Where are the happiest workers in the U.S. located? The answer might chill you to the bone … because the winning state is Alaska, according to a new survey from SelectSoftware Reviews.

Why are employees in the Last Frontier so satisfied with their jobs? Are they just relieved to leave their igloos for offices with decent heating? Are moose particularly entertaining colleagues? Actually, it’s because of high wages, an average workweek of only 31.3 hours, and short commute times. (Hey, there’s not much traffic when you’re mushing a dog sled!)

In contrast, sadly for Georgians, it’s not all peachy in the workplace … because the "Empire State of the South" came in dead last for employee happiness. Atlanta is a great city, but maybe it’s time to head north and take up snowshoeing?

(Note: Our editor was born and raised in Anchorage, so he can make these jokes. And so can his pet polar bear.)

Today’s Edition...

Ghost Jobs: LinkedIn is haunted this spooky season.

HR: What’s it good for? Absolutely everything!

Rat race: Employees revolt over a mouse in the house.

Ghost Jobs Are Haunting LinkedIn This Spooky Season

(Source: Shutterstock)

Much like the monster’s grave at the end of a horror movie, some job openings have nothing inside them.

The so-called "ghost job" is a mysterious listing that might’ve been posted (and reposted) without any intention of being filled. And unlike a Ghost Hunters guest, you’re not seeing things: More than a quarter of employers have kept job listings up for over four months.

It gets creepier. According to a Clarify Capital survey of 1,000 managers, almost 10% had left a job listing up for over half a year.

So, are there any transparent motivations here?

Sometimes it’s simply bad communication between departments. Or a sneaky effort to project the sense that business is booming. And in more sinister scenarios, ghost jobs could be used to scare current employees as a productivity or retention tactic. Boo!

But you don’t need to fear the Resume Reaper. Clarify Capital’s survey found that 50% of managers keep these ads up because they’re “always open to new people” and 35% want to keep “irresistible” candidates on file.

That means a sizable chunk of ghost ads are a genuine effort to maintain a healthy talent pool, which is good for patient job seekers in the long run. They just might not be able to see it.

🤿 DIVE DEEPER

HR, What’s It Good For? Absolutely Everything!

(Source: Shutterstock)

Dr. Steven Rogelberg is a chancellor’s professor at UNC Charlotte, former president of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and author of Glad We Met: The Art and Science of 1:1 Meetings.

It’s hard to think of an organizational function more maligned than human resources. Its strategic value is often questioned. If budget cuts need to be made, human resources is seen as a clear target.

However, this is terribly misguided. A study with data from more than 30,000 organizations makes the case for human resources crystal clear. It linked the following HR practices with improved employee motivation, retention, productivity and product quality, sales growth, and return on assets.

Skill-enhancing practices, such as skills training
Motivation-enhancing practices, such as competitive compensation, incentives, and career development activities
Opportunity-enhancing practices, such as flexible job design and employee involvement initiatives

These were critical and strategic investments by the studied organizations — and the investments paid off.

HR practices truly matter. Their importance does not depend on the type of organization or organizational size; they are critical for startups and mature organizations alike. They are not nice-to-haves; they are must-haves for organizational growth and success.

Check out the pros and cons of having an in-house human resources department versus using one of the best HR outsourcing services.

On October 6 in Business History:

1783: The self-winding clock was patented. It blew people away since it wasn’t powered by electricity or heat, just air.
1864: George Westinghouse, Jr. was born. You can thank him for bright ideas such as revolutionizing the power industry with alternating currents and designing an air brake that made railway travel safer.
1889: …and speaking of electrical entrepreneurs, Thomas Edison showed off the first U.S. motion picture with his Kinetoscope viewing device.
1951: Will Keith Kellogg, founder of the Kellogg Company, passed away.
2010: If you checked your Instagram today, you may have already seen a meme about how the app launched exactly 13 years ago.

“I opened my credenza, screamed, and climbed on top of my desk as a mouse ran out into the law firm… Then the mouse went into the secretarial area and they screamed. The mouse ran into the file room that was next to them.

“The lawyers came running out to see what all the commotion was. The secretaries informed them that they weren’t going to get any files until there was proof the mouse was caught. The lawyers and paralegals would have to get their own files that day.

“I called maintenance and they brought up a trap. The next day we were all told the mouse was caught in the trap. We never knew if we were told the truth, but work resumed. I never again had Nabisco Graham Crackers in a cardboard box. All food was then in plastic or glass containers.”

— Eileen Roth

What are the funny, surprising, or just plain weird stories from your office? Spill the tea at b.newsletter@gmail.com.