Massive open online courses (MOOCs) first began gaining traction in 2011, with high profile educators like MIT and Harvard, as well as new entrants like Coursera and edX, entering the marketplace. These online courses, some available at no charge, could represent opportunities for employee development, but there are pros and cons, as well as best […]
Best Practices in Reducing Time to Hire
As the economic downturn of 2008 becomes a distant memory, a growing number of employers are finding that the tide is turning when it comes to competing for talent. It wasn’t that long ago when employers became relatively complacent from a hiring standpoint—it was an employer’s market. But all of that is changing as baby […]
How to Keep Communication Channels Open When Working Remotely
According to GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com, the number people working at home has risen by 115 percent since 2005; that’s almost 10 times faster than growth in other sectors. And, this number doesn’t take into account those who are self-employed. It’s not unusual for IT pros to work remotely, or virtually. When they do, and especially for those […]
The Impact of Office Layout on Productivity and Engagement
Noise, distractions, lack of personal space and potential impacts on productivity are just a few of the unintended impacts that office layout choices may raise. While open office environments have been popular, a recent Gallup report suggests that most employees prefer to have a place to call their own. What office space decisions may serve to hinder—or, […]
Older Workers On the Rise: Benefits and Potential Drawbacks
The baby boomer generation has had a significant impact on society—and the workforce. That impact is predicted to continue. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that, while only 11.9 percent of the labor force was 55 years or older in 1990, that percentage will increase to 25.2 percent in 2020. Many Americans are choosing […]
Employees and Social Media: Best Practices for Employers
Social media tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and others, can be great tools for employees to use for learning and communication. The same is true of employers. But both sides need to know some important do’s and don’ts for leveraging social media channels effectively. Rapid Adoption According to an infoplease timeline, Friendster, the first […]
Taking a Marketing Approach to Attracting Talent
In many organizations, the marketing and HR functions operate independently—HR focused primarily on internal communications with employees and marketing focused primarily on external communications with consumer and business audiences that include both prospects and customers. In some organizations, though, these two groups have teamed up to combine their expertise to boost overall communication effectiveness, internally […]
Are Wellness Programs Wasted on the Well?
Wellness programs are increasingly common these days in organizations large and small. But some believe that participants tend to be those who were already well, or planning to get there. Is there evidence to suggest that employees who really need to avail themselves of these offerings are doing so? What best practices are organizations using […]
New Ways of Thinking About Performance Management
Face it. Performance management and employee reviews are the bane of existence for most managers—and the employees they manage! It’s unfortunate that a practice that should be designed to improve employee performance and contribution to the company, while developing career-related skills that are personally important, often becomes a dreaded—and, sometimes, contentious—once-a-year interaction. It doesn’t have […]
Tapping Into the Contingent Workforce
A report from Ardent Partners found that “35% of today’s total workforce is considered non-employee: freelance, independent, external, extended, contingent, etc.” In addition, “95% of organizations today perceiving their contingent workforce as important and vital not only to day-to-day operations, but also to ultimate enterprise success and growth.” This is a new staffing model for […]