When you’re building a culture that matters, the mission matters. Researchers with Deloitte, for instance, found that “mission-driven” companies typically are first or second in their market segment, have 30 percent higher levels of innovation, and have 40 percent higher retention levels. Neil Gill faced this challenge in 2015 when he took over as president and CEO of Dogtopia, which offers daycare, boa...

By now you've heard the news coming out of Uber. We always knew that this startup darling had a rough and tumble culture, and let's face it - sometimes that's needed to spark innovation. But reasonable people know you can have a performance-based culture without creating an environment full of bad stuff - including harassment. If you've always wanted to get budget for manager/leadership training, now is...

The entertainment industry has mastered the art of self-recognition, but it’s not exactly a model for the rest of the world. It costs more than $20 million, for instance, to put on the annual Academy Awards shindig. Those little golden statues they give away? Roughly $45,000 each. And this weekend the music industry will celebrate itself by taking over the Staples Center, handing out Grammy Awards, and jamming alon...

Let's face it. If you follow college basketball at all, there's a high likelihood you hate Duke. Why? Duke as a university smacks of privilege, and the basketball program polarizes people like the Cowboys or the Yankees, without attracting as much of a loyal following - the concentration and comparison is mainly on the hate side. And then there's the little issue of race. Combine the status of the unive...

In a previous article, we talked about the fact that the OFCCP has tools to answer your questions. So let’s continue that conversation with some more FAQs and tools on some of the most asked-about topics. Section 503 We have all begun collecting data, conducting outreach and analyzing our organizations according the new 503 regulations, but contractors still have a lot of questions, and here are the tools the OFCC...

The most common question I am asked when I meet with a prospective employer is, “Can you help me to better understand the benefits to my company?” This is a legitimate question because, as we know, one of the primary purposes of a business is to be profitable. If it doesn’t show a profit, everyone is impacted. So how can hiring people with disabilities enhance the business? The first reason to hire th...

Doing business with the United States federal government can be very lucrative, but it comes with a price. That price arrives in the form of reporting obligations, recordkeeping, outreach, and much more! Failure to comply with all applicable regulatory requirements can also have steep consequences, so it is very important for federal contractors to ensure they are doing all that is required. Companies are sometimes...

In FY 2016, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) quietly settled twelve compliance reviews without a press release. This is unusual. Historically, OFCCP publishes a press release with each conciliation agreement. If you missed reading about these resolutions, you missed out on some valuable lessons. Overall, the time frames for the alleged periods of discrimination ranged from January 1, 2006,...

Lessons Learned from OFCCP FY 2016 Conciliation Agreements Without Press Releases Topic: OFCCP Audits In FY 2016, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) quietly settled twelve compliance reviews without a press release. This is unusual. Historically, OFCCP publishes a press release with each conciliation agreement...

In a 2016 Fast Track piece, we covered a disconcerting study conducted by The Project Management Institute (PMI). The research illustrated that organizations around the world waste an average of $122 million for every $1 billion spent on projects as a result of poor project management practices. Called Pulse of the Profession®: The High Cost of Low Performance study, the study indicated that the amount of waste had i...