Balance: The New Workplace Perk

I read some interesting points in this article. According to a recent survey by the Association of Executive Search Consultants, 85% of recruiters have seen candidates reject a job offer because it wouldn't include enough work-life balance. And 90% of recruiters say work-life balance considerations are more important now than they were five years ago.

As baby boomers think about retiring, positions are opening up for the net generation. Soon, it will be become a candiate's market. And now, many candidates are thinking about more than just salary. The net generation wants a work life balance and an employer who is willing to support that. We want 4 day work weeks and options for telecommuting and working from home.

The article also mentions some very creative ways that companies are incorporating a work-life balance into the mix. Google for instance offers laundry, car washes, mandatory fun breaks, free vacations, an amazing cafeteria and much much more for their employees. Check out their video here.

If you are planning on moving to another company after you finish your MBA, will you demand a work-life balance? Will you expect 4 day work weeks and options for working at home?

Net generation

How does the net generation approach work?

Check out the article The Net Generation is the Smartest Generation, written based on an interview with Don Tapscott.

As a generation with the internet constantly attached to our hands, we approach work differently than our parents do. Growing up digital means that we are used to multitasking, to having information overload and to be more proactive to finding answers, rather than waiting around for someone wiser to give it to us.

In the article, Choudhury states:

"Digital natives are no longer satisfied with the old corporate model of recruiting, training, supervising and retaining. Companies should adopt a new model in retaining them that is, initiate, engage, collaborate and evolve."

The net generation approaches work wanting immediate feedback, stronger work relationships, better challenges and opportunities, and more of a work-life balance. This means companies should alter their management styles.

The net generation has a lot to offer. Companies that change their management styles to adapt to this are the ones that will come out on top. How should companies accomplish this? Companies should allow the net generation to utilize wikis, blogs, facebook and youtube to harness their creativity and innovation. Companies should allow employees to work part time from home, and to encourage teleconfrencing and collaboration.

What other ways can companies embrace the net generation?

Work - Life Balance

A few months ago my friend was leaving for the day, about 2 hours late, and getting ready to head home. She popped her head in to her boss's office to say good-bye and he said, "what, leaving already?" To that she responded, "yep, it's been a long day, it's all about work-life balance." He replied, "are you sure it's not LIFE-work balance?" in a bit of a sarcastic tone. He said, "If you want to make senior (tax accountant), sometimes you need to put your career first."

Once home, she decided to tell her mom about the situation. Her mom replied, "you need to put your family and friends and yourself first or you'll never be happy.

Hearing the conflicting advice between two important people in life is confusing. Now, I don't have children yet, as I am certain that brings a whole new ball into this juggling act. How do you prioritize your goals in life? Is it more important to work hard, especially for those with a high achievement orientation, to get that promotion, or to work just hard enough to get your paycheck and spend time with your friends and family?

Find out if you are considered a workaholic by taking this quiz.

You Own Your Own Development

In response to some of the comments posted, I have some follow up answers. I began my journey with Target in the summer of 2007 with an internship at a store in Pittsburgh. The internship was essentially a 12 week long interview which turned out really well and led to an advanced internship during the fall of 2008. During my last semester at Pitt I did another internship at a different store in Pittsburgh and also acted as the Campus Liason for Target and Pitt and participated in many recruitent activities. Upon graduation in December I started my 6 week "business college" training and asked about any potential opportunties in the Lehigh Valley where Matt and my families were. I spent about a year at Stroudsburg as the ETL-Guest Experience, and was then transferred to Quakertown this past April.

You own your own development. That's a phrase you will commonly hear at Target. If you have the ambition and drive to get to the next level, Target will help get you there. It's most common to stay within your own store when moving from a team member to specialist to team lead position. When moving from a team lead to a salaried executive position it's usually best to move to a near store. The great thing about Target is the that there are so many stores in the district you have many opportunties for development and promotion without having to move to a new state. There are so many tools and resources to help you own your own development. Every month you re-evaluate your accomplishments from the month before and address your areas of opportunties. You choose new challenges to work on problem areas in your workcenter, the store, or your team and choose activities that will address these problems and continue to develop your leadership by focusing on your own personal strengths and opportunities.

I am excited that I am working on my own development while addressing challenges at the Quakertown store. I am also stretching my leadership by assuming new captainships and responsibilities like inventory captain and recruiting captain. I hope to have my own store by this time next year!

Expect More. Pay Less

Hi everyone!

My name is Jessica. This is my 4th semester in the Kutztown MBA program. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2008 with a BSBA in Finance and Marketing, a minor in economics and an International Business Certificate. I got married this past summer to my amazing husband Matt!

While at Pitt I studied abroad in China and interned at Fedex and at Target. I started with Target full time after graduation. I currently work as an Executive team Leader, much like as assistant manager. I also happen to be the recruiting captain for Kutztown. If anyone is interested in learning more about a career at Target please let me know. You can also check out our website. We are holding mock interviews on campus the last week in september, as well as an internship fair on October 20th and an information session on October 27th. Come and check us out!