Many of us have heard similar phrases from coaches and teachers in our K-12 extracurricular activities like athletics, music, theater, dance, chess, or debate. Yet despite our dedication to our activity and perhaps great success during our youth, the vast majority of us do not continue on to become professionals in these fields.

The emerging trends within our workforce and businesses will have a significant effect on the Human Resource profession in the coming years. As HR professionals, we will play a key role in addressing these changes. Given this, we need to answer one essential question: What is the future of Human Resources? We asked two prominent Human Resource professionals this question and received these insightful responses.

In a typical business organization coaching program, the company usually acts on behalf of the employee who is to be coached (usually a new hire) by matching that individual up with an experienced, well established employee who will serve as the coach. However, that is not to say that an employee can’t take the initiative for their own coaching.

For over 30 years, emoticons have been used as symbols added to text based communication to convey a sender’s state of mind or the emotional nuance of a message. Many of us spend most of our day communicating through electronic means, when in fact, sometimes we are close enough to hold hands or are sitting in the next room.

Some say that the road to success is paved with patience, hard work and perseverance, while others believe it is paved with failures. Either way, when it comes to reaching that final destination, what matters most is how the road is driven. For companies with multiple stakeholders, systems and processes, there is a lot to consider before setting the course.

Total compensation statements are a great tool to help employees understand all the contributions a company makes on their behalf. Frequently listed items include salary, bonuses, insurance and retirement benefits, and PTO, as well as hidden or mandated costs, such as workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance.

We have experienced several years of cost cutting and a tight economy with no real relief in sight. Healthcare reform is introducing more economic uncertainty, and the bottom line is a multi-year freeze on salary increases for many companies.

Is your company’s bottom line where it should be? Are you growing, shrinking, or barely keeping your head above water? How are your numbers compared to five years ago? It is no big secret that times are tough for businesses—both small and large. Times are tight. Times are uncertain. Times have changed, and there is no room for error.

Organizations invest a lot of time and resources in recruitment. However, when it comes to keeping their employees, it is frequently a different story. Many organizations struggle with issues related to employee morale, engagement, and retention, and they think the reason employees leave is the lack of sufficient extrinsic motivation.