Whether you are a manager or an HR professional, the following conversation probably sounds familiar to you:

If you ask any IT Director at virtually any company in America which website is most frequently accessed by their employees, they will all answer in unison: Facebook. Despite firewalling and preventative policy, social media has become ubiquitous and smart companies have learned to use it to their advantage while limiting risk.

Do you have a message to deliver to your employees that may be tough for them to hear? How will you communicate the message in the most effective, genuine way? Sometimes it is necessary to deliver a message that will be difficult for your employees to hear, whether it is regarding negative financial reports, an acquisition, a change in leadership or even pending layoffs. How do you go about delivering this tough message?

Small Business Insurance Options and Benefits For those of you who haven’t heard, partially self-funded plans are the next big thing in small business insurance options. But how do you know if it’s right for your company? And if you decide it’s a good solution, what is your next step?

I recently interviewed a prospective Human Resources Manager candidate and asked what one of her current challenges was. She gave an answer that included an example of two direct reports who once were the best of friends, but are now archenemies and have brought their issues with them to the workplace. In the industry that she is in, she explained that this is common behavior and that it often lands her in the position of being a mediator.

When clients first come to me, I often hear these senior leaders talk about the lack of sleep at night. More often than not, they describe being fearful of what they don’t know when it comes to Human Resources compliance or an employee relations issue they fear may lead to a lawsuit. While we certainly alleviate their concerns by getting their HR department into shape, what I actually get excited to hear more is when a leader is worried about not doing enough to attract and retain top talent. They want to learn how to engage employees and develop them beyond the skills they have today to make a bigger impact.