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Goals and action plans

Set your goal and create a plan to achieve it

If you spent any time at all watching the 2012 Summer Olympics, you undoubtedly noticed young Gabby Douglas. Gabby is a 16-year-old U.S. gymnast who won a gold medal in both the individual and team all-around competitions. The charismatic teenager is now featured on the front of Corn Flakes cereal boxes. So, how does a […]

An Inauguration for New Hires

Today we’ll hear from Kelly Martin on how to make new hires feel special, with their own sort of inauguration. By Kelly Martin

Empathy from Leaders Lifts Company Performance and Helps During Layoffs

Whenever there are mass layoffs, organizational PR teams scramble to find a spin on the announcements. HR professionals fumble the exit planning. Leaders butcher the communication. It is bound to happen. What I wish we would do more of is think about how organizational culture can lead to improved performance and perhaps help us avoid […]

New Year

Some Encouraging Words About Big 2021 Challenge

Several weeks ago, Tony Kessler, senior content manager at BLR®, sent an e-mail asking for perspectives on the year 2020. His note prompted this article. Last year was full of challenges, including racial unrest. Systemic racism became a topic in businesses and organizations all across the country. Even well-meaning diversity training came under attack. Historians […]

The HR Guide to Measuring and Fixing Employee Engagement

There is no shortage of studies supporting a causal relationship between employee engagement and business performance. To cite just one recent Gallup study, higher engagement can be linked to better performance across multiple metrics such as sales, productivity, profitability and EPS growth.

HR Teams Play an Integral Role in Safeguarding Employee Data

One of the weightiest responsibilities for any HR department is the protection of employees’ personal data. Consider the amount of sensitive employee information companies possess: tax documents, Social Security numbers, insurance information, bank account numbers, and candidate data. The major breaches we see in the headlines are typically focused on the theft of customer data, […]

Faces of HR: Sabra Sciolaro on Acts of Courage, Coaching, and Communication

Meet Sabra Sciolaro, Chief People Officer (CPO) at Firstup, a content and collaboration software company. Sciolaro brings not only more than 15 years of HR and organizational development experience to her role but also a history of leading transformational change and strengthening employee engagement in myriad industries, including software development, cybersecurity, retail, and health care.  […]

3 Ways HR Can Support Immigrant Workers Through Policy Shifts and Travel Restrictions

Summertime brings a wave of paid time off as employees use their vacation days to visit their families and friends or far-flung destinations. For millions of immigrant workers, however, this season brings a very different experience. Rather than enjoying a summer filled with rest and reconnection, immigrant workers are facing emotional strain and legal uncertainties. […]

Ask the Expert: Can We Substitute Reduced Rent for Overtime Pay?

We are planning to have one of our employees, who typically works Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., live in one of our apartments for a reduced rent rate. In exchange for this, on the weekends he will empty the dumpsters and address any maintenance calls that may occur during the weekend. We […]