As We Work: Recent Episodes
The Wall Street Journal
A podcast about the changing dynamics of the workplace. Every week, we’ll hear from people who are challenging and reevaluating life at work - and talk to experts and Wall Street Journal colleagues about navigating the shifting environment. Hosted by Tess Vigeland.
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 embracing your need to take a break and enjoy the sunshine.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading:
This Summer, the Boss Is in the Office While Employees Hit the Beach
Mind Tricks for a Lasting Summer
Americans Are Vacationing More, but Staying in Work Mode
Is Hybrid Work Killing Remote Summer? Yes, but It Doesn’t Have To.
Workplace Report
Careers Newsletter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 art out of showing appreciation to the people he works with.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading:
Have You Praised a Colleague Today? Go On, Say Something Nice
Why Thanking Employees Can Make a Better Leader
Is the Secret to Happiness a Gratitude Practice?
The Workplace Report
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 – better. And we speak to a Los Angeles commuter, Jules Gillo, for some tips on how to love your drive in a city known for bad traffic.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading:
U.S. Return-to-Office Rates Hit Pandemic High as More Employers Get Tougher
Commutes Haven’t Changed Since the Days of the Roman Empire
Commuting is the Worst. It Doesn’t Have to Be.
Workplace Report
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 the effects of this potential rule on gig workers and companies.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading:
Biden Rule Would Add More Gig Workers to Company Payrolls
Biden Blocks Trump-Era Gig-Worker Rule
Gig-Economy Companies Get Worker Flexibility From Trump Administration
Workplace Report
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 can do to pave paths for middle managers to find success now. And we hear from a middle manager who decided she felt too squeezed to stay in a corporate job.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading:
The War to Define What Work Looks Like
Here’s How the Modern Manager is Changing Why Bosses Should Ask Employees to do Less, Not More Workplace Report
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 Schiller about how our brains process first impressions, and what that means for how we make one.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com , or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading:
The Next Step After a Bad First Impression at Work
The Dangers of First Impressions
Think Beyond Impressions to Make a Good Impression
Workplace Report
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 money and keep clients coming back.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading:
People Are Quitting Full-Time Jobs for Contract Work—and Making Six Figures
Souring Economy Gives Tech Freelancers a Lift
Workers Quit Jobs in Droves to Become Their Own Bosses
Workplace Report
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 work today and what it means for the future of office life.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading:
Coworking Companies Benefit From Return-to-Office Uncertainty
How to Act Like a Human When Working From a Coffee Shop
Coworking Giant in Venture to Create the Airbnb of Office Space
Workplace Report
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 rise in rudeness. Then Toni Purvis, the founder of the School of Disruptive Etiquette, gives us a lesson in the dos and don’ts of workplace manners.
Further Reading
What the #@$%! Happened to Our Manners at Work?
Sure, Work Makes Us Want to Swear. But Should You?
Finally, We Can Wear Shorts in the Office. (Maybe)
The Workplace Report
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 us what bosses and managers need to do to make all their workers feel valued, whether they are returning to the office now or came back months ago.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading
These Workers Were the Bosses’ Favorites. Now They Feel Jilted.
The Best Office Designs to Lure Back Workers
Why Cities are Struggling to Lure Back Workers
The Workplace Report
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 misgendered and dead named – called by her old name instead of her new, actual one – to feeling happier in a fully remote job. Then Dr. Tiffany Jana, a diversity, equity and inclusion expert and adviser, tells us what companies can do to address the prevalence of microaggressions in the workplace and why remote work may not actually slow one’s career growth.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading
Some Minority Workers, Tired of Workplace Slights, Say They Prefer Staying Remote
Companies Increase Efforts to Recruit Black Remote Workers to Diversify Their Workforce
Black and Hispanic Employees Often Get Stuck at the Lowest Rung of the Workforce
Workplace Report
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 around the corner, we speak with Sarah Beth Ryther, an employee and organizer from the Trader Joe’s in Minneapolis about the reasons she and many of her co-workers wanted an independent union. Then, Jason Greer , a labor relations expert and former board agent with the NLRB, tells us how the pandemic is playing into union drives. As a board agent, he worked with employees, employers and unions to investigate allegations of unfair labor practices.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading
Trader Joe’s Workers Vote to Form Union at Massachusetts Store
How Union Efforts at Amazon and Starbucks Are Playing Out Differently
Starbucks Alleges Federal Labor Officials Improperly Handled Union Elections
The Workplace Report
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 need help after their companies promoted them a little too early. He tells us what companies and individuals can do to make sure those elevated to new roles get the support they need.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading
These Workers Wanted to Quit Their Jobs. They Got Promoted Instead
You Got the Big Offer. What if You Don’t Want It?
Five Signs Workers Still Have Power in this Labor Market
Workplace Report
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 internship and why honest reviews help students find theirs. Then, Lindsey Pollak, author of “Getting from College to Career,” digs into what interns and companies gain from hearing honest feedback, and why internships have gone from “nice to have” to “must have” for young careers.
Correction
Sims Pettway works for Bain & Company. An earlier version of this podcast episode introduced him as working for Bain Capital. (Corrected on August 16)
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading
The Whisper Networks Where Interns Rate Their Bosses
Fewer DC Interns Work for Free
Summer Interns Jilt Companies as Better Offers Come Along
Workplace Report
U.S. colleges have seen a big decline in enrollment since the pandemic began. More than 1.3 million fewer students are enrolled in colleges now than in Spring 2020, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. In a tight labor market, it may make sense to skip getting a college degree and get a job instead. But what happens when the market turns soft, and employers can be more choosy? We hear about Kiah Peschel’s pandemic-driven decision to drop out of college and why she’s not worried about her job prospects. Then, UC Berkeley Professor Tolani Britton shares some of the potential costs of not having a degree, from reduced individual earnings over a lifetime to negative impacts on health and well-being.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading
“College Pays Off, but Not for Everyone”
“Help Really Wanted: No Degree, Experience of Background Checks” “Blue Collar Workers Make the Leap to Tech Jobs: No College Degree Necessary”
WSJ’s Life & Work Coverage
At the height of the pandemic, major companies like Amazon, Walmart, Walgreens and CVS expanded benefits for workers, including access to more paid sick leave. Now, some of them are starting to pull back on those benefits. The benefit expansion seemed to signal the arrival of a more worker-centered workplace, but could the cuts signal a return to the way things were before the pandemic? We talk to Brian Kropp, a VP at the consulting firm Gartner, about why some companies are walking back expanded leave and what that might say about the future of the employee-first workplace.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading
Sick With Covid, Americans Feel the Pressure to Power Through at Work
Calling In Sick or Going on Vacation, Workers Aren’t Showing Up This Summer
More Companies Under Pressure to Provide Paid Sick Leave
WSJ’s Life & Work Coverage
We’ve taken you through some of the biggest moments in a career, from hire to retire. But how do you navigate your career during this time of uncertainty? In this episode, WSJ Life & Work columnists Rachel Feintzeig and Callum Borchers answer your questions on the changing job market, including how to get ahead when a lot of the workforce is still at home, putting your best foot forward to land a job, and if a potential economic downturn could signal the end of the Great Resignation.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading
“How to Keep Your Job or Find a Better One if There’s a Recession”
“Workers Don’t Feel Quite as Powerful as They Used to” “Think Working from Home Won’t Hurt Your Career? Don’t be so Sure.”
The Workplace Report
From afar, retirement looks like a promised trip to Shangri-La at the end of our working lives. But for many, the abrupt change in the speed of life or loss of work identity can be very jarring. For Dr. David Ekerdt, a professor who spent his career studying retirement, and Dr. Sherry Mendelson, a writer and psychiatrist, the expectations of leaving the working world did not match the reality. Drawing on knowledge from their working years and their own retirements, they share tips on how to prepare psychologically for the next chapter.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading
“I Spent 44 Years Studying Retirement. Then I Retired.”
“The Strains Retirement Put on My Marriage—and How It Survived”
“Are You Emotionally Ready to Retire? Eight Questions to Ask Yourself”
The Workplace Report
Exhausted by your job? Need to take care of family? Want to pursue a passion? Or maybe you need to take some time away from the grind. More workers now expect to take a break sometime in their careers. But can stepping away from work hurt your chances of getting back in the game? We hear from three people who went through it, and how they came back. And Carol Fishman Cohen, CEO of the career re-entry company iRelaunch, gives us tips for how to take a break without breaking your career.
Links
Submit Your Career Questions
“Take a Career Break, but Stay in the Game”
"How to Prepare Your Finances Before Quitting Your Job”
Center for American Progress Income Loss Interactive Calculator
The Workplace Report
You’ve been working for a while now. Maybe you’re at the top of your game, but you’re feeling stagnant. You might be wondering: where has my motivation gone? This happened to Marissa Dacay as she was rising in the marketing division at Adobe. But instead of finding greener grass at a new company or in a new role, Marissa worked with her employer to pivot within Adobe. We talk about how she did that - and speak with organizational psychologist Allison Gabriel about three keys all employees need to keep their passion for the job.
Send us your best piece of career advice! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading:
‘I’m Still Under Construction’; Six Tales of Lifelong Learning
Employers Want to Train Workers but Are Swimming in Options
Forget Positive Thinking: How Sweatpants Managers Can Stay Motivated
WSJ Workplace Report
The word “networking” may conjure images of cocktail parties filled with strangers handing out business cards. But, in reality, effective networking is about making deeper connections with potential allies. Chris Mossiah is a VP at JP Morgan Chase and a member of the LGBTQ community, and tapped into that community to be more authentic at work while growing their career. Also, networking expert Dorie Clark reveals how even introverts can succeed at networking and why dinner parties can be better for making connections than glad-handing at cattle calls.
Send us your best piece of career advice! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading:
"Welcome to the ‘Network Generation"
“Networking Professionals Get Back on the Gala Train”
“How to Close the Networking Gap”
WSJ Workplace Report
Salary, vacation days and benefits: negotiating at work can feel like a second job. But Yale professor and negotiation expert Barry Nalebuff says few of us do it right. He says it helps if you think about … pie! We explain what that means - and he answers your questions about navigating tricky situations at the bargaining table.
Plus - we want to hear your career advice! Email us at aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
For Further Reading:
Barry Nalebuff’s book on negotiation Split the Pie
“Asking for a Raise: How (and When) to Do It”
“Want a Raise from Your Boss? Here’s How to Ask”
WSJ Workplace Report
Most people who’ve made it know: there’s no success without failure. But learning how to recover and keep going after failure can be a challenge, even for seemingly successful people. Author Min Jin Lee gave up a career in law to become a professional writer, and confronted rejection, shame and her own fear of failure head-on. It took many years of struggle before her second novel Pachinko became a best-seller and was turned into an Apple TV series. She says the experience led her to believe that success and failure are the wrong metrics. Plus, sports psychologist Jonathan Fader explains how reframing our own narrative can help us move towards a growth mindset, where mistakes make us better.
Send us your best piece of career advice! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.
Further Reading:
Min Jin Lee’s Website
Jonathan Fader’s TED Talk
From the WSJ: Mastering the Art of ‘Failing Up’ at Work
This year’s crop of new college graduates are walking into one of the hottest job markets in generations. Some are demanding big paychecks from their new employers, but money isn’t the only thing on their “must have” list. WSJ reporter Lindsay Ellis brings us conversations with new grads who are prioritizing company culture and work life balance. Jeff Beavers, Michigan State University’s executive director of career services, digs into the difficulty of networking during COVID times and how students need to see beyond their majors to search for their careers.
“The Class of 2022 Is in Demand. What Do New Grads Want?”
Having trouble figuring out where to go next in your career journey? The next season of As We Work will take you through all the steps, from getting that first job right out of college all the way to retirement. We’ll talk about the changing expectations from new graduates, the lessons that come from failure, how to network and even how to negotiate at work.
We’d love to hear your questions about how to negotiate a better salary, benefits, more time off, or anything else you might want from your boss. What questions do you have about the process? Email us at aswework@wsj.com and we may use it in the podcast.
Episode 1 will be available May 17.
Now Hiring: No degree required. A growing number of tech companies are looking to fill roles that require special skills, but not necessarily a college diploma. They’re being called “new collar” jobs. Now, some people who have worked hourly jobs like food service or retail are setting themselves on a new career track and many are getting paid to learn on the job. In this conversation from the WSJ Jobs Summit, Joanna Estanislao details her journey from working hospitality to a full-time role with Okta’s sales team. Bridgette Gray, Chief Customer Officer at Opportunity@Work, tells us about the multiple pathways from blue collar to new collar.Read more about Blue Collar Workers Making the Leap to Tech Jobs
Experience is usually a plus when looking for a job, but if you’re a more “seasoned” worker, subtle biases could stand in the way of landing the position you want. It’s called ageism: the belief that older employees aren’t as adaptable or desirable. But there are simple ways to position yourself so a hiring manager can see past the dates on your resume and instead see the skills you’ll bring to the job. At the WSJ Jobs Summit, Tess Vigeland spoke to Ginny Cheng, a career coach and Global Head of Talent at the wearable tech company Oura, about navigating the hiring process when you have a lot of experience and are rethinking your professional narrative. Plus, she answers audience questions on how to thrive in a multigenerational workforce.
What does it mean to stand up to your employer and demand change? Recently, workers at Disney successfully pushed their CEO to speak out against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. And they are not the only ones to become activists on the job. Google employee Tanuja Gupta helped organize a walkout that led to a change in company policy, and influenced a federal law banning forced arbitration in sexual misconduct cases at work. She details why she stayed at a company she calls a microcosm of the debates taking place across America. Plus, Noa Gafni explains how the pandemic is helping drive this new wave of social activism in the workplace.
How do we make meaningful connections at work when our colleagues are just images on a screen? Lucy Suros, CEO of e-learning company Articulate, says creating virtual hangouts where people don’t work is just one way to build company culture when you don’t have any offices. And workplace and leadership expert David Burkus tells us why maintaining work relationships, even while working remotely, is essential for long-term career growth. Also, Nitin Nohria, former dean of the Harvard Business School tells us why the post-pandemic office should be a clubhouse. You can read more about Greg Kelley and Marwah Rizqy’s pandemic romance, fostered on Facetime. And be sure to sign up for the WSJ Jobs Summit, and submit your questions on ageism in the workplace.
Addressing and improving mental health has become a workplace touchstone in the past few years. Many employees report feeling anxious, stressed and even burned out. But social psychologist Dr. Amy Cuddy says we are experiencing something more specific to this moment, something she calls “pandemic flux syndrome.” Host Tess Vigeland spoke with Cuddy at the WSJ Health Forum about why feeling powerless is particularly detrimental to mental health, how business leaders can help their workers cope and what employees can do to find the control that will help them thrive.
Ford Fund Director Pamela Alexander and former Fifth Third Bank Senior vice president Nicole Johnson-Scales reached similar positions on the corporate ladder. But, like many women in the upper levels of the corporate world, the pandemic made them reevaluate their career goals. Stay on the corporate ladder or step off? Maybe leap to a totally new one? And, as two of a small number of Black women in the top echelons of corporate America, what would their decisions mean for other women with ambitions for the corner office? Listen as they tell their stories and discuss these and other pandemic epiphanies with host Tess Vigeland.
Salary transparency has become a buzzword, from legislatures to social media, as a way to help improve pay equity in the workplace. But talking about how much we earn is still a no-go for many people. That is partly because the notion that we are “paid what we are worth” is so ingrained in our thinking. Today on the podcast, writer Victoria Walker talks about why she defied the taboo and shared her salary publicly. And sociologist Jake Rosenfeld explains why the “pay for performance” model is a myth and how it continues to impact workers. Plus: tips on how to improve the work world of endless meetings.
After 11 years behind the mic at the business and economics show “Marketplace,” Tess Vigeland had reached the top of her game. That’s when she decided to leap. She left her job with no backup plan to travel across Southeast Asia with nothing but a suitcase, a backpack and a camera bag. Tess’ story took place years before the Great Resignation began. As she likes to say, she was a “quitter before quitting was cool.” It’s just one reason she’s diving into the changing workplace in "As We Work." Hear more of her story in this episode of our sister podcast, “Your Money Briefing,” from earlier this week.
The pandemic has upended our work lives. Between the Great Resignation, hybrid work and other changes, many of us are reevaluating our relationship to our job. In the inaugural episode of As We Work, host Tess Vigeland sits down with WSJ Life & Work coverage chief Nikki Waller and business reporter Chip Cutter to discuss what is changing and how bosses are managing through it. Plus, WSJ columnist Rachel Feintzeig helps us mind our manners back at the office. Questions? Stories? Get in touch with us at AsWeWork@wsj.com.
As We Work is a new podcast from The Wall Street Journal about the changing dynamics of the workplace and how to navigate them. Each week, host Tess Vigeland speaks with experts, WSJ reporters and workers like you. Episode 1 will be available March 8.