Training & Development
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Status Update: Using Social Media for Learning Gets Better Foothold in Workplace
Large U.S. firms tripled their spending on social tools such as internal blogs, wikis and communities of practice in 2012, a new report says
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Further Assessment: More Companies Using Evaluation Tools to Identify Future Leaders and More
A recent Aberdeen research report found that companies are including assessment tools in their efforts to identify high-potential talent, to develop workers' interpersonal and leadership skills and to set performance goals for their staff.
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Innovative Thoughts on Innovation
Key takeaways from experts in the innovation arena
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Going Somewhere? Millions of Workers Getting Antsy
A new survey shows 19 million employees are angling to change their jobs in 2013.
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White Men Can’t Jump to Conclusions on Minority Issues
Rockwell Automation discovers the key to diversity training.
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What’s Wrong With Your Diversity Training?
Most diversity programs only focus on the experiences of women and people of color, and there is rarely any role for white men beyond making them feel guilty, an expert says.
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Drama Discussions a Drag for Workers and a Bother for Bosses
Of the nearly 300 corporate executives, managers and employees who took a recent survey, nearly 40 percent said sex and relationships were the most taboo workplace topic.
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Financial Organizations Lack Effective Training: Report
Flat training budgets present workforce challenges amid a flurry of regulatory changes.
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Whirlpool Warms Up to E-Learning
Until the recession hit, the U.S.-based appliance-maker steadfastly avoided online training in favor of classrooms. Now, it's a proponent of virtual online learning.
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Learning Contributes Directly to Bottom Line: Study
Oakland, California-based research firm Bersin & Associates says companies with a sophisticated approach to employee development averaged three times higher revenue growth from 2008 to 2011.
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On the Right Course
Big training investment pays off in performance and lower turnover rate for Hendrick Automotive Group.
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Meet Marissa Mayer, Yahoo's Recruiter-in-Chief
The new CEO aims to turn the company around by fixing its people problems.
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The Business of ‘Mindfulness’
Research shows multitasking at work costs companies billions of dollars a year in lost productivity. A growing mindfulness training industry hopes to remedy that by offering workplace instruction in the ancient principles of mindfulness.
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Why Manufacturing Can't Keep Up
Factory jobs demand more math and science skills than most Americans possess. Meanwhile, young people have turned their backs on manufacturing.
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Made in the USA
The collaboration between Permac Industries and Dunwoody College of Technology is an example of a new brand of college-industry partnerships that might eventually help the U.S. grow as a manufacturing power while creating jobs.
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Skilled Workers Scarce Despite Unemployment
Staffing company ManpowerGroup of Milwaukee said in a 2011 survey that 52 percent of employers were having problems filling critical positions. That number was up 14 percent from the previous year.
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Survey: CIOs Place Value on Internships
Seventy-nine percent of chief information officers said that internships are an important consideration when hiring new graduates for IT positions.
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The Last Word: Have You Thanked Your Mentor Lately?
After several years of fiscal malaise in this 'work-more' era of employees swamped with multiple tasks, let's be honest: Who has time to be a mentor?
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DayDream Believers
How DreamWorks Animation created a work world that captures the imagination of its employees through perks designed to reduce stress.
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Drawing on Experience
After an orientation, employees spend four to eight weeks training on the company's proprietary software. Then within their first 60 days, they attend a “welcome session,” hosted by CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.
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Mine Safety Agency Cites Tire, Mining Companies in Worker's Death
Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. said it will contest citations from the Mine Safety & Health Administration over the Oct. 28, 2011, death of a mining tire technician at the Newmont USAgold mine in Carlin, Nevada.
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In Search of a Standard Measure of Talent
Under SHRM's draft human capital metrics standard, companies would report on topics including spending on training and development, ability to retain talent, leadership quality and employee engagement.
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Game Plan: Coaches Drive Performance at Archer Daniels Midland
The company's short-range goal is to use coaching to boost the bottom line through cost savings and more efficient operations. Longer term, it's hoped that coaching will supplant the annual ritual of performance reviews.
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Analysis: Corporate Leaders, It's Not About Them. It's About You.
An executive must win the respect of those around him every day to be effective. Failure to do so undermines his or her success.
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Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Mentor Match
Covance Inc. is among the companies using software to help employees and mentors connect. The program Mentor Scout enables pairings based on mutual professional interests.
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Survey: 29% of Employers Looking to Hire Summer Interns
Seventy-one percent of employers hiring this summer add that they'll be considering some hires for permanent positions.
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Susan Lambert Has Her Say on Workforce Scheduling
As head of the Workforce Educational Organization's academic advisory committee, Susan Lambert is helping to shape its professional certification on scheduling and other workforce management matters to take into account employer and employee views.
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Take This Job and Love It: Financial Planners, HR Leaders Rank as Top 5 Jobs
At an average midcareer salary of $104,000, financial planners out-earn the rest of the top 10 professions. Those in HR leadership positions average just over $99,000.
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Manufacturers Go Back to School to Find New Hires
Many companies are struggling to combat the severe shortage of skilled manufacturing employees and fierce competition for those available for hire. Some firms have taken matters into their own hands, linking up with community colleges to develop fresh talent.
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Change in Code Procedure Could Stretch Health Care IT Staffs
With IT employment at an all-time high, finding skilled IT workers could present a challenge to health care organizations mandated to implement ICD-10 Codes.
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Health Care Providers Look to Educational Institutes for Next-Gen IT Workers
Health care organizations are partnering with universities and other learning institutes to train the next generation of information technology employees. University of California, San Diego, Extension has partnered with the region's health care providers to train and grow their own coders.
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Cloud Computing Generates New York City Jobs
A new report shows that the shift to the cloud will add more than 60,000 jobs in New York this year.
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Teleworking Has Come a Long Way for Workers
National Telework Week, slated to start Monday, recognizes the financial and employee retention benefits of working remotely.
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Lagging Economy Aside, Interviewees Say the Darndest Things
Job board giant CareerBuilder listed some of the most unusual interview experiences based on an online survey of more than 3,000 employers.
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Well-Trained Managers Can Curb Attrition
It may not always be a straight-line connection, but managers exert great influence on whether top performers stay or go.
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Getting to the Heart of Retention
It's logical to conclude that poor managers are at the heart of the problem, says Richard Finnegan, co-founder of the Retention Institute and author of Rethinking Retention in Good Times and Bad.
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For Young Entrepreneurs, It's All Work, All Play—and It's All Good
Developing ideas is a 24/7 hobby for them, which might explain why they enjoy one another's company so much.
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The Last Word: Daughterly Advice
Imagine my delight when I found out over the holidays that my daughter was promoted into management. Like any good father, dear old Dad was more than happy to impart his years of experience from the managerial front lines.
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Training Wheels Back in Motion
A new report produced by advisory firm Bersin & Associates of Oakland, California, notes that companies replenished their training staffs and thus enabled employees to pursue career development put off during the recession.
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Consolidation Defines Learning Software World
'We're definitely entering a new and different phase of consolidation within the talent management part of the market,' analyst Jim Holincheck says.
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Mexican-Americans Aren't Moving Up, Study Finds
Fewer than 1 percent of U.S.-born Mexican-Americans hold jobs in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.
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Out-of-State Workers Due Overtime for California Work: Appeals Court
The case involving three employees of Redwood Shores, California-based Oracle, who lived in Colorado and Arizona but also worked in California and elsewhere. The employees, classified as instructors by Oracle, trained customers to use Oracle software.
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Organizations Need Coaching on How to Coach: Report
Business results were 21 percent higher among organizations whose senior leaders ‘very frequently' make an effort to coach others, according to the Bersin & Associates study.
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High-Profile C-Suite Moves Shines Light on Succession Planning Strategies
In the wake of shifts at the top for Apple, IBM and Hewlett-Packard, heirs in the pipeline can mean a stable transition both financially and in the workplace.
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When Johnny or Janey Comes Marching Home
Veterans find it's a tough terrain in getting from the battlefield to their chosen field.
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SHRM Elects Three New Board Members
The recently elected officials are Coretha M. Rushing of Equifax Inc., Brian D. Silva of Fresenius Medical Care and José Tomas of Burger King Corp.
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For Some Companies, Two Heads Are Better Than One
Recent research challenges the belief that co-CEO arrangements often fail.
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Tips for Two at the Top
Before championing the co-CEO management model, you may want to heed what's helped others.
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Hewlett-Packard's Sales Job
In 2010, Hewlett-Packard Co. launched HP Sales University on its campus in Plano, Texas, far from its Silicon Valley headquarters. The purpose: develop core business skills and collaboration among its top salespeople.
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Building a Sales Team Starts With the First Impression
Success is the bottom line, but before the first call, experts say look at a candidate's appearance and pay attention to your initial reaction. Once they're on the team, train, train and train some more.
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Six Sales Force Pitfalls
Experts agree that there are some common mistakes companies make when building a sales team. Below, we offer six tips to avoid sales force problems:
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Preparing for the HR Certification Institute Exams
The SHRM Learning System may be the most popular study method for the HRCI exams, but there are other alternatives. Here are a few:
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Workers OK With Their Job but Seek Security, Communication
SHRM’s 2011 Employee Job Satisfaction Survey shows that 83 percent of 600 randomly selected employees are satisfied with their current job.
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Multiple Choice Unrest: HRCI-SHRM Link Leaves Many Stumped
A low pass rate on exams and high cost for study materials have HR practitioners seeking to earn their credentials questioning the blurry relationship between SHRM and HRCI.
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HR Certification: Preferred or Unnecessary?
Some jobs require certification, though other companies say they want nothing to do with an HR practitioner with an acronym after their name.
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Financial Pros Add Expert Witness to Résumés
Small and midsize firms encourage their employees to get specialized training to help in winning clients.
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Companies Draw Up Coaching Play for Managers, but Many Can't Coach
The influx of younger workers from the millennial generation is driving interest in coaching because they tend to crave frequent feedback and one-on-one interaction with managers and mentors.
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SHRM, Dissident Group Set Summit to Air Differences
The SHRM Members for Transparency, which formed last year largely over concerns about the SHRM board’s 2005 decision to pay board members, had been asking to meet with SHRM leaders since the fall of 2010.
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Newell Rubbermaid Aspires to Grow Leaders
Evolving from holding company to product innovator, the 108-year-old consumer products firm ramps up leadership for an exclusive group of senior managers.
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O Captain! My Captain! I Know Not How to Build an App for That
Some industries are having difficulty bridging skill gaps, so sector partnerships are being created.
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Headhunter Firm Taps Insider Trina Gordon for CEO
She succeeds Chris Clarke, who stepped down in December after 11 years with Boyden World Corp. The firm also named Gerhard Raisig to chairman from interim chairman and managing partner of Boyden Germany.
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Men Dominate MBA Enrollment in Chicago
But East Coast schools such as the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and Harvard Business School are enrolling record percentages of women in the upcoming academic year.
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Online Café Serves Up a Heaping Helping of Training for Staff
Studies suggest companies are getting comfortable using social software to drive employee learning. Cheesecake Factory, Kelly Services and Amway are among the early adopters.
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Out of Site: Remote Possibilities
More employers are benefiting from a mobile workforce through improved productivity, increased employee satisfaction and reduced costs, but they also face new management challenges.
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The Last Word: Fathers Figure
Men are more likely to go to their kids’ games and not say why they left the office early.
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More Companies Go With Online Tests to Fill in the Blanks
Employment assessments can range from online exams for a specific computer skill to personality tests intended to predict customer service prowess to extensive evaluations of potential executives.
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HR's 10 Top Concerns
The Employers Resource Association’s membership of 1,300 companies in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana generates more than 8,000 calls each year to its HR hot line. Most of the questions are considered the staples of HR management.
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HR Software Feels a Shift Following SuccessFactors, Lawson Deals
The moves signal the rise of publicly traded SuccessFactors as a comprehensive talent management technology provider while also ending Lawson's run as an independent vendor of human resources and other business software.
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The Search Is on for HRs Best and Brightest
This is an excellent opportunity for you to publicly recognize your employees or professional colleagues. We also will accept self-nominations as long as they are accompanied by a letter of recommendation from an executive in your organization.
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With Cornerstone IPO, SaaS Deepens Hold in the Learning Market
Cornerstone OnDemand’s eye-popping initial public offering in March underscores the growing importance of learning software delivered as a service. UPDATED April 27, 2011, to include SuccessFactor’s pending acquisition of Plateau Systems.
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Deloitte Gets Physical with $300 Million Learning Center
Lectures are out and interactive learning is in at the consulting firm’s new leadership center, which also features an 800-room hotel on a 107-acre campus near Dallas.
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A Hybrid Learning Model the Way to Go for a Global Corporation
While a centralized learning function may work for companies with only one big market and one main customer base, it may not be the right direction for more complex organizations.
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Wage and Hour Lawsuits Top Employer Litigation Concerns
Wage and hour lawsuits are by far the most common type of employment litigation. The number of these lawsuits far outpaces any other form of employment litigation and verdicts and settlements are steadily increasing. What are employers doing to address this situation and to limit their liability?
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Soft Skills Needed to Crack C-Suite: Study
A recent article says ‘soft skills,’ such as leadership ability, cross-cultural competence and interpersonal expertise, are now essential for managers looking to climb the corporate ladder.
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Coaching Takes Center Stage
Its strategic value is rising, as focus shifts away from remediation efforts.
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Firms Tally the Value in Values-Based Recruiting
The philosophy of corporate culture as a source of competitive advantage—along with a defined mission and adherence to values—has existed for several decades. Yet many companies have struggled to implement these concepts and create mission statements or value propositions to just hang on a wall.
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Engagement Hits the Skids
The new year dawns with worries that disenchanted workers are searching for other job opportunities. Training can help revive morale.
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Training Cost Repayment Policy Approved
Training repayment policies may be permissible under the FLSA as long as employees are paid at least the minimum wage for all hours worked in their final workweek.
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Use of Virtual Training Grows in Wake of Severe Budget Cuts
Virtual tools may be handy, but they come with a learning curve, experts say.
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Museums a Popular Place to Boost Morale Amid Monets
New training programs at a number of museums nationwide tap their collections and creative environments for the benefit of corporate clients. They are the latest twist in team-building programs, which can encourage creativity, foster respect and uncover potential team-member contributions.
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Firms Offering Finance Classes to Employees to Allay Anxiety
Employers like McLeod Health in South Carolina realize that their workers' financial worries are spilling into the workplace, hurting productivity and increasing absenteeism.
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5 Questions With Joanna Geraghty: Not Leaving Anything Up in the Air
Joanna Geraghty, 38, became JetBlue’s chief people officer in September. Geraghty takes the reins as JetBlue is adding routes and expanding its workforce. But the company’s image also has taken some knocks. Geraghty recently spoke to Workforce Management senior writer Rita Pyrillis.
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Holiday Events Stage a Comeback as Dark Mood Eases
The comeback of company-sponsored get-togethers is providing a year-end boost for the city’s hospitality industry, which was slammed by the recession. Corporate bookings are up significantly from last year at many hotels, restaurants and other venues.
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Costs Continue to Drive Training Sessions to the Web
Online, informal and social learning are increasingly part of the corporate training mix; their elements are often blended with traditional classroom sessions to create a recipe for training success.
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ASTD Study Training Spending Drops but Each Learner Gets More
Training budgets shrank slightly in 2009 as companies zeroed in on efficiency and high-value learning, ASTD report finds.
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The Last Word: Where's the Customer Service?
Clearly, companies have responded to the recession by cutting costs in ways that damage customer relationships.
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Verizon Wireless Gets a Strong Signal on Tuition Reimbursement
In measuring the bottom-line impact of its tuition assistance program, Verizon Wireless stands out from most companies.
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Learning by Degrees
Tuition assistance benefits typically have not been assessed for their bottom line impact. But some see the programs as vital to employee development and retention.
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Recruiters Look to Be Big Man on Campus
Employers try to put the best face on their organization as they recruit on campus this fall in search of fresh talent.
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The Last Word All Work and No Play ..
The notion of play in the workplace may sound zany, but it's really just one perspective in the long-standing debate over how to achieve balance in our lives.
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College Career Centers Adapt to Tough Times
The University of Houston offers workshops on using Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for job searches.
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Survey 30 Percent of Managers Under More Stress
The survey also found that 28 percent of respondents expect their anxiety levels to rise in the coming year. Sixty-four percent said it would be about the same.
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JetBlue Names New 'Chief People Officer'
An insider is tapped for the airline’s creatively titled HR post, which has been open since just before a fed-up flight attendant fled a plane via emergency chute. A spokesman says the appointment is not related to the incident.
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A Cure for the 'Been There, Done That' Syndrome
Children's Hospital of Orange County in California rolls out another in a long line of initiatives to change employee culture. Will persistence pay off this time around?
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Study 'Zones' In on Leadership Development
A strategic bottom-line focus remains a critical leadership trait, but it alone won't be sufficient in the evolving global economy, according to a recent study.
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Workers Stay at Firms for Median 4.4 Years
The increase reflects, in part, large job losses among less-senior workers in the recession, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Focusing Knowledge Retention on Millennials
Employers may be overlooking an important side effect of turnover: losing the knowledge of Millennial Generation workers.
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Making the Call for Themselves
American Express revamps its people management approach and gives call center representatives more latitude as part of a quest to upgrade customer service.
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Myriad Avenues to Stellar Service
Retailer Zappos.com, for example, insists that workers embody its zany, performance-oriented culture.
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When Overnight Isn't Fast Enough
In the new era of customer service at American Express, even an overnight delivery can be too slow.
