Workplace Trends for 2025: Attracting Employees, Providing Excellent Employee Experiences, and More | AllBusiness.com

January 20, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Last year, we noted a “ workplace revolution” was probably on the way. While 2024 experienced much of that revolution, the culmination will likely be in 2025. AI has already had a significant impact in the workplace, and more change will surely come.

The demand that American workers return to the office continues despite technological advancements that make working from home more secure and easier than ever. America’s employees are not happy. Gallup calls the current “shift” workers are experiencing the “ Great Detachment.” According to Gallup, “For employers, this means that while turnover numbers may have slowed, employee productivity concerns and future talent loss are hidden organizational risks.” And it adds that when employees feel detached from their jobs, they are indifferent or resistant to workplace change.

I spoke to human resources and workplace experts for this article to find out how small businesses can continue to win the workplace revolution.

Workplace and Hiring Predictions for 2025

The 4 Best Ways to Boost Customer Retention | All Business

January 20, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

We’ve all been in situations where we’ve felt like we were “taking two steps forward and one step back.” That’s exactly what’s happening when you work hard to optimize your advertising and marketing programs, but then realize your customer lifetime value isn’t what it should be.

Your hope is that your great product or service will create loyalty and devotion. While this is sometimes the case, the truth is that it’s not always an effective strategy. If you don’t focus on your customers and make them feel valued, they’ll eventually leave—and the cost is high. According to Bain & Company, attracting a new customer costs your business six to seven times more than retaining an existing one. You need to do what you can to continuously earn your customers’ loyalty—never underestimate the value of retention. Here are four keys to achieving the level of customer retention you need to boost your top line:

What Companies Succeeding with AI Do Differently | HBR

January 16, 2025January 14, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Three years ago, when we asked companies how they were using artificial intelligence in their operations, the highest-performing companies (the leaders), stood out in five areas: governance, deployment, partnerships, people, and data availability. Since then, generative AI (gen AI) has burst on the scene. So, in late 2023, we followed up, surveying more than 100 companies in sectors from automotive to mining and conducting in-depth interviews with senior executives.

We saw three notable developments. First, the gap between the leaders and the rest has widened. The leaders — defined as the top 25% of respondents — now see performance levels 3.8x that of the bottom half of companies, up from 2.7x in 2021. One reason for this is that as leaders build differentiated capabilities, these have a compounding effect over time, widening the performance advantage.

Ways to Navigate the Gen Z Workplace | Business

January 15, 2025January 14, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It seems like yesterday that millennials were flooding into the workplace, but we’ve already moved on to the next wave: Generation Z. Members of Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, currently make up 18 percent of the workforce, but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that they will account for one-third of all workers by the end of the decade. Like the generation before them, Generation Zers have their own workplace tastes, preferences and perspectives that are already affecting workspaces across the U.S.

Preparing your business for the entry of Gen Z workers means understanding their perspectives and expectations and then taking action to adapt your workplace accordingly. While Gen Zers’ needs are shaped by the unique experiences of their formative years — most notably, the pandemic — the changes they bring to the workplace will surely benefit your business as a whole. Let’s take an in-depth look at Gen Z workers and how to prepare your workplace for them.

I bought a dumb phone for my grandma, but ended up using it myself | Digital Trends

January 14, 2025January 13, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

My grandma is 87 years old, and it goes without saying that she has a hard time around technology. So, when the battery inside her 10-year-old Nokia 110 breathed its last breath recently, I, as the IT guy of the family, decided to get her yet another feature phone instead of a smartphone. Except this time, I decided to go with slightly more advanced features than the last one. After weighing a few options, I chose a feature phone from a lesser-known brand, but one with promising specs, a guarantee of a secure build, and, above all, Wi-Fi.

However, when the phone arrived, I was so thoroughly impressed with the aspects beyond the ones I mentioned above that I ended up snagging that one and made my Nan wait for the second one to arrive. The phone in question is the Blackview N1000, and there are plenty of reasons why you, a most likely non-elderly adult, might be intrigued by this rather unusual phone, just like I was.

Effective SEO Strategies for Today’s Digital Landscape | The Startup Magazine

January 13, 2025January 12, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Key Takeaways

An overview of essential SEO strategies and their impact.
Practical tips for implementing these strategies.
Insights into current trends and future predictions.

In today’s fast-paced digital environment, understanding and implementing effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategies is crucial for businesses looking to reach on search engines successfully. SEO is no longer just a toolkit of techniques; it’s an evolving landscape that demands attentiveness to trends, user behaviors, and technological advancements. As search engines become more competent, so must the strategies deployed to ensure content stands out and garners the attention it deserves in the crowded digital space.

Investing in Real Estate: Is It Right for You? Pros and Cons to Consider | The Startup Magazine

January 13, 2025January 12, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Real estate has long been a favorite investment strategy for building wealth. With the potential for both short-term gains and long-term appreciation, property investment can provide financial rewards. However, like any other investment, it comes with risks and challenges. When considering adding real estate to your investment portfolio, it is important to weigh the pros and cons carefully and determine which move is right for you.

We will examine some of real estate investment’s key advantages and disadvantages, including potential risks and rewards. Ultimately, you will better understand how property investment aligns with your financial goals and risk tolerance.

Google Daily Listen Generates a Personalized News Podcast | Entrepreneur

January 9, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google wants you to press play on an AI-created podcast instead of scrolling for your daily news.

The tech giant can now take what it knows of your interests through your Search and Discover histories and create a 5-minute podcast tailored just for you that summarizes news stories of the day that you might be interested in.

Google began testing the personalized, AI-created podcasts, called “Daily Listen,” through Search Labs, the program that allows users to experience early-stage experiments, reports 9to5Google. The new experiment began rolling out on Wednesday to Android and iOS users in the U.S.

Highest-Paying Jobs for Associate Degree Holders: Report | Entrepreneur

January 9, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A new report by the online career resources platform Resume Genius found that now is a great time to hold an associate’s degree (or begin the path to get one).

The median salary for an associate degree holder ($62,180) is higher than the U.S. median salary ($48,060) and career opportunities for associate degree holders, or those with a two-year degree, are expected to grow by 6.3% over the next 10 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Using the most recent BLS data, Resume Genius compiled a list, the 2025 High-Pay Associate Degree Jobs Report, that showcases the 10 highest-paying jobs that ask for an associate degree.

Skylight Calendar Review: Is it worth it? | Mashable

January 8, 2025January 7, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The Skylight Calendar was one of the hottest gifts of the year, and for good reason. If you’re determined to stay more organized in 2025, the Skylight Calendar is a practical (and fun) way to keep track of your calendar, to-do list, grocery list, and chores.

Yes, you could get an Echo Show device, but if you’re not an Amazon Echo household, you might not need all the features that come with an Echo Show. Think of the Skylight Calendar as the Kindle of digital home displays: It gives you everything you need, and nothing extra. There’s no access to browsers, no additional apps, and no smart home control. It’s just a straightforward digital calendar that syncs up with your existing Google, iCloud, Microsoft, Yahoo, or Cozi calendars and gives you organizational tools to stay on top of all your to-do lists.