Women are promoted earlier in their careers than men are, but that trajectory slows at the fourth level of management, according to a study from the ADP Research Institute. The study also shows women in top management are paid 77% of what men are paid.

Nonprofit employee wages in Minnesota have been rising over the years as organizations strive to attract and retain employees and have reached a level comparable to government employees, state data show. Twelve percent, or 328,111, of Minnesota's workforce is in the nonprofit sector.

A study found only 59% of Generation X workers are confident about their finances, but Colleen Blake at GuideSpark said generally these employees do not have high-interest debt and most have a 401(k). Financial literacy is important, she said, and employers should offer a retirement plan that allows Gen X workers to invest without requiring constant monitoring.

Cloud-based human capital management systems provide a starting point for companies to add digital tools and improve HR operations, according to Deloitte research. "Luckily, a new category of unified engagement platforms has emerged, focused on giving workers a single interface to find and access information in the heterogeneous HR market," the authors write.

The human element is the central focus for Barry-Wehmiller CEO Bob Chapman as he shares the lessons learned in three decades with the company. "We're closer and closer to starting a movement where it's not about Barry-Wehmiller or about me or anyone else but about how to move from management to leadership, and move on from just using people for our benefit," Chapman says.