Benchmarking best practices for recruitmentHR Daily Advisor sheds light on current best practices in recruitment based on the results of a recent survey conducted by Monster.com and BLR’s HR Daily Advisor and HRhero Line. The first article on survey results – Big Job Boards Are Now the #1 Recruiting Source – discusses recruiting sources, typical advertising expenditures, and the use of computer/software Applicant Tracking Systems. The second article about the survey results focuses on Best Practice for Internet Background Checks, and how employers are using social media and Google background checks in their hiring practices.

Harassment – Can an employer be liable for the harassment of employees by nonemployees, even though an employer’s control over nonemployees is limited? The issue of liability hinges on the reasonableness of corrective actions taken by the employer, according to a recent letter issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for guidance. The folks at Wolters Kluwer discuss the EEOC letter on Title VII liability for non-employee harassment of employees and its implications.

The art of de-escalation – A recent issue of Occupational Health & Safety offers excellent tips for Handling Difficult Customers in a Public Service Environment – situations in which there is a potential safety concern about the angry or menacing customer. The author’s tips appear useful in a variety of other potentially confrontational settings, too, including management settings. Author Carol Fredrickson says that “The most important thing to remember is that the angry person wants to be heard! He will not calm down until he believes you are truly interested in listening to his point of view or his problem.”

Obsessive sharing disorder? – In the age of social media, many people live in public in a way that never occurred before. That means we are often learning more about our coworkers, much of it stuff that we never wanted to know. Daniel Schwartz of Connecticut Employment Law Blog looks at potential legal issues related to this in his post Oversharing at Work: When Gossip Turns Into Something More. The post includes an interesting 20-minute video discussion on issues related to oversharing in the workplace, moderated by Nancy Redd of HuffPost. Participants include Schwartz, Liz Ryan, CEO of Human Workplace, and Eric B. Meyer Partner at the Labor and Employment Group at Dilworth Paxson and Publisher of The Employer Handbook.

Innie or an Outie? – Are you an introvert or an extrovert, and how does that personality type affect your management style? Trainingmag.com offers an excerpt from the book “Managing for People Who Hate Managing.” Author Devora Zack discusses distinguishing features of introverts and extroverts and looks at ways that they communicate differently, including strengths, go-to styles, and challenges.

Managing Multigenerationals – Chip Luman notes that today’s work force encompasses four distinct generations, with more than 50 years separating some employees. He cautions about making assumptions about people based on these generations, noting that, “…singling out certain individuals for key roles based on their age tends to drive division rather than bring people together.” For example, recent college grads may be expert at social media, but that expertise doesn’t necessarily translate into an understanding of how to apply that knowledge to business use.

Cool ToolThe 2012 College Rankings from Washington Monthly are a different kind of college guide. It factors in social responsibility issues such as cost and the institution’s value for a commitment to service into its rankins. The intro says, ” Every year we lavish billions of tax dollars and other public benefits on institutions of higher learning. This guide asks: Are we getting the most for our money?”

Tackling Obesity – Research shows that by 2010, all 50 states will have obesity rates exceeding 44%, leading to millions of additional cases of type 2 diabetes, stroke and coronary heart disease, as well as arthritis and hypertension. Jennifer Lubell of amednews looks at how 4 states are fighting obesity by targeting younger populations to encourage healthy weights and physical activity.

Quick Takes


Learn how ESI Employee Assistance Program can help address your employees’ wellbeing issues – from a wellness benefits and help for everyday work-life matters to comprehensive assistance for a wide array of potentially disruptive issues and problems.

BACK TO ALL POSTS

Request a Quote