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Thousands of 401(k)s Fail Nondiscrimination Tests

Thousands of 401(k) plans failed their recent IRS nondiscrimination testing and had to return excess contributions to highly compensated employees because of imbalanced retirement plan coverage, according to research by a 401(k) advisory firm. Almost 60,000, or about 12 percent, of plans reviewed were forced to make “corrective distributions” to HCEs in 2012, the latest […]

‘I am appalled’ by SHRM/HRCI Brouhaha (Talk-Back)

We got a large number of comments responding to last week’s epinion concerning the brouhaha brewing over SHRM’s decision to start offering its own certifications, in competition with HRCI. [See the original post here.] None of the comments is positive and most of the negativity is directed toward SHRM. Two readers cleverly turned the sample […]

New Mentoring Projects Developing Tomorrow’s STEM Professionals Today

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals in Philadelphia will be paired up with local youth in mentor relationships as part of the city’s award-winning plan to increase the number of youths engaged in STEM. Philadelphia is one of seven winning cities in the US2020 City Competition, a national competition initiated by the White House […]

SHRM certification: How will HR professionals go forward?

Career-minded human resource professionals interested in proving their worth to their employers devote time, energy, and money into earning certification. But now the credentialing system they’ve relied on for decades is up in the air, and a new system is still a mystery. HR pros were surprised in May when the Society for Human Resource […]

Is Zappos’ Approach to Recruiting Right for You?

In yesterday’s Advisor, BLR legal editor Jasmin Rojas explored Zappos’ new approach to recruiting—all on social media, no postings. In this issue, more of her thoughts about how you may learn from their initiative.

But, Jerk, Lazy, I Don’t Have Time, and OK Are Not OK

Go here for numbers 1 to 6 of Price’s phrases to avoid. Price (www.wellsaid.com) is the author of the book Well Said! Presentations and Conversations That Get Results. 7. AVOID: “… don’t you think?” and “… isn’t it?” and “… OK?” To convey a confident, commanding presence, eliminate validation questions. Make your statement or recommendation […]

10 Phrases That Undermine Your Success

To successfully communicate, says Price (www.wellsaid.com), you have to learn to present yourself and your message effectively. You’ve got to know your audience members and tailor your content to meet their needs. And you’ve got to be sincere, natural, enthusiastic and passionate, maintain good eye contact, and be calm and polite. AND you need to […]

Train Your Workers on These Ergonomic Best Practices

Professional ergonomist Kevin Butler recently penned an article on our sister site, HR.BLR.com®, regarding the latest up-to-date information on how employees can improve well-being in their workspaces. Click the “yesterday’s Advisor” link in the first paragraph for the first half of Butler’s advice. Here are the last three ergonomic tips from Butler: 3. Sitting up […]

Zapp Your Postings—Wave of the Future?

Just when you thought you had mastered job boards and job posting online, here comes pacesetting Zappos with a whole nother approach—do away with your job postings and rely on social media! Wait. … What?   Bold Experiment or Crazy Idea? Only a few months ago the HR community was abuzz with the news of […]

Are Your Workers Trained on the Latest Ergonomic Best Practices?

Today, workers are experiencing a global assault on physical, social, and cognitive well-being. Worldwide, rates of heart and lung diseases, as well as diabetes and obesity, are rising sharply. We are cognitively overloaded and distracted by new technologies, multitasking from e-mail to social media. At the same time, stress has become a global epidemic costing […]