Women and minorities should see burgeoning job opportunities in oil and natural gas, according to an IHS report. The report, which looks at labor and demographic trends in the US, forecasts 1.9 million job opportunities in oil, gas and petrochemicals in the next two decades, with many of those jobs going to women and minorities. "The oil and natural gas industry pays wages significantly higher than the national average and can provide tremendous career opportunities for women and minorities," said American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Jack Gerard.

Construction firms in Denver are looking to hire more women, offering apprenticeship programs as they work to fill jobs both in the field and in management. The National Association of Women in Construction says about 9% of the almost 10 million workers in the US construction industry are women. "There are so many positions and opportunities that are starving for more female candidates," said Karla Nugent of Denver-based Weifield Group Contracting.

Some companies looking for an edge in employee recruitment and retention offer pet insurance and discounts at pet day care centers, and many let employees bring their pets to work. GoDaddy believes allowing dogs at work is important for employee mental health, helping to reduce stress and anxiety.

Generation X employees -- classified as those born between 1965 and 1980 -- are the most engaged workers in today's workforce, a Korn Ferry survey says. Thirty-nine percent of Gen Xers said "the ability to make a difference in the organization" was most important to their work life, while 41% said "a sense of pride in their work" keeps them in their current role.

Too many human resources policies effectively penalize employees for taking sick days, and the effect is increased health risks for their co-workers, writes Paul LaRue. He offers several steps toward changing that culture, based on this axiom: "Treat sick time as an obligation to the staff, not a time-off privilege that can be taken away."

More than 60% of companies have not even recognized the potential for digital human resources tools, according to a global Deloitte survey, and fewer than 1 in 10 has fully transformed. A digital HR setup "encompasses developing a new mobile platform with a wide range of apps built with cloud and analytics technology behind the scenes," Deloitte analysts write.

Companies that improve customer service usually do so by first hiring, training and empowering great employees, and that mindset has to come from the executive levels, write Dilip Bhattacharjee, Jesus Moreno and Francisco Ortega of McKinsey. They share the story of a bank that transformed its customer service through employee feedback, a shared culture and instilling purpose rather than installing rules.