"Ban the Box" laws do not effectively address the issues that keep the formerly incarcerated from finding sustainable employment, writes Jon Hyman, an employment attorney. Hyman in this commentary outlines three ways to target these issues, including providing tax incentives to companies that hire people who were incarcerated.

Premier Foods began using colleague surveys, instead of only management surveys, to shape its people strategy and company values, says HR executive David Wilkinson. The results allow the company to "act quickly and decisively to rectify any issues thrown up," he says.

A survey from OneAmerica found that 59% percent of Americans would buy life insurance if it were offered as part of their benefits package at work. Of those who don't have life insurance, 47% said it was because their employer does not offer it, according to the survey.

Some companies, such as Accenture, are creating new talent pipelines by recruiting local college students into apprenticeships in areas such as cybersecurity and cloud migration. Quincie Rivers, vice president of workforce strategies and employment solutions at The Adecco Group, says companies also are looking to boot camps and other work-based programs to offer specific skills to workers.

Deborah Stadtler of HR People + Strategy recommends five books for HR executives. One book, "The Connector Manager: Why Some Leaders Build Exceptional Talent and Others Don't," by Jaime Roca and Sari Wilde, categorizes successful leaders into four groups.