Did you know one out of six people has some type of disability? That makes one billion people with disabilities worldwide, according to the World Health Organization in 2013. With that in mind, has your company implemented ways to become more disability-friendly? There are many opportunities to make a work environment accessible for people with disabilities. Over the years as the disability employment conversation has become easier to discuss, certain companies have risen to the top with their forward-thinking strides to become disability-friendly organizations. You can learn various approaches from these outstanding companies. 6 of the best disability-friendly organizations Accenture...

  Los Angeles is home to the second-largest metropolitan economy in the United States, but did you know that it is also the birthplace of an array of pop culture standards? The electric guitar, the bathing suit and the skateboard were all developed here, along with several high-tech innovations like the Mars rover and the F-117, the first stealth fighter built for the United States military. The professional and business services sector is driving much of the recent growth in L.A.’s labor force, and construction jobs are also on...

SHRM’s Premier Legislative Conference and Advocacy Day are Around the Corner - Your Chance to Make a Big Difference to the World of HR During my visits to our SHRM state councils and chapters, I often begin my discussion on HR public policy asking the following question of attendees: "When working with various federal and state laws and regulations, how many times have you wondered if lawmakers had any input from HR professionals in enacting them?" I always receive resounding nods of recognition. Next week (March 23-25), HR professionals from across the country will take matters into their capable hands...

  In the webinar Top Trends of 2015, Jason Averbook, CEO of the Marcus Buckingham Company identified what he believes to be the top HR trends that will emerge this year -- and that will ultimately transform the profession in the future. The discussion focused on the radical shift that is happening in our workplaces:  the power to fuel engagement and accelerate performance is becoming both localized and personalized as team leaders are being given more autonomy to develop, train and coach employees - and this is on a...

It seems as though we have been atop the crest of a wave in workforce planning for quite some time now. Today, we question the inevitable.... When Will The Wave Break? Baby Boomers have long since reached the legal retirement age but are not retiring, Gen X-ers remain in the the wings seemingly content in doing so and Millennials can't go anywhere without being stereotyped out of even submitting an opinion. We remain in our generational silos, waiting to phase each other out, ignoring the opportunity to collaborate. Do...

  Whether you are an HR professional, business owner or manager are you not impacted on a daily basis by federal, state and/or local legislation, regulation or litigation?  Think about it.  Every minute that an employee works liability is incurred for one or more potential wage and hour violations: are you recording the time properly? Retaining all records required? Paying completely and timely? Every word, email, comment, duty and responsibility can seem fraught with peril. Don’t ask the wrong question or risk violating HIPAA, GINA, ADA, Title VII or myriad state or local laws.  In 2012, Senator Harkin asked...

  As a young professional in HR, I often run into issues that I have not yet had the opportunity to address in my career.  When I am faced with something with which I do not have experience, I recognize the importance of gaining as much knowledge about the issue or problem at hand before acting on it.  I have found a number of data-gathering tactics that work well for me and I would like to share them in hopes that they will help other professionals properly execute new experiences....

  In this era of "World War Talent," the connection between an organization’s leadership team and its human resources department has never been more important. The CEO and HR leaders must be closely linked, which for many organizations requires a shift from past practice. Gone are the days of HR as an administrative cost center. HR leaders are increasingly expected to own the business plan from the perspective of talent — serving as a chief advisor and confidant to the CEO and a business partner to the operating team for all matters talent, including technology. The Role of CHRO The...

  Q: I read somewhere that the majority of identity theft originates from a source in the workplace. If this is true, what steps should my employer be taking to protect my personal information, and what can I do if they are being lax about it? A: As an individual, if you are trying to protect yourself against identity theft at work, there’s a lot you can do. However, those efforts might be in vain if your employer isn’t also safeguarding your information. As you mention, the percentage of identity theft originating...

You guys know that job seekers are my heart. I have used this blog, speaking platforms and my work in general for the last 4 years to bring awareness regarding the treatment of job seekers, help those job seekers build strategies for their job search and try my best to match job seekers with jobs when I can. But I can’t get you a job. Nor can any other recruiter out there. At least not in the way you...