What's trending in the news, in business, or with our employees? Within the HR field, it can be critical to pay attention to trends. It is important to pay attention to the priorities placed on pieces of our business and our resources. We must understand the wheels and cogs of the transactions we complete. We must be able to measure our success and the completion of our work.

As technology has advanced and more employers have begun offering remote working arrangements, the relationship between employees and the physical workplace has evolved from frequent “face time” among employees to varying degrees of employee interactions.

Out of 10,000 U.S. workers polled, 52 percent say they do not get paid more for doing a better job. Should you get more pay for doing a better job? I believe you should. If you do more than the average bear, then you should get paid more than the average bear.

Welcome to 2013! Are we having fun yet? I know that it’s traditional to start a new year with all sorts of hope, cheer, and optimism. But let’s face it. 2013 is going to be one tough set of 365 days, and I wouldn’t be doing you any favors by pretending it won’t be. Sorry.

Succession planning and leadership development programs are often linked in an organization. At least in the best-case scenario, they should be. When organizations identify high-performance talent and develop programs designed to build skills...

It’s heartening to see forward-thinking HR leaders recognize that talent retention is an essential priority for 2012. Throughout the country, the term resume tsunami has been coined; it depicts the anticipated overwhelming circulation of top talent looking for new opportunities—essentially draining your own organization of those skills and passions you depend on to stay competitive. So I’m happy to report that employee engagement has taken on a whole new relevance this year—and hopefully in the years to come.

In its simplest form, engagement is defined as “passion for work.” It encompasses what employees feel toward their company, what they think about their work, and what they actually do. Engaged employees feel passionate, energized, and driven. When at work, engaged employees are “fully there.” Engagement is not just something you want to strive for from a human relations perspective. Organizational research has shown that companies with high engagement levels see a financial return, increased customer satisfaction, and increased profitability.

Here’s the first understatement of the year: 2012 is shaping up to be a doozy—especially for HR. Is there anything that touches the headlines that won’t directly impact the way you do your work?