What makes someone “gritty”? Is it possible to build more grit into our workplace? And how can we raise performance standards while building compassionate, human-focused work environments? These are some of the questions we asked WorkHuman speaker Caroline Adams Miller, a positive psychology coach who’s worked with senior executives, professional athletes, and politicians. Caroline shares tips for giving effective praise, the opposite of grit, and the most damaging kind of feedback. Read our full Q&A with Caroline below.  . What is grit and why do you think it matters, especially now? MORE >>

Curious what’s trending and top of mind in HR today? We’re kicking off a Q&A series with some of HR’s biggest influencers—people who have been in the trenches and know what it’s really like to work in HR. First up is Tim Sackett, HR blogger and president at HRU Technical Resources. With 20 years of experience in HR and recruiting, Tim lives in Michigan and previously worked at Sparrow Health System, Applebee’s International, ShopKo Stores, and Pamida. Take a look at his blog and the webinar he co-hosted last year. Read the full Q&A below. How do we find talent? How do we keep talent? MORE >>

“No news is good news” is a common, fingers-crossed sentiment in many HR departments. It isn’t that we aren’t open to hearing from employees. But often we spend so much time running around putting out fires that a little bit of silence can be truly golden. It means things are finally running smoothly. Or does it? According to an article published in the latest Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior —employee silence can sometimes be a sign of something much more ominous. Silence, says author Elizabeth W. Employees perceive a lack of control. MORE >>

The Globoforce team is officially back from the HR Technology Conference and Expo in Las Vegas! We had some great conversations at the candy booth and a fantastic session with Cisco on Tuesday (more on that soon). And as promised, here’s a wrap up of some of trends I heard after spending three and a half days in sessions and keynotes. We need to re-think talent management data. The days of top-down, manager-driven performance ratings are long gone. Marcus Buckingham opened his Monday keynote with this stat: 61% of a performance rating is a reflection of the rater, not the ratee. and U.K. MORE >>

According to Randstad , U.S. businesses spend more than $110 billion on talent acquisition. That’s more than $3,000 per hire. Just looking at the numbers alone, there is not a company in the U.S.—and and I would argue the world—who can afford to ignore their employer brand. For one, job seekers are more informed than ever before. Consider the fact that nearly half (46%) of Glassdoor members read company reviews when they first start their job search, even before speaking with a recruiter. And nearly half of job seekers now use social media to look for work. Transparency is key. you ask? MORE >>