Human Capital Briefs

It is no longer enough to be an expert in communications to succeed as a communications professional. A recent research brief titled The Case for Business Acumen published by IC Kollectif spotlights key findings from primary and secondary research on the importance of business acumen for internal and external communications professionals.

Can companies boost job satisfaction by better incorporating purpose into their strategies and processes? The Conference Board’s latest job satisfaction report found that 53.7 percent of workers are satisfied with their jobs, but by adding strategies grounded in purpose, some of the job components with which workers are least satisfied could be improved.

Airbnb gives consumers choice. Lyft can get you anywhere, anytime. TOMS makes your purchase count for two. Today’s companies significantly impact consumer behavior, from what you do to how you do it, and everything in between. The corporate role in disaster philanthropy—and influence over consumer and employee giving trends—is no different.

The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine™ (HWOL) Index has been declining for much of 2019, indicating a slowdown in employment growth. While the HWOL index is certainly weakening, it is nowhere near recession territory. The current decline is about the same as the slowdown in 2015-2016, but much smaller than that of the Great Recession.

Learning and knowledge sharing are important topics in philanthropy. By adopting a learning orientation and exchanging knowledge with others, grantmakers can better position themselves to address the complex problems they’re working to solve today.

Is improving leadership even on the radar screen in the public relations profession? The short answer appears to be no, according to the results of the Plank Center’s Leadership Report Card 2019. Though numerous blogs, articles and research studies in our field recognize the importance of improving leadership to help the profession achieve positive outcomes, the industry struggles to make it happen.

You’ve read the management books. You’ve heard more than enough about engagement, empowerment, teamwork, and so forth. But there’s just one problem: In the day-to-day rush of running your business, keeping your staff motivated takes a backseat to your daily work, management crises and making your numbers.

Why don't CEOs and communicators agree on the role and future of the function? The 2019 Global Communications Report from USC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism highlights at least three disconnects between company leaders and the communicators who work for them: the purpose of communications, the point of communications, and how tech will contribute to the field.