It’s Friday afternoon and your Director of HR just gave their resignation. As hard as it probably is to hear the news, I’m writing this to tell you, please don't worry. You don’t need to stress about taking on HR on your own or loading more onto your existing team whose plates are already full, to get you through the transition. After more than 15 years in the business of HR and Recruiting, we have helped hundreds (if not thousands) of organizations go through this very same scenario.

Reston, Virginia -- May 8th, 2017 — Helios HR partnered up with the HR Certification Institute (HRCI) to host their third Human Capital Impact Forum (HCIF) at The Tower Club located in Tysons Corner, Friday morning, May 5th. The Human Capital Impact Forum is where 100 C-level executives and their HR leaders come together to learn, collaborate and adapt human capital programs that drive business growth. This forum was developed as the next evolution of the Helios Apollo Awards, a program Helios held for the last 10 years that recognized leaders for outstanding talent development. This past HCIF offered recertification credit hours and the opportunity to learn what cultures are attracting and retaining today’s new graduates and top-talent.

Why Helios? As new consultants join the growing Helios HR team, they often ask me what I like most about working at Helios. I always take a moment to reflect on that question and to date, my response has always been, “our team”. When I say our team, I mean just that. It's the people we are surrounded by who at the drop of a dime are willing to help out, people I can count on, their expertise, the fun we have together, and our collaboration that inspires us to be innovative and continuously improve.

One KPI You Should Be Tracking! Now that the first quarter is almost over, it is time to focus on how the strategic goals set for 2017 are tracking to last year's results. Organizations spend an immense amount of time and resources tracking revenue and retention of clients, as well as the value of each client in terms of spending. Since payroll is the largest controllable expense on almost every company’s P&L, why then aren’t more leaders also tracking the value of their employees?

The Incentive Plan Problem A growing consulting firm with employees across the United States and internationally engaged with Helios HR to enhance their current incentive plan to align with the current and future business strategy. This business had previously designed and implemented a successful incentive program to drive the behaviors of their consultants; and as the business grew, they outgrew the incentive program. They applied the original plan goals and structure to new functional areas of the business and they just simply didn’t marry up anymore.

Around the holidays, employers can run into a few bumps when planning a company holiday party. What might count as a fun time for some might be considered exclusionary or even offensive for others. How can you plan an office party where everyone feels equally welcome?