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A Lesson from Google in Fostering “Smart Creatives”

I often talk about the characteristics of the people with whom I want to work. In their book How Google Works, Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg talk about the type of people they had at Google. And the two of them should know—Schmidt is the executive chairman and ex-CEO, and Rosenberg is a former SVP […]

BYOD and Employee Habits—Employer Concerns

Have you implemented (or are you considering implementing) a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy? This trend just keeps growing. Employers are finding that many employees are more than happy to use their personal phones (and even tablets and computers) for work, since it means workers will be able to have a say in what […]

EEOC weighs in on employer wellness plans

by Kelly Smith-Haley January is here, which means diet, exercise, and wellness resolutions aren’t far behind.  And, like many of us, the EEOC has “wellness plans” on its list of 2015 New Year’s resolutions.  The Chicago branch of the EEOC recently filed its third action alleging that an employer-sponsored wellness program violates the Americans with […]

Design Handouts to Give Trainees a ‘Hand Up’ to Better Performance

  If your handouts are “throwaways,” you’re doing something wrong. Presentation expert Marie Wallace says, “Too many presenters treat handouts like an afterthought, justifying their action with ‘They will just get trashed anyway.’ That kind of thinking becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. When handouts are not designed well, they do get trashed.” When done correctly, however, […]

Personalized Employee Training Plans: Have You Joined This Trend?

Did you know that many organizations are opting to create training programs for employees that are more personalized rather than generic or role-based? These training plans take into account not only the role the individual is training for but also the individual’s future goals and any gaps in that person’s skill set.

Employees Not Helped by Slow Health Premium Growth

Employers have been shifting more premium costs to workers and increasing their deductibles. That, in addition to the fact that price growth in the health sector outpaces growth for the rest of the economy,  has resulted in a disproportionate increase in employee out-of-pocket costs, a new Commonwealth Fund report says. Growth in health plan costs […]

Q&A: Lori Kleiman on HR Assessments

In yesterday’s Advisor, the 7 steps to a strategic HR assessment were presented by Lori Kleiman, SPHR; today, she elaborates on the challenges of the HR function and presents a couple of frequently asked questions and their answers.

Don’t Forget to Find Some Quiet Time This Year

You don’t spend nearly enough time simply thinking. Before you take offense to that statement, consider how much time you spend talking, responding to e-mail, even reading—my guess is that you spend more time doing any one of them than you do thinking.

Vermont’s layoff warning law to take effect January 15

by Jeff Nolan The substantive notice requirements of Vermont’s new law requiring warnings before mass layoffs takes effect January 15, meaning the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) isn’t the only law requiring certain employers to notify employees of an impending plant closing or mass layoff. The Vermont Notice of Potential Layoffs […]