Cary Sparrow: Decoding Labor Market Data to Drive Human-Centered Decisions

The Empathy Edge

Transparency is a cornerstone of empathetic culture. And when it comes to the labor market, pay scales, and required skills, the more information you can get, the more confident you feel in making decisions- whether you're a hiring manager or a job seeker.

What do workers today want? What kind of benefits are the most appealing in competitive markets? How are others at this level getting compensated? Where is the best talent for our organization and what skills do they need?

Turns out data-based decision-making can actually be a very empathetic approach to being a more human-centered organization.

My guest is Cary Sparrow and we discuss what the data show workers today want (and it's not all about pay!), the barriers to connecting the right talent with career opportunities, and the mindset getting in the way of organizations competing effectively for top talent. Cary shares his own empathetic leadership model in how he set up his team to support employees with broader life needs and how that resulted in finding great talent, keeping them, and making the company successful. Cary also offers practical next steps to help leaders navigate change and embrace what the data show they need to do to succeed in today's labor market.

To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com

Key Takeaways:

• What employees want has shifted significantly over the last few years, largely stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Transparency around pay is now an expectation from job seekers, even if your state does not require it.
• You have to have data on the workers in your market. What workers need in NYC or LA, is likely going to be different than those in much smaller towns.
• People in untapped talent markets were able to participate in the workforce more during the pandemic when things were fully remote than ever before.

"Employees are much more interested in understanding what is available to them for benefits and working conditions, more than they have been in the past, compared to salaries." — Cary Sparrow

Episode References:

• The Empathy Edge Podcast Episodes:
• Rhonda George-Denniston: Why Betting on Your People Leads to Market Domination
• Jessica Swank: How Box Navigates the New World of Work
• Anna Litotta: Understanding Generational CODES

From Our Partner:

SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.

Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.

About Cary Sparrow, Founder & CEO, Wagescape

Cary Sparrow helps HR professionals and consulting firms to predict the future of pay. He is also a former US Navy officer who served on several nuclear submarines. 35+ years (combined) of engineering, military, consulting, technology, and operations leadership in achieving organizational growth makes him a guest of value to HR leaders and other decision-makers wanting to navigate the labor market, in today's rapidly growing access to remote work and digital promptness. Here's his one-sheet: https://legendarypodcasts.com/cary-sparrow/

Connect with Cary:

WageScape: wagescape.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carysparrow

Connect with Maria:

Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com

Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com

Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

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