Magazine Articles

CUSTOMER SERVICE   By Dave Fogleman, Vice President, Sprint University

By Lorri Freifeld In the land where dreams come true, Training 2013 Conference & Expo took attendees down new learning paths that stimulated the mind, challenged the body, soothed the soul—and dared us to attempt the impossible. Some highlights from the three-day conference held February 17-20 at the Walt Disney World Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, FL:

By Martha J. Cardi, JD, Reed Group Chief Compliance Officer, and Megan G. Holstein, J.D., Reed Group Senior Counsel, Compliance and Employment Law An employee’s request for a leave of absence as an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) poses Human Resource (HR) challenges. The EEOC is pursuing violations of employers’ ADA obligations, obtaining multi-million dollar consent decrees against employers for absence policies that violate the ADA. Employers are asking when, why, and how much leave must be provided as an ADA accommodation.

By Jason W. Womack, MEd, MA You’ve no doubt heard of ROWE (Results Only Work Environment). For many people, this has meant they can work from anywhere. As long as they get their work done, it’s OK to not come into the office.

Most people think they will get their next job thanks to in-person networking, according to a poll of nearly 600 U.S. and Canadian workers by Right Management, the talent and career management expert within ManpowerGroup. Whether currently employed or unemployed, half of those surveyed expect that person-to-person networking is how they will find their next position, while 1 in 5 thinks it will come from a posting on an Internet job board. How do you think you will find your next position?

By Bruce Tulgan When it comes to the business of training, how do you make the business case for training?

>>Convey Health Solutions, a specialty health-care business process outsourcing firm, selected Mzinga’s OmniSocial Learning to power its internal employee collaboration, training and communication initiatives, and expand into a community for customer experience and support.

>> Led by CEO Bonnie Hagemann, Executive Development Associates launched Online Reference Check. The simple automated system provides objective, comprehensive feedback for employees, contractors, tenants, and more in three to five minutes. >> Porter and Chester Institute launched Career EDGE, an online career training tool that provides students with guidance in securing a job after completing their selected training programs. Career EDGE offers interactive resume building, interviewing tips, career search programs, and a video library of advice and information.

The annual global Talent Management Survey conducted by HR services provider NorthgateArinso (NGA) found that 87 percent of 1,119 businesspeople surveyed believe talent identification will be critical to the success of their organizations over the next three years. But more than half—51 percent—believe their industry suffers from a lack of suitable candidates. NGA offers three tips to HR practitioners to improve their talent management processes:

>> Total Training Network (TTN), a learning management system (LMS) and online training provider, released its new Élan Enterprise Learning Platform. It provides on-screen flexible functionality using definable and movable “gadgets.” >> Cloud-based technology solutions and consulting company KeyedIn Solutions launched a resource hub focused on Professional Services Organizations (PSOs). It provides free-to-download white papers and access to topical Webinars, a blog, and Twitter feed.