According to Mercer's 2019 Global Talent Trends Study, companies are shifting their approach to be people-focused in terms of talent, value creation and brand alignment. "HR should have a stronger voice in business transformation, as only two in five HR leaders say they currently participate in the idea generation stage of transformation initiatives," writes Kate Bravery, the study's lead author.

Some employers ask job candidates to complete sample work or to participate in multiple rounds of interviews. What should candidates do when these demands become excessive?

A survey from Jobvite finds that compensation remains a priority for job seekers but that 61% of workers want jobs that offer career development and advancement. The survey also finds that poor conversation skills and rudeness to co-workers by recruiters are among reasons candidates drop out of the hiring process.

Every business is digital to some degree and is therefore a potential target of hackers. Taking basic steps such as installing anti-virus software can help businesses avoid being hacked, and Matthew Podolsky reviews six other simple, low-cost ways to layer on additional security, beginning with clearly stating security protocols.

New employees need guidance, empathy and the safety to make mistakes, writes executive and venture capitalist Scott Belsky. "As a new employee, it's impossible to graft yourself onto a new team if you don't have a sense of how you're doing and what you might do differently," he writes.