The Case for Age Diversity In the Workplace

The Case for Age Diversity In the WorkplaceThe Case for Age Diversity In the WorkplaceWhat are the benefits of having a workforce with a varied range of ages? The different generational perspectives allow creativity and innovation when solving business problems. Not only do older workers provide mentorship and guidance to their younger counterparts, but younger workers provide the same type of mentorship to older workers by introducing them to new ideas and perspectives. In some cases, some younger employees have mora experience and skill in one area than those who have been working longer than them. This dynamic has its many advantages, but also can lead to two sticky situations that HR should keep in mind.Age-Related StereotypesAge discrimination can happen even before you meet a candidate. When preparing to fill a new role at your company, look over the job requisite and make sure that the verbiage isnt subtly age-discriminatory. According to Fortunes This is the latest way employ ers mask age bias, lawyers say, some companies have been using terms like new grad or digital native to discriminate against people over 40 years of age. Before you bring in a potential candidate, communicate with the hiring manager about ageism and the best way to articulate questions. Most people discriminate by age unwittingly, so an aware hiring manager will less likely add to the problem. Pay extra attention to questions involving technology competency, length of experience, and working with younger colleagues. Age discrimination doesnt stop after the hiring process. An example of an age stereotype is that older workers arent tech-savvy. If youre not sure if someone has the technical skills for completing a project, just ask respectfully and encourage honesty. Usually, theyll tell you what obstacles theyre having or if its something that they can complete without extra training. On the flipside, an age stereotype in reverse is that millennials are entitled. Its in good judgment to try and observe without bias the employee supposedly displaying entitled behavior. If they do in fact, have an entitled attitude, put some on thought on the best way to change this employees behavior. Maybe direct confrontation isnt the best solution, but explaining to the employee how long and how much other employees have worked to earn certain work benefits or projects can provide context around why some workplace perks exist.Young Managers with Older Direct ReportsHow can younger managers deal with much older direct reports? HR should let younger managers realize that they have much more in common with their direct reports than they think.They both mucksmuschenstill have career aspirations, fears, strengths, and weaknessestheyre both human. Remind younger managers that they should be confident, but incorporate humility, since they still have limited experience. Their job as a manager is to cultivate the skills and strengths of their team to the best of their ability. They sh ould be open-minded to feedback from their direct reports, and never be afraid to offer constructive feedback or coaching to them.HR preparing an older worker for a younger manager can also be a sensitive situation. Educate the older worker on ageism in the workplace, and let them know that your door is always open if they have any issues. To be really involved, you might schedule a quarterly check-in to make sure the employee is still feeling comfortable in his or her situation.Dealing with these types of situations is complicated with no one right answer. A formal training program that teaches professional conduct in age-diverse situations could be helpful to your company. According to the Training Journal, having a formal age-diverse training program can eliminate biases, unite teams around common goals, and unlock the benefits of having an age-diverse workforce. The Training Journal also suggests an informal way is to encourage mentorship between older and younger workers. It of fers an opportunity for business to broaden and develop some of the skills of individual employees in an inexpensive and time-effective way.Although having an age-diverse workforce is advantageous, there will always be complex situations that arise from the different generational viewpoints. The best way to succeed is to keep an open mind and eliminate stereotypes and bias as much as possible. If your company is able to navigate through these age-diverse situations, it will benefit with more innovation and creativity in reaching their business goals.

5 Big Warning Signs of Job Scams

5 Big Warning Signs of Job Scams5 Big Warning Signs of Job Scams14Anyone who has ever spent time as a job seeker knows that the process of finding a job can be confusing, challenging, and a strain on ones confidence. One of the many obstacles to deal with during a job search is recognizing the warning signs of job scams. The unfortunate reality is that there are plenty of people out there who have no moral qualms about taking advantage of people who may be feeling a bit desperate to find a job. The scams they use become more convincing and creative every day (imagine if they put those powers to work for good), so it is important to remain vigilant and know what to look for.Here are five warning signs of job scams to be on alert forFake Company URLsYouve found a fantastic job posting that seems to be from a large, well-known company and offers the flexibility youve been looking for. Be sure to double-check the web address before submitting your application. Scammers create URLs that a ppear to be a page within a legitimate site, but are actually taking you to a different location altogether. Open a new browser and Google the company name. Once you get to the companys home page, look for its careers page to compare the two.Jobs You Havent Applied ForIt is such a great feeling to get that phone call or email about an application you have submitted and to realize the hiring manager is interested in talking with you. What about when you are contacted for a job you havent heard of, let alone applied for? While these out-of-the-blue opportunities are not inherently scams, it is advisable to research a company before a job interviewand ask a lot of questions.Taking Technology Too FarIt is becoming more common for employers to conduct Skype and phone interviews, especially for remote jobs. It is not common practice, however, to interview candidates via text message or instant messaging platforms. Again, if you encounter a request like this, proceed with caution.Limited D etailsA job posting should be fairly detailed about the skills and requirements needed for a particular position. During the interview process, the recruiter should be able to provide a cohesive summary of what the work will be and answer questions about the job and the company that paint a complete picture for you. If you come out of an interview not understanding what the job is, what the company does, and/or what the remainder of the process isthink twice.You Have to PayIt sounds so simple, right? You shouldnt have to pay a company for a legitimate, professional-level job. The reason these scams work is because the people behind them are really very good at them. Imagine going through two or three rounds of interviews, establishing a rapport with an interviewer, and feeling really great about the opportunity. You are offered the job and the company will be sending you a laptop to use. They are just asking for $250 for the software. Or a check that they will only cash if you dont fulfill the terms of employment, try to take off with their company equipment, etc. Walk away. This isnt how real employers do business.The bottom line is to be mindful with your job search. It can be so easy to gloss over that nagging concern because you need the work and it sounds so good. Follow your instincts, do your research, ask questions in job interviews, and hold out for the right fit. It can be a long and hard road, but so worth it in the end.Readers, what other warning signs of job scams are you on the lookout for? Tell us about them in the comments section belowSaveSave

Dr. Billy Cohn Discusses Engineering and Healthcare During Key...

Dr. Billy Cohn Discusses Engineering and Healthcare During Key... Dr. Billy Cohn Discusses Engineering and Healthcare During Key... Dr. Billy Cohn Discusses Engineering in Healthcare During Keynote EventDr. Billy Cohn, the featured speaker at the IMECE 2015 keynote event, is a world-renowned heart surgeon and medical device inventor who has more than 90 U.S. kapitnspatents either granted or pending and another 60 international patents. During the keynote event on Nov. 16 at the ASME zwischenstaatlich Mechanical Engineering Conference and Exposition in Houston, William E. (Billy) Cohn, M.D., world-renowned heart surgeon and medical device inventor, told the engineers in the packed Hilton of the Americas ballroom that the healthcare field was one in desperate need of their skills and expertise.Engineering in Healthcare was the theme of the special keynote session by Dr. Cohn, who is the director of the Center for Technology and Innovation, the associate director of laboratory surgery r esearch in the Center for Cardiac Support and director of the Cullen Cardiovascular Research Laboratory at the Texas Heart Institute at St. Lukes Episcopal Hospital in Houston. Cohn, who has been developing medical devices since medical school, has more than 90 U.S. patents either granted or pending, and an additional 60 international patents for his medical innovations.Following an introduction by ASME Executive Director Thomas Loughlin, Cohn began his presentation by noting that although he had spent many years training to be a heart surgeon, we was basically a frustrated mechanical engineer. I went to medical school for four years, did five years of general surgery residency, and then three years of cardiac surgery residency, he said. It takes 12 years of additional training after college to be a heart surgeon. But I spent fruchtwein of my off-time in evenings and weekends doing mechanical engineering. I have a real passion for heart surgery, but I also have a passion for medical device innovation. Dr. Cohn shows the keynote audience examples of several of the medical devices hes invented.Noting that the mechanical engineers he had worked with throughout his career had played a vital role in making the devices he invented commercially viable, Cohn warned the audience of a catastrophe looming in our immediate future the rising cost of healthcare. The amount of money being spent on healthcare in the United States is currently growing at a rate that is three times greater than the increase in U.S. gross domestic product. Within the next 10 to 20 years, those costs will become unsustainable, he said. So only through innovation, finding less expensive ways to identify disease earlier in its course, to treat and prevent major illness and major hospitalizations, are we going to be able to avoid this disaster, Cohn said. And where is that innovation going to come from? Its going to come from engineers. I know ASMEs mission statement is to leverage engineering exp ertise and prowess to make the quality of life better for all of us. To make the world safer and better. Well I argue that healthcare innovation is a very real and very necessary way to accomplish that objective. ASME Executive Director Thomas Loughlin (right) joined Dr. Cohn for a question-and-answer session after the main presentation. Throughout his presentation, Cohn mentioned several lessons that he had learned during his quest to become a medical device innovator - lessons that engineers should keep in mind as they develop their own innovations. unterstellung included focusing on a field that you truly understand, being resourceful while prototyping, and maintaining an open mind when resourcing materials for your project.Keeping your invention simple is another important lesson learned. You know if you have an idea, and you start talking to key opinion leaders about it, and they tell you why its too simple to work, he said. Hurry up and patent it because its probably the m ost brilliant thing in the world. In all of the greatest innovations in modern healthcare, the sage and august opinion leaders said, This will never work. And of course all of them did. (Left to right) ASME Executive Director Thomas Loughlin, keynote presenter Dr. Billy Cohn, ASME President Julio Guerrero and ASME President-Elect K. Keith Roe.Cohn also urged the engineers in the audience not to be afraid to talk about the ideas they have. Everybodys got ideas, and theyre hesitant to share them, he said. Which is tragic, because the most common thing that happens with a great idea is nothing. And so, I encourage you if youve got an idea, go ahead and protect it. Send in a patent so you can share your idea with everybody. Because by socializing ideas, you get new ideas. It cross-pollinates, and cross-fertilizes, and becomes something important. Cohns keynote talk was preceded by the unveiling of ASMEs new State of the Society video, which was introduced by ASME President Julio C. Gue rrero, and the presentation of a video covering the ASME Innovation Showcase (ISHOW), which was introduced by Tom Loughlin. ASME President-Elect K. Keith Roe provided closing remarks for the session.