Job Titles Change—Dramatically

Forget Human Relations Director. Today the individual filling that slot is as likely to be labeled Chief People Officer.

While job titles have always been in flux to reflect the times, the disruptions caused by the pandemic have resulted in new designations that more reflect the experience of a position than the description of a type of productivity. Many of these changes are an effort to boost morale in a lackadaisical (and grumpy) workforce.

Employers’ response to widespread worker frustration has been to try to provide support—hence the title Chief Heart Officer, a position held by Claude Silver at VaynerMedia. In this position, Silver’s tasks run from the sublime to the mundane, from helping to organize online programs that focus on staff growth to sharing a friendly conversation about kids. She publishes a newsletter named Heartbeat and leads conversations about news events that distress the firm’s employees.

Some firms are coming up with new job titles because they have created new jobs. A Product Evangelist for a management software company says her job is to be “professionally obsessive” about the company’s product. This means that she oversees a podcast about the software, writes social media posts, boosts internal morale, and talks with customers. The Head of Dynamic Work at a cybersecurity agency helps employees obtain office-grade furniture to make working from home more comfortable. The Head of Remote at GitLab helps make virtual work more responsive to individual employees’ needs.

Source: Goldberg, E. (2022, August 4.) Head of team anywhere and other job titles for an uncertain time. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com

Average Time to Graduate: Five Years

The traditional four-year college experience may be heaving its last breath. The typical college student today requires five years to graduate, according to a report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

The delay begins building during the first year of college, when students earn 22 units instead of the 27 required to stay on track for graduation in four years. The research discovered that the average student does not sign up for the correct number of credits needed to earn a degree in four years.

The report also found that the average student earns just nine credits for every 12 attempted. However, unit completion rates vary significantly and are influenced by race, course intensity, college readiness, type of program, and type of institution.

Source: Barnes, A. (2022, August 3.) Average college student needs more than five years to graduate: report. The Hill. https://www.thehill.com

Gen Z Prefers Less Flexible Workplace

It’s true that many workers sent home during the pandemic want to continue working remotely. But don’t count Gen Z in that group.

According to research conducted by three university economists, only one quarter of workers in their twenties would choose to work remotely, compared 29 percent of 30-somethings, 33 percent of 40- to50-year-olds, and 41 percent of those over 50. The reason? Gen Z looks to work to provide for social activities.

New workers, (i.e., people in their twenties) crave community, opportunities to network, and communal spaces. The workplace offers them not only a nicer space than their often cramped first apartments, but it’s also a place to learn and be mentored.

This generational divide puts employers in an awkward position as they are trying to balance the needs of the various age groups in the workplace, the research concluded.

Ito, A. (2022, July 13.) Gen Z actually hates working from home. Insider. https://www.insider.com