July 2025

Make way for mid-years 📆

 Believe it or not, it’s time for mid-year employee performance reviews. While some dread these check-ins, they can be helpful on a number of fronts. They provide an opportunity to talk about accomplishments and opportunities as well as a chance to make sure everyone is aligned on the employee’s career path. A couple of tips for managers:

• Encourage employees to come to performance discussions with clear goals. Whether they’re targeting a promotion or prioritizing skill development, being upfront with specific objectives helps you help them. It also makes your job of evaluating their performance simpler.

• Reflect on whether you know your direct report’s long-term goals, or are simply assuming. While 46% of employees want a leadership role, 31% would prefer senior positions without people management responsibilities, and 22% aren’t seeking a promotion at all. If you’re not sure where your report falls on this spectrum, mid-years are a great time to ask.

• If now is not the time to give an employee a promotion they are on track for, consider upskilling, coaching, or other opportunities to show that you and the business are still invested in their progress. It may not be as good as a raise, but these steps can help employees feel valued.   

Can’t stop, won’t stop 😩

Today’s employees are lost in a maze of endless pings, meetings, and email chains. A new report from Microsoft describes an “infinite workday” that starts early, ends late and bleeds into the weekend. A few distracting takeaways:

• The average worker receives 117 emails per workday but spends less than 60 seconds on each.

• Messages sent outside of business hours are up 15% year-over-year, and meetings after 8 p.m. are up 16% year-over-year.

• 57% of meetings are ad hoc, called by someone who didn’t send a calendar invite first.

• Workers are electronically interrupted an average of once every two minutes.

• In the final 10 minutes before a scheduled meeting, PowerPoint edits spike 122%. (We’re not panicking, you’re panicking.)  

• In a separate survey by Robert Half, 33% of U.S. professionals reported feeling burned out at work.

 If you and your team are feeling overwhelmed, it might be time to take a fresh look at time management. Even the most efficient workers can make tweaks to maintain productive, sustainable work habits.

Hard out here for a grad  🎓️

Yes, it’s probably harder for twenty-somethings to get a job now than it was when their parents were young. (We told you, dad!)

• People graduating from college this spring and summer are encountering one of the toughest job markets in years.

• An uncertain business environment and the perception that AI may be able to handle entry-level work, along with the widespread lengthening of hiring cycles ,are all seen as contributing factors.

• Our recommendations to help early career professionals stand out: Connect with a mentor, network as much as possible, stay active on LinkedIn, prioritize real-world experience, and always look for opportunities to learn new skills.

Job market by the numbers 💼

The labor market continued to make modest gains in June. Despite slightly higher job openings, employers still seem to be hiring for their business-critical positions while maintaining a cautious posture amid economic uncertainty.

• U.S. employers added 147,000 jobs in June, surpassing economists' expectations of between 110,000 and140,000.

• The unemployment rate was down slightly to 4.1%.

• CEOs’ optimism about business conditions improved for a third consecutive month.

Could your dress code use a glowup? 💅

Now that we’ve fully arrived in shorts season, let’s take a moment to marvel at the rollercoaster ride that has been acceptable workplace attire over the past 5 years. We’ve gone from suits and ties to business smart to WFH sweatpants to RTO chic. But what makes someone “look professional” has always been subjective, and there have never been more clashing factors than there are today. Here are a few tips for updating your attire expectations to suit the modern workplace:  

• Share the why: Outline the reasons for the dress code, and why it makes for a better workplace.

• Consider your workforce: Generational and cultural differences exist. A dress code that bans sneakers or tattoos may or may not make sense to your team or require some discussion.

• Consider a dress for your day approach: Let your team’s daily agenda guide their outfit choices, showing employees that you aren’t trying to micromanage their attire.

• Be consistent: The point of the process is to avoid a situation where someone feels their appearance is being judged individually.