What is Diversity and Why Does it Matter?

I distinctly remember the first time I knew I lived in a bubble.   I was 17- a junior in high school.  I had two elective slots open.  For one, I decided to be a science lab assistant that didn’t require much work.  This allowed me to walk across the street one day a week to spend time with an at-risk elementary student as her mentor. Up until that point in my life, I thought most people lived like me.  Some had more and some had less but I didn’t think there were drastic differences.  As I got to know this

7 Ways to Supercharge Your Employee Engagement

Written by guest blogger: Steve Graham In most businesses, an “Employee Engagement Survey” goes out once per year to determine how engaged employees are with their jobs. The survey seeks to determine whether a person finds their job rewarding, feels like they have a real stake and interest in the company and cares about the overall success of the company. And while these surveys are certainly a step in the right direction, they fail to create a holistic culture of engagement within a company. After all, if the subject of engagement is only broached once per year, it’s not going

Harnessing the Entrepreneurial Spirit of the Millennial Generation

I’ve heard millennials called many things. Lazy. Entitled. Spoiled. Then I came across an article on Today.com that reminded me millennials aren’t the first generation to be labeled negatively. Writer Tom Wolfe dubbed the Baby Boomers as the “Me Decade” in his article The “Me” Decade and the Third Great Awakening. Paul Begala referred to Boomers in Esquire magazine as “the most self-centered, self-seeking, self-interested, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, self-aggrandizing generation in American history.” Gen Xers were also the targets of such negative monikers. I still have a letter to the editor that graced my local paper my senior year of high

Employee Mentoring Programs

Written by guest blogger: Steve Graham What role do employee-mentoring programs have? Mentoring programs have a tremendous impact on employee development, talent retention, and engagement.  Employees crave feedback and often seek someone who has walked their path.  Offering a formal mentoring program demonstrates the organizations commitment to talent development.  It also allows for assistance in developing a career path, and answering the often-asked question, “How do I get where you are?”. One common reason for turnover is lack of professional growth. Mentoring offers a chance for an employee to discuss many of the same concerns their mentor once had.  This

A Culture Where Nothing Is Ever Good Enough and How to Fix It: An Interview with Rajeev Behera CEO of Reflektive

1 in 4 people say their jobs are the most stressful part of their lives. What is creating stress in the workplace and how can it be resolved? Rajeev Behera, CEO of Reflektive, says that a fear-based work culture where nothing is ever good enough is a main cause of stress in the workplace. This occurs when managers use intimidation tactics, putting more value on the employees that put in the most hours, instead of those who are team players. Rajeev saw this first-hand in his work life before founding Reflektive, a performance management and talent development software company, where