Issue 133: This is not a gift guide.

Hi friends!

We thought we’d take a break from the news (and endless gift guides) this week and asked some B+E team members what they’ve been recommending outside of work these days. Your regular dose of curated good-workplace links and resources is still below.

“I've been getting back into playing guitar with my husband (and ex band mate!) after a two year hiatus since the birth of our daughter. I'm a real sucker for everything 1960’s and 70’s, and have been strumming and harmonizing my way through the album "The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark" - Lauren Mercurio-Smith, HR Consultant

“I've been looking for fun activities to keep me busy (and laughing) through the colder months. I recently discovered Don't Tell Comedy which hosts pop-up comedy shows where the performers and location are kept a secret until the day of the show. It's super funny and a great way to get to know new comedians around the world.” - Lauren Freeman, HR Consultant

“My partner and I have been trying to find ways to feel more connected to our community in Vancouver, and recently joined a local co-op bookstore. I picked up Real Americans by Rachel Khong (on the recommendation of Lauren M!) which is told in the perspective of 3 individuals experiencing their Chinese identity and the questions and intersections that come along with it. I'd recommend!” - Clea Arrieta, HR Consultant, DEI Specialist

“This Patti Smith poem spoke very loudly to me recently. I moved to a new town that felt like home the instant I got here and am in the process of building community, and rebuilding community within myself. I’m finding joy, purpose, energy and wonder in my first real vegetable garden. I’m sharing my harvests with my neighbours, preserving for winter and saving seeds for the future. It’s all very new, very slow, very recharging. If you’re thinking of getting into gardening, I recommend the Farmer’s Almanac app. It helps you plan your garden’s schedule and is full of fun facts like when to sow kale or trim your hair.” - Steph Little, Senior Consultant, Policy and Compliance Lead

“Want to brush up on history *and* hear astounding levels of top-tier gossip? “Kingmaker” by Sonia Purnell delivers. This biography of honeypot, Churchill-ex wife, diplomat, and glamourpuss Pamela Harriman gives her her due as the brilliant political strategist she actually was. Basically every politician and Hollywood power player of the 20th century gets a juicy cameo here.” - Nora Jenkins Townson, Founder

“I've been trying to keep up with my Spanish (which I learned as a second language in school) and have been loving Ed Maverick's new album, especially during these cloudier days.” - Gillian Jose-Riz, HR Consultant, Compensation Specialist

Bright Reads 🌞

• The folks at student career platform Handshake have published a report on how tech is faring since mass layoffs. One interesting tidbit: tech majors’ applications to software companies dropped by more than 30% between November 2021 and September 2023, while the share of applications submitted to government jobs more than doubled.

• Microsoft will soon let you clone your voice for Teams meetings.

• The CEO of Zomato turned heads with this Chief of Staff job posting that has quite the twist: he wants the successful candidate to pay him for their first year. He later walked this back, saying it was a technique to get someone who “was applying for the right reasons”.

• This Stanford researcher who focuses on engineering productivity claims that 9.5 of Software Engineers do “basically no work”.

• WTF is ping fatigue?

What’s New at B+E 🍏

We’ll be closed for a holiday rest between December 21 and January 6th. January is filling up with exciting new projects, so if you’ve got something on your mind (or in your planner) for improving your People processes in 2025, be sure to reach out sooner rather than later!

Bright Jobs ☀️

Every issue, we’ll share a curated list of exciting jobs at Bright + Early partners. Bright + Early organizations are all committed to building human, inclusive places to work. Note that we’re not involved in hiring– please apply directly!

• Promise Robotics is hiring a General Manager for their robotics manufacturing plant in Calgary.

• The Council of Canadian Innovators is still looking for their Director of Federal Affairs.

• Our friends at Kotn are looking for a Design Director (the clothing kind).

• The Canadian Journalism Collective has a unique opportunity for someone to become its first Executive Director.

• Looking for a new leadership opportunity in sales? Healthcare platform Maple is looking for a Senior Manager, New Business Sales (English/French).

• Change.org is looking for a Senior Product Manager.

Coming Up 👀

• Nov 28 is US Thanksgiving

• December 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities

• December 10 is International Human Rights Day

• The 16 days of activism against gender-based violence continues, having started on 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women)and going to 10 December (Human Rights Day)

• December 22 is Winter Solstice/Yule

• December 25 is Christmas

• December 26th is the first day of Hanukkah this year (through to January 2), as well as Kwanzaa

• December 31 is New Years’ Eve

Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.