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There’s no better way for employers to get direct input about someone than from a reference.

While it might be easy for you to find people who will say nice things about you, you should focus more on those who can speak to your attributes and experiences that would make you right for the job. If it is a global position for instance, or at a company that just went through a merger, you will want to prepare your reference to talk about your experience in those areas.

Here are six more ways I recommend securing the most effective references:

When recently visiting my Dad in his long-term care facility I noticed a new addition to his floor. A big cage with a lovely bird in it was sitting just outside his room. As I was looking at this, the head nurse wandered by and told me that the bird had a mate for many years and when she passed away the bird stopped making any noises. He was completely silent. If you will pardon the poetic license, we both knew why the caged bird didn’t sing. Grief.

There is no shortage of advice about the “best” approach to productivity. Yet somehow, many of us feel that we are doing both too much and not enough. Productivity stress can even affect our sleep and our mental health.

The experts are very sure of themselves - but their advice is often contradictory. 

“The best place to work is the office.” “The best place to work is home.” “The best place to work is the coffee shop.”

It's been a while since there has been a topic that has lacked decision in a way the post-pandemic workplace continues to. Will we return to the office? How often? Will there be parameters for hybrid models? Each region, industry, and individual organization seems to have their caveats that are ping-ponging policy.

What are some simple and cost-effective ways to recognize and reward employees?

To help your company find new ways to recognize and reward your employees, we asked HR experts and business leaders this question for their best advice. From crafting social media shoutouts to celebrating work anniversaries, there are several simple and cost-effective ways to recognize and reward your employees.

It’s a familiar but frustrating scene for internal communicators: We invest countless hours researching, writing, revising and posting content, but employees don’t seem to be receiving the message.

So what’s going on? Why isn’t the content getting through?

We’ve heard the slogans: “People are our most important asset.” “We want to be an employer of choice.”

And we know most companies fall far short of those aspirations, for lots of reasons.

Mistakes. We’ve all made them. Things like missing deadlines, going over budget, botching a product release or even yelling at a client. In most cases, however, it’s not the mistake itself, but how you handle the aftermath that can either cause severe career damage or all but disappear.

Beyond fessing up to a mistake, I’ve put together a list of steps you can take to right your wrong.

As the world gets back to work, we know it won’t be business as usual. HR leaders are the ones who will put workplaces back together—with better-than-ever-before practices and policies that will help employers and employees thrive.

Now more than ever….

The world of work has changed. One could argue that farming in 10,000 BCE in ancient Mesopotamia – the cradle of civilization - or the domestication of animals, the Renaissance, the printing press, the Industrial Revolution, the assembly line, the internet, and mobile devices all changed how humanity operates.