Words matter. The right words can shape and drive the actions of an individual, a team, or an organization. With the ability to adapt to the ever-evolving terminology of the HR field and a strong grasp of emergent terms, HR and staffing professionals can improve the services they provide to their organizations.
During the hiring frenzy over the past few years, many companies came to recognize the importance of effective onboarding to employee engagement and retention. During the so-called war for talent, it was critical to make new hires feel special and to assimilate them quickly into the company or risk having them accept other offers. Although fewer job openings today might shift leverage back to the employer, effective onboarding is still extremely important—particularly when internal talent moves are involved.
Companies reap the most benefits when they plan ahead. But financial investments aren't enough on their own. A successful long-term staffing plan also includes retention strategies such as offering development opportunities and fostering an appealing and supportive work environment-and it requires buy-in from all levels of the organization.
Many traditions that arose in the past to fulfill specific functions still have relevance today. But often, a tradition’s original purpose has been lost-or is no longer being served-and "we've always done it that way" becomes the reason why it persists. This holds especially true in organizational life, where most organizations continue to follow three common practices that may have outlived their usefulness.
An organization has a skills gap when a tension exists between what it needs to accomplish and what its employees are capable of doing. To some degree, most organizations find themselves in this situation today, thanks to factors such as the retirement of older workers, economic changes, and the continued lightning-fast evolution in technology. By examining some key data points about the skills gap, though, companies can be better prepared to understand its significance and take steps to address it.
