As the economy continues to improve, you’ll likely spend more time and money this year finding and hiring new employees. Unfortunately, many employers start new workers off on the wrong foot by offering ineffective (or even off-putting) orientation and onboarding programs. Given the extremely high...

Recruiting is one area that easily comes to mind when employers are considering how to best use social media in the workplace. Social media sites like LinkedIn even have job-hunting components built right in. More and more companies are diving right in and using social media as the primary source for...

In a time when creative growth and technological advancements are crucial to business success, companies are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of hiring and retaining talented employees. Talent management is one of the most difficult tasks an organization faces as fewer workers with the required...

Here are the 10 key topics we feel are at the forefront for HR right now: HRIS Talent acquisition Healthcare benefits Recruitment and applicant tracking Retirement benefits Health and wellness Background checks Preemployment and employee testing Recognition, rewards, and incentives Performance appraisals...

Yesterday , we began our rundown of 10 key topics at the forefront for HR right now. Today, the rest of the list—plus an introduction to a valuable California-specific resource that will help you get your arms around a perennial concern: hiring. [ Go here for #s 1-5] #6 Health and Wellness Ideas...

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a newly revised Employment Eligibility Verification form, Form I-9 . The revisions to Form I-9 contain formatting changes and the inclusion of additional data fields. The key revisions to Form I-9, outlined in the Federal Register, include...

When the government cracks down, as it has been doing over I-9 and immigration procedures, it’s vital to ensure that your processes are correct. This checklist can help. Yesterday’s CED reported on government efforts to curtail illegal immigration by eliminating the principal lure that brings...

If your I-9 program is not up to snuff, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency can freeze your operation and put you in cold storage. Here’s how to avoid slipping up. Anyone who’s tuned into the news lately knows there’s a massive discussion underway in the United...

In a time when creative growth and technological advancements are crucial to business success, companies are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of hiring and retaining talented employees. Talent management is one of the most difficult tasks an organization faces as fewer workers with the required...

Below, an instructive parable about the negative consequences you can experience when you elevate metrics over real-life performance. Have you ever been guilty of something similar? Karl Ahlrichs, who is owner of ExpertSpeaks, and a consultant and business developer for Gregory & Appel, shares the...

To tame turnover, says consultant Karl Ahlrichs, SPHR, focus on the employees you really want to keep. You’ll have a much better shot at improving the bottom line. And going one step further—if you can do a good job of managing turnover among top producers, you’ll improve other key...

Should you conduct background checks for employment? California employers are understandably wary, with recent lawsuits alleging that background checks can have a disparate impact on protected groups. However, background checks can be a great resource. They provide an opportunity to learn more about...

In yesterday’s CED , we presented the results of the Monster/BLR Survey of Recruiting Best Practices. Today, the survey’s data around social media and Google background checks, plus an introduction to a brand-new, California-specific hiring resource. Of the survey respondents that conducted...

Along with referrals from current employees, jobs boards of various types are the dominant sources for finding new employees, according to a recent survey conducted by Monster.com and Business & Legal Resources (CER’s parent company). Some other interesting findings: 19 percent of recruiters...

Social media in the workplace can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, employers seek to restrict its use by employees. On the other, employers are finding that it can be a great tool in employment screening. But where does public data cross privacy boundaries? What can and can’t California employers...

Research shows employees are more likely to stay loyal if they have a good relationship with their supervisors. Here’s a program to help make that happen. Yesterday’s CED talked about the high cost of employee turnover and mentioned the oft-quoted notion that “employees don’t...

Can you retain your best employees even as competition in the job market stiffens? Sure you can … if you know these turnover-reducing, retention-increasing techniques. When talk turns to turnover and retention, we’ve all heard the gloomy statistics. Many of your best workers will be retiring...

Legislation surrounding the use of social media in the workplace is a growing concern for California employers. "There are probably more questions than answers at this point. We predict that the rise in litigation – particularly in California – around these social media rules and regulations...

Online recruiting has exploded and, for many employers, become the primary means of soliciting candidates and resumes/applications. But with this explosion come the pitfalls of poorly designed online candidate management systems, ineffective online recruiting programs, and the inability of organizations...

Social media recruiting is of growing importance as more and more candidates position themselves online through social media profiles. During the past few years, social media has crept into our lives and workplaces, and its presence is now as ubiquitous as any other news medium. It’s important...