AXIOS Blog

The Huntington Pillar Award from the Women's Resource Center (WRC) recognizes West Michigan-based organizations that have implemented innovative and progressive policies to ensure the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in their workplace.

First, I apologize if I use term "Super Bowl^©" without the NFL's express written consent.  I will try to use "big game", "yesterdays’ football game", or whatever, but everyone knows what I’m talking about, so, there you go.  I’ll do what I can to avoid it.

Year end is always a busy time in any organization, and especially in the lives of its employees.  There is a lot of scrambling around due to budget planning for the coming year, performance reviews, open enrollments, client meetings, service renewals, holiday parties, family gatherings, open enrollments, getting together with friends, final projects, last minute client work to be done before year end (use up that budget!), and did I mention open enrollment?

In recent months there has been a divergence in the message we have been receiving from employers and potential employees.  A few years ago, while many IT positions were still in short supply, most other positions had plenty of qualified candidates and employers could take their time and find the best fit for their organization.  Today, despite persistently high unemployment figures, employers bemoan of the dearth of qualified candidates.  What's up?

Many workplace guru’s are espousing the “no performance review” work environment, where formal review processes are shunned for a more casual process, or no process, whatsoever.  From a time & efficiency standpoint, it’s an approach that is hard to argue with.

A few interesting leadership stories from the past weekend of sports action, and sports tragedy.

Performance discussions with employees are probably one of the toughest parts of being a business owner or manager, but not addressing issues can hold back your business.

As reported on the MAPSA Facebook Page today in this video, Black River Public School instructor Peter Middleton was nominated for and named a finalist in the annual MAPSA Charter School Teacher of the Year award.

The “Great Recession” of 2008-2011 (longer here in Michigan) has again changed the game when it comes to talent retention in the ways that recent market corrections, bubbles, and their eventual staff fallout may not have driven home – we are all free agents, and almost everyone is expendable.