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An analysis of employee reviews for more than 250,000 large U.S. organizations reveals that a comprehensive benefit mix, opportunities for career advancement and work/life accommodation are top factors in workers' happiness, outpacing even salary. The 2011 analysis was conducted by CareerBliss, a career development website and online community.

They might not exchange wedding vows or even become romantic partners, but workers logging long hours on the job can forge strong ties akin to a marriage. They become “work spouses.”

It doesn’t necessarily mean they are carrying on an illicit relationship with their office partner. Think Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa of “Live! With Regis and Kelly.” Or Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer of the “Today” show.

Throwing a dart at a stack of semi-qualified resumes? That’s not exactly Kristen Weirick’s style. In fact, Weirick, the director of talent acquisition and global human resources for appliance giant Whirlpool Corp., prides herself more on driving a combined internal and external effort to deliver a holistic employer brand than she does on keeping people in their jobs.

Jay Forte is a former financial executive and corporate educator, turned performance consultant, speaker and author, and is a nationally ranked Thought Leader and President of Humanetrics. Jay teaches organizations how to maximize manager performance, ignite employee performance and advance women’s performance. He has helped organizations and individuals become more performance-driven, more successful and more capable in work and life. 

Sarah King describes Wyndham Vacation Ownership's way of making sure their employees are satisfied with the company, including employee round tables, competitive benefits program and training programs.

Although 80 percent of organizations have a recognition program, less than a third of HR professionals (31 percent) believe that employees are satisfied with the level of recognition they receive for doing a good job.

And while 56 percent of survey respondents said employees are rewarded according to their job performance, just 46 percent said managers and supervisors acknowledge and appreciate employees effectively.

Less than a third of employees (31 percent) are “fully engaged”—meaning that they have achieved maximum job satisfaction and are contributing to the fullest extent—and one out of six (17 percent) are disengaged, according to BlessingWhite’s Employee Engagement Report 2011, released Dec. 15, 2010.

More than half of human resource professionals are tapping into social networking websites to look for potential job candidates, a significant increase from 2008, according to a poll report from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Flexibility in the workplace is imperative. It should be seen as a result-based business strategy—not a benefit.

With the variety of employee demographics now in our workforce, the importance of workplace flexibility becomes even clearer. For instance, millennials prefer flexible working arrangements and consider them in accepting employment. But boomers need flexible options as they take on care of their aging parents.

SAN DIEGO—After months, even years, of being hamstrung by layoffs, hiring freezes and flat-lined compensation packages, approximately 700 recruiting professionals have converged on this city to re-energize, recommit and learn how to reinvigorate their companies’ post-recessionary staffing efforts.

Follow the lead of 3M’s HR managers and strive to strengthen employees’ trust. It need not be an elusive quality. 

What do innovation, employee engagement and trust have in common? If you are a 3M executive, everything. The company’s record of bringing new products to market has helped 3M earn its place in the Fortune 500 and make appearances on many lists of admired companies.

Tamara Erickson talks about the transitioning workforce from the Baby Boomer generation to Generation X.

Layoffs pose concerns for country's economic recovery 

Rewards are linked to performance effectively at 89 percent of the "world's most admired companies" vs. 77 percent of their industry peers, according to the 14th annual World’s Most Admired Companies list compiled by Fortune magazine and Hay Group, a global consultancy. The most admired also are more likely to treat work/life issues as a top priority and to address differing generational needs.

From masking tape to Post-its, 3M is well known for its innovative culture. 3M has an annual goal that 30 percent of its annual profits come from products and businesses that are less than four years old.  Wired Magazine describes how 3M tackles that goal with their “15 percent solution.”