Thanks to the 'Great Resignation,' new hires are making more money than you

Hi, I'm Matt Turner, the editor in chief of business at Insider. Welcome back to Insider Weekly, a roundup of our top reads of the week. I hope you're able to rest and spend time with loved ones this Memorial Day weekend.

On the agenda today:

• Wonder how much that new hire is earning? More than you.
• Microsoft employees say "golden boy" executives are still running wild.
• Inside the biggest scam in higher education.
• Real-estate investors are turning to campgrounds and RV parks.

But first, a dispatch: Several of Insider's top editors were in Davos, Switzerland, this week for the World Economic Forum. Spriha Srivastava, the international executive editor of our business division, is here to tell us about her time at the conference, her first time at Davos.

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Dispatch from Davos

Along with being my first Davos, this was also the first-ever Summer Davos and the crisp sunny weather — along with the breath-taking views of the Alps — made for a perfect setting to discuss everything from the global economy to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, hybrid working, automation, sustainability, and a potential recession ahead.

I was so happy to be able to see people in real life, strike up interesting conversations over a glass of locally-sourced wine, and bump into the likes of Christine Lagarde and Bill Gates near the Congress Center.

One big topic of discussion was around the future of work. I spoke to senior leaders at the world's top staffing firms who warned against the risk of generalizing hybrid work, while the CEO of Coursera told me "requiring people to come to work is not going to work."

Others suggested that a recession could put an end to the Great Resignation and cut workers' bargaining power.

New hires are making more than you

A huge pay gap has appeared between old and new hires as the job market forces employers to dole out huge paychecks to lure in candidates.

So if you've been at your job for only a few months, congrats. But if you've been there for more than a year, there's something your manager doesn't want you to know: Your company's new hires are making bank — while longtime staffers are being punished for loyalty.

Here's how much new hires are making.

Microsoft employees say exec misconduct remains rampant

At Microsoft, the company's "golden boys" have enjoyed impunity dating to the eras of Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, sources told us. A few years ago, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella promised to end the company's tolerance for "talented jerks."

Despite his vow to clean up toxic culture — and implement a respectful, diverse, and inclusive work environment — dozens of current and former Microsoft employees told us that executives were still running wild.

Here's what Microsoft staffers told us.

The biggest scam in higher education

Millennials and Gen Zers have been told a master's degree is the new bachelor's — the minimum level of education needed to land a prestigious, well-paying job. But new research indicates this advice is misleading at best and cynical at worst.

Many master's degrees — including 62% of MBAs, by one estimate — have zero effect on a grad's lifetime earnings. And what are the most financially worthless degrees? According to one researcher, that honor goes to a master's in the arts, humanities, or theology.

Here's why master's degrees are such a scam.

Investors eye RV parks and campgrounds

Families and "Parrotheads" are flocking to campgrounds and RV parks — and Wall Street investors and bankers known for financing towering office buildings, apartment complexes, hotels, and warehouses are seeing their next big score.

Sophisticated investors are planting their flags in corners of US real estate previously dismissed as small potatoes or too risky. Just take a look at Camp Margaritaville, a chain of four RV parks developed by the entertainer Jimmy Buffett — constructed with a $37 million loan from Acore Capital.

Here's why investors are setting up camp.

This week's quote:

"You just kind of keep reliving the unthinkable."

- Zach Cartaya, a Columbine-shooting survivor, told Insider in the wake of this week's shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Our news team has been covering this tragedy around the clock — follow the team's latest updates here.

More of this week's top reads:

• After George Floyd's murder, Wall Street promised billions to help Black Americans. Here's where that money went.
• Amazon employees are quitting at twice the rate of recent years.
• Young female "SNL" staffers said they were treated like "a joke."
• Employees say Google Cloud's strategy shake-up is driving an exodus of vice presidents.
• How companies are preparing for what could be a "seismic shift" coming to the economy.
• Robinhood is betting big on crypto, but employees are feeling frustrated.
• Wells Fargo has fired dozens of loan officers accused of misusing appraisal waivers.
• A teacher who survived the Parkland shooting has a message to Uvalde, Texas.

Plus: Keep updated with the latest business news throughout your weekdays by checking out The Refresh from Insider, a dynamic audio news brief from the Insider newsroom. Listen here tomorrow.

Curated by Matt Turner. Edited by Lisa Ryan and Hallam Bullock. Sign up for more Insider newsletters here.