HRGuru

Not so long ago when applying for a job, your potential employer would look at your resume and cover letter, bring you in for an interview and then hire you if you met the requirements for the job. But in the last decade or two things have radically changed. There are now many different tools that employers use to screen potential ...

A reader writes: First, I’m not one of THOSE wives, I promise. My husband was just laid off and is starting a job search. I work at a nonprofit, so I know lots of people in different industries who don’t know my husband at all. A member of a community organization that throws a benefit for us each year is also ...

It is said that you start your work life with black and white – mutually exclusive, clear cut choices or instructions that are passed on to you by your manager. There is little that you impact, and little that impacts you, relative to what lies ahead. The stakes are low, the people touched by your work are few, and lapses can ...

Employers have been combining health insurance and cash plans for years. Sam Barrett discovers providers are making integration easier Financial pressure means every penny of the healthcare spend is under scrutiny. But, while it can seem sensible to focus on getting the cheapest price possible for each product, there is a list of ways that combining healthcare products can deliver greater ...

So just how bad was the market meltdown for 401(k) savers? Pretty bad. So bad that most savers probably don't need a study to confirm it. But here are some official numbers released Tuesday from the Employee Benefit Research Institute and the Investment Company Institute: Many American workers suffered an average 24.3 percent decline in their 401(k) account balance in 2008. ...

The silver lining in a lousy economy is employee retention, but as economic prospects brighten, most firms are thinking about ways to retain talent, according to the latest study by the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) on the subject of organizational turnover and engagement. But that doesn't necessarily translate into big raises for most employees, who have seen few pay raises ...

1. Results… and Sooner Than Later! Executive coaches are a big investment, and especially during these tough economic times when budgets are tight, we need to make tough trade-off decisions as to where we spend our limited professional services dollars. Our Board of Directors are holding our executives accountable for making the numbers every quarter, and they in turn are ...

Is recession depression spreading like wildfire throughout your organization? Here's how you can tell, along with advice on how to treat this disease. THE SYMPTOMS Laughter has been replaced by silence. Remember when work used to be fun? You'd walk through the halls and you couldn't help but notice the sounds of laughter floating through the office cubicles. Now all you ...

Effective communication is all about awareness and the “Choose your Focus” model goes a long way in helping you to be more aware so you can have effective communication more often. Read More...

The year 2009 has been a watershed year for diversity issues in the U.S. From the inauguration of President Barack Obama in January to the Supreme Court decision in Ricci v. DeStefano, diversity issues have consistently been top of mind for corporations this year. Given the changing landscape and rising interest among i4cp member companies, we adopted a comprehensive strategy to ...

Oct. 8--The job interview is more intense than you might expect for a seasonal spot in the Barnes and Noble cafe. It's a grilling for all to see, at a table wedged between the cafe and a display of 2010 calendars. "I like to read," begins 20-year-old Amanda Villa­lobos, dressed smartly in a black skirt, gray jacket and black kitten heels. ...

A reader writes: I recently interviewed for a position that I was recommended for by the Director. We had worked together previously, he knows I'm a good fit and very qualified so he put my name before the hiring manager. The interview went great, everyone got along swimmingly, but then the hiring manager said something along the lines of, "Well, let's ...

The National Organization for Women says the David Letterman sex scandal is raising serious questions about inappropriate behavior in the workplace. The U.S. chat-show host admitted on "Late Show with David Letterman" last Thursday that he has had sex with female employees. The on-air revelation came after Letterman testified before a grand jury that a man threatened to release the information ...

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats said Thursday they have reached a deal to extend unemployment insurance benefits to the nearly 2 million jobless workers across the country who are in danger of running out of assistance by the end of the year. The agreement would give an additional 14 weeks of benefits to jobless workers in all 50 states. Workers in states ...

A recent survey from Adecco Group North America highlights the increased dissatisfaction workers in America have with their employers. According to the survey: 54% of employees plan to look for a new job as soon as the economy turns around. Sentiment is even stronger among younger workers. Of those ages 18-29, 71% say they are likely to look for new ...

For years, former Memphis mayor Willie Herenton liked to boast that he never took a sick day at work and that he rarely went on vacation. What the former mayor didn't reveal was that he - along with chief administrative officer Keith McGee - "cashed in" unused vacation days annually, skirting city policy and effectively boosting his compensation above the amount ...

Time flies when you're busy as a bee at the office. Before you know it, it's 5 p.m. and you've barely made a dent. What happened? Whether it's a nasty case of procrastination, the inability to say no, or a very busy lifestyle, there aren't enough hours in the day to finish all the work you have to do. Unfortunately, ...

Maintaining a population of skilled, productive workers is a continual challenge for employers. For working parents, their challenge is often related to sourcing convenient, quality child care solutions. Today, many employers are stepping into this work-life challenge and have begun offering child care benefits that support the work-life balance of employees. And, despite budget crunches and space constraints that many companies ...

In these economic times, it would not be unusual to look at the cost of providing certain benefits and wonder whether there is any room to cut those costs. Whether an employer can successfully accomplish this without exposing itself to excessive risk requires understanding the nature of protected benefits under the Internal Revenue Code (Code) and the Employee Retirement Income ...

A reader writes: A Big 5 recruiter I met at a career expo asked me out on a date. We met at a career expo in New York. I was looking for a job and networking, he was there as a speaker. He approached me 3 times throughout the daylong conference, once to say hello, the next to say we should ...