006: #MeToo, the Gig Economy, and Robots with Áine Cain of Business Insider

Wanna know why work sucks? Ask Áine Cain

. She’s a careers and employment reporter for Business Insider, and her experience covering multiple workplaces gives her a unique insight into what makes a great – or terrible – place to work. From the #MeToo movement to the gig economy, and lotus-eaters to a robot invasion, Laurie and Áine talk about the current state of work and its future.

• Are there still great places to work? Yes, but don’t be lured by ‘perks’ companies. Áine explains what they are and why they create a culture of complacency and wasting away.
• According to a Gallup poll, nearly 70% of employees aren’t engaged at work, and naturally, these employees blame their managers. There’s an argument there to be made, but Áine points at two of the major themes she sees frequently, and it’s not managers.
• What makes a place great to work at? Áine has a lovely acronym to explain what companies are doing right. CCE – co-workers, compensation, engagement. She explains what each of them means.
• The #MeToo movement has been instrumental in raising awareness of issues at work, but you have to wonder: will awareness lead to long-lasting change? Laurie and Áine tackle that tough question with some anecdotes and insights that will change the way you think about the future of work.
• Yes, men need to behave better at work. But there’s a second change that needs to take place, and that’s in the systems at work. Laurie and Áine talk about how businesses can replace their antiquated systems.
• So at whose feet do we lay the burden of fixing work? Management, HR, employees? Laurie and Áine talk about where change needs to happen to make a great workplace, both the ideal and the realistic ways.
• No one wants to work in the ‘bro culture.’ Áine digs into why that mentality fails and what employees really want to become more engaged and invested in their job. From generational gaps to the advent of the internet, so many different things have contributed to the current job climate.
• You’ve heard the term ‘gig economy.’ But have you ever stopped to think about what it really is? Find out who is a real part of the gig economy, who it benefits, and whether or not it’s a good thing.
• We promised robots. Áine says they’re taking over. We’re probably not going to tell you something you don’t know, but you definitely want to hear what Áine says about how the robot takeover will probably mirror the industrial revolution in terms of unemployment. Laurie and Áine discuss some of the ways that can be prevented.

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