A story in last Thursday’s newspaper tells about a mother who is upset that her 30-something daughter is panhandling. Apparently, the daughter has been unable to get pregnant and wants her husband to undergo a $10,000 medical procedure to improve his fertility. Even though the couple has a combined income of $80K per year, they…
Imagine that you have one opening you’re trying to fill, and sixteen eager applicants aged 17 to 22 — all with more than adequate skills for the job — awaiting their second interview. Before the interviews begin, you discover that among those candidates are five recovering addicts, two pregnant unwed teens, three who are on…
Last week on an upgraded flight between Denver and Orlando, I was given a warm cookie after the meal service. This is a nice touch United Airlines does and has done for first class passengers for years. But as I examined the little brown paper sack the cookie came in, I was amused by the…
When you fly, do you actually pay attention to the airline safety announcement? Neither do I. These FFA mandated announcements are, for the most part, monotonous, mundane, and insulting to the intelligence of anyone with a fifth grade education. Instructing passengers on how to fasten their seat belt by inserting the end with the clip…
A customer service manager of a regional banking chain recently told me about a challenge her managers were having in getting young tellers to handle incoming calls when they were assigned phone duty. “It’s astounding how many will answer our business line by just saying ‘Hello’ or ‘Yo. Wat up? This is Monique.’ It’s almost…
It doesn’t take a mechanical engineer to understand why a stool needs at least three legs to fully support and balance even the slightest weight. When trying to support and balance the challenging workplace relationship between your business and your young hires, consider the advantages of inviting their parents into the employment picture as the…
The wife and I were out running errands on Saturday morning when we happened upon an unexpected and rare energy explosion. As we approached an intersection, we noticed a human billboard doing his very best to get the attention of the passing motorists; and getting attention from motorists is obviously what an individual in this…
The employment landscape in America for 16- to 24-year-olds is abysmal; the worst it’s been in more than 50 years. So if you’ve got a teen or a young adult on your holiday gift list, don’t head to the mall or to your nearest big box retailer. What they need most from you cannot be…
Every company that employs teens and young adults wrestles with the boundaries of professionalism. How do you get the emerging workforce to set aside, if only temporarily, the supposed “personal right of individual expression” in favor of representing you and your organization without completely zapping them of their enthusiasm, creativity, and energy? Sometimes their personal…
This headline makes absolutely no sense, but please don’t shoot the messenger just yet. If you’re confused about what’s really going in with regards to Generation Y/Millennials in the workforce, turn off the news and stop reading the papers. The media is more confused than you are. Either that, or they’re purposely trying to confuse…