Strategic Planning

Comp and benefits to the fore in retaining great staff

10/25/2010

Of all of HR’s priorities, keeping good employees is on top. You can be a hero in the post-recession years ahead. Act like one: Be brave enough to communicate the truth to both employees and to company execs. Assert your key role by trying the following:

How to sell HR budgets to CFOs

10/12/2010

If your organization’s fiscal calendar works like many others, you’re right in the middle of the busiest time of the year. It’s budget season! While you’re reviewing past expenditures and making projections for 2011, don’t forget to factor in one of the most crucial aspects of the budget process: Convincing your chief financial officer to back your HR budget proposal.

Adult children and health insurance: Know the new law’s intricacies

10/07/2010

The new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act significantly changes the health care landscape for many employers. Some aspects of the law took effect in September 2010. Most significantly, employees’ children are eligible for coverage until age 26. The new coverage requirement affects all plans renewing on or after Sept. 23, 2010.

The 5 questions to ask before every meeting

09/14/2010

It’s time to ban unproductive meetings! Ensure the success of your next meeting by asking these five questions. They’ll set the stage for participants to make the most of the time they spend in the conference room. Feel free to pass along these suggestions to everyone in your workplace who organizes meetings.

Cutting health care costs: The 3-legged stool

09/07/2010

As premiums continue to rise and reforms have added new complexity (and looming new costs), the C-Suite is pushing HR for solutions. With insurance plan renewals fast approaching for many employers, there’s even more urgency. Reducing employers’ health insurance burden requires balancing three strategies: cost shifting, cost reduction and plan changes.

Health care reform: Mark your calendar with these milestones

08/24/2010

When President Obama signed health care reform legislation in March, the clock started ticking on a series of changes that HR professionals will be dealing with for at least the next eight years. Here’s your timeline of what to expect.

4 tips for getting max ROI from salary surveys

08/05/2010

When reviewing salary surveys to determine fair pay rates for your employees, follow these tips from Beverly Dance, founder of Dance Consultancy, who spoke at the recent SHRM annual conference in San Diego:

Grass getting greener: 7 tips for post-recession recruiting

08/03/2010

As the economy turns the corner, more employees are looking over the fence to see if the grass is greener elsewhere. “For the first time since 2008, we’re seeing more people quitting than being laid off,” Jamie Minier, president of The Right Thing recruiting firm, says. “Employers need to be thinking now about how to create a strategy to recruit.”

Don’t break the bank for effective wellness programs

07/27/2010

Employers are warming up to wellness programs to help reduce health care costs. And it works! But choosing the wrong pieces of the wellness puzzle can lower your ROI dramatically. For the most bang for your wellness buck, focus on these five efforts that drive the greatest cost savings.

What will you do if the economy doesn’t rebound this year?

07/20/2010

If the unsteady economy doesn’t improve during the next six months, one in four HR professionals say their organizations are “very likely” to respond with wage freezes, according to a new poll. What’s your Plan B if the recession double-dips?