According to the 2017-2018 ERC Policies and Benefits Survey Report, about 65% of employers are providing organization sponsored activities, the most common of which are holiday parties and annual picnics.

In 2017, employment and labor decisions have been aplenty. Here are three recent decisions that could have an effect on how you do business.

Two-thirds of organizations participating in this year’s ERC/NOCHE Intern & Recent Graduate Pay Rates & Practices Survey have a structured/formal internship program in place. Internships can come in all shapes and sizes depending on the specific industry, the needs of the employer, and the skill set of the students applying for the program.

Just like in any profession, there are plenty of fads, “hot topics”, and trends that come and go in the world of human resources. But which of these workplace practices are really here to stay and which are just a flash in the pan? Here at ERC we are taking a dive into the data from our most comprehensive survey of the year, the recently published 2017/2018 ERC Policies & Benefits Survey, to find out!

According Adecco’s State of the Economy and Employment research, the skills gap is a very real thing. Of the senior executives surveyed, 92% feel that there is a skills gap in the U.S. workforce. The study also reports that “senior executives believe the skills gap has less to do with complacency on the part of American workers and more to do with the U.S. education system and costs associated with in-house training programs.

The 2016 ERC Performance Management Survey reported that 79% of the organizations surveyed use job knowledge/job specific competencies as key performance criteria when assessing performance. If that many organizations evaluate performance based on competencies, what are you doing to ensure that the training you provide to your employees is strengthening those skills?

American essayist, Hamilton Mabie once said “don’t be afraid of opposition. Remember, a kite rises against, not with, the wind.” Think of this quote as a way of setting the tone when dealing with conflict.

There are plenty of articles out there with advice and tips for college kids looking to get internships and how to add value to the organizations they are interning for, including some of our own. This is not another one of those articles. In addition, there are plenty of articles out there that point out the organizational benefits to hiring an intern or having an internship program at your organization. This is also not one of those of articles.