#6Things: Extreme Vetting, Finding Purpose at Work, & No More Coding Camps

Admit it, you wanted to go to one.

Coding camps all over the nation are closing up shop. Two major companies have announced they are shuttering operations this year, even though they got a lot of cheddar to be open by famous “edutainment” companies like the University of Phoenix. Why? Because they teach you the basics of coding basically for $26,000 — and employers need more than that. Heck, if you want to learn the basics of coding, why don’t you pay me to work for me and we’ll teach you? Anyway, employers need more advanced coding schools and as I say, when you start seeing Facebook ads for franchise coding camps and schools in the same hockey stick graph format as ugly leggings and shakes that make you skinny, it’s time to get the heck out of dodge. Tl;dr coding school has officially jumped the shark. (NYTimes)

Struggling to find purpose at #work or within your job? Check out this resource: #6Things Share on X

Got 6 Years of Experience?

If you’re a software engineer that’s the magic number for how in demand you are. However, in a decidedly McSweeney’s turn, that number plummets from 30% (at 6 years) to just 7% if you have the deadly SEVEN years of experience. Do you ever read something and just think, what in the actual hell is going on in Silicon Valley and other tech hubs? How is this even a thing? Anyway, this infographic from paysa is chock full of awesome information and you should check it out for sure. Did you know that from Uber to Facebook, the average tenure hovers between 1 and 2 years? Bonkers. (paysa)

Remember that jaggof

Who got fired from Google because he is a misogynist? Well, he might be prepping for a class-action lawsuit (which totally makes sense, in this country, after that rant, by rights, he should be president), but he’s also stirring the HR pot a bit, to which Ben Eubanks (@beneubanks) says, nope! In a conversation about free speech at work, he says:

41% of adults think they can’t be fired for what they say on social media because of first amendment protections. As your friendly neighborhood HR guy I have to tell you that is 100% false. Just an FYI!

I know how you can not be fired! Don’t be an asshole! (FB)

Sometimes I am a nice boss

Lately, there have been some really great ideas to be a better boss and help your people find their purpose. Someone posted about the “User Manual for Me” by Abby Falick (@abbyfalik) and it’s an exercise we’re already implementing. This gives everyone the opportunity to give others advice and direction on how to better understand, approach and work with them (yes, I am making one of my own). Here’s an HBR article we’re also implementing to help people discover meaning in what they do (even if that thing is B2B Marketing)

Strengths and Possibilities: What are you good at doing? Which work activities require less effort? What do you take on because you believe you’re the best person to do it? What have you gotten noticed for throughout your career?

Find and Rediscover Work Passion: What do you enjoy? In a typical workweek, what do you look forward to doing? What do you see on your calendar that energizes you? If you could design your job with no restrictions, how would you spend your time?

Highlighting the Value: What feels most useful? Which work outcomes make you most proud? Which of your tasks are most critical to the team or organization? What are the highest priorities for your life and how does your work fit in?

Identify Future Goals: What creates a sense of forwarding momentum? What are you learning that you’ll use in the future? What do you envision for yourself next? How’s your work today getting you closer to what you want for yourself?

Fostering Relationships: How do you relate to others? Which working partnerships are best for you? What would an office of your favorite people look like? How does your work enhance your family and social connections?

While I cannot get rid of my Gen X desire to kick all these namby pamby ideas to the curb, I am getting better at squelching it and asking myself: “Will this hurt my employees?” If the answer is no, then why not try? Engagement (as we’ve been told ad nauseum) is crucial to success, so I’m giving it a whirl. (HBR)

YAY! Extreme Vetting comes to HR

Roy Maurer (@SHRMRoy) gives us the lowdown on what extreme vetting means for employers, and it’s not particularly pretty. From the SHRM article (highlighted portions are mine, or those I think will be problematic):

The State Department is seeking permanent approval of the form “to more rigorously evaluate applicants for terrorism [and] national security-related or other visa ineligibilities.” The form was approved on a temporary basis in May. The State Department is accepting public comments about the questionnaire through Oct. 2.

Administration officials estimate that 0.5 percent of U.S. visa applicants worldwide, or about 65,000 people per year, will present a certain threat profile and will be asked to submit information about the following:

Travel history during the last 15 years, including source of funding for travel. Applicants may be asked to recount or explain the details of their travel and, when possible, provide supporting documentationAddress and employment history during the last 15 years.

Social media user names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses used during the last five years.

Consular officers will be directed not to request user passwords, engage with visa applicants through social media, or violate their privacy settings or controls, according to the State Department.

All passport numbers and country of issuance.

Names and dates of birth for all children, siblings, current and former spouses, and civil or domestic partners.

 

Sigh (SHRM)

How big of a jerk do you get to be when unemployment is high?

Because it’s low now and this job ad from 1953, which Gerry Crispin (@GerryCrispin) shared with the caveat that he had not confirmed it, shows that well, you gotta start kissing a little butt (which is interesting because wage growth is pretty stagnant). With fiercer competition for talent, wages should be increasing higher than 2%, especially when you factor in the annual raise in the United States is 3%. (NPR)