using Slack.⁠ "Sure, Slack made complete sense when we were in lockdown, but over time it had grown to feel our reason for typing more to each other had devolved into an excuse to type more to each other," wrote Water & Wall partner Matthew Kirdahy for Fast Company.⁠ Read what the digital detox taught Kirdahy's team going into 2024 at the link
Nobody willingly pays to watch productivity theater at work, but it’s on all the time. This phrase means doing highly visible tasks that appear productive but really aren't. A recent study showed that more than half (53%) of workers report spending over 10 hours per week chasing information from different people and systems. For 22% of people, chasing information takes up more than 20 hours of their work week. ⁠Find strategies for maximizing everyone’s time in the workplace at the link.
Few things spread across the internet as quickly—or solicit criticism as swiftly—as viral videos of upset CEOs. ⁠ ⁠ Fast Company spoke with workers who have recently witnessed these kinds of outbursts from their bosses and consulted with experts about why some leaders are lashing out right now, specifically over returning to the office and productivity.⁠ ⁠ Read more at the link.

Productivity

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Add these to your reading list if you want to create a truly inclusive work environment.
Returning to these books as an adult can be a totally transformative experience.
These eight books will redefine your idea of a “beach read” and give you new perspective.

Books

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Recent Grad With No Job? Here Are 7 Strategies To Get Hired Faster You graduated months ago. Now, you’re the last of your friends to find a job. These insights will help.
Want To Stimulate The Economy? Cut Student Debt–Not Taxes The people who will put the most money back into the economy are currently weighed down by the massive costs of going to college.
Where Do Designers Go To Work After College?

College

11 Pins
a woman holding a coffee cup and looking at her cell phone with the caption what to do when returning to the workforce after a long break
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What to do when returning to the workforce after a long break
Many people experience a long career gap at some point in their lives—whether as a result of giving birth, illness, or taking care of an ailing family member. Finally returning back to the workforce can come with some adjustments.⁠ You have to give yourself some time to reacclimate to aspects of your work life, as well as to adjust to any ways that the world of work has changed.⁠ Read more about how to make adjustments when returning to the workforce at the link.
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Candace Parker
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Retiring WNBA legend Candace Parker is the new president of Adidas women’s basketball (exclusive)
Basketball legend Candace Parker is set to make her mark off the court—as the newly appointed president of Adidas women’s basketball. The WNBA star shocked fans and players alike at the end of April by announcing her retirement. Parker, who played 16 seasons in the league, has become almost synonymous with women’s basketball. Deepening her partnership with Adidas seemed like the natural next step. The stakes for Parker—and Adidas—are high. Read Fast Company’s exclusive at the link.
A shockingly high number of hiring managers ask illegal questions during job interviews. A Resume Builder study surveyed 1,000 U.S. hiring managers and found that one in three say they knowingly ask illegal questions.⁠ We also ran a poll asking LinkedIn users if an interview question ever made them uncomfortable, and above are some of the responses. Read more on the statistics around illegal questions asked by hiring managers at the link. Resume Builder, Job Interviews, Job Seekers, Interview Questions, Job Seeker, Work Life, Job Interview
Resume Builder
Job Interviews
Job Seekers
Interview Questions
Job Seeker
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Job Interview
A shockingly high number of hiring managers ask illegal questions during job interviews
A shockingly high number of hiring managers ask illegal questions during job interviews. A Resume Builder study surveyed 1,000 U.S. hiring managers and found that one in three say they knowingly ask illegal questions.⁠ We also ran a poll asking LinkedIn users if an interview question ever made them uncomfortable, and above are some of the responses. Read more on the statistics around illegal questions asked by hiring managers at the link.
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How to deal with 4 types of bad bosses (or tell if you are one)
If you like your work but not your boss, it can feel like a waste to leave but hell to stay. ⁠Luckily, there are different ways to manage your manager, depending on your specific pain points.⁠ Read more on how to deal with four types of bosses—and what to do if you are one of them—at the link.
Learning how to improve interactions with Black people is key to furthering racial equity, Fast Company contributor Fatimah Gilliam says.⁠ In her recent piece, the author of "Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won’t Tell You" outlines three reasons why Black coworkers often stay silent about racism in the workplace, and points out how their coworkers can be better allies.⁠ Read more of Gilliam's insights at the link. Racial Equity, Stay Silent, How To Move Forward, Personal Responsibility, Support People, Lip Service
Racial Equity
Stay Silent
How To Move Forward
Personal Responsibility
Support People
Lip Service
3 blunt things Black people want their white coworkers to know, but won’t say to their faces
Learning how to improve interactions with Black people is key to furthering racial equity, Fast Company contributor Fatimah Gilliam says.⁠ In her recent piece, the author of "Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won’t Tell You" outlines three reasons why Black coworkers often stay silent about racism in the workplace, and points out how their coworkers can be better allies.⁠ Read more of Gilliam's insights at the link.
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Hannah Williams
Viral On Tiktok
Million Followers
College Experience
Data Analyst
Going Viral
Gen Z
Why pay transparency is going viral on TikTok
Meet Hannah Williams, the Gen Z creator behind TikTok sensation Salary Transparent Street.⁠ Williams's woman-on-the-street conversations with workers about their paychecks, jobs and benefits has gained her more than 1.3 million followers and over $1 million in partnerships. And her popularity is part of a bigger conversation: states like California, Rhode Island, and Washington have enacted pay transparency laws in the time since Williams' TikTok launched.⁠ Read more at the link.
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What Is Drama
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If you want to be happier, you should write a ‘life brief’
When it comes to your life, knowing what you really want is one of the hardest questions to answer.⁠ In 2010, author Bonnie Wan felt stuck on this. She decided to use the format of a brief, one she knew well from her ad agency job. But instead of creating a creative brief, she made a "life brief." ⁠In her new book, Wan encourages readers to use it to be messy and honest—and then use that mess to find clarity about what they really want in life.⁠ Read more on how to make your own at the link.
an ad for the uber driver's work is changing, and it says gig work isn't just for users anymore drivers anymore
Gig Work
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Grab The Opportunity
Transportation Industry
Uber Driver
Job Security
Corporate America
Business Consulting
Gig work isn’t just for Uber drivers anymore. Here’s how gig work is changing
The definition of gig work is expanding.⁠ Although the typical image of a gig worker usually involves your friendly neighborhood Uber driver, the reality is that gig work has redefined traditional work structures and has begun to permeate corporate America. It now includes everything from designing a logo to developing a software application to offering business consulting.⁠ Take a deep dive into what gig work is—and why it’s taking over corporate America—at the link.
someone holding up a cut me some sticker in front of their face with the text, my team quit slack for a week here's what we learned for 2012
Water Wall
Digital Detox
Water Walls
My Team
In 2023, my team quit Slack for a week. Here’s what we learned—and what we should quit in 2024
In June 2023, financial communications agency Water & Wall sent its millionth Slack message. Then for the week afterward, it stopped using Slack.⁠ "Sure, Slack made complete sense when we were in lockdown, but over time it had grown to feel our reason for typing more to each other had devolved into an excuse to type more to each other," wrote Water & Wall partner Matthew Kirdahy for Fast Company.⁠ Read what the digital detox taught Kirdahy's team going into 2024 at the link
the cover of a book with text that reads are you holding your breath right now? how to break your bad habit of holding your breath while working
Skin Care Acne
Brand Ambassador
Hold You
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Are you holding your breath right now? How breathwork can help relieve stress
Forgetting to breathe right now? You might be a little stressed.⁠ Will Cady, author of "Which Way Is North: A Creative Compass for Makers, Marketers, and Mystics," shared his insights to reconnecting with our breathing in a recent Fast Company piece.⁠ “We really tend to forget our breath when we’re lost in stress,” says Cady, who is also global brand ambassador for Reddit.⁠ Read more about how you can break your bad breathing habits at the link.
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a poster with the words, tip or gift? here's a breakdown of what might be appropriate for the professionals in your life
Help People
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Holiday tipping guide: Who should you tip and how much?
December is a traditional time to express your year-round gratitude for service providers, caregivers, and workers with a generous tip—and it can certainly help people make ends meet as the year winds down. ⁠But holiday tipping can add to an already overloaded financial plate. Understanding the etiquette and expectations around seasonal tipping can help you navigate this unspoken aspect of giving culture.⁠ Read all the rules—including whether it's really required—at the link.
there are the 3 things making you tired 24 / 7 / 17? exhausted all the time? rethik what's draining your energy and find ways to combat it
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Tired all the time? Here are the 3 things draining your energy
Is exhaustion your default setting?⁠ Employee stress is currently at a record high, and that can contribute to a sense of being constantly tired. But you don’t have to accept that as your reality. It’s possible to identify and address the things that are dragging you down, especially if they're universal factors like relationships, environment, or habits.⁠ Read more about your next steps at the link.
an advertisement with the words, 58 % of workers say they spend most of their work week on work that isn't meaningful
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58% of workers say they spend a majority of time on work that isn’t meaningful. Here’s how to fix it
Nobody willingly pays to watch productivity theater at work, but it’s on all the time. This phrase means doing highly visible tasks that appear productive but really aren't. A recent study showed that more than half (53%) of workers report spending over 10 hours per week chasing information from different people and systems. For 22% of people, chasing information takes up more than 20 hours of their work week. ⁠Find strategies for maximizing everyone’s time in the workplace at the link.
an image of a twitter post with the caption'what do you say instead of i'm sorry at work? '
Overused Words
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What to say instead of ‘I’m sorry’
Researchers have found that women apologize significantly more than men. And while this habit can become a default response, it can also hurt how women are perceived and diminish their power.⁠ In an article for Fast Company, Lisa Sun, an entrepreneur and ex-McKinsey & Company consultant, identifies three kinds of apologies women often offer—and what to say instead.⁠ Read Sun’s analysis at the link.