Career
Viscusi worked for five years as a sales manager for Euster Associates Inc. which was a Herman Miller and Knoll furniture dealership located in Armonk, New York. He was then recruited to Haworth as a regional manager for the New York City-area.
In 1985, he launched a boutique business, The Viscusi Group, a retainer-based search practice dedicated to the recruitment of personnel in the interior furnishings industry. Areas of expertise include furniture, floor coverings, architectural products, textiles, tile, stone, lighting, and interior products. As of 2024, The Viscusi Group has a customer base that is 50% contract interiors customers and 50% residential luxury brands. [9] The company includes dealers and all of the major office furniture makers as well as office furniture industry and the latest trends in recruiting. Viscusi also runs Viscusi Advisors which acts as a connector between the interiors industry businesses looking to acquire companies as well as those that are looking to sell.
In 2006, Viscusi went on The Morning Edition at NPR to discuss his book, On the Job: How to Make It in the Real World of Work. During the interview, advised employees to anticipate workplace shakeups, avoid resigning prematurely to preserve unemployment benefits, and handle job departures with professionalism to maintain future opportunities. [10]
Viscusi was the host on the pilot of A&E’s 2011 television show, The Job Whisperer. [11] [12] [13]
Since 2015, Viscusi has written a column called, “Ask Stephen,” for the magazine “Business of Furniture” (BoF). [14]
Viscusi has been a frequent keynote speaker and adviser to boards on workplace issues. His business became one of New York City's largest executive search firms, according to Crain's New York Business. [15]
His writing and expertise have been featured on various networks in several shows- NPR , [16] CNN , [17] CBS, [18] CNBC , [19] ABC News , [20] Fox News , [21] American Morning , Good Morning America , nationally syndicated The Tyra Banks Show , [22] and nationally syndicated Steve Harvey . [23] On ABC's Good Morning America , he's given advice and tips for moms returning to the workforce and for recent college graduates. [24] [25] For CNN , Viscui has shared tips on commission-based work noting one must have faith in the product or service they are selling, [26] go the extra mile by volunteering for more work and arriving early and staying late, [27] and honing key skills in the contemporary job market like expertise in project management and social media. [28] In The New York Times , Viscusi has recommended in-person work over telecommuting (remote work), setting up informational interviews with professionals one admires outside of a job seeker's immediate network, [29] the pros and cons of criticizing a boss and the upsides of having a personal relationship with your boss, [30] [31] [32] guidance against eating in the office, [33] the pros of wearing Spanx to interviews, [34] and pointers for what to do when one loses a job. [35] In conversation with Meera Jagannathan from Moneyish on the New York Post Viscusi recommended letting a newly hired eimplyee go if they are not performing within the first 30 - 45 days. [36] He has given tips on what to do if one's co-worker suddenly becomes a boss. [37] Viscusi has spoken out about the power imbalance between a boss and an employee even if it is consensual, citing Monica Lewinsky's relationship with former President Bill Clinton, to the first impressions of tattoos . [38] [39] On the Turkish newspaper Capital, he suggests always taking the full vacation days allowed as an employee to reduce workaholicism and maintain a healthy work-life balance. [40] In the Spring 2025 issue of Business of Home, Viscusi emphasized the importance of structured onboarding and hiring slow in the area of design. Additionally, he notes designers should be listening to their instincts when evaluating new employees, arguing that a mismatch in chemistry—regardless of skill—can drain creative energy and hinder team dynamics. [41]
Charles Gibson of ABC's World News with Charles Gibson called Viscusi "America's Workplace Guru" [42] which has become his moniker.
Publications
In 2001, Viscusi wrote his first book, On the Job: How to Make it in the Real World of Work. The book was published by Three Rivers Press, a Division of Random House. Drawing from his extensive experience interviewing thousands of job seekers and engaging with his radio audience, he distills key lessons and practical advice about navigating the workplace. He frames the complexities of work-life balance as a puzzle composed of seven essential pieces. First, he stresses that a career is defined by the job one currently holds. Second, he acknowledges that workplaces can be unfair and advises accepting this reality. Third, he underscores the importance of maintaining a boundary between professional and personal life. He then explores the dynamics of workplace relationships, effective communication, career growth, and long-term planning. The book led to his nationally syndicated radio show named after the book, which was a call-in show dealing with workplace issues.
In 2008, Viscusi released his second book, Bulletproof Your Job: 4 Simple Strategies to Ride Out the Rough Times and Come Out on Top at Work, which was published by HarperCollins. Viscusi outlines four strategies—be visible, be easy, be useful, and be ready—to enhance job security and career advancement in uncertain economic times. [43] Tal Pinchevsky of Big Think writes that Viscusi is a leading, "voice on professional stability," and an American author and entrepreneur Keith Ferrazzi praised the book. [44] CNN featured the book in a job advice column. There, Viscusi shared the importance of treating a job as a valuable asset and advised employees to stay visible, adaptable, and continuously develop new skills to enhance their career prospects. [45] The book has been translated into seven languages and was positively reviewed by The Washington Post , [46] Publishers Weekly , Newsweek , Reader's Digest , and Time Magazine . [47]
