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Casablanca is viewed by many as one of the greatest movies of all time, and it is certainly among my favorite movies.  It is hard to argue with Humphrey Bogart in his prime, especially as a cynical nightclub owner, simultaneously wooing Ingrid Bergman and sticking it to the Nazis.  Here’s what IMDB has to say:

Set in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War II, an American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.

Youngest workers likely to 'power up' challenges to traditional workplaces.

With some high school tech wizards drawing posh Silicon Valley salaries and other teenagers nearing their grown-up working years, it’s not too soon to explore how members of “Generation Z” may shape, and shake up, the workplace.

Before you think this is a post about Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, it really takes a different twist (even though I’m a devout Python fan !!)

“Act like you own the place,” is a silly slogan when people are treated like expendable cogs in machines.

Hypocritical leaders expect people to act like owners while being treated like employees. Everyone knows its sleazy manipulation.

Employees don’t take ownership when they are treated like employees.

Central concern:

Owners run the place.

California’s retailers are not legally required to provide automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in anticipation of medical emergencies inside their stores, the California Supreme Court ruled.

The court ruled in favor of Target Corp. in Verdugo v. Target, a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a woman who died in 2008 after suffering sudden cardiac arrest at a Target store in Pico Rivera.

Many organizations fail to manage talent effectively because they are stuck using outdated practices and narrow ways of thinking, according to a webcast sponsored by global consulting firm Mercer.

The June 26, 2014, webcast “New Frontiers in Talent Management” focused on steps that HR professionals can take to help their organizations compete more effectively in the war for talent.

There are some similarities between human resources and marketing. When we think about the 4 P’s of marketing – price, place, promotion, and product – it’s very aligned with the HR functions of compensation/benefits, work environment, talent development, and corporate culture.

When Zappos stopped posting open positions and urged prospective hires to sign up as company “insiders” on its proprietary social network instead, the online shoe store encouraged candidates to get noticed by submitting video cover letters.

Six ways leaders can protect their reputation during a reduction in force

Impressions are a finite resource, which is why first impressions count. Yet now, more than ever, personal recommendations are spoiled by bad first impressions, and brand advocacy is sullied by negative PR.

In our social media-driven world, we must be aware of the impressions word of mouth creates—especially during sensitive situations such as workforce reductions.

Striking the right balance between accountability and engagement in the workplace can be a challenging task for leaders. One is directly manageable and the other is not. Accountability is something leaders can control, while engagement is something they can hopefully influence.

Some of the folks that I get the most resistance from when talking about bias are recruiters and hiring managers. They love to say things like “bigotry is stupid and bad business,” and “I just want to hire the best person for the job,” and “I don’t care about race.”

What's in a hash tag? Listen to Sharlyn Lauby share the value of following Twitter hashtags.

Think of all the articles, books, seminars and speeches you’ve read, attended or heard on the subject of change. Think of all the experience you’ve had in your own life, or in your organization, with change.
  
Assuming most of us have had a respectable amount of experience with change, wouldn’t you think we’d all be better at by now? 

Instead, we continually struggle—even though relentless competition, advancing technology and increasing demands to remain relevant have made the ability to change a matter of survival for virtually every industry and profession.   

So you listened to my internship-search advice, had a great resume, nailed the interview and got offered your dream internship position. Congratulations! With all the excitement you are feeling, I’m sure you are also nervous. I definitely was. It’s overwhelming to begin any new job, and it’s even more intimidating beginning your first internship. At first it seems like you need a survival guide to figure out how to do your best at your internship.

More than half of all U.S. employers (56 percent) expressed concern with stepped-up rulemaking and enhanced federal agency enforcement, according to the 2014 Executive Employer Survey report from law firm Littler.

California earns an A-; 17 states get an F

It’s pretty sweet to be a working parent in California, which a decade ago adopted the nation’s first paid family leave law. It might not be so great to have kids and a job in Oklahoma, which hasn’t a single benefit or program to support families before and after the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child.

PHILADELPHIA—Agility and innovation are critical to leadership success, but leaders also need to be able to admit mistakes, said National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) CEO and Chairman Brian France, speaking June 18, 2014, at the Wharton Leadership Conference at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

I was lucky enough to attend SHRM 2014.  I always look forward to the SHRM national conference because it is a great way to connect with other HR pros, while learning from some of the best and brightest HR thinkers in the world today.  As I have grown in my career, my focus at these conferences has shifted away from learning the day to day HR functions to how HR can influence and assist the company’s executive team in reaching company goals.

Is it time to shake up and break up the HR profession?  The global changes that are affecting organizations have major talent implications for strategy and operations. Today’s turbulent economic environment requires HR professionals who understand business issues and who have the ability to create high-impact solutions.

Its long been mantra that great employees want to work with other great employees.  The organization can only be better when great employees see others putting out quality effort.  In "First, Break All The Rules," Marcus Buckingham wrote that one of the critical 12 questions that measures the strength of an organization is "Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?"

A clause delegating to an arbitrator the authority to decide questions of an arbitration agreement’s enforceability was not unconscionable under California law, the California Court of Appeal ruled.

PHILADELPHIA—In uncertain times, leaders should take a hard look in the mirror and strive “to create certainty, stability and confidence,” advises Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, the 20th chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force.

The debate has raged on....

Is cultivating Employee Engagement the duty of Executives or Middle Managers?

What if the answer is: neither!

If we are being honest with ourselves, we can genuinely determine our own level of engagement.

This edition is dedicated to the Society for Human Resources Management’s annual conference. It is “the” event for human resources professionals. Last week, I spent a few days in Orlando listening to speakers, learning about the latest products and services in the expo hall and networking with colleagues.

I hope you like the image – it’s a collage of the photos I took during the conference.

For years, the conventional wisdom has been that job seekers should wait to ask about compensation until later in the recruiting process, but that attitude is changing, according to a recent survey released by Robert Half, a staffing services consulting group.

Entry level HR is a topic that is near and dear to my heart.

This past March, I sat down at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and spoke with students about what they need to know as they prepare to leave school and enter the real world.

ORLANDO, FLA.—“Now is the most exciting time to be in HR. So many challenges!” observed Jennifer Barton, SPHR, as she addressed issues relating to “Designing the Right Total Rewards Strategy” during her June 23 concurrent session at the 2014 Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference & Exposition.

Who’s the most successful HR professional you know—boss, mentor or other colleague? What qualities do they possess? What makes them stand out?

In July, hiring rates will reach four-year highs for the month in the manufacturing and service sectors, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey for July 2014.

ORLANDO, FLA.—When it comes to strategic planning, HR professionals have to move from being the reactive problem solvers within their organizations to being adaptive and proactive, Michael Wilkinson, managing director and founder of Leadership Strategies Inc., told attendees at the 2014 Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference & Exposition session “Strategy! What Every HR Leader Should Know.”

Wilkinson told attendees his goal was to help them be able to:

A key challenge facing organizations today involves developing their current and aspiring leaders. This paper highlights a number of strategies to address this challenge and increase the likelihood that leader development efforts will yield successful outcomes. 

Intuition, awareness, or whatever you want to call it–it’s a critical skill if you want to be a successful HR pro. I’m a fan of examples to prove my point, so let’s dive in!

Seeing the needs of new employees

Recently I was helping to onboard a new group of employees. We had won a new contract and needed to pull the new folks into the fold ASAP with no downtime or issues.

I had the pleasure of attending a Mega Session called “Show Me The Money” in Orlando during the National SHRM 2014 conference.  The presenter was LaFern Batie of The Batie Group.

Ms. Batie challenged the participants with what many have been encouraging HR professionals to do for years…understand the finances of the business!

Financial literacy is the ability to understand money and make informed decisions about how to use it, and more employers are beginning to recognize the benefits of offering financial literacy education programs to employees.

A Workforce Vacation Policy Can Be a Competitive Advantage

As small businesses grow, benefits packages become a large part of their competitive offering when attracting talent. For companies who may not be able to compete in the area of compensation, an enticing benefit package could sway an individual to join a company despite lower salary.