Latest news with #Kohn
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Employers are ditching remote work. Experts worry that's shortsighted.
This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter. It took a few years for the winds to shift, but employers began in earnest in 2024 to reverse course on their openness to flexible work. Return-to-office plans proliferated last year, with 58% of surveyed U.S. workers working fully on-site compared to 53% in 2023, according to McKinsey & Co. Now that trend is spilling over into employers' recruiting efforts: the latest edition of HR Dive's annual Identity of HR survey, which polled 578 HR professionals, found that fewer than half, 48%, said remote or hybrid work arrangements were part of their organizations' talent acquisition strategies last year, compared to 56% in 2023's survey. HR Dive's findings match up with broader industry sentiment, said Jamie Kohn, senior director, research at consulting firm Gartner. Despite strong demand for flexibility from candidates, HR teams are largely restricted from meeting that demand because of a shift by leadership toward RTO, she added. % of Identity of HR respondents who said each offering was part of their talent acquisition strategies in 2023 and 2024. Respondents were allowed to select multiple options. This embedded content is not available in your region. 'They kind of feel like their hands are tied by leadership decisions,' Kohn said. 'It's still a critical factor from the candidate side, but we're definitely seeing that factor less in offers, and it's still not being used as much as a carrot to attract talent.' It's a striking — if not foreseeable — trend after some studies in the years immediately following 2020 suggested that employers would settle on at least some degree of work location flexibility as a long-term strategy. But as far back as 2021, Kohn said she recalled having conversations with finance professionals who planned to push RTO when the then-candidate-friendly talent market cooled. In 2025, the share of HR clients asking Kohn to help them make the business case for remote work has dropped considerably; 'They're not really asking for that anymore,' she said. To the extent that organizations have made changes, '9 out of 10 of those cases is a pull back on remote work as opposed to an expansion,' said Bradford Bell, professor in strategic human resources at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. In addition to reversing policies on where people work, employers also have increased requirements on how far employees may live from a worksite, he added. Bell said a number of firms may have wished to change course sooner following the pandemic but simply couldn't given the leverage held by candidates for the past several years. The growing number of hiring pauses, hiring slowdowns and layoffs has changed that calculus, however, as have long-running concerns about productivity and company culture. Still, a large share of HR teams see value in meeting candidate demand for flexibility, Kohn said. She noted the example of companies such as Spotify, whose prominent Times Square advertisement declared that 'employees aren't children' as it displayed that company's intent to continue remote work. According to results viewed by HR Dive, Gartner's survey of HR leaders in 2024's fourth quarter found that the share of respondents who agreed that on-site work requirements made it more difficult to attract skilled talent dropped to a 78% majority from 93% in that year's second quarter. 'Over time, companies are going to settle into more one camp or the other,' on remote work, Kohn said. 'I do think it will come back to some extent, especially as the market continues to get more competitive for some roles.' Bell said he questioned the rationale behind basic RTO decisions on talent market dynamics alone, given that a future swing in favor of employees could end up causing recruiting issues for employers down the road. 'The short-term logic strikes me,' Bell continued, noting that current employees may be enticed to look for more remote-friendly jobs, especially if they feel that RTO is being imposed arbitrarily. 'If a company is really not offering flexible- or remote-work options, I think it's really imperative on the company to explain why or why not,' he said. A strong case could be made for seeking a collaborative culture or creating an environment in which new employees can better integrate with the rest of the organization, 'but I think a lot of times these decisions seem a lot more arbitrary,' Bell said. 'It creates a sense of unfairness or a lack of understanding.' 'Capitalizing on our leverage is probably a shortsighted and flawed mode of thinking.' Bradford Bell Professor in strategic human resources, Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations Employers also could take into account what their immediate competitors are doing on the subject of flexibility, among other things. At the most basic level, however, HR should work with leadership to determine what the best operating model is for the organization and the job types therein, Bell said, which can help put into place a clear case for in-person or flexible work that candidates can take into account regardless of market conditions. 'Capitalizing on our leverage is probably a shortsighted and flawed mode of thinking,' Bell said. 'Think about what's best for us.' Flexibility often revolves around discussions of work location, but it can be just as important to consider schedule flexibility as a potential appeal to talent, Kohn said, particularly for front-line workers who cannot work remotely. Results from Gartner's 2024 Voice of the Candidate Survey found that while 24% of job candidates cited location flexibility as a factor that led them to select a job offer, a higher share, 35%, said the same of time-based flexibility. That finding suggests employers should consider what they might be able to offer in terms of flexibility even if RTO policies have taken hold at their organizations, Kohn said; 'this can be a good way to approach it.' HR also should continue to monitor the effect that a lack of flexibility has on recruiting, where applicable, Kohn continued. Leaders should be able to provide data on how many candidates and employees an organization has lost because of RTO. Even if the employer assumes some degree of candidate loss because of in-office requirements, those effects may not be felt evenly across all job types, especially within high-demand roles. 'Maybe we're allowing some sort of talent loss as a result of this change, but especially as companies are trying to compete for tech talent, AI and digital transformation, it's really important to know and to be able to size what the talent costs are,' Kohn said. In-office requirements may create a number of headaches for employees, from a sudden lack of toilet paper or dip in Wi-Fi quality to the resumption of long commutes in a car-dependent country with few quality alternatives. Yet, one emerging issue concerns the way in which hybrid work options are reserved only for certain categories of workers or executives. That possibility is giving way to concerns about the potential for 'hybrid hierarchy' to flourish within organizations, according to a recent Korn Ferry report. The term describes employers that give work-location flexibility to top candidates, top performers or top leaders but not others. Concerns about such stratification are not necessarily new, though. In fact, hierarchical approaches to remote work were common among pre-pandemic organizations, Bell said, and flexibility was then a way to reward high-potential and high-performance talent. 'The difference now is that you have such a large proportion of the workforce working remotely and, in some sense, maybe viewing it as an entitlement that I think that hierarchy may be much more salient,' Bell added, which can create more issues. 'If it's something that is given out as a privilege indiscriminately, then that's where I think we have challenges.' Jamie Kohn Senior director, research, Gartner One way to approach potential pitfalls is to create an explicit, transparent policy on who has access to flexible work and how employees can earn that access, Kohn said. 'If it's something that is given out as a privilege indiscriminately, then that's where I think we have challenges,' she added. 'If that flexibility is something you can earn and we can understand how to do that, I think it can make sense.' As part of that process, employers should consider how and where decisions are made as to how many days a week employees must work in-office, Kohn said. That is likely to involve extensive discussions with managers and team leaders to determine what works best for them, and HR can equip managers with explainers on those decisions to help them avoid RTO-related conflict with direct reports. Beyond coming up with a rationale for RTO or flexibility, employers will need to cite data or other evidence to back up their decisions, Bell said. He advised HR to go beyond vague leadership statements on the value of in-office work to make the case to candidates and employees that a shift is worth doing. That said, allowing individual managers to decide what RTO approach is best for their team, rather than articulating a top-down policy, 'is the worst possible approach,' Bell said. 'I think that was the default approach early on post-pandemic and I think most companies have realized that that does not work well.' Instead, employers should have clear guidelines and a clear rationale around who has location flexibility and why; this can allow managers to have input without creating the kind of disparities that may fracture an organization, he added. HR can consider multiple factors, such as the degree of contact with customers that a given position may have, an employee's past track record and performance, and the effect of remote work on different teams within the organization. Sign in to access your portfolio
NZ Herald
05-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Gisborne longboarder Hannah Kohn 46th at ISA world champs in El Salvador
Gisborne's Hannah Kohn on a sweet ride at the El Sunzal surf break in El Salvador. She was part of a four-strong New Zealand contingent competing at the ISA World Longboard Surfing Championship. Photo / ISA Gisborne surfer Hannah Kohn and her Kiwi teammates put on a spirited showing at the ISA World Longboard Surfing Championship in El Salvador. The International Surfing Association event, held at the El Sunzal break, featured 103 surfers from 32 nations. Kohn showed plenty of grit in the women's division. She was second in her round 1 heat with a score of 6.30 but encountered tougher conditions in round 2 and placed fourth on 4.07, which dropped her into a repechage. In testing, onshore conditions in what was a must-win heat to stay alive, Kohn was fourth on 6.73 and was eliminated. It placed her 46th equal overall. Reflecting on her campaign, Kohn said the event was a lot of fun. 'We had some wild waves a couple of days with a heavy shorebreak and tricky tides [but] being here among the world's best was so inspiring. 'Watching them handle eight-foot onshore surf is incredible.' Kohn planned to tour El Salvador after the contest. 'We're hoping to grab the shortboards and explore some of the other waves around. It's such an amazing place.' Jack Tyro, of Christchurch, placed best of the four-strong Kiwi team. He finished 13th in the men's competition, winning his round 1 and 2 heats and making it to repechage 5 after placing third in his round 3 heat. Gabi Paul (Piha) was 37th-equal in the women's division and Oliver Janes (Auckland) was 37th-equal in the men's division. France's Edouard Delpero won the men's final with a score of 18.24, while American Rachael Tilly won the women's crown with 15.13. The El Sunzal surf break again proved a world-class longboard destination. It's known for its long, right-hand point waves, but competitors faced their share of challenges during the week, with changing tides, strong onshore winds and heavy shorebreaks testing even the most seasoned surfers.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Women face chaos trying to get a Real ID
Some women who have changed their name through marriage or divorce are struggling to get Real IDs. Several women told BI they've had to make multiple trips to try and get the right marriage documents. Americans are scrambling to get Real IDs ahead of the deadline to get the identification for flights. At the end of last summer, Debra Kohn became very well-acquainted with her local Pennsylvania DMV. She ended up making three trips there, along with one to the clerk's office, to obtain a valid Real ID — and all because her marriage certificate from 1986 was from a justice of the peace, not the county. Starting May 7, anyone getting on a domestic flight will no longer be able to use an old driver's license. Instead, they will need a Real ID or other form of valid identification. Like Kohn, Americans need to bring a slew of documents to the DMV, including an original marriage certificate for those who have changed their names. Getting an original marriage certificate from the state usually takes weeks and costs a fee. Kohn isn't alone in her Real ID difficulties. Though many married or divorced women have the necessary documents handy or can get them relatively easily, others have taken to social media to share their difficulties. Business Insider spoke to four women about the lengthy, often confusing process. Representatives for the Transportation Department, TSA, and Department of Homeland Security did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Kohn, 68, told Business Insider she probably spent six hours getting the necessary certificate — one with an official raised seal — between her many trips and time spent at the DMV. She hasn't heard of any of her friends having similar issues. Jessiqua, a 34-year-old in Oklahoma who asked to go by her first name for fear of retaliation from her ex-husband, said lengthy divorce proceedings made it difficult for her to get a Real ID in 2020 and 2021, even though she wasn't even switching back to her maiden name. "When I went to get my Real ID, they wanted my marriage certificate and they wanted my divorce document," she told BI. "I was in the middle of a divorce. I didn't have a divorce document, I had to fight for one." Eventually, she got a legal separation document from her lawyer. Julie Anderson, a 58-year-old in Massachusetts, said she got "lucky" when applying for a Real ID in April of this year. Divorced but with her ex-husband's last name, she only brought a copy of her marriage license (along with a divorce decree). The DMV employee talked to his supervisor and, somehow, they accepted her copy. "The person at the desk said, 'I'm really surprised they did,'" Anderson told BI. "Luckily they did, because I went to my files and I went through everything, I don't even own a copy of my original marriage license." Diane Wagner, 53, wasn't as fortunate and found the whole process "extremely frustrating." She visited her DMV office in St. Louis, Missouri, three times in one day to try and get the right marriage certificate, because the copy she had at home wasn't enough. "It was a whole day running around, between waiting in line and finding all my items and going back and waiting in line again." Eventually, she paid a fee and applied for a certified marriage certificate online, which arrived about two weeks later. "Had I known there was gonna be all these hoops, I maybe never would've changed my name," Wagner said. The Real ID Act, passed in 2005, was a response to the September 11 attacks. It was initially meant to go into effect in 2008, but the deadline has been pushed multiple times. Now that it's actually here, it seems many Americans are scrambling to get their Real IDs. Business Insider checked availability at some DMV offices on May 2. Some offices, like the one in Fort Benton, Montana, had openings in early May, whereas others were totally booked. In the Louisville, Kentucky, offices, for example, the earliest appointments were on July 1. And Illinois' DMV website displayed a pop-up: "Due to the federally-mandated Real ID requirements, our facilities and website have been overwhelmed with requests for Real IDs." Illinois has set up a "walk-in Real ID Only Supercenter," according to the pop-up message, and some local municipalities are hosting their own events to deal with the overflow. People can still get their Real ID after the new rules go into effect. The day she spoke to BI, Wagner tried to finally get her Real ID. She showed up at 4:40 p.m. to an office that closed at 5 p.m. Even so, she was turned away. There were too many people in line. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
02-05-2025
- General
- Business Insider
Women face chaos trying to get a Real ID
At the end of last summer, Debra Kohn became very well-acquainted with her local Pennsylvania DMV. She ended up making three trips there, along with one to the clerk's office, to obtain a valid Real ID — and all because her marriage certificate from 1986 was from a justice of the peace, not the county. Starting May 7, anyone getting on a domestic flight will no longer be able to use an old driver's license. Instead, they will need a Real ID or other form of valid identification. Like Kohn, Americans need to bring a slew of documents to the DMV, including an original marriage certificate for those who have changed their names. Getting an original marriage certificate from the state usually takes weeks and costs a fee. Kohn isn't alone in her Real ID difficulties. Though many married or divorced women have the necessary documents handy or can get them relatively easily, others have taken to social media to share their difficulties. Business Insider spoke to four women about the lengthy, often confusing process. 'Extremely frustrating' Kohn, 68, told Business Insider she probably spent six hours getting the necessary certificate — one with an official raised seal — between her many trips and time spent at the DMV. She hasn't heard of any of her friends having similar issues. Jessiqua, a 34-year-old in Oklahoma who asked to go by her first name for fear of retaliation from her ex-husband, said lengthy divorce proceedings made it difficult for her to get a Real ID in 2020 and 2021, even though she wasn't even switching back to her maiden name. "When I went to get my Real ID, they wanted my marriage certificate and they wanted my divorce document," she told BI. "I was in the middle of a divorce. I didn't have a divorce document, I had to fight for one." Eventually, she got a legal separation document from her lawyer. Julie Anderson, a 58-year-old in Massachusetts, said she got "lucky" when applying for a Real ID in April of this year. Divorced but with her ex-husband's last name, she only brought a copy of her marriage license (along with a divorce decree). The DMV employee talked to his supervisor and, somehow, they accepted her copy. "The person at the desk said, 'I'm really surprised they did,'" Anderson told BI. "Luckily they did, because I went to my files and I went through everything, I don't even own a copy of my original marriage license." Diane Wagner, 53, wasn't as fortunate and found the whole process "extremely frustrating." She visited her DMV office in St. Louis, Missouri, three times in one day to try and get the right marriage certificate, because the copy she had at home wasn't enough. "It was a whole day running around, between waiting in line and finding all my items and going back and waiting in line again." Eventually, she paid a fee and applied for a certified marriage certificate online, which arrived about two weeks later. "Had I known there was gonna be all these hoops, I maybe never would've changed my name," Wagner said. People are scrambling to get their IDs The Real ID Act, passed in 2005, was a response to the September 11 attacks. It was initially meant to go into effect in 2008, but the deadline has been pushed multiple times. Now that it's actually here, it seems many Americans are scrambling to get their Real IDs. Business Insider checked availability at some DMV offices on May 2. Some offices, like the one in Fort Benton, Montana, had openings in early May, whereas others were totally booked. In the Louisville, Kentucky, offices, for example, the earliest appointments were on July 1. And Illinois' DMV website displayed a pop-up: "Due to the federally-mandated Real ID requirements, our facilities and website have been overwhelmed with requests for Real IDs." Illinois has set up a "walk-in Real ID Only Supercenter," according to the pop-up message, and some local municipalities are hosting their own events to deal with the overflow. People can still get their Real ID after the new rules go into effect. The day she spoke to BI, Wagner tried to finally get her Real ID. She showed up at 4:40 p.m. to an office that closed at 5 p.m. Even so, she was turned away. There were too many people in line.
Scoop
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Strong Kiwi Showings At 2025 ISA World Longboard Championship In El Salvador
From: Surfing New Zealand Sport: Surfing Event: 2025 ISA World Longboard Championship Location: El Salvador Event Information: Surfing New Zealand / ISA New Zealand's surfers have wrapped up a spirited campaign at the 2025 ISA World Longboard Surfing Championship, held at the iconic El Sunzal point in El Salvador's Surf City. The world-class event attracted 103 athletes from 32 nations, showcasing the best of international longboard surfing in a week filled with excitement, drama, and challenging conditions. Jack Tyro emerged as New Zealand's top performer, navigating a demanding competition format to finish 13th overall—the highest result for a Kiwi competitor. Tyro got off to a flying start, winning both his opening heats in Rounds 1 and 2 with confident, stylish surfing. A 4th place in Round 3 sent him into the repechage rounds, where he remained composed under pressure. He bounced back strongly in Repechage Round 1, posting a convincing heat win. In what became his final heat—Repechage 5—Tyro battled against elite surfers from Portugal and Argentina, finishing 3rd with a solid heat total of 9.54. Though narrowly missing out on the next round, his performance secured him a well-deserved 13th place overall, making him the top-ranked New Zealand surfer in the competition. Returning competitor Hannah Kohn also showed grit in the women's division. After a strong start with a 2nd place finish in Round 1, she encountered tougher conditions in Round 2, finishing 4th and moving into the repechage. In testing, onshore conditions during her last-chance heat, Kohn finished 4th and bowed out of the event, placing 46th overall. Reflecting on her campaign, Kohn said, 'The event has been so much fun. We had some wild waves a couple of days ago with heavy shore break and tricky tides. Yesterday the conditions cleaned up, and it was great to get some proper waves for our heats. Being here among the world's best is so inspiring—watching them handle 8ft onshore surf is incredible.' Now that her competition is over, Kohn is looking forward to enjoying the region: 'We're hoping to grab the shortboards and explore some of the other waves around. It's such an amazing place.' Gabi Paul demonstrated resilience in the women's draw. After a 3rd place finish in Round 1, she dropped into the repechage rounds, where she delivered a strong performance to finish 2nd against top competitors from El Salvador, Ecuador, and Spain. Her journey came to an end in the following repechage round, where she finished 3rd, placing 37th overall in the women's field. In the men's division, Oliver Janes put together a determined campaign, placing 3rd in his opening heat and moving into the repechage. There, he notched a first-place finish over surfers from Denmark and Thailand. In Repechage Round 2, Janes raised the bar again, claiming second place against a high-calibre field including competitors from the United States, South Africa, and Wales. His run ended in Repechage Round 3, where despite another strong showing, he finished outside the advancing positions, ultimately securing 37th overall. 'The event has been a blast,' said Janes. 'There's a lot of pressure—especially wanting to perform with the team around you. The wave can be tricky. You never know what you're going to get in a heat, and sometimes it's just about being in the right place at the right time. Still, getting to surf against this level of talent and experience these conditions is huge for growth.' With one day of competition remaining, New Zealand currently sits in equal 17th place alongside Chinese Taipei. While the team's final position will be confirmed once the event concludes, their performances continue New Zealand's consistent trend, having placed 17th in the last two ISA World Longboard Championships as well. The event has served as a valuable development experience for all athletes, many of whom are still early in their international careers. With each heat surfed, the Kiwi surfers gained critical competition experience on a global stage. El Sunzal has again proven itself as a world-class longboard destination. Known for its long, right-hand point breaks, the wave offers ample opportunity for stylish, traditional longboarding as well as high-performance maneuvers. However, competitors faced their share of challenges throughout the week, with changing tides, strong onshore winds, and heavy shore breaks testing even the most seasoned surfers. Complete event write-ups, results, surfer ratings and images from the event can be viewed at Surfing New Zealand. And the ISA Website Information For more information please contact Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@ Imagery Web clips and newsfeeds will be distributed free of charge from the event. Please contact the ISA for further details. High-resolution images will be available to media upon request. Images will be distributed free of charge.
