IBM is suing former Chief Diversity Officer Lindsay-Rae McIntyre for allegedly violating a noncompete agreement by taking the same job at Microsoft. IBM argues McIntyre is taking "trade secrets" to Microsoft, saying she has vast knowledge of IBM's diversity and inclusion practices.

Home Depot and Lowe's have launched their annual spring hiring sprees, planning to add more than 80,000 and 53,000 seasonal staffers, respectively. The tighter labor market could make filling posts tougher, so Home Depot has eased recruitment by letting people apply for jobs and schedule interviews via smartphone.

Access to and participation in employer-sponsored retirement programs correspond with greater general retirement planning, according to an analysis by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Forty-one percent of those with workplace plans available said they have tried to estimate how much income they will need in retirement, compared with 16% of workers without access to an employer-sponsored plan, the analysis found.

Blockchain technology can help HR uncover lies on people's resumes by providing access to accurate information. "If schools, universities, employers, skills test providers and drug-screening agencies all agreed to record data on a common blockchain, we might see much more certainty added to the hiring process," says John Nurthen of Staffing Industry Analysts.

Walmart is adjusting its HR strategy as it competes with online retailers and changes in how its customers behave, says Jacqui Canney, Walmart executive vice president, global people division. The company is paying higher wages, giving employees more flexibility, providing continuous feedback and creating cross-functional teams at Walmart's headquarters.