Every year, Washington Business Journals hosts the Best Places To Work awards here in D.C. It’s a great ceremony that celebrates the positive, supportive cultures in companies both large and small.

The recruitment market can be extremely competitive, especially when it comes to in-demand talent. For small businesses, it can be especially tough, as you can't always win by offering the highest salary.

Expanding into a new market can be the most exciting part of an organization’s journey. It’s also an extremely busy time, with an intense focus on market research, financial projections and operational logistics.

Employee retention is one of the biggest challenges during Mergers & Acquisitions. Many M&As are motivated by a desire to access fresh talent, yet employee turnover can be as much as 70% following a merger.

In recent years, employers have been taking a more proactive approach to tackling employee burnout. Many companies take a big-picture approach, looking at everything from workloads to wellness benefits. The results have been positive, with lower absenteeism, stronger retention and improved productivity.

At this time of year, many organizations run large-scale surveys to assess employee engagement and learn more about the current state of play.