As We Work
Work smarter and advance in your career with the As We Work podcast. With actionable steps grounded in WSJ reporting, As We Work gives practical advice to help you improve your work life. Hear compelling conversations with everyday people, experts and WSJ reporters as we focus on the workplace topics that are top of mind and offer tips and tricks for handling the thorniest of situations.
Episodes
June 6, 2023 • 17 mins
Worried that your boss – or soon-to-be boss – is checking your social media? Some employers are screening social media as part of background checks, and what you post can make a difference in whether you get a job. But that doesn’t mean you have to scrub your online history. Background check executive Dan Shoemaker tells us what companies are really looking out for when they eye your social media feeds before hiring. And social med...
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May 30, 2023 • 16 mins
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer. It’s also the unofficial start of summer vacation season, when your team starts jockeying to take time off. But what happens to your big project when your manager, and co-workers, are out of the office? We hear how some companies are trying to tackle the issue by offering more flexibility. Then, productivity consultant Julie Morgenstern offers some advice on how to get your work do...
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May 23, 2023 • 20 mins
Are your co-workers' quirks driving you crazy? From the cubicle-mate who talks too loudly on the phone, to the person who always microwaves fish for lunch, to the supervisor who’s never on time for a meeting, every office has people who get on your nerves. But you don’t have to let that get in the way of doing your job. Allison Gabriel studies relationships at work and what makes us stressed, and explains why those quirky co-worker...
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May 16, 2023 • 20 mins
Are you one of the 44% of Americans who say they have a side hustle? Worried that it could get in the way of your full-time job? Don’t be. Hudson Sessions, who studies side hustles and their impact on worker happiness and success, tells us how a side hustle can actually help make you better at your main job. And Dorie Clark, who studies entrepreneurship, shares the right way to tell your boss that you want to take on some outside w...
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May 9, 2023 • 16 mins
Many big-name companies are cutting staff, restructuring or pausing hiring. Getting laid off, or facing the prospect of it, can be very scary. But it doesn’t have to be. In this conversation from the WSJ Jobs Summit, LinkedIn Career Expert Catherine Fisher, Rora CEO Brian Liou, and Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda tell you how to navigate layoffs and put yourself in the best position to get hired for that next job.
Send us your st...
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May 2, 2023 • 19 mins
Walmart is one of the world’s largest retailers. With 2.1 million workers, it’s also one of the world’s largest private employers, and it’s hiring, including for tech jobs you’d expect to see in Silicon Valley. Walmart is investing billions into major tech upgrades that could change how many of its employees work, and investing millions of dollars into training its team for what comes next. In this conversation from the WSJ Jobs Su...
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April 25, 2023 • 28 mins
Worried that AI is coming for your job? From ChatGPT writing emails to Midjourney making up images, it’s easy to think that AI could replace many of us at work. But the reality is, AI’s been part of some workplaces for longer than you might realize, including in call centers. WSJ’s Lisa Bannon takes us inside one call center where the AI bot, nicknamed Charlie, is getting mixed reviews. And researcher Stephanie Bell gives us some a...
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April 18, 2023 • 28 mins
What do former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, comedian Samantha Bee, business executive Alicia Boler Davis and Grammy award-winning performer Samara Joy all have in common? They found success in fields traditionally dominated by men. In this episode from WSJ’s Women in the Workplace Forum, they share lessons about how to lead and stay focused on your goals, build a strong team and put your people first.
Send us your stories about ...
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March 14, 2023 • 20 mins
The headlines seem to come out every day: another big tech company is laying off big chunks of its staff. But at the same time, the U.S. created more than 800,000 jobs so far this year, and some employers are desperate for workers. If you’re one of the many Americans looking for a new job, but confused about how mass layoffs and a hot labor market can both be possible, you’re not alone. We speak to WSJ reporters Sarah Chaney Cambon...
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March 7, 2023 • 19 mins
Despite what you might have been told, your work doesn’t always speak for itself. That’s why it’s necessary to toot your own horn and brag about all the good things you’re doing on the job. But, how do you do that without annoying your boss or alienating your peers? Meredith Fineman, who helps people learn how to brag better, gives us a crash course in suave self-promotion.
Send us your stories about work and careers! Email asw...
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February 28, 2023 • 23 mins
What do you miss when you skip out on that after-work happy hour? How will your boss, and colleagues, treat you if you say “no thanks” to that company retreat? Those sometimes-obligatory work events that fall outside work hours – often called “mandatory fun” – can be no fun to attend. But, if you don’t go, experts say you may be passing up opportunities to build connections that will help you later in life. Producer Charlotte Garte...
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February 21, 2023 • 19 mins
Leaves of absence are on the rise. In fact, leave requests were up more than 21% in 2022, according to a survey by the HR software company AbsenceSoft. And whether the leave is to care for yourself, a relative or a new baby, for military service or for a much-needed sabbatical, coming back to a job can be complicated. The same job may feel different. You might have trouble getting back into the groove. You may even have new co-work...
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February 14, 2023 • 22 mins
Looking for love this Valentine’s Day? Many people are finding it at work. According to the Society for Human Resources Management, around a quarter of U.S. employees are romantically involved with someone at work right now, or have been in the past. But navigating a consensual office romance can be risky both emotionally and legally. We hear from people who’ve navigated romance on the job – from those first butterflies to post-bre...
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February 7, 2023 • 21 mins
Many of us were taught that the secret to workplace success is making yourself indispensable. You can’t be fired if you’re the only one who can do the job, right? But leadership expert Liz Wiseman says being indispensable is actually a trap that sucks up your time and keeps you stuck without any room for job growth. She wants us all to focus on a different goal: becoming the person who steps up when needed and helps others do their...
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January 31, 2023 • 21 mins
Did you get a new boss for the new year? With turnover still high, and many people seeking out new jobs, it’s not uncommon to walk into work and find out a new person is leading your team. Wall Street Journal reporter Chip Cutter tells us about the challenges these new bosses face, and why some are struggling. Then, teamwork doctor Liane Davey gives us the tips to figuring out what makes your new boss tick, and how you can help the...
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January 24, 2023 • 24 mins
Tired of your current job? Scared the layoff headlines are headed for your industry? It might be time to apply for a new job. But, how do you secure a new position while you’re still at your old one without your boss finding out? We talk to career coach Cara Heilmann, the president of the International Association of Career Coaches, about the importance of staying in stealth mode for nabbing that new job. Then, Michelle Reisdorf fr...
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December 6, 2022 • 26 mins
The economic picture is complex right now. There’s still more than 10 million job openings in the U.S. and relatively low unemployment. But some companies have begun layoffs, and high inflation has many Americans worried about an economic slowdown. So, what does this all mean for you? We sit down with two of the Wall Street Journal’s Life & Work columnists, Callum Borchers and Rachel Feintzeig, to answer some of your most pressing ...
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November 22, 2022 • 24 mins
Thanksgiving is all about showing gratitude, but sometimes we forget to do it with some of the people we see every day: our co-workers. Sara Algoe, who studies social interactions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is director of the Love Consortium, gives us a crash course in the best practices for showing appreciation and explains why saying thanks is as important for the person giving it as it is for the pers...
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November 15, 2022 • 24 mins
How much do Americans hate commuting? Four-in-ten would rather clean their toilets than undergo the daily back-and-forth to the office, according to a survey by communications platform RingCentral. Now more workers are returning to the office, and time spent in cars, trains and buses is unavoidable. But Julia Lee Cunningham, professor of management and organizations at The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, says that...
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November 8, 2022 • 21 mins
Last month, the Biden Administration proposed a new rule that could put more gig workers on company payrolls. It’s the latest attempt to clarify just what separates an independent contractor from an employee. We look at the last three administrations’ attempts to answer these questions and then move beyond the political football to find out how workers will actually experience these changes…if they go through at all. Mark Gough, pr...
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