Worried that your boss – or soon-to-be boss – is checking your social media? Some employers are screening social media as part of background checks, and what you post can make a difference in whether you get a job. But that doesn’t mean you have to scrub your online history. Background check executive Dan Shoemaker tells us what companies are really looking out for when they eye your social media feeds before hiring. And social media consultant Rachel Karten offers some advice for promoting your...
Jun 06, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer. It’s also the unofficial start of summer vacation season, when your team starts jockeying to take time off. But what happens to your big project when your manager, and co-workers, are out of the office? We hear how some companies are trying to tackle the issue by offering more flexibility. Then, productivity consultant Julie Morgenstern offers some advice on how to get your work done even when you’d rather be at the beach. Hint: it’s all about e...
May 30, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Are your co-workers' quirks driving you crazy? From the cubicle-mate who talks too loudly on the phone, to the person who always microwaves fish for lunch, to the supervisor who’s never on time for a meeting, every office has people who get on your nerves. But you don’t have to let that get in the way of doing your job. Allison Gabriel studies relationships at work and what makes us stressed, and explains why those quirky co-workers sometimes get on our nerves. And conflict resolution consultant...
May 23, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Are you one of the 44% of Americans who say they have a side hustle? Worried that it could get in the way of your full-time job? Don’t be. Hudson Sessions, who studies side hustles and their impact on worker happiness and success, tells us how a side hustle can actually help make you better at your main job. And Dorie Clark, who studies entrepreneurship, shares the right way to tell your boss that you want to take on some outside work. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@...
May 16, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many big-name companies are cutting staff, restructuring or pausing hiring. Getting laid off, or facing the prospect of it, can be very scary. But it doesn’t have to be. In this conversation from the WSJ Jobs Summit, LinkedIn Career Expert Catherine Fisher, Rora CEO Brian Liou, and Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda tell you how to navigate layoffs and put yourself in the best position to get hired for that next job. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a ...
May 09, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Walmart is one of the world’s largest retailers. With 2.1 million workers, it’s also one of the world’s largest private employers, and it’s hiring, including for tech jobs you’d expect to see in Silicon Valley. Walmart is investing billions into major tech upgrades that could change how many of its employees work, and investing millions of dollars into training its team for what comes next. In this conversation from the WSJ Jobs Summit, Walmart Chief People Officer Donna Morris tells the WSJ’s C...
May 02, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Worried that AI is coming for your job? From ChatGPT writing emails to Midjourney making up images, it’s easy to think that AI could replace many of us at work. But the reality is, AI’s been part of some workplaces for longer than you might realize, including in call centers. WSJ’s Lisa Bannon takes us inside one call center where the AI bot, nicknamed Charlie, is getting mixed reviews. And researcher Stephanie Bell gives us some advice on using AI as a tool to do our jobs better. Spoiler: it’s ...
Apr 25, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast What do former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, comedian Samantha Bee, business executive Alicia Boler Davis and Grammy award-winning performer Samara Joy all have in common? They found success in fields traditionally dominated by men. In this episode from WSJ’s Women in the Workplace Forum, they share lessons about how to lead and stay focused on your goals, build a strong team and put your people first. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at ...
Apr 18, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The headlines seem to come out every day: another big tech company is laying off big chunks of its staff. But at the same time, the U.S. created more than 800,000 jobs so far this year, and some employers are desperate for workers. If you’re one of the many Americans looking for a new job, but confused about how mass layoffs and a hot labor market can both be possible, you’re not alone. We speak to WSJ reporters Sarah Chaney Cambon and Lindsay Ellis to cut through the chatter of this confusing t...
Mar 14, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Despite what you might have been told, your work doesn’t always speak for itself. That’s why it’s necessary to toot your own horn and brag about all the good things you’re doing on the job. But, how do you do that without annoying your boss or alienating your peers? Meredith Fineman, who helps people learn how to brag better, gives us a crash course in suave self-promotion. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Readi...
Mar 07, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast What do you miss when you skip out on that after-work happy hour? How will your boss, and colleagues, treat you if you say “no thanks” to that company retreat? Those sometimes-obligatory work events that fall outside work hours – often called “mandatory fun” – can be no fun to attend. But, if you don’t go, experts say you may be passing up opportunities to build connections that will help you later in life. Producer Charlotte Gartenberg checked out pre-holiday gatherings in New York City to find...
Feb 28, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Leaves of absence are on the rise. In fact, leave requests were up more than 21% in 2022, according to a survey by the HR software company AbsenceSoft. And whether the leave is to care for yourself, a relative or a new baby, for military service or for a much-needed sabbatical, coming back to a job can be complicated. The same job may feel different. You might have trouble getting back into the groove. You may even have new co-workers or a new boss. We hear about one worker’s fears around a mult...
Feb 21, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Looking for love this Valentine’s Day? Many people are finding it at work. According to the Society for Human Resources Management, around a quarter of U.S. employees are romantically involved with someone at work right now, or have been in the past. But navigating a consensual office romance can be risky both emotionally and legally. We hear from people who’ve navigated romance on the job – from those first butterflies to post-breakup. Then, employment lawyer Joshua Goodbaum tells us why he thi...
Feb 14, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many of us were taught that the secret to workplace success is making yourself indispensable. You can’t be fired if you’re the only one who can do the job, right? But leadership expert Liz Wiseman says being indispensable is actually a trap that sucks up your time and keeps you stuck without any room for job growth. She wants us all to focus on a different goal: becoming the person who steps up when needed and helps others do their jobs better. She calls it being invaluable. And with an uncertai...
Feb 07, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Did you get a new boss for the new year? With turnover still high, and many people seeking out new jobs, it’s not uncommon to walk into work and find out a new person is leading your team. Wall Street Journal reporter Chip Cutter tells us about the challenges these new bosses face, and why some are struggling. Then, teamwork doctor Liane Davey gives us the tips to figuring out what makes your new boss tick, and how you can help them while also helping yourself get on their good side. Send us you...
Jan 31, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tired of your current job? Scared the layoff headlines are headed for your industry? It might be time to apply for a new job. But, how do you secure a new position while you’re still at your old one without your boss finding out? We talk to career coach Cara Heilmann, the president of the International Association of Career Coaches, about the importance of staying in stealth mode for nabbing that new job. Then, Michelle Reisdorf from staffing services company Robert Half walks us through the how...
Jan 24, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast The economic picture is complex right now. There’s still more than 10 million job openings in the U.S. and relatively low unemployment. But some companies have begun layoffs, and high inflation has many Americans worried about an economic slowdown. So, what does this all mean for you? We sit down with two of the Wall Street Journal’s Life & Work columnists, Callum Borchers and Rachel Feintzeig, to answer some of your most pressing questions about building your career in a time of uncertainty. Pl...
Dec 06, 2022•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Thanksgiving is all about showing gratitude, but sometimes we forget to do it with some of the people we see every day: our co-workers. Sara Algoe, who studies social interactions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is director of the Love Consortium, gives us a crash course in the best practices for showing appreciation and explains why saying thanks is as important for the person giving it as it is for the person receiving it. And we hear from Jacob Coite, who has made an ar...
Nov 22, 2022•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast How much do Americans hate commuting? Four-in-ten would rather clean their toilets than undergo the daily back-and-forth to the office, according to a survey by communications platform RingCentral. Now more workers are returning to the office, and time spent in cars, trains and buses is unavoidable. But Julia Lee Cunningham, professor of management and organizations at The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, says that we can use our commutes to make our workdays – and our lives – b...
Nov 15, 2022•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last month, the Biden Administration proposed a new rule that could put more gig workers on company payrolls. It’s the latest attempt to clarify just what separates an independent contractor from an employee. We look at the last three administrations’ attempts to answer these questions and then move beyond the political football to find out how workers will actually experience these changes…if they go through at all. Mark Gough, professor of Labor and Employment Relations at Penn State, explains...
Nov 08, 2022•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Middle managers are in charge of implementing the slew of changes taking effect in workplaces nationwide — and polling shows it’s making them miserable. A new report from the Future Forum finds that middle managers are more stressed than any of their co-workers. Why? According to Brian Elliott, a senior vice president at Slack and Executive Leader of the Future Forum, it’s because middle managers are in a game of tug of war between executives and their direct reports. He tells us what executives...
Nov 01, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast You never get a second chance at a first impression – except maybe right now. More workers are going back to the office, and that’s giving some the chance to reset the relationships they’ve formed online with colleagues, bosses and their employees. We hear from a worker who started a new job remotely during the pandemic. She recently experienced meeting her colleagues IRL, and it affected her perception of her workmates and their impressions of her. And then we talk to neuroscientist Daniela Sch...
Oct 25, 2022•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Inflation is up, and many workers are demanding a raise. But what about the roughly 58 million independent workers in the U.S. who have to set their pay with individual clients? Even though many things cost more than they did a year ago, more than 70% of freelancers haven’t raised their rates. We talk to freelancer and author Jamie Brindle, who dispenses advice about building your own business to his hundreds of thousands of social media followers. He tells us how to effectively ask for more mon...
Oct 18, 2022•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The pandemic changed where a lot of Americans work. Many people have the option to work from home or the office, but a growing number of them are opting instead for coworking spaces. And those coworking options are changing too. We visit Third Place by Half Full Brewery in Stamford, CT, a brewery and bar that’s reinvented itself during the day for the working crowd. Then, we turn to coworking researcher and consultant Pete Bacevice for a look at what choosing these spaces says about the way we w...
Oct 11, 2022•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The old rules of business etiquette are in big bleeping trouble. Ghosting is on the rise, with some workers not even showing up for their first day. Those who do stay are texting during meetings, skipping those team bonding happy hours or not returning emails and Slack messages. Is this a result of the pandemic or just an evolution of the cultural norms we expect in the office? Psychology professor Tessa West tells us how a perfect storm of disengagement and avoidance led to what some consider a...
Sep 20, 2022•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many offices are enticing workers back with promises of taco trucks and cash bonuses, and like the biblical parable, prodigal colleagues are returning. But for some of those who had been showing up during the pandemic, there is growing discontent that they’re no longer being recognized for the sacrifices they made. That’s causing some sibling-like rivalry. We hear from several workers and a CEO who are dealing with these issues in their workplaces. Then, management professor Kristie Rogers tells...
Sep 13, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast A growing list of companies are demanding workers come back to the office for a few days a week. But for some workers, being back in the office reminds them of pre-pandemic times, when they say they regularly suffered slights small and large because of their race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. Some would rather stay remote, and are seeking out jobs that afford them that opportunity. Jennifer Wameling is a transgender woman and details her journey from working in an office and being mi...
Sep 06, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Unionization efforts in the U.S. are on the rise. According to the National Labor Relations Board, union election petitions jumped by 57 percent from October 2021 to March of this year, and a new Gallup poll finds Americans’ approval of labor unions is at its highest point since 1965. Even places that say they have favorable working conditions are seeing unionization efforts. Two Trader Joe’s stores, one in Massachusetts and another in Minneapolis, recently voted to unionize. With Labor Day arou...
Aug 30, 2022•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast With the unemployment rate down to 3.5%, some employers are struggling to fill key positions and offering promotions as a way to keep employees from leaving. We talk to Ebony Martin, a lab technician at a hospital in Chicago who thought about finding work elsewhere but instead received a promotion. She’s now thriving in her new role, but for some of the newly promoted that’s not the case. We hear from Steve Dion, a leadership coach, consultant and former HR executive who works with people who ne...
Aug 23, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many people turn to Glassdoor and similar workplace rating sites to check out an employer before accepting a job. But what about an internship? As summer comes to a close, and college students wrap up their latest internships, many are turning to a growing number of websites to rate their experience. And the companies. That’s giving future interns more information and the ability to be more selective. Sims Pettway, creator of the internship rating site Canary, tells us what makes for the ideal i...
Aug 16, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
