The employee experience should be a top business priority and go beyond the passive monitoring of workplace sentiment to active experience design, Josh Bersin writes. Bersin uses real examples to explain employee experience design, noting it "is not just a program to improve retention or productivity, it's now core to your brand."

Thirty-six percent of employers say there are not enough green cards available annually and 41% say the same about H-1B visas, according to a December survey from Envoy Global. In addition, 45% of employers say visa petition processes have become too cumbersome, leading to 29% withdrawing employment offers, 22% laying off staff and 20% halting recruitment for some roles.

Dr. Miles Varn writes that employers interested in supporting staff wellness should start thinking now about the rising costs of health care and how to address them through virtual care, access to second opinions, navigation and support services, and the management of prescription costs. "Strategies should focus not only on mitigating potentially higher health plan costs, but also on improving health outcomes for employees, which may also offer benefits to employers in the form of lower rates of absenteeism and presenteeism, higher productivity and fewer disability insurance claims," Varn writes.

Van Brooks will use a $50,000 grant from Lowe's to offer students training for construction careers through his organization, Safe Alternative Foundation for Education in Baltimore. Using the funds, the foundation will create a new workforce development community center.

When feeling anxious, people might experience a fight-or-flight response that makes it difficult to address the situation in a rational way. Insights from neuroscience research can help people self-regulate emotions through a five-step framework.

A Hawaii girl -- raised on poi, kalua pig and the Makaha Sons -- covering the workforce and K-20 education.

Role players. Often operating in the shadows of their superstar counterparts, these high-output individuals help drive championships. Their work is solid and consistent; they make excellent teammates; and they are comfortable standing back and letting others shine. "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player," said John Wooden, legendary UCLA men's basketball head coach.

How are you supporting the role players on your team? What are you doing to keep them engaged and growing? Let me know. Drop me a line at kanoe.namahoe@futurenet.com.