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Articles by Rachel Bolsu
2024 Federal Workplace Safety Poster Requirements
HR When was the last time you checked your workplace poster requirements? If it’s been a while, now’s the time to ensure that you’re in compliance for 2024. After all, Federal safety poster requirements are updated periodically; in fact, several were updated in 2023. Failure to display the right workplace posters in the right manner can trigger fines and penalties—and sends a poor message to your workforce, too. But don’t worry, busy HR pro: we got you.
Key Talent Acquisition Metrics You Should Track in 2024
If you’re not already tracking your talent acquisition metrics and analytics, now is a great time to start. After all, if you’re one of the many employers planning to accelerate hiring in 2024, you need every edge, especially since finding the right candidate fit remains an ongoing challenge. Monitoring your recruitment metrics will allow you to continually improve your hiring process—and, in turn, make more brilliant hires.
Fun Thanksgiving Office Ideas to Foster Gratitude
Let’s talk turkey. If your company doesn’t typically celebrate Thanksgiving, maybe it’s time to start. After all, Thanksgiving is all about expressing gratitude and appreciation—and these are qualities every workplace can use more of these days. Besides, as with all workplace holiday festivities, such celebrations go a long way toward engaging employees and nurturing team bonding. Best of all, with our simple Thanksgiving office ideas, it’s also major fun.
Salary Transparency: Pros, Cons, and Implementation Best Practices
Employers face numerous HR issues right now—and salary transparency ranks high on the list. After all, a number of states have already enacted pay transparency laws, and more are in line to do so. Even if it’s not (yet!) mandated in your jurisdiction, is it the smart thing to do? That’s an excellent question. In order to answer it, let’s consider its pros and cons, the legislative landscape—and, of course, best practices for moving forward. What Is Salary Transparency—and its Compliance Status?
Resources for Planning an Unforgettable Company Holiday Party
HR We get it. Your company holiday party isn’t all fun and games—not when you’re the one charged with all of the planning. However, your corporate holiday party is a once-a-year opportunity to make progress on many of your essential HR goals. Done right, it’s the team-building activity of all team-building activities—a surefire way to build camaraderie and enhance your culture. But how do you make it special, keep it simple—and keep your sanity, too?
AI in HR: Balancing Automation and Human Touch
Artificial intelligence is everywhere, and that certainly includes AI in HR technology. According to Gartner research, 81% of HR leaders have implemented or at least explored AI solutions. Without question, AI in HR is a valuable tool that can save employers time and money, while improving efficiency and decision-making. Chances are, you’re already using some AI in your HR software, whether or not you see it as such.
7 Jokes to Get You Through Open Enrollment
HR Forget winter—open enrollment is coming. And no matter how much you’ve planned and prepared for it, for many HR and employee benefits pros, it’s still a hectic, stressful event. This is why we’re pleased to share our top open enrollment jokes. After all, there’s nothing like a good (or awful) open enrollment meme or riddle to lighten the load—whether they make you smile or groan. A: Because once it’s over, open enrollment begins! A: Because their goal is raisin’ awareness.
10 Jokes to Get You Through Open Enrollment
HR Forget winter—open enrollment is coming. And no matter how much you’ve planned and prepared for it, for many HR and employee benefits pros, it’s still a hectic, stressful event. This is why we’re pleased to share our top 10 open enrollment jokes. After all, there’s nothing like a good (or awful) open enrollment meme or riddle to lighten the load—whether they make you smile or groan. Because once it’s over, open enrollment begins! Because their goal is raisin’ awareness.
Unconventional Interview Questions for Finance Talent
In the financial sector, making the right hire matters more than ever. That’s why it’s so important to ask wide-ranging interview questions for finance talent. Beyond assessing a candidate’s professional expertise and business acumen, of course, you need to know if they’d be a good fit for your company and workforce. Communication style, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving abilities… may ultimately tip the balance when it comes to making a successful new hire.
Unconventional Interview Questions for Tech Recruiting
As an HR professional in the IT industry, you’re undoubtedly an expert at asking the right technical interview questions. But what about soft skills assessments, like critical thinking and problem-solving skills? After all, a great hire isn’t simply a candidate who aces your coding challenges and code review assignments. A great hire is a good communicator, flexible collaborator, and excellent problem solver.
Navigating HR Challenges During Mergers and Acquisitions
Change can be hard. Uncertainty can be even harder. That’s why HR challenges in mergers and acquisitions are so complex. From handling integration problems to keeping employees focused and productive, M&As are a big task for even seasoned HR professionals. Adding to the pressure: the stakes are quite high. According to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), 70-90% of mergers and acquisitions fail to achieve their financial and strategic goals.
Creating a Coaching Culture: Developing Your Managers as Coaches
Employee Engagement Coaching culture in the workplace is not a new concept, but it has become a more popular approach to supporting and empowering employee growth. Developing your managers as coaches can help create a safe place to learn, grow, and increase productivity. According to the Human Capital Institute, more than half of organizations (51%) with a strong coaching culture benefit from higher revenue than their industry competitors.
Should Your Company Celebrate Juneteenth at Work?
HR Each year, more and more employers are recognizing Juneteenth—i.e., June 19. In fact, in 2021, Juneteenth—which marks the legal emancipation of African-American slaves—was declared a federal holiday. Last year, about provided it as a paid holiday, and that percentage is expected to grow this year. As a result, you may be one of the many businesses now wondering if they should follow suit—or, at the very least, celebrate Juneteenth at work in some fashion.
Non-monetary Benefits: A Surprisingly Powerful Retention Tool
HR When it comes to employee retention, compensation is just the tip of the iceberg. Studies show that when employers provide generous non-monetary benefits, employee loyalty and longevity soar. But what are non-monetary benefits, and why are they so powerful? Which ones resonate most with workers—and, most importantly, how can you leverage them with your workforce? What Are Non-monetary Benefits?
How to Celebrate Father's Day at Work
As with any other sociocultural celebration at work—like Mother’s Day and national heritage months—it is important to find inclusive ways to celebrate Father’s Day at work. Whether you encourage or host Father’s Day activities, offer unique and personalized gifts, or offer family-friendly policies, there are plenty of ways to ensure fathers are celebrated and appreciated without excluding those who are not parents.
Celebrating Religious Holidays and Accommodating Employees
HR Creating inclusion and diversity in the workplace extends to religious holidays. Though religion in the workplace can be a complex issue, it contributes to employee job satisfaction, performance, and cultivating a sense of belonging. Whether you observe nationally recognized holidays or not, it is important to consider religious holidays from any and all religions—not just those widely celebrated.
May Is National Recommitment Month-Here’s Why It Matters
May is National Recommitment Month. It’s also National Salad Month and National Mystery Month—but unlike those rather specialized observances, Recommitment Month can be a powerful tool for any employer. Here’s the least you should know about this up-and-coming occasion, why you might choose to observe it—and how you can put it to work for your workforce. What Is Recommitment Month, Exactly?
Career Mobility: What It Is and How It Can Improve Retention
HR Internal mobility—the vertical or lateral movement of employees in various roles within a company—begins with a clear understanding of the employee lifecycle, specifically factors that impact it. So what is career mobility? It is the process of engaging employees and setting them up for career advancement and professional development.
How to Create an Attractive Relocation Benefits Package
Talent Perhaps your company is growing rapidly. Maybe you seek employees with fresh perspectives. Or you’re struggling to find local candidates with specialized skills. In any case, you may be wondering if it’s time for a relocation program—and, in that case, where to begin. The good news is, when it comes to developing an effective relocation package, employers have more choices than ever. The first step is to learn how relocation programs work and understand their key components.
Top 5 Reasons Why Candidates Reject Job Offers
Talent If you’ve been in HR for any length of time, this has undoubtedly happened to you. You identify a very strong candidate—one everyone thinks is the perfect match. They seem interested. You present a competitive job offer and they turn you down, leaving you to wonder why candidates reject job offers that they first pursued? It’s a question that employers are asking more frequently these days.
Sustainability in the Workplace: 7 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
Company Culture If your company doesn’t celebrate Earth Day, why not make this the year you start? Your employees (and Mother Earth) will love you for it—and we’ve lined up some engaging green office ideas to make it easy and fun. Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22 to raise awareness about environmental issues and encourage people to protect the planet. Many of your employees undoubtedly care deeply about this issue and will embrace your sustainability initiatives in the workplace.
Autism Awareness Month: Invisible Disabilities in the Workplace
Talent April is Autism Awareness Month, which makes it the perfect time to discuss invisible disabilities in the workplace. Invisible disabilities are, by their nature, often overlooked and misunderstood—but when employers hire and develop employees with invisible disabilities, their workplace is richer for it. What Are Invisible Disabilities?
Building Relationships at Work: Good or Bad for Productivity?
Company Culture Coworker relationships play an essential role in virtually every work environment. After all, very few of us work in a vacuum. But does building relationships at work increase workplace productivity—or have the opposite effect? From what we’ve learned, it can go either way, depending on how employers manage their company culture, workforce, and work environment.
World Health Day: 4 Creative Ways to Celebrate at Work
World Health Day is a day to celebrate the World Health Organization (WHO) foundation. This year’s celebration on April 7, 2023 is especially significant as it marks seven decades of promoting health, maintaining global safety, and helping the underserved. Additionally, it is an opportunity to inspire change in healthcare across the world. Each year the celebration focuses on addressing and improving a specific public health concern—this year’s theme is Health for All.
5 Strategies for Creating a Positive Employee Experience in a Hybrid Workplace
Company Culture The employee experience consists of many facets that are influenced by external factors, such as work environment, opportunities, and culture. Exploring the different facets and strategies to create a positive employee experience with a hybrid workforce can help foster a more resilient, empathetic workplace. 1. Boosting Employee Engagement Many organizations attribute benefit offerings, flexible work arrangements, and compensation packages as influences to engagement.
Top 5 Benefits of a Vibrant Upskilling Program
Talent Upskilling initiatives don’t just benefit employees who seek career advancement—they can benefit employers in powerful ways. In fact, a robust learning and development (L&D) program can help employers solve some of the most pressing workforce challenges of 2023. If you don’t place much emphasis on professional development—or you haven’t upgraded your L&D program in some time—consider these five compelling reasons to do so now. Your employees will thank you, and your business will, too. 1.
Overcoming Challenges: How to Make an Introvert/Extrovert Team Successful
Company Culture Psychiatrist Carl Jung developed the concept of introversion and extroversion in the early 1900s. One of the core tell-tale signs on introverts is how they recharge after a social interaction. Introverts tend to retract inward to recharge and have a low desire for social activity, whereas extroverts are typically outgoing, sociable, and enthusiastic individuals who crave, as well as thrive in, social settings. But how do you find synergy between seemingly opposite personality types?
How to Support Military Reservists in the Workplace
HR If your company employs members of the military Reserve or National Guard, consider yourself lucky—they are a credit to you and to the country. Consider how you can best support them as they juggle their demanding dual roles as both service members and civilian employees. Your company is subject to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), which protects the jobs of military members. But caring employers do more than maintain compliance—that goes without saying.
The Power of Disability Representation in DEI
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is one of the most sought-after organizational attributes by prospective employees and an initiative that improves recruiting efforts. But there is often a disconnect between what is advertised during recruitment and what is delivered once assimilated to company culture.
7 Ways to Create a Supportive Workplace for New Parents
Company Culture Today, retaining valued employees is more important than ever—and that goes double for new parents. Research reveals that nearly 50% of working women do not return to work after having a baby, and that more than half of those who come back do so reluctantly. But it doesn’t need to be that way. By creating a workplace culture that actively supports new parents, and moms in particular, you improve the likelihood that they will return—enthusiastically. Here’s seven ways to do just that.
Why the Employee Experience Still Matters
Employee Experience With Employee Appreciation Day around the corner (Friday, March 3), cultivating a positive employee experience that not only engages and retains employees, but also empowers them is more important than ever. Namely recently teamed up with Bravely and Blueboard to discuss why the employee experience still matters from various perspectives, lending expert strategies, resources, and tools to help elevate the employee experience.
5 Proven Strategies for Building Stronger Employee-Manager Relationships
HR It’s a given that healthy employee-manager relationships enhance your success. But it’s easy to underestimate just how powerful they truly are. According to McKinsey, an employee’s relationship with his or her manager is the top contributor to job satisfaction, as well as a major factor affecting employee well-being. But that is not always a good thing. For example, 75% of workers say their boss was the most stressful part of their job, according to an American Psychological Association survey.
Soft Separations: Empathy and Understanding in the Layoff Process
HR There is no painless way to tell someone that they are out of a job. That said, some layoffs are handled in ways that cause more psychological impact than others, which is why, as more companies face tough downsizing decisions, thoughtful employers are embracing the art of the gentle layoff. Losing a job can lead to financial, psychological, and stress-related medical hardships, and staffing cuts can be shattering for “surviving” employees as well.
Say This, Not That: How to Create More Effective Job Posts
HR If you’re disappointed in your job posts’ performance, you’re not alone. According to Indeed, 65% of employers revise their published job posts due to disappointing results, specifically because the posts: Failed to attract enough candidates Attracted too many unqualified candidates, or Attracted candidates who don’t embrace the company culture. If this is your experience, too, it is a great time to rethink your job posts.
How to Create a Winning Hybrid Workforce Policy
Over the last year, many employers have embraced a hybrid work model, although it wasn’t part of their pre-pandemic game plan. These hybrid arrangements evolved organically post-COVID, as remote employees balked at returning to the workplace full-time. As it turns out, hybrid work arrangements offer benefits all around. Most employees relish the flexibility; most employers appreciate having an effective recruiting and retention tool at a time they really need one.
Best HR Podcasts to Listen to in 2023
HR Balancing the many facets of HR responsibilities – performance management and benefits administration to workplace compliance and building a resilient culture – takes a lot of time, effort, and experience. On top of these duties, HR professionals also need to remain up-to-date on the latest industry trends, changes, updates, and news. As an HR professional, you already know how overwhelming it is to consume and sift through information.
In the Loop: Hot Topic Laws for 2023
HR Federal, state, and local laws and regulations are constantly changing, which can make it difficult for businesses, especially those with multistate locations, to remain compliant. However, some rules and regulations are likely to have a greater impact on businesses than others. Here are six of the top hot topic laws to watch for in 2023. Labor Employee classification.
In the Loop: Compliance Trends for 2023
Workplace compliance takes a strategic balance of mitigating risks and maintaining a pulse on evolving regulations, legislative updates, and industry best practices. Instead of taking a daring risk by continuing to do what you do, be proactive in reducing, preventing, and recovering from common workplace compliance violations and fines. Review the latest 2023 compliance trends to see if there are any modifications you need to make for your 2023 organizational risk management strategies. 1.
Building a Resilient Culture Through Recession
Company Culture As waves of layoffs have impacted business operations, company cultures have also experienced adverse effects from changes to staffing and organizational decision-making. Events like theSouthwest Airlines fiascocan be the tipping point for employees to jump ship. So what can you do to ensure you build a resilient culture that withstands the recession?
Why Employee Burnout is So Common and How to Combat It
Employee Engagement As we dive deeper into 2023, employee burnout continues to worry employers, despite the fact that many have enhanced their mental health programsin the wake of the pandemic. In fact, employee burnout is so pervasive, the World Health Organization (WHO) calls it an occupational "syndrome"—one characterized by exhaustion, detachment, and reduced effectiveness on the job.
What We Can Learn from the Southwest Airlines Fiasco
News Southwest Airlines has a robust, cross-training system that sets itself up for seemingly unparalleled success in its space, yet something preventable like a communication breakdown can entirely derail their operations Their model has proven advantageous to travelers looking for quick, affordable transportation out of smaller hubs. So what happened to Southwest Airlines that caused its operations to unfold during end-of-year holiday travels? What Happened?
5 Creative Ways to Kick Off the New Year with a Hybrid Workforce
Company Culture It is no secret that COVID-19 changed the way businesses work, expediting and prioritizing remote work options. As things begin to shift to the new normal, many employees want to retain flexible work arrangements. Sixty-five percent of workers prefer to work remotely full-time and 32 percent would like a hybrid work environment. Additionally, 57 percent stated they would leave their employer if flexible work options were not available.
How to Optimize Your Workforce After Layoffs
Company Culture Between the economic uncertainty and the long-lasting impacts COVID-19 has had on businesses, another wave of layoffs has been sweeping the workforce across the globe. So how can employers optimize their workforce after layoffs? Here are our best tips on how to optimize your workforce after layoffs. 1.
Namely’s 2022 Wrapped: Top HR Blog Posts
HR Before we ring in 2023, we decided to reflect on the past year and release Namely’s 2022 Wrapped! Inspired by Spotify Wrapped, we’ve compiled a list of our top HR blog posts, events, social posts, and library content from 2022. To kick off our series, here were our most popular blog posts this past year: 1. What Happens When Payday Falls on a Holiday or Weekend? With over 114,000 views in 2022, our top blog post of the year proves that payroll cycles are complex.
Why Your Company Should Recognize Gratitude Month (& How To Do It Virtually)
HR In 2015, November was declared National Gratitude Month. Since then, people around the world have used the month of November to reflect on what they’re grateful for. After the past few whirlwind years, it has never been more important for companies to recognize Gratitude Month. By showing appreciation, both employers and employees can lift each other’s spirits.
Finding Opportunity in the Great Resignation
This fall, we partnered with Blueboard and Bravely to put together a webinar titled, “The great opportunity in reframing The Great Resignation” in order to discuss how we can reframe the Great Resignation as an opportunity for exploration and a chance to build better workplaces.
How to Establish a Relationship With a New Manager
Picture this: It’s your first day at a company, which means taking on new job responsibilities, getting introduced to a new culture, and joining a new team. It also means that you’re about to start working under someone new who will have a huge impact on your employee experience: your manager. Even for tenured employees, you’re bound to get a new manager at some point during your career.
Namely Merges with Vensure Employer Services + PrismHR
NEW YORK (September 6, 2022) – Namely, the leading HR platform for mid-sized companies, today confirmed it has merged with the organization recently created by the combination of Vensure Employer Services and PrismHR.
Introducing the Namely + Slack Integration
HR Creating a standout culture and employee experience is top of mind for HR professionals worldwide. With so many workforces operating remotely, organizations are challenged with ways to bring teams together—which is why it’s more important than ever to empower leadership and employees with channels of communication to keep others informed and engaged.
What HR Can Learn From Lizzo
HR Lizzo recently received back-lash from her fans and disability advocates for using an offensive and ableist lyric in her new song “Grrrls”. The singer immediately responded to the situation. Like Lizzo and other artists in the music industry, company leaders and HR teams sometimes receive back-lash for things they say or do. If these situations aren’t handled properly, they can escalate, create a hostile work environment, and cause employees to leave.
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