Human Capital Briefs

Is organized philanthropy really in a position to influence democracy, or does it need to get its own house in order first? A new book by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) posits that for foundations to make lasting progress towards the goals they share with their nonprofit partners and communities, they need to be learning all the time, discovering what is happening in their communities and how change is affecting the ability of nonprofits to do their work and reach their own goals.

Are millennials misunderstood? Over a decade of research from the Case Foundation has found that the characteristics with which millennials were previously branded—a quiet, inactive, insular group that did not engage with social causes and were often considered self-centered, lazy, and too concerned with their devices to think about anyone else—are false. Instead, millennials are thinking, acting, and living their lives like no other generation before them.

Managers need to be skilled at the basics of effective recognition and to use that skill in a timely, sincere and specific manner on a daily basis as their employees have performed well. Managers have to lead the charge in proactively helping to make your workplace a culture of recognition in which the behavior is part of the common practices of the organization.

Research indicates that there are huge gaps in long-term care planning. The need for help, and possibly a lot of help, later in life, has a huge impact on multiple generations of many American families. Society of Actuaries’ research studies show that while many people are aware of the risk, few do advance planning for managing it.

Do Employee Resource Groups help employees promote activism and help guide the culture of a company? If not, better collaboration could help. There are three key building blocks companies should consider to promote organization-wide collaboration: Trust, Communication, and Shared Vision and Purpose.

As the lines between internal and external communications blur, does your organization ensure the needs of internal audiences are not overlooked? Research from IC Kollectif has found that companies are increasingly adopting an integrated approach to internal and external communication. But if internal stakeholders are treated as a distinct audience—a common practice, according to the research—external content alone is not enough to respond to their needs.

Join communication expert Nick Morgan as he discusses his new book, Can You Hear Me?: How to Connect with People in a Virtual World, which outlines five big problems with virtual communication and offers entrepreneurs, business professionals, and managers a clear path forward for helping us connect better with others in a more virtual world.

As the U.S. women’s national soccer team celebrated their second straight victory in the World Cup, chants demanding “equal pay” erupted from both players and fans. This isn’t the first time, nor will it be the last, that gender discrimination and inequity will be in the media spotlight.

If you get employees involved in planning recognition activities, you’ll often end up with better activities that are more valued by your employees.

Employees are struggling to select their benefits. Jargon, lack of communication and poor understanding are some of the issues that plague workers when deciding on 401(k)s, health plans and other benefits, says Rebecca Ray, executive vice president of human capital at the Conference Board.