HRGuru

MILWAUKEE -- Amid the rubble of the steepest job landslide since the 1930s, many human resources professionals are out of work. The very people who act as employers' gatekeepers are finding themselves out on the street, wondering how this could happen to them and what to do next. "Usually when companies seem to be doing poorly, the first cuts come to ...

I recently heard an interview with leadership expert, best selling author and speaker, John Maxwell, and was intrigued by the discussion on the topic of “Failing Forward,” a book that he had written several years back. So why are some individuals able to fight off handicaps and hardships, only to fail forward, not backwards? Maxwell says “…..I know of only ...

One of my favorite shows is Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe on the Discovery Channel. Mr. Bartender has actually been employed in a few of the jobs shown during the opening credits. When we met, his job was doing whale autopsies, which (trust me) was a very dirty job. For those who aren’t familiar, host Mike Rowe, a former professional opera ...

CARY -- Editor's note: This fall, The NandO is talking to people about the nation's health-care system: what works, what doesn't and what should be done to fix it. There is standard employer-sponsored health insurance -- and then there are SAS-provided benefits. The Cary-based software company built an on-site health clinic, staffed with doctors and nurse practitioners. If you need to ...

Finding the right balance between basic pay and commission is crucial to rewarding salespeople, says Tom Washington. If you have ever had dealings with a persuasive, perhaps forceful, salesperson, the chances are they were thinking more about the money they stood to earn from the sale than finding the right deal for you. But for many employers, having an engaged and ...

Discounts offered through a voluntary benefits scheme can help keep staff motivated when budgets are tight, says Victoria Furness. Money may be the root of all evil, but it is also widely recognized as a big driver of employee performance and motivation. So in the current economic climate, with job cuts and salary freezes, what can employers do to keep staff ...

Two recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court establish new standards for discrimination cases. How will these decisions affect your organization? Some of the effects will be felt mostly during litigation rather than in day-to-day business, predicted employment lawyers who participated in a mid-July teleconference co-sponsored by the American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law and the ABA Center ...

Confronted by a steep recession and its new economic realities, employees, now more than ever, place a greater value on their benefits. And "because cost control is a very important benefits objective for employers during these tough times, and the economy is asserting additional pressures to balance benefits expense and value, it is important that employers understand how to maximize the ...

How to avoid becoming the next David Letterman. You may spend most of your waking hours with the people you work with, but does that mean it's a good idea to sleep with them? What I find most interesting about this topic is that even in this day and age, the topic is evergreen. Here's what I mean. In early 2004, ...

A reader writes: 11 months ago, I accepted a job in the nuclear industry (Company X). At that time I was unemployed. The offer was contingent upon the issuance of a security clearance. Clearances take anywhere from 2-3 weeks to 2-3 years. In such situations, people either travel, volunteer, enjoy the free time, or find a job. Luckily for me, I ...

Using positive feedback as part of performance management is free, legal, ethical and highly effective. Here is how you do it...

Look out. There is a storm brewing on the horizon. I just saw the movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The film is about Flint, a nerdy inventor who transforms the sleepy town of Swallow Falls into a meteorological marvel where the skies pour pizza, hot dogs, and Gummi Bears. As the movie progresses, the Mayor of the town gets ...

In the good old days, the recruiter's role invariably used to stop once the candidate was placed. Colin Cottell reports on the changing face of recruitment and how it's starting to be done differently. The days when recruitment was synonymous simply with filling vacancies are coming to an end, according to growing numbers of employers and recruitment agencies. As the old ...

A reader writes: I'm 35 years old and have been self-employed for the past five years as a sole proprietor. My business entails providing career and educational counseling to students and immigrants. I have a true "brick and mortar," not a virtual office. Though I have enjoyed the challenges that come with running a business, I'm ready to close up shop ...

With the possibility of health care reform on the horizon, Hewitt Associates, a global human resources consulting and outsourcing company, finds that most U.S. employers are taking a "wait and see" approach and forgoing significant overhauls to their benefits plans in 2010. As a result, employees can expect to see few major changes to their benefits plans when they enroll ...

Although early adopters of human resources outsourcing (HRO) services will make significant changes when restructuring end-of-term contracts over the next three years, 75-85 percent of buyers will retain current suppliers, according to the Everest Research Institute. As HRO clients evaluate how to drive incremental value for their organizations through the end-of-term process, areas of restructuring will range from modifying the number ...

A reader writes: Last week, I did a complete overhaul of my resume, specifically to cut it down from 2 pages to 1, because I keep hearing (from friends who work in HR, as well as in articles on the subject) that now more than ever, employers want a really clear, concise snapshot of each candidate with as little "fluff" as ...

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- A recent survey suggests hiring new workers will be the top priority for many employers as the economy improves. When asked where they most likely will boost spending when the recovery occurs, nearly one in three senior executives (31 percent) said he or she plans to hire additional staff. Twenty-one percent of respondents plan to give their ...

In my first full year of leading a team, I’ve had my fair share of ups, downs, lefts and rights. My transition from worker-bee to boss-lady hasn’t been the smoothest. After taking some time to reflect on my journey, I reached a “Eureka!” moment about management. I’m going to share it with all of you in hopes that it will help ...

The other day we celebrated my wife’s birthday and we had a great time. You see, we’ve been married almost four years and I know the kinds of things she likes. I made her dinner (instead of going out) because she enjoys when I put together dinner. I got her clothes instead of jewelry because she seems to have a glut ...