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In case you missed it, here’s what happened on We Know Next this week.

There are distinct perception gaps between genders and among managerial levels in how effective organizations are when it comes to recruiting, developing and retaining women, according to a February 2012 survey by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

While the vast majority of companies involved in mergers and acquisitions (M&As) use retention agreements to retain key talent, a survey by consultancy Towers Watson shows that companies that are most successful at retention begin the process early—identifying highly valued people and using financial and nonfinancial rewards to keep them onboard.

More employees are using their own smart phones, iPad and other electronic devices for work purposes—even though this practice could expose companies to financial, legal and other types of risks, experts said.

Don't miss this year's exciting Annual Conference & Explosition's keynote speakers! 

Condoleezza Rice

June 24, 2012 | 2:30-4:00 P.M. 

So you’re finally going to SHRM’s National convention, congratulations! I attended my first last year and had an amazing time. The first time can be a bit overwhelming, so here are a few tips to help you get the most from your experience.

There is little doubt you’re already thinking about what clothes to pack for the forecasted weather in Atlanta, as you prepare to attend the SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition next week.  As important as it is to know how to pack appropriately, you should also take some time to identify objectives and establish a strategy to get the most out of your time.

Some female executives are preventing other qualified women from advancing into high-level positions at many U.S. corporations, a study from Washington University in St. Louis has found.

“My research aims to understand the complicated processes that contribute to the dearth of women in the top tiers of organizations,” Michelle Duguid, Ph.D., an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, said in a statement.

Question: What is HR’s role in employee empowerment?

Answer: Empowering workers—making them feel invested in their work and eager to meet customer needs—remains one of the most difficult things HR professionals and other business leaders do. A simple joke illustrates this point: Have you heard the one about the new employee who asked his colleague, “How long have you been working here?”

“Ever since the boss threatened to fire me,” the colleague replied.

Telework among full-time employees has almost doubled since 2002, according to a nationwide May 2012 report by The Conference Board.

Experts said the increase reflects a profound shift in the nature of work itself, as advanced technologies allow many to get their jobs done from a variety of settings and locations. A rise in employee demand for flexibility and alternative work arrangements has played a major role as well.

In case you missed it, here’s what happened on We Know Next this week.

A recent survey conducted by a Washington, D.C.-area human resource firm found that job candidates in the U.S. look for one thing above all others when applying for jobs: opportunities for growth and professional development.

SHRM is known for producing some of the most brilliant, entertaining and informative HR conferences on the planet and the “SHRM Annual Conference” is our flagship.

If you’ve never attended a SHRM Annual Conference, it may be difficult to understand why “The Big Show” is on almost every ambitious HR professional’s yearly bucket list.

Whether they’re a first-year generalist or a seasoned employment attorney, SHRM members usually reserve the last week of June on their calendars 11 months in advance.

Programs that help employees return to work following injury or illness and efforts to provide flexibility on the job are some of the most popular—and effective—practices used by employers to retain and advance employees with disabilities, a new study found.

 SHRM is known for producing some of the most brilliant, entertaining and informative conferences on the planet. 
As 15,000 excited SHRM members, media, and expo vendors prepare to descend upon Atlanta on June 24-27, SHRM is doing its best to help them get ready for an amazing experience.
In the past few years, SHRM has expanded its social media activities at Annual Conference with increased conference programming, a social media lounge, tweet-ups and a growing group of bloggers who report all the best highlights. 

SHRM is known for producing some of the most brilliant, entertaining and informative conferences on the planet. 

As 15,000 excited SHRM members, media, and expo vendors prepare to descend upon Atlanta June 24-27, SHRM is doing its best to help them get ready for an amazing experience.

In the past few years, SHRM has expanded its social media activities at Annual Conference with increased conference programming, a social media lounge, tweet-ups and a growing group of bloggers who report all the best highlights. 

In case you missed it, here’s what happened on We Know Next this week.

According to a recent survey on, Employing People With Disabilities: Practices and Policies Related to Accessibility and Accommodation, commissioned by and conducted in collaboration with Cornell University’s ILR School Employment and Disability Institute, three out of four (75%) organizations designate an office or person to address accommodation questions. 

CEOs around the world rank innovation and human capital as top challenges for 2012, a recent survey found. Leaders in China and India rank those issues higher than U.S. and European CEOs, who are more worried about government regulation and global political and economic risk, respectively.

I am not a social media expert.

I talk about it. The Social Shift. The impact and opportunity. I can site examples. I live it everyday through blogging, sharing, posting, connecting, checking in and occasionally checking out. I know it has been a catalyst for growth in my business. I know it has also been a catalyst for growth in my life.

The Great Recession and subsequent slow-growth recovery have brought renewed attention to the “haves vs. have-nots” argument. And while some of us are probably tired of hearing how much better the wealthiest 1 percent is faring over the other 99 percent of our population, it’s time to acknowledge that a similar discrepancy is playing out in the U.S. labor market.

"Workplace flexibility is not a benefit and it's not a right; it's a business strategy," explained Teresa Hopke, a principal at the consultancy Life Meets Work, during her May 1 presentation at the Society for Human Resource Management's 2012 Talent Management Conference, held near Washington, D.C.

“Workplace flex is not like pizza Fridays. It’s an incredibly powerful, strategic business tool,” she added, quoting flexibility advocate G. Brint Ryan, CEO of Ryan LLC.

According to the SHRM Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) Report for June 2012, job creation will continue in the manufacturing and service sectors in June but for the 5^th month in the past 6^th months, the rate of growth will fall behind the rate of previous years.

Embrace that which makes you different, and use positive deviance as a means to showcase your full potential.

Everyone has individual qualities and life experiences that make them unique and separate them from the crowd. And yet, we often find ourselves tempering our differences in order to fit in…..

Any quality that makes someone different can become an advantage.

In case you missed it, here’s what happened on We Know Next this week.

I continue to have clients come to me asking, “Our company understands the importance of being on social media / and doing ‘social business’, but how do we sell this to our CEO?”

That’s a great question. Trying to convince the C-Suite can be quite the challenge.

Just recently, IBM did a study of some 1,700 CEOs worldwide and reported findings that many are now seeing social media as a key enabler of collaboration and innovation.