Let’s face it. Hiring can be tough. The unemployment rate is low – just 3.8% according to the Department of Labor Statistics – and employers have to compete for good employees. So what can you do? Here are a few tactics to turn to in order to step up your recruiting and hiring success rate. Obtain Data from Exit Interviews A first step to creating successful recruiting, hiring and retention strat...

All businesses must comply with a number of State and Federal employment regulations. If you don’t know about employment laws and regulations, or if you know and do not follow them, your business could be required to pay fees or be in danger of being sued. What can smart companies do? Proactively conduct a human resources audit. A human resources audit is a comprehensive review of your employment policies and practic...

April 4, 2017, was Equal Pay Day. The Equal Pay Act, which requires that men and women get equal pay for equal work, was enacted in 1963, more than 50 years ago. Yet, women in the United States earn an average of 79 cents for every dollar earned by men. And the wage disparity is worse for women of color and Hispanic women. Why? To start, women need to understand how certain attitudes and behaviors may be hurting us....

As a career coach I am often asked by clients if I think they should take a job offer. Just because you get a job offer doesn’t mean that you have to accept it. To help you make your decision, create a list of important criteria for taking or turning down a job. Your list might include salary, benefits, commute time, do you like the people you will be working with, is the new job challenging, is the company stable,...

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees from discrimination and retaliation due to national origin. Title VII makes it unlawful for employers to treat workers unfairly because of their national origin or ethnic background, if an individual is from a certain country, or if he or she has cultural, physical, or linguistic characteristics of a certain ethnic group. In FY 2015, approximately 11% of workpla...

A diverse workplace traditionally means including employees from different races, religions, ethnic backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, disabilities, and ages. In recent years, the definition has broadened to include having a diversity of beliefs and problem-solving backgrounds in your workforce. Why do it? What can you achieve by having a diverse workforce? You can expect an increase in innovation and problem-s...

I was recently asked to give a talk to a group of entrepreneurs on the biggest HR mistakes that companies make. In my experience of doing HR work for over thirty years, and from running a consulting practice for the last fifteen years, the biggest HR mistakes companies make are as follows: 1. Not keeping up with employment laws Running a business requires wearing many hats. Add to that keeping up with new state and fe...

Layoffs have touched nearly every American household over the last few years according to a recent RutgersUniversity study. Nearly a quarter of Americans say they were laid off at some point during the recession or afterward. And, nearly eight in 10 say they know someone in their circle of family and friends who has lost a job. At the same time, working virtually, banking online, paying bills online and even losing wei...

If you are looking for a job, writing a resume is one of the first steps you need to take. The goal of a resume is to get you in the door with prospective employers. And, you have about 30 seconds to grab the reader's attention. As the former Manager of Staffing for a Fortune 500 company, certified career counselor, and board member of several nonprofit organizations, I have reviewed thousands of resumes. Based upon my...

Whether you are dealing with a difficult person or motivating someone to be a more positive contributor, employee feedback is a powerful management tool. Many of us work with these four difficult types of employees and the guidance below will help you have constructive feedback sessions: The Bomb - an unguided missile who has a track record of bursts of anger. Keep in mind the time-honored adage that you can’t con...