Recently, I had a hiring manager contact me and ask me my opinion about a candidate she interviewed. The manager mentioned the candidate was incredibly nervous during the in-person interview. However, during the initial phone screen I had with the candidate, she was well spoken and confidently provided details of her previous work experience. That said because the hiring manager asked for my opinion, this leads me to believe she saw a candidate with growth potential and an eagerness to learn and trusted my judgment as her recruiting consultant. As hiring managers are you able to “spot” a candidate that could be groomed and developed as a star performer? Let’s explore some of the best ways to identify high potential in candidates.

HR compliance is an enormous topic and there is much to be considered when discussing it. There are employment law compliance responsibilities around benefits, 401k plans, federal contracting, record retention, state, and federal regulations…the list is endless. While the risk of not being in compliance can cost an organization hundreds of thousands of dollars, in some ways, I personally think this is one of the simplest disciplines of Human Resources. As an HR consultant who conducts many Human Resource audits for our clients, my advice to you is to get a process in place and stick with it. Once you have identified and corrected any gaps that exist, it's important that you maintain compliance throughout the year and the following audit checklist can help you do just that.

Wait a minute… aren’t HR professionals typically writing about how important employee recognition is within an organization? If you are a little thrown off by the title, let me ease your mind, this blog will, in fact, reiterate how employee recognition plays a vital role in employee engagement and retention. The problem with employee recognition is that many organizations are making significant attempts to recognize employee achievements, but they’re not quite hitting the mark to make it meaningful. Just providing a reward is not enough for employees. As organizations review or implement employee recognition programs, we sometimes forget to look at the impact these programs have on an employee’s feeling of success and value within the organization. Below are three common missteps that organizations make when administering an employee recognition program.

For the majority of American’s, at one point or another we have probably had some sort of authority figure directing our work. If you are one of those who decided to skip this step and go into business yourself at the age of 15, I applaud you! For the rest of us, we have had some incarnation of a boss or supervisor who has directed our daily activities at some point in our lives.

In the DC Metro area, it's no secret that we have a multitude of Government Contracting firms. Over the past few years in particular, we have all felt the industry contract from $550 billion to $450 billion. While some may argue this contraction is temporary, we may still have a few more years of industry tightening.

Whether or not you know it, there is likely someone on your team who struggling with a mental health condition. One in 5 people experience mental illness each year. Everyone can benefit from awareness about mental health in helping to reduce the stigma.