Most people agree that the explosion in technological advances over the past century has made the world a smaller and more closely linked place. And it’s also changed and expanded the way that people do business and made it easier to overcome previously impenetrable geographic barriers. Despite the ease and utility provided by modern technology, companies still continue to send their employees abroad in record numbers. And they do so for a variety of reasons. Some large MNCs (multi-national corporations) view international work experience as a core competency. Smaller businesses may see expansion into a new market via business development and marketing as critical to diversifying their consumer base. Some companies look to offshore certain parts of their operations to achieve cost savings. If your organization is considering sending even just one employee overseas, think carefully about how you plan to address the following things:

Celebrating birthdays in the workplace is a great way to create a positive environment and form productive relationships between colleagues. Every organization does things differently, but I think it is important to implement a “birthday celebration” policy that works for your business. It’s also important to note that you don’t have to have a large budget to celebrate. There are many different and thoughtful things you can do to that don’t cost anything. Below are some ideas that I have either come up with or experienced and enjoyed.

So, you are at the end of your recruitment and ready to make the move to hire a qualified candidate. Not so fast! You need to check those references! Have you thought about what to ask and the topics you would like to cover when speaking with the references? Let’s take a little time to address some topics and questions for you to speak about.

You’ve landed the job interview, congratulations! Now the real work begins. On average, hiring managers interview at least three to five candidates before extending an offer. And depending upon where you fall in that line-up, you could get lost in the mix if you do not set yourself apart from the rest.

Throughout my travels to clients and other events, I do a lot of facilitating for Helios HR and the number one question I am asked is, “How much does it cost? “ My answer is always the same…” it depends.” Training programs are offered in many forms, and there are several areas to consider when looking at the options for how much it will cost and the effectiveness.

Just this past week the new rules by the Office of Federal Contracting Compliance Programs (OFCCP) went into effect in an effort to strengthen the recruitment efforts by government contractors to hire more veterans and persons with a disability. As a government contractor compliance SME, we hear a great deal about “good faith efforts” when it comes to recruiting but as a government contractor how do you exhibit the “good faith efforts” to the OFCCP if your company has been selected for an Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) audit?