Compensation

While the ‘Living Wage’ issue seems to affect only the largest retailers and fast-food giants, the effort, if successful, will alter every business’ ability to enter into basic agreements with individuals resulting in a benefit for both parties.

California Governor Jerry Brown just signed a bill that will gradually raise the state’s minimum wage from $8/hour to $10/hour by 2016, saying it is a long overdue measure to raise the income of working families. Yet earlier in September Washington DC Mayor Vincent Gray, also a Democrat, vetoed a City Council bill that would require large retailers [read Wal-Mart] in the city to pay higher wages, a measure that had drawn national attention. Gray called the bill a "job-killer," saying it would result in the loss of thousands of jobs in Washington. So who’s right?

When hiring new employees, counter offers should be expected, as nobody wants to lose their best people. It is a lot easier to make a counter offer than it is to find a new person especially if the person quitting is top talent.

Money isn't the great motivator people often suppose. In fact, excessive monetary rewards can lead to bad behaviors.

The old rank-and-yank system pioneered by GE and others has given way to more sophisticated methods of identifying and retaining talent.

The numbers on employee engagement are out, and they’re compelling. Several leading research firms reporting on the quantifiable value of increased employee engagement concluded...