Along with many other states, Illinois continues to press forward slowly but surely in job growth, though it has not caught up to the national recovery rate. In November, Illinois job growth recovered by a modest 0.3% — slower than in previous months (21,700 vs. 19,500 in November). …

Despite being a frequently reported topic over the past year, remote work continues to dominate headlines in countless industry reports. Millions of Americans are quitting their jobs month over month — a record 4.4 million in September alone — in favor of new positions that not only offer stronger benefits and compensation but also greater flexibility in how they work. …

Open Enrollment Season is Just Around the Corner While private health insurance coverage continues to be more prevalent than public coverage ( 66.5% private vs. 34.8% public in 2020), demand for the latter did increase in last year’s open enrollment period. With a significant amount of Americans leaving their jobs for better compensation and benefits, the season ahead…

Creating a Mandatory Vaccine Policy is No Simple Task If you’ve been following the headlines, you’re already aware of how challenging the implementation of a mandatory vaccination policy can be. Your organization might already be one of the several that has been impacted by either a Federal mandate or a widespread move toward requiring vaccinations for employees. As of…

Unemployment is Dropping Nationwide — Are You Ready to Compete for Talent? Take a look at headlines, and you’ll see unemployment rates across the country dropping. In June, the rate stood at 5.9%, and in July, it was 5.4%. Businesses nationwide are adding jobs like crazy, with 943,000 added last month alone — far exceeding the 860,000 that economists forecasted. And when…

With Unfilled Positions, HR Teams Are Doing More with Less As an HR professional, you’re undoubtedly aware of how challenging it is to find the right talent. Companies are scrambling to fill their open positions. According to Indeed, the average number of job postings has increased 30.5% over February of 2020 — the pre-pandemic baseline. As of June 18, there…

When the Software Designed to Make Life Easier Actually Causes More Problems As your company grows, your HR team will need to lean on software solutions for everyday transactional tasks (new hires and terminations, performance issues, employee questions, etc.) as well as long-term projects (onboarding strategy, benefits administration, and payroll management). …

For Small Businesses, Focus is the Key to Success Whether you’re the founder of a small business or are an HR leader in one, you’re likely aware of the many challenges an SMB has on a daily basis. Developing a product or platform, building out your market position, meeting customers’ demands, partnering with the right vendors and suppliers, and…

As Business Leader, You Know That Change is the New Constant The pandemic transformed organizations from centralized teams to distributed workforces spread across the country. The growing gig method of working has led to HR teams supporting more part-time and contract employees and leveraging digital solutions to keep up. …