Language in letters of recommendation can hold women back

Language in letters of recommendation can hold women backLanguage in letters of recommendation can hold women backWhen a job application asks for a letter of recommendation, the expectation is that your letter writer will sing your praises. But a recent study published in the Journal of Business and Psychologyfound that these letters are not always positive and can actually hold applicants back if they are women.When researchers from Rice University,Hunter College and CUNY Graduate Center, and the University of Houston analyzed 624 actual letters of recommendations for 174 men and women applying for eight assistant professor positions, they found that letters written for women were more likely to have doubt raisers that questioned an applicants aptitude for the job.How doubt raisers raise red flags on female job applicantsThe doubt raisers came in many shades. The most obvious was negativity, or an overt weakness of the applicant, that the recommender directly pointed out in red flag s like does not have much teaching experience or a look at applicants publication record will show that she has not published a huge amount.Then came the more insidious forms of doubt like hedging where the author admitted uncertainty about a candidate, or the backhanded compliments of faint praise. As one tepid compliment for a female applicant stated She is unlikely to become a superstar, but she is very solid.Regardless of who women picked to be their all-star reference, their letters were more likely to put them at a disadvantage because of these doubt raisers. Both male and female recommenders were using more negativity, hedging, and faint praise in letters of recommendations for women compared to the letters written for men.We are able to pick up on this doubt and respond to it.When the researchers got about 300 university professors to satz letters of recommendation, they found that negativity and hedging caused professors to rate an applicant more harshly on their research s kills than otherwise identical applicants.Its a reminder of how bias can creep into language with even well-intentioned efforts and can still cause lasting harm to careers. We know that letters of recommendation are supposed to be heaped with praise when a letter lacks this level of enthusiasm, we notice it.Letters of recommendation are usually so positively skewed to begin with that a doubt-raiser can stand out in a sea of positivity, Mikki Hebl, one of the authors of the study, said. Also, recommendations are made all the time, even if theyre not in letter form. Its so important to think about the ways language reflects subtle biases, as these spoken subtleties also may add up over time to create disparities.For female job applicants, fighting bias means carefully picking and coaching your chosen reference to make sure how you see yourself aligns with how your reference sees you.But ultimately, it takes a group effort to root out bias in hiring. For institutions in academia, stopp ing subtle bias means raising awareness of how it happens into the selection process. The researchers found that when writers were asked to explain their ratings, they showed less gender bias against applicants.

Managing Continuous Change

Managing Continuous Change Managing Continuous Change Its been mora than 20 years since the human side of organizational change became the hottest topic in management training circles. Its still the top organizational challenge today.Why is organizational flexibility still keeping CEOs up at night when theyd rather be worrying about revenue growth?The answer is that change has, wellchanged.The corporate world has gotten better at coping with incremental changes and even the occasional large-scale transformation. But change is different todayits more like a flood of continuous, overlapping and accelerating transitions that have turned many organizations upside down. Managing people through that kind of change requires all the communication and leadership strategies we learned in the past and then some.Most people and processes are set up for continuity, not chaos. The shift from a change to constant change has upset the status quo we are by nature inclined to defend.The pace of change is intense, and it shows no sign of abating any time soon. With that in mind, here are some suggestions for managing people through continuous change.Realize that resistance to change is inevitableand highly emotional.Weve all seen this in action, but do we all know the cause? Its a very real result of our neurological make-up. The part of our brain that processes change also is connected to the fear circuitry that controls our fight-or-flight response. Each of us is wired for the psychological disorientation and pain that can manifest in anxiety, fear, depression, sadness, fatigue, or anger. Being aware of and responsive to the emotional component of change is now a prerequisite for effective leadership. This task is extra tricky in todays climate of constant change, when employees emotions are often dealing with multiple transitions at once.Give people a stabilizing foundation.In a constantly changing organization, a leader can help employees embrace instability as positive by cl early and passionately articulating what the organization is trying to achieve. Create stability by emphasizing your corporate identity and collective focus of purpose, and by keeping your companys history, present activities, and vision for the future fresh and clear in everyones mind.Help your staff/team/department understand that change really is the only constant.Never let people assume that once any single change is completed, the organization will solidify into a new form. Instead, help them understand that even as we adjust to a change, we should be getting ready for the next one.Champion information access and knowledge sharing.Transparency can be a powerful catalyst for change. Even by sharing simple data that is already widely known in the company, you can demonstrate a willingness to share, to listen and to encourage conversation.Encourage employees to mingle.Relationships and collaboration are increasingly vital in change management. Employee social networks based on mut ual trust, shared work experiences, and common physical and virtual spaces can enhance your peoples change-readiness and creativity. Do whatever you can to nurture these mutually rewarding, complex, and shifting relationships.Give up the illusion of control.No one likes change that is mandated, but most of us react favorably to a change we help create. Executives who expect organizational flexibility should loosen their grip in order to align the energies and talents of their organizations around change initiatives. As above, transparent communication with all levels of employees is critical if you want employees to understand the economic realities of the business, the real driving forces behind change, and how their actions impact the success of change initiativesThis article is reprinted from the website of the American Management Association at www.amanet.org.Most people and processes are set up for continuity, not chaos.

How to Land a Hot Job in 2014

How to Land a Hot Job in 2014How to Land a Hot Job in 2014Hiring is predicted to improve in 2014, so what fonts of jobs should you anticipate seeing? According to recent findings by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists Intl., there are 12 hot jobs to watch out for next year, and theyre careers that pay well. The list is based on jobs that require a bachelors degree, have grown more than 7 percent over the last three years, are projected to grow in 2014 and fruchtwein importantly, theyre jobs that pay $22 an hour or more.Unfortunately, employers are still crying that they cant find the talent they need. In fact, Matt Ferguson, CEO at CareerBuilder, says 45 percent of human resources managers report they have open positions they cant fill.It isnt just a skills shortage, its also a positioning gap. As you evaluate these growing careers, also note what you can do to prove you are a good fit. The best way to do this is to provide proof that your skills and experience translate into solving problems for employers.Help a company grab the first to market seat. It is a competitive economy and companies are attempting to get their products and services to market first. If you have software development expertise, this is your chance to solve challenges for employers. Promote your technical skills but dont forget to highlight the results of your work for previous employers. Potential employers would love to hear how you contributed to a product that increased market share or hit the market first.Zero in on Big Data for market preferences. Market research analysts or marketing specialists also contribute to new product development. These careers are highly analytical and help weed through loads of information being gathered about customers, potential customers and many other data points. To stand out, sell the type of data you analyzed and tools youve used. Also be sure to include how your analysis skills has translated into new product ideas or penetrated new ma rkets.Develop solutions to fill the skills gap. Training and development now play critical roles for employers who need to build specific skills among their employees. Historically, this function was viewed as a nice-to-have versus a necessity, but because employers find it difficult to hire exactly the right talent match, training employees is a worthwhile investment. To stand out, showcase curriculum topics, training platforms used, cost savings and measured outcomes from the training you created and/or delivered.Coordinate events with flair. Meeting, convention and event planners are also projected to be in demand. Take advantage of your experience pulling together logistical details, numbers of event attendees and customer satisfaction measurements. Your ability to promote yourself can be viewed as an asset in a career that relies heavily on creative marketing strategies as well as specific project management skills.Get it there on time. In the global, need-it-now economy, logis ticians become the key to making things happen. Experience and skills in coordinating the flow of materials and products, managing resources and developing positive business relationships with customers can help you secure a position in this fast-moving career. Include success stories of how you saved money, decreased delivery times, minimized inventory or any other cost savings to catch employers attention.Go high-tech or stay home. Careers in technology continue to be in-demand. Database administrators, Web developers and information security analysts all require specific skills and experience using technology to succeed. You may find that many of these positions are based on a specific contract period, but dont shun them. Independent contracting is a growing trend in our just-in-time workplace and popular among startups and small companies with limited financial resources. Showcase your commitment to team work and your ability to develop interpersonal relationships to stand out i n this career field.Money matters. Financial analyst jobs are still growing, and they arent just available on Wall Street. This career option offers numerous specialties, such as investment banking, insurance companies and banks. Even corporate finance departments offer similar opportunities to evaluate investments. Keep current on the vast quantities of financial products and understand geographic trends. When pursuing these positions, be sure you mention the impact your analysis had on the organizations investments or direction.Leverage your specialties. If you are a petroleum engineer, interpreter or physical therapist, the news is good for you as well. Finding these very specialized careers, which also made the list, may require searching on niche job board. If these are your career preferences, show flexibility in your preferred work drehort to increase your chances of securing a job.Take a new spin. It isnt enough to have the requisite skills and experience. Your role as a job seeker is to explain how you have solved relevant problems. Youll need to connect the dots between your skills and successes with the needs of the employer so they can see your value.Hannah Morgan is a speaker and author providing no-nonsense career advice she guides job seekers and helps them navigate todays treacherous job search terrain. Hannah shares information about the latest trends, such as reputation management, social networking strategies, and other effective search techniques on her blog, Career Sherpa.