Kelly Swaggerty's blog

In just a few short years social networking sites have gone from something that people thought might just be a fad to a major part of our society. You’ve probably seen the statistic that if Facebook was a country it would be the fourth largest in the world. It might also surprise you to know that based on Facebook’s last publicly released data, their fastest growing segment is adults aged 40-55.

You may remember a few years ago when news outlets began reporting on companies that were refusing to hire smokers. The concept was simple. Smokers were higher health risks and higher health risks increased a company’s insurance premiums. It may sound extreme, but in multiple states the employers’ decisions were upheld by the Supreme Court.

Under any circumstances, retention strategy is always high on the human resources priority list. With today’s complicated market conditions, figuring out the best way to keep your star players is more difficult than ever. Traditionally, organizations hold on to their key talent by paying those employees above market rates, or providing compensation increases beyond the national average. In these trying times there are many companies who aren’t able to play by those traditional rules.

Employee reviews are one of the best opportunities to align your workforce’s actions with the greater goals of the company and ensure that each employee understands how they can affect the company’s success.  During a review it is natural for the employee and their supervisor to discuss their personal goals, objectives and assignments for the foreseeable future and this is the perfect time to talk about how that employee’s work fits into the larger picture.

Now don’t get too excited. Before I start talking about today’s topic I should clearly state that while there have been some exciting market improvements lately we still have a lot of long hard work in front of us before we can start breaking out the term “recovery”. That being said, it does seem like the worst is behind us. So while it isn’t time to pop the champagne, it is definitely time to take stock of how prepared your company is to take advantage of the turnaround once it arrives.

Having a crisis communication plan is a vital part of keeping your organization prepared for the future. While each of us hopes that we will never have to deal with a true crisis for our company or employees, updating and reviewing your strategy is something you should do on a regular basis.

Regardless of what kind of crisis you and your company might experience, whether an accident, natural disaster or business crisis, it is vital that you have a way to communicate important information at all times with your staff, clients and community.

There aren’t a whole lot of folks in the business world that will be upset to see this year come to a close. It’s been a difficult year and most of us are looking forward to starting over clean in January. While it’s true that the year is almost at a close and that signs of stability seem to indicate next year will be better all around, it isn’t too late to take stock and make the most of year end.

Our current economic downturn is dramatically worse that our last down cycle in the early part of the decade. Yet, already there are some significant differences in the ways that corporations are responding to the financial pressure. One of the most noteworthy differences is that many work/life balance programs are being retained or even upgraded when many other investment-based programs are being slashed.

COBRA (or Consolidated Omnibus Budget & Reconciliation Act) is a program designed to provide individuals who would otherwise lose their insurance coverage (often through being unemployed) to extend their coverage through their employer, or previous employer, at group rates paid for at their own expense.

It was recently announce that unemployment in the U.S. has reached double digits at 10.2% nationally. The worst we’ve seen in about three decades. While this isn’t good news by any stretch, it also doesn’t have to have a negative impact on your business.

As with any challenging market, the impact this unemployment situation will have on your business will be determined by how you react to it. Here are some thoughts about the pros and cons of the current climate – and tips for how your company can navigate the situation the best way possible.