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Todays job market is more ruthless than ever, leaving many desperately clinging to their roles amid mass layoffs and side-eyeing the competition. In such environments, a rival colleague or workplace nemesis may make themselves known. Watching a smug colleague get called out for a mistake in a meeting or blundering a promotion is often deeply satisfying (even if we may not admit it). Many know the German name for this impulse, schadenfreude: pleasure derived by anothers misfortune. But another, more work-related term that has emerged recently is fail watching: a coping strategy born from todays challenging job market as a way to make us feel better about our own position. Research has shown that seeing others fail can give us a self-affirming boost. Those with low self-esteem are more likely to be threatened by overachievers (and to enjoy watching them fall flat on their face). These reactions are simply human nature. Yet there are nuances to reveling in others’ misfortunes: from a fleeting, vindictive thought to public gloating or workplace bullying. This phenomenon is a symptom of a lack of trust within the team, with employees waiting with bated breath for someone to mess up, Peter Duris, CEO of Kickresume, tells Fast Company. Youre much less likely to see it in a healthy workplace where everyone feels supported. Fail watching is far likelier to occur in workplaces that dont recognize and reward their employees’ contributions. At present, only 30% of U.S employees feel that someone at work encourages their development, down from 36% in March 2020, one 2025 Gallup survey found. Duris also links fail watching to Gen Z employees due to the immense pressure younger workers are facing from all angles. Many have had to really fight to get their foot in the door, he says. In the current hiring slump, applicants submitting a résumé today have just a 0.4% chance of actually landing the job, according to Business Insider. Fresh graduates are being hit hardest, with global entry-level job postings falling 29% since January 2024, according to World Economic Forum data. The competition doesnt stop there. Researchers from Zurich University found that highly competitive working environments foster the perfect conditions for emergence and development of schadenfreude. Its understandable to feel somewhat reassured if someone else is finding things tough at work when you are too. But theres a big difference between this and praying for someones downfall. If you notice someone struggling, the best way to respond is to offer help if you can, or just be kind and supportive. If another colleague tries to gossip with you about a coworkers recent failure, change the subjector at least save it for outside of work hours. As the age-old adage goes: If you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything at all.
Category:
E-Commerce
Lately, at every networking event or leadership roundtable, Im hearing the same things on repeat. CEOs are focused on growth in an uncertain context. HR leaders are worried about retention and employee burnout. Managers are trying to figure out how to build connection in hybrid workplaces that feel more transactional by the day. Everyone is chasing new strategies for engagement, inclusion, and belongingyet most are overlooking one of the simplest, most powerful tools we all have: mentorship. In an age where technology evolves faster than people can keep up, mentorship is the real accelerator. Its how knowledge sticks, how culture travels, and how innovation spreads. The companies that will win the next decade arent just the ones adopting AItheyre the ones teaching their people how to keep learning, growing, and lifting the next generation of leaders as they climb. The reality is that the workforce is changing in ways that we have never experienced before. Innovations have shifted the way we operate. Roles and responsibilities have changed. And in August, U.S. unemployment rose again, all while the number of new entrants getting jobs decreased by almost 200,000 (compared to the previous month). Were watching a generational disconnect unfold in real time. The Harris Poll found that nearly half (45%) of Gen Z job seekers feel AI has made their college education irrelevant, and over half (51%) viewed their degrees as a “waste of money.” This is a striking signal that the promise of education no longer feels aligned with the realities of todays workplace. This isnt just about the cost of collegeits about the gap between whats taught in classrooms and whats needed to thrive beyond them. Employers see the same cracks: Theyre struggling to find qualified candidates even as millions of capable young people are eagerbut unsure howto start. I talk to a lot of peoplenonprofit professionals, business leaders, researchers, and parents of young adults like myself. But its often the conversations directly with young people that reveal the challenge, and the solution, most clearly. Take Josue. He graduated from college this spring and possesses a sharp wit, a creative mind, and a dream of working in the legal field. But like so many first-generation and lower-income students, he was weighing that dream against financial reality. Was law school even an option? Through a network of mentors, Josue connected with a seasoned legal professional who opened his eyes to career paths he didnt even know existed, roles in the legal field that didnt require a law degree. In just a few conversations, that mentor helped him explore options, prepare applications, and gain the confidence to take the next step. Josue is currently working at a law firm, in a job that he loves. This simple act of mentorship provided career exposure and set Josue on a new trajectory in life. But thats not the reality for all young people navigating the workforce today. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, in partnership with the Harris Poll, surveyed 1,000 Gen Z youth from across the country and found that only 41% felt high confidence navigating todays job market. At the same time, the data showed that 83% of young adults believe a mentor could help them as they enter the workforce. Young people want mentorship support, even if the mentor doesnt have all the answers. In fact, 84% of mentored young people attribute their mentors to opening doors to opportunities they didnt know existed. Guidance from a mentor can not only help a young person navigate their entrance to the workforce but can also cultivate the next generation of leaders, foster loyalty, and strengthen workplace culture. Consider also that HR leaders need confident employees with durable skills, like communication, adaptability, and teamwork. These are all skills that young people attain through mentorship. Companies with mentoring cultures see increased retention, innovation, and employee engagement. In fact, it benefits them just as much as it benefits young people. For example, UPS has created career exploration opportunities for young people so they can see the careers that exist within the shipping and logistics industry and ask questions. Mentorship holistically supports a stronger, more diverse talent pipeline. Todays leaders are leaning in by creating access for young people in ways that we can scale. Think back to a moment when you needed a nudge or a champion, who was the person who did that for youthe mentor who helped you see possibilities you couldnt yet imagine? Where would you be without them? So, before your next strategy meeting or AI pilot, ask a Gen Z employee whats helping them navigate the uncertainty of work and life right now. You wont hear about new tools or training modulesyoull hear about people. Someone who listens, believes in them, and shows them the next step forward. Thats the opportunity in front of us. To make sure every young person, in every workplace, has access to mentorship. Because the real measure of leadership isnt just how fast we moveits how many people we bring with us.
Category:
E-Commerce
The average U.S. employee clocks nearly 21 full business days working from their phone each year. Thats according to new research from Adobe Acrobat, who surveyed over 1,000 full-time employees on their habits and opinions around work phone etiquette. As worklife boundaries continue to blur, the work doesnt stop when you step out of the offices four walls. For many employees, they now carry it with them in their pocket, checking emails first thing from bed, or making calls on the go between meetings. In the early days of the iPhone, the sent from my . . . signature conveyed status. Back in 2013, The Atlantic referred to it as a humble brag. More than a decade on, and over half have used the brief disclaimer that youre simply too busy to be sat at a desk typing out a response. Turns out those three words are dividing the office: Gen Z are more likely to say it looks rushed or informal, while older generations consider it normal work culture. Gen Z respondents report spending 23% less time on their phones for work than older workers, with over one in four reporting it makes them anxious. And 21% even worried it will get them fired. This generation gap may simply be a case of seniority. Only 41% of entry-level employees have sent an email with a Sent from my . . . signature, the lowest of any job level. Junior employees may feel they still have something to prove and fear that the same signature could be perceived as harried or unprofessional. Higher-level employees have no such fears. Instead, the Sent from my . . . signature can signal authority, the same way in which a painstakingly typed email is met with a curt thumbs-up from the CEO. In fact, a 2012 paper entitled Sent From My iPhone: The Medium and Message as Cues of Sender Professionalism in Mobile Telephony found that those receiving a message containing spelling and grammatical errors were more forgiving of mistakes with a sent from my email than those sent from a desktop or laptop. Of course, not every task is suited to a small screen. (Theres a time and a place for laptop purchases, for example, despite what Gen Z may think.) Sensitive or high-importance tasks probably arent worth risking an accidental emoji, or hitting send with a photo of your lunch attached. For those surveyed, the convenience of being able to fire off emails on the fly also comes with its own drawbacks: 56% say that work-related notifications have blurred the line between their personal and professional lives. But in an always-on work culture, as digital devices continue to embed further into our work and personal lives, the sent from my . . . isnt going anywhere soon. Sent from my iPhone.
Category:
E-Commerce
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