The Endangered Blue-Collar Worker
While policymakers focus on the need for more grads with bachelor’s degrees, middle-skill jobs go unfilled
Douglas Stricker of Folsom, 58, knows all about the need for skilled laborers. In 1992, he launched Golden Development, a company that built storage tanks and other structures for refineries and chemical companies. He had a crew of between 20 and 40 workers but never could find enough reliable welders — even in jobs that paid up to $30 an hour.
Return of the Single Female Homebuyer
For decades, single women played an important role in the U.S. housing market, buying more homes than single men. But after the housing crisis, lenders made it harder to qualify for mortgages, and the percentage of single female buyers dropped from 21 percent of purchasers in 2009 to 15 percent this year. Now, they may be poised to make a comeback.
Buzzwords: Authenticity
Don't fake it
There’s a whole lot of buzz lately about authenticity: authentic leadership styles, authentic brands, authentic values, authentic marketing and advertising … and on and on. By definition, something is authentic if it is genuine, real, of unquestionable origin, not faked or copied, verifiable and trustworthy.
This Business School Will Change the World, if It Can Survive
While other B-schools work to expand their reach and shed their old boys’ club stigma (with some success—Bloomberg data show that the share of women in business schools has increased six percentage points since 2007), Presidio resembles the school they say they’re trying to become. Its current MBA class is 56 percent female, and ninety percent of Presidio graduates work in sustainability posts, according to Presidio’s president, William Shutkin.
Sacramento’s Cultural Plan
A thriving art scene needs streamlined support
Like most major cities, Sacramento has scores of arts organization that run the gamut of cultural offerings. Given that, how does it effectively synergize all of its cultural assets in a way that really advances the city’s ultimate goals?
Digital Hiring
Don't sink too much cash into online job sites
I’m overseeing the hire of a new leadership position. We want to post the position online, but there are so many options, including up-sells to “featured posting” and the like. How do I write a compelling job description that will attract top-notch potential employees, and how do I best use my dollars — some of these sites are expensive!
Data-Driven
While big data can answer questions we haven’t even thought to ask, the hidden costs add up
Big data can have real benefits, but it can also undercut common sense, frustrate employees, alarm customers and come with some hidden costs
Women May Not Reach U.S. Boardroom Parity for 40 Years, GAO Says
Women, who make up half the American workforce, would be 40 years from parity with men on U.S. corporate boards even if female directors filled seats at twice the current rate, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a new report.
A Year in Review
Our top 10 most popular stories of 2015
It’s been quite a year! Now that the champagne has been popped, gone flat and you’ve had time to recover, take a look at our most widely read local stories from 2015: