New research conducted by a professor at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School found that the artificial intelligence-driven chatbot GPT-3 was able to pass the final test for the school's Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.
Professor Christian Terwiesch, who authored the research paper "Would Chat GPT3 Get a Wharton MBA? A Prediction Based on Its Performance in the Operations Management Course," said that the bot scored between a B- and B on the exam.
The bot's score, Terwiesch wrote, shows its "remarkable ability to automate some of the skills of highly compensated knowledge workers in general and specifically the knowledge workers in the jobs held by MBA graduates including analysts, managers, and consultants."
Hiring managers are utilizing AI software to scan resumes and conduct virtual interviews. We spoke with leading experts in the field to assess the pros and cons of these transformative technologies.
For more on this story, go to NBC News.
- HR consultant Michael Timmes says mental health and burnout are key factors in employee satisfaction.
- He recommends pulse surveys and scaling questions to help work through employee engagement issues.
- Longer term, developing empathetic leadership will help organizations greatly Strengthen morale.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with human-resources consultant Michael Timmes about keeping employees motivated. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I've worked at human-resources consultancy Insperity for more than 12 years. Lately, from colleagues to clients to people at public-speaking events, it seems like everyone wants to talk about how to manage quiet quitting or employees who actively disengage at work.
Here's what I suggested to those people to motivate and re-energize their teams.
Start by getting a pulse on your team's wellbeing
Mental health has become a priority for many employees who were overworked and reached burnout in their jobs and personal lives during the pandemic. I recommend workplaces conduct pulse surveys, or ask a brief set of questions to get a feel for how everyone is doing and whether this has changed over time.
One of the key pieces to these surveys is being transparent about the results. Specifically, leaders need to be open about gaps and take accountability for issues that haven't previously been addressed. If the company isn't able or willing to address an issue raised, management needs to explain their position.
I'm also always suggesting that organizations have regular discussions with employees. Questions you can ask include: How do you feel about your role? How do you feel about your future with the organization? How do you feel about the company?
I'm a big believer in scaling questions. Ask employees to scale from one to 10, where one is not feeling comfortable with what's going on and 10 is feeling extremely comfortable with things today at the organization. If they come back with anything below an eight, ask them how to move one or two points up the scale. Having these conversations in person or on Zoom also allows you to pay attention to body language and respond accordingly.
For employees to open up during surveys and discussions, there needs to be a culture where they feel safe and understood. Managers should encourage employee autonomy and spend time with their teams away from desks, screens, and board rooms through outings, team-building activities, or non-work-related conversations during work hours.
Encourage employees to write personal mission statements
I'm a big advocate of organizations getting employees to write personal mission statements. A personal mission statement defines an employee's values, who they are, and how they define success. It can then help the employee to set goals for their current role and envision their future at the company, while helping them become connected with their "why."
At the same time, an organization can begin to figure out how they can connect the employees' mission and values with what's going on within the organization, which creates a sense of fulfillment and purpose for the employee. When employees feel they have a clear purpose at work and believe their leaders set clear directions and expectations, companies' bottom lines benefit, too.
In one case I worked with, incorporating personal mission statements into the hiring process helped the recruitment team find candidates who were aligned with company values and fully committed to their roles.
Reset expectations
One latest quiet-quitting case I was working on — where there was fault on both sides — required management to reset expectations.
The manager sat down with the employee and went over their job description, highlighting the responsibilities they were excelling at and the ones they were falling short on. Then, they discussed why that was the case, and the employee said they didn't understand why active engagement in group activities was part of their role. By outlining the impact of that responsibility on the company and its clients, the employee was better motivated to be more involved.
In this case, it took around six months for things to turn around, which is a reasonable time frame. Employers might think that's too long to invest in this situation, but for long-term employees, you need to consider the employee's legacy and institutional knowledge.
Learn to step back and lead with empathy
One thing all leaders can get better at is stopping themselves from immediately reacting. It's better to take that pause and look at an issue critically before responding.
Say an employee wants to take a day off near a deadline. Instead of reacting badly, we should be asking, "What can I do in the moment to be there as support and to check in with the individual to see if there's something truly going on?"
Taking an empathetic approach allows you to build trust. Once you build trust, people are going to be more transparent with you moving forward. It's not something that you're either born with or you're not — emotional intelligence is a muscle that can be developed.
One empathy exercise I recommend is addressing interpretation and assumptions. We brainstorm five alternative ways to look at a situation because people sometimes look at a situation from only one perspective.
Developing empathy also requires getting out of your comfort zone. Exercises like community service, active listening, and meditations can help.
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 6, 2023 / SAI and HAP are now accepting applications for the Social Accountability Consultant Registry. The Consultant Registry aims to bring new transparency and professionalism to social compliance consulting and capacity building activities. Webinars introducing the platform are scheduled for February 13 and February 14, 2023. Learn more about the application process and requirements.
Consultants and trainers can play an important role in helping companies address social performance risks and improving outcomes for workers, complementary to, but distinct from the role of auditors, brands, NGOs, worker groups, and unions. They often help companies navigate and apply social standards and requirements, but skilled professionals can help companies go beyond auditing to embed changes in daily operations by securing leadership buy-in and ownership of labor improvements, fostering worker engagement and participation, and guiding companies to internalize these and other positive changes in their organizational culture.
These services have great potential to Strengthen social performance, but without structures for quality control, professional development, and transparency, there is potential for abuse. SAI sees investment in responsible and skilled social performance consulting as a critical component of advancing human rights in workplaces globally. The teams at HAP also see great potential in this approach; they are working with industry leaders across sectors to use technology for more oversight and confidence in local consultant networks that support social performance standards.
The Social Accountability Consultant Registry will elevate and recognize consultants who demonstrate a baseline level of relevant training and experience and who look beyond simple compliance, applying a management systems and capacity building approach that integrates worker voice.
To become recognized on the public registry, consultants also must agree to a Code of Conduct based on best practices and standards for management system consulting. The Consultant Registry will benefit experienced social accountability consultants by giving them greater visibility and recognition, but it is a valuable tool for many stakeholders, including:
- Companies seeking to Strengthen their social compliance or achieve social certifications;
- Brands and retailers seeking reliable service providers to Strengthen compliance across their supply chains;
- Standard-setting organizations concerned about proliferation of unqualified and sometimes unscrupulous social compliance consultants; and
- Workers, who have a right to have their voices heard when it comes to their safety and wellbeing at work.
Through the Consultant Registry, these and other stakeholders will be able to view a list of consultants with professionally Tested experience and training to help companies achieve long-term social improvements. The application and training requirements are based on best practices in social performance management systems from the widely recognized SA8000 Standard.
These can be broadly applied to achieve compliance with most other social standards and codes.
Any consultant or trainer offering services related to social compliance, accountability, or similar subjects can now apply online for recognition in the Consultant Registry. The application asks for evidence of training, credentials, experience, general knowledge related to social accountability capacity building, and agreement to a code of conduct. The experts at HAP then review the applications to verify the information provided and add approved applicants to the public list. To achieve full registration, consultants will be required to complete a specialized consultant training course within two years.
For questions, please contact consultantregistry@sa-intl.org.
View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Social Accountability International (SAI) on 3blmedia.com.
Contact Info:
Spokesperson: Social Accountability International (SAI)
Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/social-accountability-international-sai
Email: info@3blmedia.com
SOURCE: Social Accountability International (SAI)
View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/738192/Social-Accountability-Consultant-Registry-Now-Open-for-Applications
Santa Barbara residents want more trees and greenery along State Street, additional places for art and performances, more diverse seating areas, some food and coffee kiosks, and places for “street play.”
That’s according to a consultant and a Santa Barbara city planner, who both painted a rosy picture of the plan to overhaul State Street during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Santa Barbara hired an $800,000 consultant to help create a State Street Master Plan, and so far the work has focused on a website, workshops and community surveys.
The goal of the master plan is to create a vision for the street for the next 20 to 30 years and to “transform the right of way into a lively urban place that reflects our community’s values and is safe and vibrant.”
“I think it is a great success,” said Tess Harris, the State Street master planner.
Perhaps the most significant finding was that 79% of 4,000 people who responded to a survey said “no to cars” on State Street.
“The most clear direction or trend we are hearing from the community is to keep State Street closed to cars,” said Matt Shawaker, a consultant with MIG, the firm the city hired to help with the master plan.
He called the percentage of people who want the street closed to cars “astounding.”
City planners closed about 10 blocks of State Street to vehicles shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, and it has remained closed since.
The city’s team and the public speakers gushed about the level of community engagement.
“I have been involved for over 45 years. This is in the top 1% of community engagement, absolutely off the scale, beyond my community expectations,” said Dave Davis, chairman of the State Street Master Plan Committee.
Davis has advocated for taking a slow approach to the master plan in order to create something meaningful that will last for decades. As it stands now, the master plan effort is expected to last through 2024.
Davis said the council should not concern itself with the issues of the day or get stuck in the past, but think about what works for the future.
“When you are looking at long-term visioning, you got to get beyond today,” Davis said. “Start thinking about what we can do for the next 20, 30 and 40 years.”
Davis also left the council with some alliterative comments, saying the new State Street should be “flat, flexible and fun.”
“Flat, meaning basically curbless. Flexible — there are so many things that are going to change in the future, we need to be able to be totally flexible. And if it’s fun, it will succeed,” Davis said.
The council took no action on the issue, but some members offered their thoughts on the progress.
“It’s one of the few things that community members have been able to maintain focus on and continue engagement on, and to me that just shows we are absolutely on the right track,” Councilwoman Meagan Harmon said.
Councilwoman Alejandra Gutierrez said the residents of her district appreciated that the city reached out to them to participate in the survey.
“They felt like they were actually seen,” Gutierrez said.
The councilwoman, who represents the Eastside, said her residents told her that the city usually makes decisions for the businesses or the tourists. She said the residents told her that it felt nice that the city cared enough to ask them what they thought of the experience of going downtown.
“I am just really impressed,” Gutierrez said. “Thank you so much for your hard work.”
New program enables students and early career professionals to learn critical skills required in today's entry-level cybersecurity field, helping address urgent cyber workforce jobs gap
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. and LANHAM, Md., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council), a developer of world-class cybersecurity education programs and certifications, today announced that it has partnered with edX, a leading global online learning platform from 2U, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWOU), and committed to expanding access to vital cybersecurity education programs. EC-Council's Essentials Series is the first cybersecurity Professional Certificate of its kind to be offered on edX and includes three foundational industry certification credentials. The beginner level series is designed for learners aspiring to pursue a career in cybersecurity.
"The Essentials Series is purpose-built to help educate up-and-coming cybersecurity professionals and enable them to begin their careers," said Bill Kiriakis, Senior Vice President and Head of North America at EC-Council. "edX is a leader in online learning, bringing courses and certifications to over 46 million learners worldwide. With this new offering, edX and EC-Council can directly help address the global shortage of cybersecurity workers."
EC-Council's Essentials Series includes three individual courses covering network defense, ethical hacking, and digital forensics and costs $447 USD for the full lab range and certification bundles. The series helps students and early career professionals learn employable skills required in today's entry-level cybersecurity field, educating students in a range of techniques and tactics across industry verticals, such as securing networks, mitigating cyber risks, conducting forensic investigations, ethical hacking, attack vectors, and more.
Cybersecurity continues to be one of the most in-demand professions. According to industry sources, there are now close to 4 million open cyber jobs worldwide and half a million open positions in the US. The industry is struggling to find and retain talent, partially due to access to training and certification programs.
"edX's professional certificate programs are designed to enhance the critical skills needed to succeed in today's most in-demand fields. They drive true career impact in an accessible and affordable way," said Andrew Hermalyn, president of partnerships at edX. "The addition of EC-Council's cybersecurity Essentials Series on edX gives learners the opportunity to earn a valuable credential from a world-class cybersecurity organization."
For more information on EC-Council's programs on edX, visit edx.org/school/ec-council.
About EC-Council
The sole mission of EC-Council is to advance the state of the cybersecurity profession on a global scale. Helping organizations, educators, governments, and individuals address global workforce problems is at the heart of the company's mission. To this end, it is developing and curating world-class cybersecurity education programs and certifications. It is also providing cybersecurity services to some of the largest businesses all over the world. More than 2,000 best universities, colleges, and training companies put their faith in EC-Council. This includes seven Fortune 10 companies, 47 Fortune 100 companies, the Department of Defense, global intelligence communities, and NATO. The standards for cybersecurity education are set by EC-Council programs, which have now been implemented in more than 140 countries worldwide. To acquire additional knowledge, please go to https://www.eccouncil.org/.
About edX
edX is the global online learning platform that exists to help learners everywhere unlock their potential. edX was founded by Harvard and MIT in 2012 to make the world's best education available to everyone. Today, as a 2U, Inc. company (Nasdaq: TWOU), edX connects over 46 million ambitious learners with the skills, knowledge, and support to achieve their goals. Together with the world's leading universities and companies, edX offers thousands of free and open courses, professional certificates, boot camps, credit-bearing micro credentials, and undergraduate and graduate degrees. Discover purpose-built online programs in technology, business, healthcare, science, education, social work, sustainability, and more at edX.org.
Media Contacts:
2U/edX: media@2u.com
EC-Council:
Danielle Ostrovsky
Hi-Touch PR
410-302-9459
Ostrovsky@Hi-TouchPR.com
View original content to obtain multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/international-council-of-e-commerce-consultants-launches-cybersecurity-essentials-professional-certificate-program-on-edx-301725443.html
SOURCE 2U, Inc.; EC-Council
Launched in 1996, Modicare Limited is the pioneer of direct selling in India. Driven by the company's powerful vision of Azadi for all, Modicare has been empowering millions of Indians to realise their dreams. The brand has always been committed to providing world-class products to its consultants and making a difference in their lives. Jashn-e-Azadi with Samir Kumaar Modi is a grand celebration of the achievements of the Modicare family and the phenomenal success attained by the brand and its consultants.
Gujarat has emerged as one of the top 10 performing states in the country and has witnessed an exponential growth of 35 per cent in sales over the past year. Backed by a consultant base of 6 lakhs and a strong product portfolio, the brand has clocked rapid strides of growth in the state with a presence of 800+ distribution centres. In line with these developments, Gujarat continues to show a strong growth trajectory and remains a significant growth hub for the organisation.
Samir Kumaar Modi, Founder and Managing Director, Modicare Limited said, "Ever since we started our journey, Modicare has been steadfast in its commitment to helping people achieve their dreams. As a brand, we have always been at the forefront of the direct selling revolution in India and with our Azadi movement, we have touched the lives of millions of Indians. Gujarat is one of our biggest success stories and it is the commitment & dedication of our consultants that has helped to grow by 35 per cent in the state. Going forward, we intend to strengthen our penetration in the Saurashtra region."
He further added, "Jashn-e-Azadi is all about coming together as a family to recognise and celebrate the success of our consultants."
The brand has a robust portfolio of 365+ international quality products across 13 categories, with Nutrition, Health & Wellness, Personal Care and Food & Beverages being the top-performing categories. The company is driven by the philosophy of offering products from dawn to dusk with a 100 per cent satisfaction guarantee.
With a mission to meet the nutritional requirements, Strengthen dietary practices and lifestyle habits of consumers, Modicare Limited has taken a step ahead in strengthening and expanding the portfolio of its Nutrition, Health & Wellness brand 'Well' with Well Sports and Well Gummies. The products in the Well Sports range enables consumers to become a fitter and better version of themselves. Whereas the Well Gummies range is geared to provide a fun twist to nutrition for people who are always on the go. Prior to this launch, Modicare Limited had also launched a range of 'Sci-Vedic' products that are an amalgamation of the best of Ayurveda and Science.
The brand is slated to maintain its robust commitment to offer world-class products to its consultants with launches under the Nutrition, Health & Wellness category with Well Lean and its Color Cosmetics brand Urban Color London, among others.
Modicare is one of India's leading Direct Selling Companies and the pioneer of Direct Selling industry in India. Modicare has also been ranked 5th among India's 75 Great Mid-size Workplaces 2022 by Great Place to Work Institute for third consecutive year. Great Place to Work Institute has also recognised Modicare as one of the top companies among 100 Best Small & Medium Workplaces in Asia for two consecutive years, 2021 and 2022 and among India's Best Workplaces for Women for three consecutive years, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Furthermore, Modicare has also been identified among the Best Workplaces in the FMCG industry for two consecutive years, 2020 and 2021.
Today, the company has over 53 Lakh Direct Sellers and 2,00,000 new Direct Sellers are joining each month. Modicare offers over 365+ products, 750+ SKUs across 14 categories - Personal Care, Wellness, Consumer Durables, Skin Care, Colour Cosmetics, Food & Beverage, Homecare, Auto Care, Laundry Care, Technology, Jewellery, Watches, Divine, and Agriculture. It has a national presence through its 14000+ Distribution Points and 55 Modicare Centres.
For more information, visit www.modicare.com.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OfficialModicare.India/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialmodicare.india/
This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
"The Essentials Series is purpose-built to help educate up-and-coming cybersecurity professionals and enable them to begin their careers," said Bill Kiriakis, Senior Vice President and Head of North America at EC-Council. "edX is a leader in online learning, bringing courses and certifications to over 46 million learners worldwide. With this new offering, edX and EC-Council can directly help address the global shortage of cybersecurity workers."
EC-Council's Essentials Series includes three individual courses covering network defense, ethical hacking, and digital forensics and costs $447 USDfor the full lab range and certification bundles. The series helps students and early career professionals learn employable skills required in today's entry-level cybersecurity field, educating students in a range of techniques and tactics across industry verticals, such as securing networks, mitigating cyber risks, conducting forensic investigations, ethical hacking, attack vectors, and more.
Cybersecurity continues to be one of the most in-demand professions. According to industry sources, there are now close to 4 million open cyber jobs worldwide and half a million open positions in the US. The industry is struggling to find and retain talent, partially due to access to training and certification programs.
"edX's professional certificate programs are designed to enhance the critical skills needed to succeed in today's most in-demand fields. They drive true career impact in an accessible and affordable way," said Andrew Hermalyn, president of partnerships at edX. "The addition of EC-Council's cybersecurity Essentials Series on edX gives learners the opportunity to earn a valuable credential from a world-class cybersecurity organization."
For more information on EC-Council's programs on edX, visit edx.org/school/ec-council.
About EC-CouncilThe sole mission of EC-Council is to advance the state of the cybersecurity profession on a global scale. Helping organizations, educators, governments, and individuals address global workforce problems is at the heart of the company's mission. To this end, it is developing and curating world-class cybersecurity education programs and certifications. It is also providing cybersecurity services to some of the largest businesses all over the world. More than 2,000 best universities, colleges, and training companies put their faith in EC-Council. This includes seven Fortune 10 companies, 47 Fortune 100 companies, the Department of Defense, global intelligence communities, and NATO. The standards for cybersecurity education are set by EC-Council programs, which have now been implemented in more than 140 countries worldwide. To acquire additional knowledge, please go to https://www.eccouncil.org/.
About edXedX is the global online learning platform that exists to help learners everywhere unlock their potential. edX was founded by Harvard and MIT in 2012 to make the world's best education available to everyone. Today, as a 2U, Inc. company (Nasdaq: TWOU), edX connects over 46 million ambitious learners with the skills, knowledge, and support to achieve their goals. Together with the world's leading universities and companies, edX offers thousands of free and open courses, professional certificates, boot camps, credit-bearing micro credentials, and undergraduate and graduate degrees. Discover purpose-built online programs in technology, business, healthcare, science, education, social work, sustainability, and more at edX.org.
