The 2025 North Alabama Wage and Benefit Survey, conducted by Horizon Point Consulting and hosted by NAIDA, North AlabamaWorks!, NARCOG, NACOLG, and seven participating counties, gives employers in our region valuable insight into compensation, workforce practices, and benefits. With input from 152 participating organizations—including 81 manufacturers and 50 government contractors—this year’s report shows how pay and perk strategies are evolving across North Alabama. Who Took the Survey? Employers across diverse sectors contributed: Hard-to-Fill Jobs Respondents identified persistent hiring challenges in: Pay Practices and Compensation Trends Wage comparisons reveal moderate increases: Some employers are adopting skills-based pay programs, offering: Emerging Scheduling
What can a trip to the dentist teach us about leadership? A lot, it turns out. In this blog post, we explore how creating psychological safety—just like a great pediatric dental team does—can boost motivation, trust, and performance at work. Learn why safety and healthy conflict go hand-in-hand, and how vulnerability and structure help teams align (even when they disagree). If you’re ready to build a culture where people feel energized, engaged, and empowered to speak up, this one’s for you.
What really motivates your team? Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory offers a timeless framework to help leaders understand the difference between what satisfies employees—and what simply keeps them from quitting. In our latest blog, we explore how supervisors can move beyond managing hygiene factors (like pay and working conditions) to actively fostering motivators like recognition, growth, and meaningful work. Plus, we share practical tools you can use in one-on-ones to build engagement and boost satisfaction.
Wondering how to take your leadership team’s performance management skills to the next level—without losing sight of your values? In our latest blog, we reflect on a recent retreat with a returning client where we built on The People First Method to explore what values-based performance management really looks like. From ethical feedback to coaching with purpose, this session was all about leading with integrity. Discover how your team can turn values into action—and performance into growth.
Emily here. For the past two semesters, I’ve been part of the Highlands College Leadership Institute, and I’ll admit, I’ve often felt like an imposter. Leadership hasn’t always come naturally to me, and conflict? I tend to avoid it. But here’s the twist: leaning into that discomfort has sparked unexpected growth. What if understanding your own personality—and others’—could completely change how you handle conflict? I’ve been exploring this in my leadership journey, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned about turning conflict into a powerful tool for collaboration. Want to know how? Keep reading!