HR Bulletin Volume 137

Prompt Engineering to Conscious Quitting: New-age workplace terms you should know

From quiet quitting to quite firing to the game-changing role of prompt engineering, here are some new work jargons you should know

With more and more workplace related terms going viral and catching everyone’s attention, do you sometimes catch yourself a little out of touch? We have for you a quick guide to what these terms mean and a little about their background:

Prompt Engineering

Prompt engineering is the process of developing and managing chatbots and other AI tools to communicate effectively with humans. It requires a combination of technical skills, communication ability, and creativity.

Prompt engineers need to be familiar with programming languages like Python and possess excellent writing skills to create effective prompts. They must also have a deep understanding of human behaviour and language to create natural-sounding responses. The goal of prompt engineering is to maximise the effectiveness of AI tools, and it involves designing prompts that consider the context of the conversation, the user's tone, and intent. Prompt engineers must also be aware of potential bias in the algorithms they create and work to mitigate any issues that arise.

Conscious Quitting

Quiet quitting is a thing of the past, as the rise of "conscious quitting" takes center stage in the modern workplace. With workers choosing to leave jobs that don't align with their personal values, the Net Positive Employee Barometer revealed that almost half of U S and U K workers would consider quitting for this reason As former Unilever CEO Paul Polman suggests, we are on the brink of a new era of conscious quitting, where employees vote with their feet to shape the future of work

Quiet Quitting

Quiet Quitting is when an employee chooses to do just his/her job, nothing more, nothing less and doesn’t go above and beyond for his/her organization. As this term has gone viral, it has elicited every possible type of response – we have had opinion pieces in favour of it, against it, calling it ‘old wine in a new bottle’, a misnomer and what not. In the post-pandemic world, a lot of emphasis is being placed on employee well-being and mental health, which is perhaps why Quiet Quitting has struck a chord, especially with the younger workforce.

Quiet Firing

Quiet Firing is when a manager actively creates a hostile work environment for an employee, with the aim of making the employee quit on his/her own This could be done by delegating excessive work, enforcing strict and unreasonable deadlines, not sanctioning leaves etc We weren’t quite done with the discussions around Quiet Quitting (have we all been doing it all this while, is it truly possible, what are the repercussions and so on) when we were introduced to the term Quiet Firing And before we knew it, we had lists around how to spot it!

Productivity Paranoia

Productivity Paranoia refers to growing distrust between employers and employees, due to which the managers can sometimes resort to somewhat overarching means to ensure employees are being “productive”. The term went viral almost as soon as Microsoft’s Satya Nadella said it. “We have to get past what we describe as ‘productivity paranoia’ because all of the data we have shows 80% plus of the individual people feel they’re very productive – except their management thinks that they’re not productive,” Nadella said.

Proximity Bias

Proximity bias is the conscious or unconscious bias or favouritism shown by people in positions of authority towards those employees who are in a closer physical proximity Examples of proximity bias include a manager rating the work of employees working from office more highly than those working from home One of the main reasons why this term's popularity has skyrocketed recently is the shift in working culture that we are globally going through Post the pandemic, a lot of organizations have chosen to give employees the flexibility to either work from home or office or a mix of both As employees choose to work from home, many feel that those choosing to go to office have things easier. This stems from the outdated viewpoint a lot of managers still have – that people from office are more productive. Even as study after study has shown people work just as efficiently from home, the bias has persisted.

Psychological Safety

Knowing that your team members at work value your opinion, ideas and queries constitutes psychological safety at work. It is when an employee knows that he or she will not be relegated to the side or unnecessarily humiliated for voicing concerns or, say, questioning the status quo. Many studies have shown that organizations that allow employees to speak freely, are receptive to criticism and encourage feedback see lower attrition rates and greater overall productivity With the coronavirus pandemic shining a much-needed spotlight on mental health and wellness, discussions about psychological safety are the next logical step in the right direction

Toxic Positivity

Toxic positivity is the strong belief that no matter how bad or dangerous or difficult a situation, one should remain happy and have a “positive mindset” While to some toxic positivity may feel like an actual way of “handling”

Read more at : https://www.peoplematters.in/article/life-at-work/productivityparanoia-to-quiet-firing-some-new-age-workplace-terms-you-should-know-

35456

Equal start: How HR can leverage tech and company culture to foster inclusive hiring

Diversity begins at the doorway - with the very first step of the hiring process.

From being a topic that was discussed once a year, today diversity has become a subject of regular conversation And the call for establishing a truly diverse workforce, at all organisational levels, is getting louder and louder each year The capacity of an inclusive workplace to foster innovation, creativity and empathy are being acknowledged and companies are inexorably moving towards making long-term changes Aside from the social advantages of diversity at the workplace, there are also substantial material benefits. According to Boston Consulting, companies with aboveaverage diversity on their management teams reported 19 percentage points higher innovation revenue, than that of companies with below-average leadership diversity. In order to unleash the potential of this new order, there is a need for continuous nurturing, and Human Capital Management (HCM) or HR plays a vital role in doing this. A road map that creates a level playing field for all employees, particularly at the recruitment and hiring level, is crucial to unlocking the benefits this shift has to offer.

Expanding the talent pool

To foster gender diversity and inclusion, the first step is to build a dynamic talent sourcing mechanism This can be achieved by focusing on building a diverse pipeline of candidates by leveraging various sources such as job boards, career portals, employee referrals, and social media Making a conscious effort to reach out to diverse communities and creating partnerships with organisations that support underrepresented groups like trans people and individuals with disabilities will also open up inclusive sources For instance at Kinara Capital, inclusivity is a core value that we uphold by actively working to eliminate any unconscious bias related to age, experience, religion, background, gender, or disability. Instead of relying solely on interview performance, companies can go a step ahead and…

Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/diversity/equal-start-howhr-can-leverage-tech-and-company-culture-to-foster-inclusive-hiring-37043

Are women less likely to be promoted than men?

Women were promoted less frequently (22% of women compared to 35% of men) in 2022 and received fewer benefits (15% of women compared to 23% of men), reveals new study by HR tech firm HiBob

While the same percentage (46 per cent) of men and women respondents were given pay increases in 2022, only 21 per cent of women were promoted compared to 35 per cent of men, reveals new study by HR technology firm HiBob

Additionally, more men (23 per cent) received an increase in benefits than women (15per cent) The report, Professional Women in the Modern US Workplace, unveils several inequalities and disparities between the way men and women view salary transparency, promotions, and work/life balance, especially in today’s uncertain economy

Impact of economic downturn

Forty per cent of the women respondents predict the economic downturn will deprioritise and slow the progress of women's promotions in the workplace. Conversely 40 per cent of male respondents said the economic downturnwill not impact women’s promotions at all. Men and women are aligned on job security, with more than half of all respondents (55 per cent) concerned about being let go during the downturn. Despite this, majority of men (52 per cent) and women (57 per cent) stated they are not feeling pressured to come into the office.

Promotions, advancement, and confidence

There is clear difference between men and women when it comes to equity in promotions and advancement opportunities As per the survey 69 per cent of men and 54 per cent of women agreed that women are promoted equally to men within their company However, 38 per cent of women believe that men at their company are promoted more, an increase from HiBob’s comparable study in 2022 A fifth of male respondents (20 per cent) feel their male colleagues are promoted more than women, while 38 per cent of female respondents feel their male colleagues

Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/compensation-benefits/arewomen-overlooked-for-promotions-37074

Practical tips for supporting a friend after a layoff

As a support person for someone who's been laid off, you can play various roles at different times: listener, advisor, and cheerleader.

It was a mild winter morning. Tina was adding the final touches to her six-year-old daughter’s braids and getting her ready for school when she heard her mother holler that the school bus had arrived. She ambled over, her breath short and feet heavy. These days moving around seemed a herculean task, with the delivery of her baby just two weeks away. An hour later she reached the office, turned on her computer and, slowly walked toward the vending machine for her morning coffee. The canteen area was packed. She saw distraught faces and felt a sense of impending gloom. The news hit home; 30 team members in the tech company she was employed as a programmer, were given the golden handshake She was a part of the 30 The boom, the organisation experienced in the lockdown years, busted and the company had no choice but to downsize From thereon, life turned topsy turvy for Tina She almost fainted with the news and a senior colleague offered to drop her off at home Her mother was surprised to see her so early as was her husband, Roy She rushed into their arms and sobbed, uncontrollably She had lost her job and with that her identity and ability to provide for her growing family Losing a job can be one of the most devastating experiences for anyone, and it can be difficult to know how to comfort someone who has recently been laid off. As a friend or family member, you may not know what and how to give solace or help. However, with a little bit of empathy and understanding, you can be a great support to them, during this tough time. Be there for them, emotionally

Losing a job can feel like a loss and it is important to give your friend the space and time they need to cope with…

Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/employee-relations/howto-help-someone-who-has-been-laid-off-37022

Are your appraisals driving away top performers?

Post appraisal months, there is a rise of 25% in employees seeking better job opportunities, reveals new report

An increase in job applications has always been a trend during appraisal months Most employees look for better opportunities on the back of the increased compensation due to appraisal There has been a rise in employees actively seeking out better opportunities as appraisal season wraps up, reveals new report by Spectrum Talent Management The top sectors that witnessed high sentiment amongst employees for job change are information technology (IT) and banking and financial services industry (BFSI).

The trend is also prevalent for senior professionals with 10%-15% reporting an intention for a job switch whereas 5%15% are for fresher/young professionals but the scenario varies from industry to industry. However, the segment of professionals with 2 - 5 years of experience sees the maximum traction regarding job change post-appraisal season. When it comes to male to female ratio for a job change, it is 1:3 in favour of men, in line with the existing gender gap in employment Currently, the exact rate of increase in a job application is difficult to estimate before March but it should range between 15% - 20% Similarly, the job posting is expected to show a 30%-40% increase by the same timeline Historically, appraisal and job switching has always gone hand in hand One of the key factors being the remuneration change in either aspect The fact that the industry is recovering from the post Covid impact and passing through an effective western slowdown and international tensions, has shown tangible effect on the tech industry resulting in evident layoffs “Sectors like BFSI and retail have witnessed the alternate side as the demand has surged across levels ,hence escalating the visible trend of job changes in appraisal season. While the industry hovers at an 8% to 14% median YOYappraisal range, the salary hikes in job changes have been ranging at a median of 35% to 65%...

Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/employee-engagement/areyour-appraisals-driving-away-top-performers-37010