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Companies ask job applicants for references all the time. Its a way to verify a potential hires history and skills, vet their candidacy, and assess character and cultural fit. So why cant the same thing be done in reversewhere you can ask past employees to assess the company youre applying to? Sure, theres Glassdoor. But short of salty ex-employees publicly dragging old employers on social mediaa relatively uncommon move, considering its deemed unprofessional and may result in legal retaliationthere are no real formalized processes to run references on a company youre applying to. A recent Reddit post presented the argument: Jobs be asking me for 3 references and I think I might start doing the same, it read. Let me talk to three happy employees please. The logic is simple: When booking a restaurant for date night, most double check the reviews for other diners’ experiences before making a reservation. Before pulling the trigger on a big purchase, many will scour the web for recommendations and product reviews, to ensure they are getting a good deal. Why shouldnt the same be available for job seekers? Well, some in the Reddit thread say theyve already put this into practice, in their own ways. When I get an offer, I always ask to come talk to the people who would be my peers/reports (since you usually already talk to the superiors in the interview), one Reddit user commented. Do people not normally do that? Another added: I did that for my last job. Got some actual good feedback and decided not to take it. But as some pointed out, current employees may not be the most helpful barometer. Dont speak to the happy ones, speak to the honest ones, one wrote. Or, perhaps candidates could see a stack of resignations with the reason for leaving highlighted, another suggested. After all, Glassdoor reviews exist for a reason. Currently, this sort of reverse reference check doesnt really exist, probably because of the mountain of potential legal issues around defamation. Companies could take retaliatory action against former employees who speak ill of them. (Besides, even the traditional model of companies asking candidates for references has come under more scrutiny and criticism in recent years.) But potential consequences aside, social media platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn have also become fair game for disgruntled ex-employees to publicly air their grievances. Some have even gone so far to film their exit interviews, published for the world (and potential future employees) to see. With company issues like culture rot, quiet cracking, and toxic workplaces putting off potential hires, the once-hidden realities of workplace culture are now being shared in the open. This shift in transparency could return some of the power to employees. Yet, at the same time, job openings are down, while the number of unemployed professionals are rising. Employees are being encouraged to cling onto jobs, even if they no longer enjoy the work. So those with offers on the table might be tempted to seize any available opportunity with both handsregardless if a reverse reference would produce red flags. For now, the next time you’re applying for a job, ask your hiring manager how many times this specific position has been vacant and filled. If its already cycled through three hires in the past year . . . it might be worth a quick stalk on LinkedIn to check if anyone knows something you dont.
Category:
E-Commerce
Lets be honest: When you first started working from home, your “office” was probably a shaky card table and a chair that had a personal vendetta against your lower back. Maybe youve upgraded, maybe you havent. Either way, were all acutely aware that small irritations add up to big productivity sinks. But you don’t need to drop a grand on an Aeron chair or a 49-inch curved monitor to make your workspace feel like a place where actual, focused work gets done. Sometimes its the little things that punch way above their weight without ransacking your wallet. Here are seven simple, sub-$40 upgrades that can genuinely transform your day. USB-powered mug warmer Average price: $15-$25 You make a perfect cup of coffee, get into a deep-work flow, and a half-hour later, youre looking at a lukewarm puddle. The tried-and-true USB mug warmer solves this existential dread. It’s a simple heating plate that plugs into a spare USB port or wall adapter to keep your coffee, tea, or soup at a respectable temperature, resulting in fewer trips to the microwave and zero excuses for drinking tepid sludge. Cable management kit Average price: $10-$30 Behold, the tangled, dust-bunny-laden horror show lurking behind your monitor. Its an eyesore, a trip hazard, and a terrible first impression for anyone touring your home during dinner parties. A few bucks for a proper cable management kit gets you a slew of adhesive cable clips, Velcro wraps, cord organizers, and more. Take 20 minutes to get your cabling under control. Itll change your life. Adjustable laptop stand Average price: $20-$40 If youre looking down at your screen for eight hours a day, youre (pretty objectively) doing it wrong. An adjustable, folding laptop stand is the cheapest ergonomic win you can buy. It lifts your screen to eye level, which, when paired with an external keyboard, drastically improves your posture. No more hunching. No more Zoom neck. It’s not a fancy standing desk, but it’s the 80-20 rule of home office comfort. Large desk pad Average price: $10-$30 I cant quite explain the appeal of these big desk pads except to say that I love mine way more than I thought I would. It brings a bit of softness and warmth to my cold, hard, pale-colored desk. On a more tangible level, these felt or leather mats give your mouse nearly endless real estate, protect your desk surface from coffee rings and dings, and instantly make your keyboard feel more stable. Visual timer Average price: $10-$30 The Pomodoro Technique is great, but staring at a glowing red box on your computer screen feels . . very work. Ditch the digital distraction for a purely analog tool. A simple, elegant 15- or 30-minute hourglass, or one of those visual timers where a colored disc disappears as time runs out, is surprisingly effective. It gives you a physical, low-tech object to help you observe your focused work blocks: a gentle, visually calming reminder that sometimes its okay to sprint, not run a marathon. Power strip with USB ports Average price: $20-$35 If your current power situation involves an octopus of clumsy wall-warts fighting for space in an ancient, white strip, it’s time to upgrade. Modern power strips come with not only additional outlets but also built-in USB-A and USB-C ports as well. This means your phone, headphones, tablet, and that new mug warmer can all charge without hogging a full-size AC outlet. Fidget toy Price check: $8-$20 Even if youre not a classic fidgeter, hear me out. Endless notifications and a constant bombardment of digital noise can leave you mentally frayed. The goal isnt to stare blankly at a spinning top, but to give your hands something nondestructive to do during those endless Zoom calls. A well-designed fidget toybe it a magnetic sculpture, a satisfying clicky pen, or my personal go-to: giant squeezy block thingycan act as an anchor for your focus. It lets the nervous energy out so the important thoughts can stay in.
Category:
E-Commerce
Back-to-school season is in full swing, and with it comes the excitement of new teachers, new friends, and fresh beginnings. But for millions of children, this time of year also brings reliefbecause for the first time in months, they once again have consistent access to the food they need to concentrate, participate, and succeed. While summer conjures images of vacations and play for many children, it can be a time of increased hunger and skipped meals for families working hard to make ends meet. When schools close, so do their cafeterias, meal programs, and pantries, resulting in more than 20 million kids losing their most reliable source of daily nutrition. And with rising food costs and a worsening job market, parents are finding it harder than ever to put nutritious meals on the table. Of the parents surveyed, more than 1 in 3 said they worried about running out of food this past summer, while 70% said inflation and rising food prices made it harder to afford groceries. And nearly 2 in 3 parents expect food costs to continue rising this year, adding to the stress of already strained budgets. The result is a season that, for too many families, is less about carefree childhood and more about hard choices between food, rent, and gas. Investing in Nutrition Is Investing in the Future The costs of hunger extends far beyond the dinner table, demonstrating that hunger isnt only a moral crisis; its an educational and economic crisis as well. Studies confirm that children experiencing food insecurity are sick more often, hospitalized more frequently, and may face developmental deficiencies that alter the architecture of their brains. They may also struggle to concentrate in classrooms, with 83% of parents surveyed by No Kid Hungry saying their children cant focus when hungry, and 88% reporting that school meals directly improve learning. The costs of a child missing a meal doesnt end with childhood. It is linked to lower academic performance, behavioral challenges, and reduced lifetime earnings. Children who grow up food insecure often enter the workforce with fewer opportunities and greater barriers to success. But the impact doesnt stop there. Childhood hunger reverberates across societycontributing to higher healthcare costs, increased demand for special education services, and diminished economic productivity. In fact, research shows that child hunger costs the U.S. economy $160 billion annually in lost potential and increased public spending. Closing the hunger gap together Hunger isnt a supply problemits a systems problem. With more than enough food in the U.S., hunger is a solvable issue when we all work together, especially through innovative community and business partnerships. People facing hunger have told us that they dont want charity; they want lasting solutions. Increasingly, companies across industries are stepping up, not only through food donations, cash grants, and volunteers, but by using their size and influence to advocate for stronger policies that protect families. In addition, some are launching large-scale programssuch as PepsiCos Food for Goodthat leverage corporate capabilities to source, pack, and deliver millions of cost-effective, nutritious meals each year, demonstrating how business can directly help close the hunger gap. Federal nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Summer EBT, and school meals are among the most effective solutions we have. Every dollar invested generates up to $2 in economic returnincluding healthier kids, better school performance, and stronger earning potential over a lifetime. These programs have already reduced child hunger by 33% and eased stress for working parents, with two-thirds noting school meals lower their familys anxiety. Rolling them back would not just hurt families today, but undercut Americas workforce and economic competitiveness tomorrow. Thats why corporate leadership is essential. When business voices join community leaders in calling for stronger nutrition programsand pair that advocacy with innovation like mobile meal hubs or public-private partnershipsthe impact multiples. The choice is clear: Cutbacks carry devastating costs while investment in child nutrition pays dividends for generations. Without collective action, reductions in nutrition spending will carry devastating costs for years to come. Feeding potential and fueling growth The return on investing in childhood food access is both immediate and generational. Every meal served to a child today protects their health, boosts their learning, and fuels their potential to contribute to tomorrows economy. Eleven-year-old Elijah, who receives free breakfast and lunch at school, put it simply: When Im hungry, I get tired or Ill get distracted. But when Im not, Im on-task and I can focus. With consistent meals, Elijah isnt just able to concentrate, hes thriving in his passion for robotics. If Im full, Im ready for whatever happens, he said. Elijahs story is one of millions. Summer programs that provide meals to children who rely on free or reduced-price meals during the school year are especially critical and have been shown to decrease food insecurity and mitigate summer learning loss. Partnerships are already proving whats possible. Since 2009, PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation have invested over $75 million in Food for Good, expanding access to nutritious meals for children after school, on weekends, and during the summer. Through this investment, Food for Good partners with food banksincluding the Feeding America network, which provided 30 million meals to children last summer. Together, these efforts demonstrate the power of public-private collaboration to reach children at scale, ease family budgets, and build healthier, more resilient communities. Nourishment now is prosperity later Ensuring kids have year-round access to food is one of the smartest investments we can make in human capital. It reduces costs, boosts productivity, and strengthens the workforce. Every nourished child is healthier today and better prepared to become the innovators and leaders who will shape a more prosperous tomorrow.
Category:
E-Commerce
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